Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Farm Org. Funding.

Today's Ontario Farmer had an interesting letter which proposed calculating the funding for farm organizations on a per acre basis. The intent, I suppose, would be to spread the cost according to potential benefit.

The acreage could easily be calculated from the existing Agricorp files.

Views: 159

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dale Ketcheson on December 1, 2009 at 1:15pm
Maybe... if all acres were created equal and all farms were dependent on acreage. They aren't. Should an acre under glass in a greenhouse be counted the same as $800 rough pasture? Should 20,000 broilers on a 5 acre lot be counted the same as a 5 acre pick your own?

Haven't seen it yet, probably won't until the weekend so I'm just guessing on the content of the letter.
Permalink Reply by Wayne Black on December 2, 2009 at 2:33pm
You are correct Dale - close enough anyway.
Another question would be - what about the farmers who do not own or crop any land at all? The ones who rent barns to feed cattle or milk livestock? There are so many different types of arrangements for a farm operation today it would not make sense to set the fee based solely on acreage or livestock units because of "assumed benefit".
The arguement a few years ago was: If Large Farmer pays $320 per year and little farmer pays $80 per year - does that mean the Large Farmer gets 4 votes for every vote the little farmer gets? The General Farm Organizations are suppose to represent their members. The membership includes all landowners and farmers who have a Gross Revenue from Farming operations in excess of $7,000 per year ("gross" not "net"). Each member is entitled to one vote.
Permalink Reply by Joann on December 16, 2009 at 4:45pm
the bigger question is.... do we need the present farm organizations? or are they completely stale-dated in today's environment?

if the present farm organizations were disbanded, will farmers be served better or worse?

if one looks around, i believe one will see that there are some very big farm operations that are more effective and efficient as individual lobbyist. ... farm operations are getting bigger and fewer.

is there a new farm lobby-organization on the horizon that will effectively meet the needs of the next generation of farm operations?

Wayne Black said:
You are correct Dale - close enough anyway.
Another question would be - what about the farmers who do not own or crop any land at all? The ones who rent barns to feed cattle or milk livestock? There are so many different types of arrangements for a farm operation today it would not make sense to set the fee based solely on acreage or livestock units because of "assumed benefit".
The arguement a few years ago was: If Large Farmer pays $320 per year and little farmer pays $80 per year - does that mean the Large Farmer gets 4 votes for every vote the little farmer gets? The General Farm Organizations are suppose to represent their members. The membership includes all landowners and farmers who have a Gross Revenue from Farming operations in excess of $7,000 per year ("gross" not "net"). Each member is entitled to one vote.
Permalink Reply by Avia Eek on December 17, 2009 at 5:16am
I have more of a statement to make, since I haven't read the paper yet--will get to that later. Generally, though as far as farm organizations are concerned, a good question would be how does the Farmer benefit from them. I know the Holland Marsh Farmers are, and continue to fight the peaker plant being built in the Holland Marsh, but I don't know that any OFA representative has stepped in and added their voice to this issue which will affect all the people in Ontario. Not to mention the precedent this is setting for prime agricultural land versus the need for energy. Our own local organization, the Holland Marsh Growers' Association is fighting this, but it seems we're on our own! The only benefit I see, right now, with OFA is cheaper taxes.
Permalink Reply by Ken McCormack on January 31, 2010 at 3:47pm
This idea has a lot of merit, particularly for the new Grain Farmers of Ontario. Since most of their members grow corn, wheat and soybeans in rotation on approximately the same acreage it would be a stable funding for them independent of yields and specific crops.

