Five young people currently pursuing future careers in agriculture have each won a bursary of $2,000 from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). The undergraduate, postgraduate and apprenticeship awards were presented at the OFA’s Annual General Meeting in Toronto Nov. 20. The OFA has long awarded post-secondary bursaries to three undergraduate students, but last year […] Read more
Tag Archives ontario federation of agriculture — page 2
OFA recognizes five young leaders at annual convention
Understanding the Underused Housing Tax
Many farm partnerships and corporations are obligated to file this new return, even if they don’t owe
The government’s Canadian Underused Housing Tax (UHT) Act could impact 2022 farm taxes. “The intent is to impose an annual one per cent tax on vacant or underused housing in Canada that’s owned directly or indirectly by persons who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents,” said Kurt Oelschlagel, BDO partner and national agriculture tax […] Read more
Farmland preservation, strong rural communities top OFA priority list for 2023
The start of a new year is often a time for resolution and goal setting. Whether that goal is to walk more steps each day, grow a better tomato or win first place at the 4-H club show, each one requires us to look at what we want to achieve and find ways to get […] Read more
OFA welcomes opportunity to work with federal government on resolution to fertilizer tariffs
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) said in a news release Dec. 16 that it looks forward to continuing work with the Canadian government to find a fair resolution to tariffs that have been applied to fertilizer imported from Russia. The tariffs were applied by the Canadian government in response to the Russian invasion of […] Read more
Ontario farmers gather once again post-pandemic
OFA annual meeting held in new host city and offered grassroots discussions
Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) president and Thunder Bay-area dairy farmer Peggy Brekveld was re-elected to a third one-year term at the organization’s recent annual meeting. The meeting, held for the first time in London, was the OFA’s first in person in three years. Of the 26 resolutions brought forward to the OFA board from […] Read more
Ontario government’s Bill 23 accelerates concern about loss of farmland
More Homes Built Faster Act will allow new house builds on protected lands
After four years of rolling back protective Greenbelt legislation, the Ontario government’s More Homes Built Faster Act is opening acres for urban development. The Greenbelt was established in 2005 to protect environmentally sensitive lands and farmland from urban development but the recently announced act, known as Bill 23, will remove 7,400 acres from protection. Wayne […] Read more
OFA encouraging voters to ask municipal candidates about farmland preservation
Municipal elections set for Oct. 24
Municipal decisions play a critical role in preserving farmland. With municipal elections rapidly approaching, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) encourages agri-food producers to ask hard questions at debates before they vote. “For voters who care about preserving farmland in Ontario, this fall’s municipal elections are critically important,” said Peggy Brekveld, OFA president, in a […] Read more
Home Grown marks one-year anniversary
OFA's campaign champions the protection of agricultural land
The Home Grown campaign underscores one unalienable truth – you cannot farm without farmland, said Peggy Brekveld. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s (OFA) advocacy and awareness campaign is now one year old, and is beginning to gain traction around responsible land planning policies that acknowledge the importance of preserving farmland to support the production of […] Read more
OFA to focus on connecting with Ontarians in 2022
New pilot project will complement existing public outreach initiatives
The leadership of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) was re-elected by the Board of Directors for a second consecutive term at its annual general meeting Nov. 22. This is the second year the President and Executive Committee has been elected by the board of directors following a bylaw ratification which was voted in by […] Read more
Comment: Road safety starts with lighting, signage
Local federation initiatives focus on increasing farm equipment road safety
As the fall season approaches and some normalcy returns to our daily lives, the pace of traffic has picked up. School buses are back on their routes, commuters are home from summer vacation and back to work, and as farmers, some of us are already back on the road with harvest equipment. The Ontario Federation […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
