Last week, Ontario farmers delivered a clear and practical message to decision-makers at Queen’s Park: we grow an incredible range of food in this province, but too much of it leaves in its raw form, only to come back to us as a finished product. That’s a missed opportunity for farmers, for rural communities, and for Ontario’s economy.

Agriculture is one of Ontario’s leading industries, driving local economies, supporting jobs, and sustaining entire communities. Yet too often, the size and scope of agriculture isn’t fully understood by most people working outside of that sector.

As Earth Day approaches, it’s a good time to reflect on something that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves but underpins everything we do in agriculture: our soils.

Throughout the winter, we travel across Ontario attending farm shows, conferences and meetings — including OFA’s Policy Advisory Council and Northern Caucus — to hear directly from our members and bring their concerns forward to decision-makers. As winter meeting season wraps up, a few clear themes have emerged.

For most Ontarians, food begins at the grocery store or on a restaurant menu. But behind every meal is a much bigger story: one that starts on farms across the province and involves careful decisions about animal care, environmental stewardship, food safety and quality.

For many business owners, planning to transition what we’ve spent our lives building to the next generation of owners is something we know we need to do, but it’s also something we tend to put off.

If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ve likely seen headlines about global tensions driving up fertilizer prices and how that could potentially affect food prices later this year.

Every five years, federal, provincial and territorial governments come together to set the direction for Canadian agriculture through a national policy framework. These agreements shape everything from business risk management programming and environmental initiatives to research, innovation and infrastructure investments.

As we approach International Women’s Day on March 8, it’s hard to believe that only a few decades ago, women in Canada could not legally be recognized as equal partners in their own farm businesses.

In March 2019, my husband Brian and I began milking cows in our new dairy barn near Cannington in Durham Region. By October, I was facing a breast cancer diagnosis and by March of the following year, the COVID-19 pandemic had turned the world upside down.