Issues around food security, rural infrastructure and responsible long-term land use planning were front and centre at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) annual conference this past week. These are all issues that are challenges for Ontario’s rural communities – but they’re also issues that deeply concern and impact Ontario’s agriculture sector.

I’ve been involved in the agriculture community in various ways throughout my entire life, and this past fall, I stepped into a new role as a director on the provincial board of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). It’s an exciting challenge and I’m keen to put my skills and experiences to work for Ontario’s farming sector.

At first glance, most people might find it hard to believe that a City of Toronto firefighter can also be an Ontario dairy farmer. After all, the demands of serving as a first responder in Canada’s largest city are pretty far removed from life in rural Ontario and working with livestock as part of a multi-generational family business.

I’ve always been a big believer in the idea that the more people work together, the more we can achieve. As a fifth-generation farmer raised in rural Ontario, I grew up with the belief that it’s always important to give back to the community you’re involved with, whether through service clubs, volunteerism, donating your skills and abilities to worthy causes, or stepping up to participate in leadership roles.

January marks the renewal season of membership in the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and there are a number of ways that farmers, farm businesses and agricultural organizations can hold a membership in the OFA.

We’re only a short time away from the start of a new year, which for many of us, means not just a flip of the calendar but also an opportunity for new beginnings.

Canadian consumers continue to have a high level of trust in our food system and many of their key concerns mirror those of the farming community. That’s according to the results of the 2023 Public Trust Research Report into Canada’s food system that was released recently by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity.

Many organizations and businesses depend on volunteers to support different programs and initiatives. But it’s getting harder to find people willing to come forward to help, especially since the pandemic.

This past week, Ontario’s farmers gathered for the annual meeting of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). It’s a business meeting for the organization and the opportunity for members from across Ontario to debate resolutions and help shape the direction of OFA policy and activity for the year ahead.

For Ontario’s largest general farm organization, it almost goes without saying that the last year has been a busy one. I’ve served as president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture for three years, and as I look back on the last 12 months, I’m proud of the many places we’ve been able to speak, present, comment and testify to share the voice of agriculture and help make things better for farmers in Ontario.