Wales wins top job at Ontario's largest general farm organization

Sunday, November 20, 2011

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

No one at the Ontario Federation of Agriculture convention can say that their vote didn’t count.

Horticulture grower Mark Wales, Aylmer, beat out Inwood cash cropper Don McCabe by the tightest of margins to become president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture at its convention in Toronto Monday. Wales polled 129 votes to McCabe’s 128 on a second ballot. Huron cashcropper Wayne Black was eliminated in the first ballot.

“We have lots of challenges in the year ahead,” Wales told delegates following the election. Money is going to be scarce.” In the morning delegates heard that while the federation was in the black in 2011, a $68,000 deficit is expected by 2014 and is expected to grow in the following years.

Elections will be held tomorrow for vice presidents of the federation.

Monday, Elgin County dairy farmer Donna Lunn was named Provincial Winner of the OFA 75th Anniversary Volunteer Award. Among other achievements, she was co-founder of the Ontario Farm Women’s Network and developed one of first broadband Internet systems in rural Ontario. BF