The only real breakdown is for those who grow crops for 'own use'. They would end up paying on acres they plan to feed to livestock. It can be said they still benefit from improvements in the crops, but it would be a harder sell.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Targeting weeds on oil and gas sites

The new Oil and Gas Conservation Regulation under the Oil and Gas Conservation Act will provide the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) with the ability to hold companies accountable for controlling weeds and agricultural pests on their sites. For sites that do not have a responsible owner, the Orphan Well Association will be responsible for conducting required weed and pest control. Under the regulation, the AER now has the authority to enforce the requirement that oil and gas companies conduct weed or pest control. Municipal weed inspectors will be able to notify the AER and trigger compliance activity. The regulator can then take steps under the Oil and Gas Conservation Act and use tools available in the Responsible Energy Development Act to direct companies to conduct the necessary weed and pest control as part of the “reasonable care and measures” requirements under the law. “Weed and pest control is an important issue for Alberta’s farmers that previous governments failed to addres

Strychnine Emergency Use Registration: Minister Sigurdson

“I am pleased that the federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has accepted Alberta and Saskatchewan’s re-submission for emergency use registration for two per cent liquid strychnine for Richardson’s ground squirrel control. We heard concerns from farmers and ranchers across the prairies and successfully advocated on their behalf for the federal government to reverse its decision. “This decision means that many prairie farmers will have another tool back in their toolbox for gopher control. Alberta’s producers have faced significant challenges managing Richardson’s ground squirrels and the loss of this effective control method has been difficult and costly for many in the agriculture sector. Some of Alberta’s producers saw thousands of dollars in crop and pasture damage last year alone, and many faced livestock injuries and equipment damage. “I’d like to thank Premier Danielle Smith for her advocacy directly to Prime Minister Carney. Ensuring we have open lines of communicat

Southeastern Manitoba farmers face soaring fuel, fertilizer prices caused by Midde East war

Southeastern Manitoba farmers are facing extra strain ahead of the spring planting season as fertilizer and fuel prices surge due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Randolph-based farmer Kevin Peters is watching the price turmoil closely. He plants rye, canola, wheat, soybeans, corn and sunflowers on his 7,500 acres. Peters locked in pricing for his year-long fertilizer supply in November and considers himself lucky. “There’s always concern about geopolitical issues.” he told The Carillon. “Whether it has to do with trade or, in this case, fertilizer supply…it can really affect imports and exports for a lot of things.” The United States and Israeli attacks on Iran began Feb. 28, striking multiple targets throughout the middle eastern nation and killing its Supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Iranian military personnel retaliated, launching missiles and drones at neighbouring nations and vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which flows between Oman, the United Arab Emir

‘Engage urban kids on agricultural activities’: Aggie Days underway in Lethbridge

Aggie Days has returned to the Lethbridge Trade and Convention Centre after a seven-year hiatus. The educational event is designed to connect students in Grades 4 to 6 with agricultural and world of farming. “We’re trying to engage urban kids on agricultural activities,” said Cody McIntosh, Lethbridge and District Agricultural Society (LDAS) director. “What’s happening around them - so when they’re driving down the road and they see a crop out there, they know what it is, what it’s used for and that it’s actually processed here in Lethbridge and southern Alberta.” This is the first year Aggie Days has been held since 2019. The event is being put on by the LDAS in partnership with Agriculture for Life. “It’s an interactive event where we can have the students come together and learn together and experience it as a large group, which is always a different dynamic,” said Luree Williamson, Agriculture for Life CEO.

Alberta Crop and Livestock Producers Welcome Emergency Authorization of Strychnine

Alberta crop and livestock producer organizations are welcoming the Government of Alberta’s success in securing an emergency use registration of strychnine to help manage Richardson Ground Squirrels. This authorization provides an important and immediate tool for producers facing increasing infestations that threaten pasture, rangeland, and cropland across the province. Left unmanaged, ground squirrels can cause significant economic damage and undermine the productivity of farms and ranches that rural communities depend on. With no viable, scalable alternatives currently available, this authorization is critical for producers dealing with widespread infestations. Strychnine remains the only proven tool that can be effectively deployed at the scale required in severe situations. This outcome reflects sustained advocacy from Alberta’s agricultural sector and strong leadership from the provincial government. The efforts of Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson, alongside

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service