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: 132

▶ 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

First “made-in-Manitoba” confection sunflower hybrid now available to farmers

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is proud to announce that for the first time ever, a confection sunflower hybrid bred specifically for Manitoba growing conditions is now available to farmers. MCA 359 is the first commercialized variety produced by MCA’s confection sunflower breeding program. “Sunflowers are an integral part of Manitoba’s agricultural landscape and farmers need access to new genetics to ensure the crop remains a competitive option for their rotations,” says MCA chair Jonothan Hodson. “A confection sunflower hybrid designed to thrive in our climate and our soils is a made-in-Manitoba success story and a great example of the tangible return on investment MCA is providing to farmers for their check-off dollars.” MCA 359 is high yielding and early maturing, with excellent standability. It has resistance to downy mildew and rust and is 100 per cent tolerant to Express®, a Group 2 herbicide for broadleaf weed control. It also has many traits that are attractive to end-users

2025 Alberta Open Farm Days sets records

Alberta Open Farm Days is a provincewide initiative, inviting Alberta farms to open their gates to the public. Participants can explore a diverse range of farms and agricultural businesses while enjoying a free, hands-on educational experience. The program serves 2 key purposes: fostering a deeper public understanding of agriculture and strengthening trust in producers and the broader industry. In doing so, Open Farm Days also acts as an incubator for agri-tourism, offering farms valuable tools and opportunities to develop new ventures. “2025 was a record-setting year for Open Farm Days, in terms of both on-farm sales and attendance at farm visits and culinary events,” says Tim Carson, CEO, Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies. “We welcomed 52,783 visitors this year, and several farms reported record attendance as well as record spending. As well, 23.5% of participating farms were new to Open Farm Days. It is exciting to see the number of new farms grow each year.” In addit

Illegal Outfitting Scheme Uncovered at Saskatchewan Game Farm

A Saskatchewan Conservation Officer Service investigation has resulted in significant penalties against two individuals after officers uncovered unlawful outfitting activities and the possession of wild animals inside a domestic game farm near Briercrest, SK. In December 2023, Moose Jaw Conservation Officers received information that a wild moose had been harvested inside the Hartland Whitetails Ltd. game farm enclosure and that wild deer were being baited into the fenced area. Officers attended the site, identified owner Allen Morhart of Elbow, SK. The year and a half long investigation determined that three European clients attended the Hartland Whitetails Ltd. game farm from September 25, 2023 to September 30, 2023. Morhart outfitted one client without the required licence, leading to the unlawful harvest of a wild moose on September 27 and a wild mule deer on September 28. Both animals were later taken to a taxidermist, where investigators found a Saskatchewan resident moose lice

Olds College Students Find Success at Agribition Sheep Show

A newly formed Olds College Sheep Team is making its mark earning some early success showing at the Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, Sask. The team’s strong debut was driven by a passionate Olds College of Agriculture & Technology student and supported by various faculty and staff at Olds College. Scott Anderson, a first year Agricultural Management diploma student, holds a background in the sheep industry – raising and showing sheep since he was seven. During his first sheep handling lab at Olds College, he was looking at the College’s flock with a keen judging eye and noticed great potential. Anderson approached Jay Steeves, Dean, Werklund School of Agriculture Technology, at the sheep handling lab about a possible opportunity to show some of the Olds College sheep. This conversation prompted Steeves and Darrell Hickman, Instructor, Werklund School of Agriculture Technology, to  spearhead the Olds College Sheep Team. Hickman also chaperoned the team at Agribition, helping gui

Wheat Market Outlook - December 22, 2025

A Message from Exceed We are honoured to be able to bring you the global wheat market outlook each week. We are excited for what 2026 has in store and look forwards to bringing top quality data to readers and listeners each week. Next market report will be Jan. 5, 2026. Market Outlook - Wheat Cash markets in Saskatchewan pulled back at the start of last week on some weakness in futures, but as we enter the last few days of December, posted bids on stronger basis appear to be enticing grain into the system yet. This is showcasing relative strength for Canadian exportable wheat as the futures values have remained near their lows and with Minneapolis spring wheat setting new contract lows last week, prairie cash bids have remained relatively flat. Strong export demand continues to entice product in the system at current levels. Globally, the wheat balance sheet looks heavier than it did just a few months ago but much of the increase in stocks has been anticipated for several weeks alre

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service