Establishing councils for animal welfare and environment a priority for new organization Tuesday, May 15, 2012 by SUSAN MANNGetting the animal welfare and environmental councils of Farm & Food Care Ontario up and running is an important short-term priority for the organization, says its new chairman John Maaskant.“There’ll be interest from different members in both councils,” says Maaskant, the Chicken Farmers of Ontario representative and past chair of the Ontario Farm Animal Council. He was elected chair of Farm & Food Care Ontario at the inaugural board meeting May 11. Joining him on the executive are: Larry Lynn of Grain Farmers of Ontario, as vice-chair; Joe Hickson, of the Seed Growers’ Association, as treasurer; and Heather Copland of Grober Inc. as executive member-at-large.Maaskant says they have to work out the details of how to set up the councils and then notify the membership that they can serve on them.The councils will be discussing and developing a lot of the policies and ideas for the future. “These are, in our view, very important councils,” he says.All four executive members previously sat on the boards of OFAC or Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment. Those two organizations amalgamated to become Farm & Food Care Ontario in January. The organization had been operating with an interim board until the first board meeting this month.The newly elected board focused on setting direction for the year, approved a business plan and financial statements at its first meeting. In June, board members will participate in a strategic planning exercise.Another priority for the organization that is ongoing is “just increasing agricultural awareness” and promoting environmental and animal welfare issues among non-farmers, Maaskant says.Farm & Food Care Ontario’s mandate is to provide credible information on food and farming in Ontario. BF Group housing a norm for Ontario's veal calves says industry spokesperson Ontario municipalities, farm groups question trade agreement
Take a virtual reality tour of Ontario’s egg and sheep farms Saturday, December 21, 2024 Canadians now have the opportunity to explore new virtual farm tours on www.FarmFood360.ca, thanks to Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO), is a coalition of farmers, agriculture and food partners proactively working together to grow public trust and confidence in food and farming. The... Read this article online
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AEM partners with Euro counterpart to enhance global alignment on key ag manufacturer issues Friday, December 20, 2024 The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the European Agricultural Machinery Association (CEMA) have signed a () to enhance advocacy efforts for the agricultural equipment industry. The agreement seeks to create a positive legislative and regulatory environment across... Read this article online
The 2024 Topigs Norsvin Canada Awards Banquet Thursday, December 19, 2024 Topigs Norsvin Canada Inc.—headquartered in Oak Bluff, Manitoba—is a global leader in swine genetics, and recently held its in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Stratford, Ontario, via two events for its producers. The banquets blended recognition for outstanding production achievements and... Read this article online
Premier equipment strengthens reach with new acquisition Wednesday, December 18, 2024 Premier Equipment, a John Deere dealership in southwestern Ontario, has reached an agreement to acquire Hutchinson Farm Supply, effective January 31, 2025. Hutchinson, which has been in business for 60 years, has served agriculture and rural property owners in York and Durham... Read this article online