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: 236

▶ 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

Monsanto Wins Roundup Trial After Supreme Court Ruling

A Missouri jury has unanimously sided with Monsanto in the first Roundup trial since the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Durnell decision

What is Struvite? Could it Help Farmers Stretch Phosphorus and Reduce Runoff

AAFC researchers found that blending struvite with conventional phosphorus fertilizer delivered promising results in Eastern Canada and reduced phosphorus losses under Prairie conditions.

Food Affordability and Accessibility Among the Top Priorities of Canadian Consumers

The Executive Director of Canadian Food Focus says in the face of rising food costs, Canadians are increasingly seeking information on how to stretch their food budgets. Over the past five years the cost of food in Canada has risen by an estimated 30 percent. Dorothy Long, the Executive Director of Canadian Food Focus, says we all eat several times a day and food affordability is one of the most immediate concerns facing Canadians right now. Quote-Dorothy Long-CanadianFoodFocus.org: High food prices and higher prices in general are really putting a lot of pressure on household budgets. Specifically with food, it can be harder to consistently choose foods that they want to serve, especially fresh produce, protein foods and other nutrient-dense foods that may seem more expensive at the checkout. The impact isn't the same for everyone but many households are making tougher decisions, buying fewer items, changing brands, reducing the variety or maybe even relying more heavily on less

Toronto-Area Corporation Convicted of Operating a Meat Plant Without a Licence

On January 22, 2026, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) learned that 1000498884 Ontario Inc., operating as Taotie Dry Aging, was producing and selling a ready-to-eat dehydrated meat product marketed as “dry-aged meat chips.” An OMAFA Compliance and Advisory Officer inspected the premises and confirmed the presence of 13.37 kilograms of dehydrated meat products packaged in 308 units. On the day of inspection, the company voluntarily removed the product listing from its website and disposed of the product. Under provincial regulations, dehydrating meat products for sale or distribution is a regulated activity requiring a meat plant licence, unless an exemption applies. The matter was referred to OMAFA’s Compliance Enforcement and Intelligence Unit for investigation and charges were laid.

Recycling Council of Alberta recognizes Barry Friesen with Circular Champion Recognition Award

The Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA) today announced it is honouring recently retired Cleanfarms Executive Director Barry Friesen with its prestigious Rs of Excellence Circular Champion Recognition Award. This award reflects Friesen’s career-long commitment to building a more sustainable, circular future in Canadian agriculture. Friesen and other award recipients will be recognized at the RCA Annual General Meeting, held online from 10:30 a.m. to noon on November 6, 2026. Says Friesen: “I’m very proud to be part of this transformative industry, and to receive this honour from the RCA: one of the great champions of circular economy in Canada, playing a pivotal role in job creation while helping to keep our environment clean.” “It’s fitting this announcement coincides with Waste Reduction Week,” says Cleanfarms Executive Director Shane Hedderson. “During Barry’s tenure, Alberta’s small container program—the first in Canada—grew significantly along with other programs across the prov

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service