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.

A new year is upon us and for Ontario’s farmers, that means it’s time to renew their Farm Business Registration (FBR) for another year. It’s required by provincial law for any farm business in Ontario with gross income of at least $7,000 and brings with it a variety of benefits for farmers.

The start of a new year is often a time for resolution and goal setting. Whether that goal is to walk more steps each day, grow a better tomato or win first place at the 4-H club show, each one requires us to look at what we want to achieve and find ways to get there.

As the year comes to a close, farmers are wrapping up the last of the field work and preparing their farms for the winter. It’s also time to start focusing on getting ready for tax season. That means getting bookwork caught up, receipts and paperwork gathered and taking time to generally take stock of how the farm has performed from a business and financial standpoint over the past year.

When an athlete wins a major tournament, an Olympic medal or a world championship, it’s that sweet moment of victory and triumph that makes the headlines. It’s less often that you hear about the years of hard work, sacrifice and determination that helped them reach that level of success – and even rarer to hear about times of trial and failure.

It’s no secret that our world is facing some big challenges. Issues like climate change, environmental sustainability and food security are complex and far-reaching – and impacts are already being felt to varying degrees around the world. Farming can be a source of solutions for many of these challenges, but research and innovation are critical to helping make that happen.

Canadian agriculture has come another step closer to expanded fuel surcharge exemptions for essential farming activities, which will bring meaningful relief to farmers across the country. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food has approved a private member’s bill exempting propane and natural gas used for heating livestock barns and drying grain from federal carbon surcharges, sending it back to the House for third and final reading.

Ontario needs more homes, built faster – that much is true. The Golden Horseshoe area is poised to see unprecedented growth over the next few decades and it’s important that we work towards a better plan to accommodate folks that want to call this province home in the future.

In a few short weeks, Ontario’s farmers will gather for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM is a special highlight on our annual event calendar as it’s the one time of year that federation of agriculture members from all over the province can get together to talk about the issues that are important to farmers, help provide input to the provincial board of directors on policy directions, and enjoy the opportunity to get to know each other a little bit better.