By Paul Bootsma December 26, 2014
A New Year always brings optimism and hope for new opportunities. The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario takes this opportunity to put forward a wish list for the New Year. As an accredited farm organization representing its members we look forward to a productive 2015. Here are some items on our wish list.
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Rural Ontario along with agriculture will need to put extra effort into building a positive relationship with urban Ontario since the ruling government is made up of mostly urban representatives. We need to ensure that there is an understanding of the need for each other and that Ontario as a province and an economy needs this positive relationship for its future success. This relationship needs to be built on the knowledge of what we provide for each other and the understanding that we must cooperate with each other to benefit the most as a society.
Added to this, farmers in Ontario must come to understand what the current issues are in society and how they can contribute positively towards them. As more and more non-farmers reside in the rural areas of the province, there needs to be a positive relationship built so that normal farming practices may continue in the countryside. Neighbours and people in the city need to understand that producing food, whether meats or crops, is an intensive business.
Another wish for the New Year is less regulations for businesses such as ones that hinder expansion, improvement or added value to current enterprises. Government has indicated its willingness to work on this; let's work with government to make it happen. Municipal councils also need to ensure that duplicate regulations or similar regulations for different departments do not add costs or delays to plans. As we see farm businesses expand and increase production, there is a desire to see greater diversification of products produced by an operation. There are several reasons for this, including better profitability as returns from different commodities, which rise and fall, help fiscally balance the business. Diversification will also benefit the environment as by-products from one commodity can contribute to another and regular rotation is a natural way of controlling pests and improving soil conditions.
A third wish is to see some fairness for agriculture in the cost of electricity. Farm operations are not always able to choose when they use hydro; for example, weather conditions dictate when ventilation is required for livestock and often this is when hydro rates are at the highest level. It's time government recognizes this reality and opens up the discussion on how to reduce the negative impact on agriculture. Lastly, our wish is for another productive year for Ontario's farmers. We look forward to working with government and stakeholders on their behalf to ensure that agriculture remains one of the top industries of Ontario, producing food and providing jobs for the citizens of this province. From all of us at the CFFO we wish you a happy New Year. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Paul Bootsma is the Field Service Manager for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham, and UCB Canada radio stations in Chatham, Belleville, Bancroft, Brockville and Kingston. It is also archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,000 family farmers across Ontario.
