Summer is a busy time on the farm. Whether we’re cutting hay or silage to feed our livestock next winter, getting fresh fruits and vegetables to market or harvesting grain crops, there is no shortage of work to keep everyone busy.

Electricity is an essential service for all of us, but for decades, livestock farmers in rural Ontario have been struggling with a devastating side effect of that service that affects both people and animals.

One of the most important pieces of infrastructure on a farm is without a doubt the well. Unlike in towns and cities, many of us don’t have water systems in rural areas, so we depend on wells for the water we need for our families, our livestock and our crops.

The dramatic rise in auto thefts in Ontario has been making headlines in the media recently. Thieves are getting bolder – and better – in stealing cars but are also increasingly making targets of farmers and rural property owners. Reports of brazen farm equipment and other thefts are becoming more common, from GPS receivers and catalytic converters to trucks and livestock.

Leadership recruitment and development are foundational to the long-term success of any business or organization. At the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), for example, attracting dedicated leaders and supporting their skills development plays a key role in our organization’s management and succession planning approach.

We’re nearing the end of another school year and for Ontario students who are graduating from high school this year, a brand-new chapter awaits them in the fall. Whether they’re going directly into the workforce, pursuing a trade, or starting college or university, they’re all making decisions about their futures.

This week is Local Food Week in Ontario – an annual event where Ontarians are encouraged to eat local and enjoy the many different types of foods produced close to home. Although it’s often marked with photos of freshly picked asparagus or strawberries that are now in season, it’s an opportunity to celebrate the incredibly wide range of food we are able to produce right here in Ontario.

In bringing a message, it often isn’t about one voice. It is many voices, one message. Ontario’s farmers have been vocal – and united – in recent weeks in asking the provincial government to take a pause on its recent proposed Provincial Planning Statement and proposed Bill 97. We are thankful that government has listened to our most significant concern and is taking steps to address it.

The belief in the strength of community and of giving back runs deep in Ontario, particularly in rural areas of our province. Two years ago, when many farming and rural communities were struggling under the burdens and impacts of the pandemic, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) created its Revive Fund.

Experts agree that in today’s connected world, it’s a matter of when, not if, a business will face a cyber security problem. Breaching incidents of all kinds, whether it’s compromised information, financial fraud or data that is held hostage until a ransom is paid are on the rise, and agriculture is not immune to these threats.