The importance of safety on the farm can never be understated. These are vital conversations that need to be prioritized every day of the year.

The days are becoming longer, brighter and as the snow melts a busy planting season looms ahead for Ontario’s farming community. Many of us have waited in anticipation for the warmer temperatures and spent the winter months planning our crops, ordering inputs and ensuring our equipment is ready for when spring’s favourable weather gives us the green light.

Farming is regularly influenced and impacted by adverse conditions and unique situations. A level of risk is also assumed within the agriculture industry, whether it’s the risk of extreme weather, supply chain interruptions or market volatility.

Today marks Canada’s Agriculture Day – an annual event that brings both consumers and farmers together to celebrate the local food we all love to enjoy and the hardworking contributors across the food value chain that nurture it from field-to-fork.

With Farm Business Registration (FBR) season in full swing, farmers across Ontario are faced with the important decision of where to allocate their hard-earned membership dollars. When selecting your general farm organization, we recognize the needs of your business, your community and the future of the industry should be taken into consideration.

Through the Feeding Your Future labour initiative, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), in partnership with the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus Business Development Centre (BDC), has launched a new training course aimed at enhancing the knowledge and awareness of mental health and wellness in agriculture. The course, which is offered as part of the Ontario Agriculture Worker Safety and Awareness Certificate, was developed to help identify the unique barriers the agricultural population experiences relative to mental health.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is looking forward to the opportunity to engage with municipal leaders across the province at the 2022 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference.

Another Canadian winter is upon us, and with the arrival of fresh white snow, it’s the perfect opportunity for Ontarians to get outdoors and enjoy their favourite winter activities. My family jumped on the bandwagon last year and began snowmobiling, which has been a great sport to get involved in. Spanning more than 30,000 kilometres, Ontario has an extensive trail system across the province which offers the chance to experience the countryside from a different view.

It’s been another challenging year as we continued to navigate the pandemic while simultaneously juggling our daily roles of entrepreneur, farmer, partner, parent, sibling and friend. In true farmer fashion, our agricultural community has continued to showcase kindness, generosity and empathy as our industry battled extreme weather, disrupted revenue streams and volatile markets. Yet, we’ve persevered and we’re now ready to turn the page for a fresh new start in 2022.

Late last week, the Ontario government released the fall economic statement entitled 2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Overview: Building Ontario. At a time when we’re beginning to experience positive progress towards a possible end to the pandemic, the government has released their plan for the future with a strong focus on economic recovery. The three pillars of the economic outlook concentrate on protecting our progress, building Ontario and working for workers.