Farm & Food Care gets off the ground

Friday, January 20, 2012

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

A new organization whose goal is to build awareness and appreciation of agriculture in Ontario as well as offer information about the industry has confirmed its staff and chosen an interim executive committee.

Farmers John Maaskant, Clinton, and Paul Wettlaufer, Neustadt, will jointly chair Farm & Food Care Ontario until the new organization’s inaugural annual meeting on April 17. The two men chaired, respectively, the organization’s two predecessors: the Ontario Farm Animal Council and AGCare (Agricultural Groups Concerned about Resources and the Environment). Joe Hickson, Lindsay, serves as interim treasurer.

Crystal Mackay was confirmed as executive director with Kelly Daynard as communications manager. Heather Hargrave will serve as program coordinator with Sue McLarty as project manager and Sam Bradshaw as environment specialist. Patricia Grotenhuis, Kristen Kelderman and Bonnie Marson will serve as communications assistant; farm animal care coordinator and administrative coordinator respectively.

Membership on the interim 12-seat board is drawn equally from the preceding organizations’ boards. The organization will elect a new board at its annual meeting on April 17 and allocate four seats to crops representation, another four to livestock and the final four to directors at large. In a Wednesday news release the organization announced plans to send nomination packages to Farm & Food Care’s membership in February.

Wettlaufer says interim board members worked well together at their first board meeting last week. He says animal activist activity and new provincial regulations regarding wash water are two issues the organization is currently addressing.

Mackay says the budget for 2012, which hasn’t been set yet, is likely to hold at about $600,000 for “core funding,” with another $400,000 earmarked to fund projects. Livestock and crop growing groups in Ontario provide core funding. Project funding might be boosted from the Farm and Food Care Foundation which was launched last year.

A year ago, OFAC billed itself as representing 40,000 livestock producers. AGCare claimed to be the voice of 45,000 farmers growing fruit, vegetables and field crops. According to its website, Farm & Food Care brings together “tens of thousands of livestock, crop and horticulture farmers and related businesses with a mandate to provide credible information on food and farming in Ontario.” BF