In just a few short days many Ontarians will be heading to the polls in order to cast their vote in this year’s provincial election. There are serious issues for rural Ontario as they head to the ballot box on election day. The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has a number of issues that we feel need to be addressed by our future government.
The Christian Farmers strongly supports Environmental Goods and Services. We hope that… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on September 30, 2011 at 3:41am —
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Over the past few weeks, my colleague Nathan Stevens has been discussing different dimensions of supply managed marketing systems for agricultural products. In particular, he’s been responding to comments made by Andrew Coyne, a columnist for MacLean’s magazine. As the commentary series progressed, we had a number of readers correspond with us about why the organization chooses to become involved in a debate about supply… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on September 23, 2011 at 3:41am —
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Andrew Coyne, one of Canada’s most respected journalists, has garnered a lot of attention in his recent article in Maclean’s that turned a harsh eye towards supply management. He makes a number of strong assertions in his article that are worthy of further discussion. This is the third in a series of commentaries that will provide counter-points to those assertions, this time focusing on trade and a final comment on the necessity for… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on September 16, 2011 at 1:37am —
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Here's video from the opening ceremony of Canada's Outdoor Farm Show with show VP Doug Wagner and Mike Wilson, editor, Farm Futures and President of the International Federation of Agricultural…
Visit me & my alpacas in the Alpaca Ontario booth @ Woodstock Outdoor Farm Show, Thurs Sept 15, and you'll see the fabulous products we make from there fibre.
Alpacas produce one of the world’s most luxurious natural fibres, much…
Andrew Coyne, one of Canada’s most respected journalists, has garnered a lot of attention in his recent article in Maclean’s that turned a harsh eye towards supply management. He makes a number of strong assertions in his article that are worthy of further discussion. This is the second in a series of commentaries that will provide counter-points to those assertions, this time focusing on trends towards higher prices and fewer… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on September 9, 2011 at 2:34am —
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Andrew Coyne, one of Canada’s most respected journalists, has garnered a lot of attention in his recent article in Maclean’s that turned a harsh eye towards supply management. He makes a number of strong assertions in his article that are worthy of further discussion. This is the first in a series of commentaries that will provide counter-points to those assertions, this time focusing on why there are different rules for different… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on September 2, 2011 at 5:42am —
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Farmland preservation is a key component in keeping a strong and vigorous agricultural sector. And with Ontario having one of the biggest agriculture and food clusters in North America, it only makes sense that our citizens be proactive in ensuring that we do our best to preserve and maintain our best farmland.
The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has a long history of advocating for farmland preservation. We’ve taken up the fight… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on August 26, 2011 at 1:51am —
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The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario places a lot of emphasis on values. And, arguably, one of the biggest and most constant values for most of our members comes down to “fairness.” It’s not always stated upfront when our members engage each other at committee meetings and seminars, but it’s a steady presupposition that drives a good deal of conversation. Over the years, many CFFO conversations and position statements have emphasized the… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on August 12, 2011 at 2:59am —
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The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs recently announced that the 30-year old wildlife damage compensation program has finally been updated. This has been an important issue for members of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario over the last number of years, and as an organization we are pleased that this could finally be updated. This is a solid step forward in balancing the broad number of goals desired by society… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on August 5, 2011 at 1:32am —
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A decade or more ago, the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario hosted a number of seminars and other events centered on the theme of “Farming in the Park.” The title was kind of a cheeky expression designed to attract people’s attention and get them thinking about critical issues in farming. The key issue at the root of the discussion was the ongoing relationship between farmers and urban society.
The Ontario election is looming for Ontario’s politicians and the voting public. Energy is emerging as “the” hot button topic for many voters. The big question is how we are going to organize a sustainable energy system that truly considers the economic, environmental and social consequences.
There is a need for broad deliberations regarding this province’s energy policy. In particular, balance needs to be struck to accommodate both long… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on July 22, 2011 at 4:30am —
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On April 27, 2023, investigators with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness’ Regulatory Compliance Unit executed a Provincial Offences Act search warrant at Joris Salverda’s farm in Wilmot on an unrelated matter. Investigators found unlabelled meat product and subsequently detained it to determine if it was from an inspected source. Detention involved marking a potentially non-compliant product with a detention tag and placing it in a freezer or cooler to preserve its integrity until it could be determined whether the meat product was compliant. No person shall move or interfere with a thing that has been detained unless authorized or required to do so by an inspector. Later, officers conducted an inspection at Salverda’s farm and discovered the detained meat product had been removed without authorization. Following an investigation into the movement of the unlabelled meat product, Salverda was charged with one count of breaking detention of a thing without autho
Background: On October 4, 2023 and January 10, 2024, Compliance and Advisory Officers with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (then the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) attended Klops Meat and Deli for the purpose of verifying compliance. On both occasions, the owner/operator, Leszek Rzeznik, refused the inspectors entry to complete an inspection. Subsequently, investigators in the Ministry’s Regulatory Compliance Unit initiated an investigation that resulted in Rzeznik being charged with two counts of obstructing an inspector under the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001. On January 8, 2025, after a trial in absentia, Rzeznik was convicted on both counts by Justice of the Peace Michael Cuthbertson. Rzeznik was fined $3,000 for each count, plus a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, which totalled $7,500.
Background: On September 25, 2024, an inspector from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness appointed under the Food Safety Quality Act, 2001 attended Ve & Be Corporation at 793 Alness Street to conduct an unannounced inspection. As a free-standing, licenced meat plant, the business is subject to inspection by ministry inspectors. When the inspector arrived, the plant operator, Andrei Berliaev, behaved in an aggressive manner and prevented the inspector from conducting the inspection. The inspector then left the plant and withdrew the inspection. Following an investigation, Berliaev was charged with one count of obstructing an inspector under the Food Safety Quality Act, 2001.
Every April, countries around the world mark Earth Day – an excellent and vital opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of caring for and protecting our environment. As farmers, we often like to say that every day is Earth Day on the farm, and while that sounds a bit cliched, it actually is very true. That’s because in raising livestock and growing crops of all kinds, farmers work very directly with the soil, the air, and the water every single day. The weather is our constant companion and more than almost anything else, will influence the kind of year we’re going to have. Whether it’s too much or too little rain, temperatures that are hotter or colder than normal, or snow, ice and rain storms, it all impacts the quality and quantity of the products we’re able to produce on our farms. I farm near Burford close to Brantford with my wife and son where we raise sheep and grow hay, corn, and soybeans as well as a biomass crop called miscanthus. I’m also a director on the bo
Chatham-Kent–Leamington MPP Trevor Jones is settling into his role as Ontario agriculture, food and agribusiness minister. The former Leamington town councillor and OPP officer was named to cabinet last month in just his second term as an MPP. We asked Jones about his new role in cabinet. His responses have been edited for style and brevity. Q: Just beginning your second term as an MPP, can you describe the honour of being named minister for a portfolio as prominent as Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness? A: It is an honour . . . I grew up and continue to live and raise my family in Chatham-Kent-Leamington, where our communities have a long tradition of farming, greenhouse growing and food processing. As such, I developed a strong appreciation for this sector and remain inspired by the hard-working people who feed Canada and the world. Early in my career with the OPP, I earned a position on the Emergency Response Team and . . . was given the opportunity to work with members of the