Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

New Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, Jeff Leal, Who is he and will he be a good Minister of Ag?

 

 

Jeff Leal

Political Career

  • Minister of Rural Affairs, February 2013 – May 2014
  • Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, October 2007 – February 2010
  • Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of the Environment, September 2006 – September 2007
  • Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy, November 2005 – September 2006
  • Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, June 2005 – November 2005
  • Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, September 2004 – June 2005
  • Second Deputy Mayor, Peterborough
  • City Councillor, Peterborough

Education

  • B.A. (Honours), Economics and Political Science, Trent University
  • Business Administration degree (Honours), University of Windsor

Personal and Family Life

  • Married (Karan) with two children, Braden and Shanae

Executive Biography

Jeff Leal was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 2003 as the MPP for Peterborough. He was re-elected in 2007, 2011 and 2014.

Leal was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in June 2014. He has served as Chief Government Whip, and as Parliamentary Assistant to the Ministers of Aboriginal Affairs, the Environment, Energy, Economic Development and Trade, and Training, Colleges and Universities.

Prior to being elected to the legislature, Leal was a Peterborough city councillor and second deputy mayor. He has worked extensively with the county and local governments, as well as the City of Peterborough.

From the Ontario Government website.

Views: 1082

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by OntAG Admin on June 24, 2014 at 9:53am
Permalink Reply by OntAG Admin on June 25, 2014 at 2:35am

OHRIA Welcomes Minister Leal.

OHRIA News

The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association is pleased with the announcement that Premier Kathleen Wynne has named Jeff Leal as Minister of Agriculture and Food, taking over those duties from Wynne.

 

The Agriculture portfolio is very important for members of the horse racing industry, and OHRIA looks forward to dealing with Minister Leal in this key position.

 

As Minister Leal will also be continuing in the position of Minister of Rural Affairs, we know the Minister already has a great insight into the concerns of our members and we are interested in building our relationship further.

 

"The past two years have seen tremendous changes for our industry, with significant issues that need to be addressed and Minister Leal has already demonstrated through word and action a genuine concern for the horse racing and breeding industry," said Sue Leslie, President and Chair of OHRIA. "We expect the government will be a strong partner in tackling these concerns in the next few months."

 

Prior to the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks Program 60,000 people were employed in the horse racing and breeding sectors. The industry continues to employ tens of thousands and plays an important role in the economy of rural Ontario, and OHRIA looks forward to our next meeting with Minister Leal to work together on building a strong partnership with the government.

Permalink Reply by OntAG Admin on June 26, 2014 at 1:34am

OFA committed to working with new provincial cabinet.

OFA News

GUELPH, ON [June 24, 2014] – In a post-election cabinet shuffle, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced today the re-amalgamation of the agriculture and rural affairs ministries. The cabinet announcement also included changes to other ministry portfolios. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is supportive of all the changes and will continue working closely with the various ministries to address important issues affecting the business of farming in Ontario.

Ontario’s agriculture and food industries are affected by a number of portfolios across multiple ministries. The OFA looks forward to working with new and returning Ministers and policy makers in their areas of legislative responsibility.

The OFA welcomes returning Minister Jeff Leal to his expanded portfolio as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. As former Minister of Rural Affairs, Leal is familiar with both the rural and agricultural landscape. The OFA will work closely with him to champion agriculture, food and rural issues across other ministries, particularly Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. 

Led by Minister Brad Duguid, the newly reconstituted Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure will prove to be important to the agriculture and agri-food sector’s plans for economic growth in Ontario. OFA will work with Minister Duguid on the Liberal party’s promise to enable natural gas connections across rural Ontario. Natural gas expansion across our province is a sound investment and will improve the competitiveness of farms and other rural businesses.

Continuing with its focus on food literacy, the OFA will work with the new Minister of Health, Dr. Eric Hoskins, and returning Minister of Education Liz Sandals, to develop a long-term strategy to reintroduce nutrition and food preparation into Ontario’s education system. The OFA also looks forward to working with former Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ted McMeekin, in his new role as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. McMeekin will lead the review of the Greenbelt, Oak Ridges and Niagara Escarpment Plans and the OFA will be at the table to ensure farming and food businesses remain sustainable within these land-use designated areas. OFA will work closely with Reza Moridi, the new Minister of Research and Innovation, to continue critical agricultural research into new markets, climate change and enhanced productivity.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is the largest general farm organization in Ontario. As a dynamic farmer-led organization based in Guelph, the OFA works to represent and champion the interests of Ontario farmers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, lobby efforts, community representation, media relations and more. OFA is the leading advocate for Ontario’s farmers and is Ontario’s voice of the farmer.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

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

Which Situations Require the Use of a Soybean Inoculant?

