Shawn Brenn, a farmer near Millgrove outside of Waterdown, Ont., spends a lot of time thinking about how U.S. tariffs will affect Ontario farms. As the chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and owner of Brenn-B Farms, he fears produce prices will see a huge hit in the likely case that American buyers aren't willing to pay an extra 25 per cent after proposed tariffs are enacted March 4. "Eighty per cent of our fruits and vegetables get exported," Brenn told CBC Hamilton last week. "It will affect everyone hugely, but especially our greenhouse sector." Brenn knows that negotiating tariffs is a federal issue, but says there are things the province can do to buffer their effects, such as programs that invest in farms and help them mitigate risk. The province committed an additional $100 million in such funding in January, but it's not enough when compared to farm subsidies in the United States, said Brenn, 46. Leaders of Ontario's major parties have all pitched
Agriculture should be a top priority for provincial election candidates, says the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). “The OFA encourages all provincial election candidates to take clear and decisive stances on critical issues that affect agriculture, food security, and rural development,” said Sara Wood, OFA vice-president. “Protecting our domestic food supply and ensuring the sustainability and prosperity of Ontario’s farming businesses impacts all Ontarians.” On Feb. 20, an all-candidates meeting for the riding of Huron-Bruce is being hosted by the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture, the local branch of the OFA, ahead of the Feb. 27 provincial election. From 7 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., Huron-Bruce candidates will answer questions submitted by the public at the Teeswater Community Centre, located at 21 Marcy St. E. “We believe candidates must show leadership in three priority areas to best support food, farming and rural development in Ontario: Protecting farmland through re
Ken Forth is a fifth-generation Lynden farmer, leader and storyteller who will soon be entering the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame. “When I was young, I remember the time I was cutting asparagus with my parents and grandparents and someone was lamenting the weather,” Forth, 72, said. “My grandfather said ‘it’s nothing to with the weather, it’s the government you have to worry about. “That was 60 years ago and compared to the government of that day, to the government of today there’s a lot to worry about it.” Agriculture isn’t treated the way it should be within government, mostly because many of those in government don’t understand farming, Forth said. “We want them to understand so we’re always telling and sharing the story of agriculture,” Forth said. “That’s been my job for 40 years now, explaining agriculture to those who don’t know or understand it.” Forth doesn’t cast aspersions on those who don’t understand. It’s just that these days more people in leadership positions c
BFO members will vote on a checkoff increase this week
The government is proposing changes to the Milk Act that will include adding sheep milk under the Act and developing new regulations for sheep milk production, transport and processing. Today, sheep milk producers are regulated under the Public Health Act, which does not have an extensive regulatory or inspection regime. The changes proposed by the government will address, “inconsistent regulatory oversight of milk in Ontario”. The full language of the proposed changes to the legislation can be found here: Proposal to amend the Milk Act and the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 with more detail in the included PDF. Ontario Sheep Farmers is working with the Dairy Sheep Co-operative to coordinate a response from sheep milk producers to the proposed changes to the Milk Act. OSF would also like to hear from producers who are milking sheep and have questions or concerns about the proposed changes to the regulatory environment. OSF will be holding a meeting to discuss the proposed change
