Three Ontario farmers elected to NFU national executive Thursday, December 5, 2013 by SUSAN MANN Ann Slater of St. Marys is one of three Ontario farmers acclaimed to the executive of the National Farmers Union at the annual convention in Ottawa last month. Slater, a former Ontario coordinator, is the new first vice-president (policy) for the national organization. The two other Ontario farmers on the executive are: Coral Sproule of Perth, acclaimed second vice-president (operations) and Joan Brady of Dashwood, acclaimed women’s president. “There’s some pretty key positions that are filled by people from Ontario,” Slater notes. The three Ontario farmers join Jan Slomp of Rimby, Alberta, who was acclaimed as president at the convention held from Nov. 24 to 30. Other executive members are: Marcella Pedersen of Cut Knife, Saskatchewan, elected women’s vice-president; Alex Fletcher of Victoria, British Columbia, acclaimed youth president; and Lisa Lundgard of Grimshaw, British Columbia, elected youth vice-president. Slater says among the priorities for the NFU this year are continued work on the effect of neonicotinoid seed treatments on honeybees, the federal government’s proposed update of Canada’s Plant Breeder’s Rights legislation and the impacts on farmers of the Canada-European trade deal. In addition to the executive members, the board also has people elected from the regions. Slater says Ontario has three members on the national board who are elected by Ontario members. Regions have either two or three members, depending on the number of members in the region. BF Stats-Can data 'a good dose of reality' says GFO chairman Reconsider Huron Perth election decision incumbent asks DFO
Parliament’s shut down leaves farmers vulnerable Wednesday, January 22, 2025 In March 2025, Canada's agriculture sector and broader supply chain will face a another setback with the expiration of the extended interswitching pilot program. With Parliament prorogued until March 24th, there is effectively no opportunity to renew or make the program permanent before... Read this article online
Peavey Mart Closing 21 Stores in Ontario Wednesday, January 22, 2025 Peavey Industries LP (“Peavey”) has announced the closure of 21 Peavey Mart stores in Ontario and one store in Nova Scotia as part of a broader strategy to strengthen its operations and ensure long-term sustainability. The decision is part of an effort to streamline Peavey’s retail... Read this article online
$10 million investment supporting Ontario ag mental health Wednesday, January 22, 2025 On January 22, 2205, the Ontario provincial and federal governments announced that two initiatives designed to meet the mental health needs of the agricultural community will continue for the next three years thanks to close to $10 million in new funding. With this new funding, the... Read this article online
Tariffs and their impact on farming Wednesday, January 22, 2025 The swearing-in of a new government in Washington, DC, has brought concerns about potential tariffs on Canadian agricultural exports. With approximately 60% of Canada’s agricultural exports heading to the United States, such measures could significantly impact farmers and consumers... Read this article online
Dynasty kidney bean wins U of G Innovation of the Year award Wednesday, January 22, 2025 A kidney bean variety developed at the University of Guelph has won the school’s Innovation of the Year award for 2024. The award went to Dynasty, which Dr. Peter Pauls, a professor at the Department of Plant Agriculture at the Ontario Agricultural College, and research technician Tom... Read this article online