This week, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is heading to Queen’s Park to meet with members of our provincial government. This is our first outreach day since last June’s provincial election, so it will be both an opportunity to visit with re-elected MPPs as well as get to know some of those who are serving their first terms at Queen’s Park.

In Canada’s agriculture sector, last year’s announcement by the federal government about fertilizer emissions reductions has stirred plenty of conversation and confusion.

Spring is just around the corner and that means farmers will soon be hitting the fields to get this year’s crops into the ground. It’s a busy time of year, which makes it more important than ever to keep safety top of mind.

Women have long played a very pivotal although often unseen role in Canadian agriculture. Traditionally, that role has been one of support, from doing the farm books and helping with chores, to raising the family, managing the household and whatever else was needed behind the scenes to keep things running.

A statistic that is often used in relation to our agriculture sector is the fact that Canada’s farmers are getting older, with the average age nation-wide being 56. That means a lot of farm businesses will be changing hands in the next 10 to 15 years as older farmers retire.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is a provincial organization that represents Ontario’s farmers on the issues that matter to them. Most of those issues are provincial in nature, and we work with governments at the municipal and provincial levels to raise awareness and find solution to matters that impact farmers.

It’s that time of year again when many of us turn our attention to numbers and columns. For the Ontario government, it means turning its focus to the next provincial budget. As part of that process, they hold consultations to find out what Ontarians feel is important and to get input into where and how different groups and sectors of the economy think budget funding should be allocated.

Ontarians have long been supporters of local food, buying directly from farmers at on-farm markets, visiting the ever-growing number of farmers’ markets in the province, or encouraging local retailers to stock local products.

Last week marked the annual conference of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA). For an advocacy organization like the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), the ROMA conference is a key event on the annual calendar. It’s where rural municipal leaders, rural stakeholders and government representatives come together to meet, network and discuss issues of importance to rural Ontario.

Earlier this month, John Deere, one of the world’s largest farm equipment manufacturers, signed a “right to repair” memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau. This means farmers in the United States now have the right to fix their John Deere tractors and other farm equipment either themselves or through an independent third party.