If soybeans have been in a rotation on the field, an inoculant is not normally recommended. Most universities recommend that if the field has not grown soybeans in the last 3 or more years an inoculant may help to prevent a yield loss. Some environmental conditions, such low pH, floods, and drought may increase the need for periodic inoculation even in fields with a history of soybean production. Care must be used when storing and handling these products as they contain a living bacteria. Soybeans form a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in the soil (Figure 1). In this relationship, Rhizobia bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen into a plant available form in exchange for plant-derived carbon. Because soybeans are the host for the bacteria, if soybeans are grown in rotation the bacteria will persist in the soil. However, if soybeans have never been grown or have not been grown in an area for several years, the bacteria can become deple

Effects of Frost & Freeze Conditions on Young Corn and Soybeans

Air temperatures at or below 28 °F can be fatal to corn and soybeans, depending on their duration and crop growth stage. Waiting a few days after the freeze or frost event to examine affected plants, is the best way to assess the extent of damage and make management decisions. Certain management practices such as herbicide applications, may need to be delayed when frost-freeze injury occurs. Air temperatures at or below 28 °F for just a few hours can kill corn outright, even when the growing point is below ground, while air temperatures above 28 °F have a variable effect on young corn. For soybeans, when the air temperature drops below 28-32 °F, plants can experience some degree of frost damage. If the freeze period lasts for several hours and damage occurs below the cotyledons, soybeans can die. When light frost occurs, it typically shows up in bottom ground and lower parts of fields where the cold air has a chance to collect. It may also show up in fields protected by trees, since

Bfo Statement: Ontario Court Upholds The Legislation And Intent Of The Security From Trespass Act

The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) is pleased to hear that the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has upheld the legislation and intent of the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act (2020), which has been under a court challenge since 2021. We understand that while the Act has been upheld, a ruling on sections of the underlying Regulation has been suspended. We will be actively monitoring further developments regarding this case. The Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act is a critical safeguard to protect farm animals, the food supply, farmers and others from risks that are created when trespassers enter places where farm animals live or when persons engage in unauthorized interactions with farm animals. The repercussions include the risk of exposing farm animals to disease and stress, as well as the risk of introducing contaminants into the food supply. Animal neglect, abuse and cruelty is never acceptable, and animal welfare is of the utmost importance

Federal Budget 2024 Misses Key Opportunities, says Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada

Budget 2024 unfortunately overlooks several significant measures that could have greatly supported the fruit and vegetable sector, such as a carbon tax exemption, financial protection against market volatilities, and the establishment of a Grocery Code of Conduct. Similarly, no funding was allocated for greenhouse agriculture or the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, both essential for climate adaptation and sustainability. Nevertheless, Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) is cautiously optimistic about several included initiatives, like the extension of the Advance Payments Program’s interest-free limit to $250,000 and the introduction of the New Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses. The budget also proposes funding for maintaining the pesticides regulatory system and promoting sustainable pesticide use, which underscores the importance of sustainable crop protection practices. FVGC is particularly concerned about the rising costs affecting both growers and consumers. As

Altona's E2 Trucking acquires Rosenort-based trucking firm

E2 Trucking, an Altona-based company, has expanded it's operations by acquiring PK Friesen Trucking in Rosenort. A big step for the company, the deal closed on February 9th. . E2 owner Evan Erlandson says they learned a lot and got to know a lot of good people that he's proud to have on the team. "That added 12 trucks to our fleet, roughly an even split of north-south routes and east-west routes. The east-west trucks and trailers and business was new to us, we were not involved in that business. The north-south wasn't new to us, so we just kept those guys on. Well, we kept everyone on, and we're doing our best to keep everybody busy." The fleet now totals about 35 units. Along with the repair shop, support staff, is made up of some 10 people, including three full-time mechanics, dispatchers, administration, a couple of managers and all the drivers. From the perspective of a business owner, Erlandson feels a responsibility, especially in small town, to do what he can to preserve

© 2024   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service