Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Terry Daynard's Blog: A Tribute to Field Staff of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food

I could not believe it: A frontal thunder storm system had barely crossed southwestern Ontario to reach our Guelph-area farm, and Peter Johnson was already tweeting advice to farmers – how to deal the inevitable soil crusting problem which pounding rain would cause, preventing the emergence of recently planted soybean seeds/seedlings.

That incident is far from unique. Late May frosts triggered early Saturday morning tweets from Johnson, Mike Cowbrough and several other field staffers of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture (OMAF). Because my primary business is field crops, I am not as familiar with horticulture and livestock, but do recall recent tweets from Leslie Huffman, OMAF’s apple specialist (@OntAppleLady), giving 6 AM advice on expected severity of an overnight mid-May frost at blossom time.

This column is not just about a few individuals or only those who use Twitter (though hopefully they all soon will). It’s about a record of solid service to Ontario agriculture – by many OMAF field staffers who are unheralded heroes for Ontario’s second largest (or is it the largest?) economic sector. Because almost all Ontario farms are family owned and operated, this is about service to rural families as well.

I can think of so many ways in which these people make our world better. They play a dominant role (in cooperation with farm groups) in highly successful winter agricultural information programs – like the Southwest ag conference at Ridgetown, Farm$mart at Guelph – and dozens like them, including many organized by farm input/service suppliers. They are quoted constantly in the farm media – public and private. They’ve adapted readily from the days when the “ag office” dominated agriculture in every county, to providing technical advice through the Internet, farm conferences, and via high-quality private advisory services now well established across Ontario.

Their reward, unfortunately, for doing their job so well, is to be taken for granted. When farm groups meet top ministry officials and politicians, their focus is usually on other things – farm income support/stabilization, trade issues, regulatory burdens, research and more. It’s rarely about what old-timers like me called “extension services.” (The newer term seems to be “tech transfer/service”). No need for farm groups to complain about what’s working well.

Indeed, we often tend to forget that these people are even civil servants. They are seemingly available almost all the time, weekends included – farmers’ hours. “Real government staff don’t do that,” or so common perception says.

Another mis-perception is that the most important service to agriculture comes from big breakthroughs – major new genetics, crops, technologies, products etc. – when most of the gains in agricultural productivity come through incremental  changes: better soil management, more efficient use of inputs like fertilizer and pesticides, better timing, better marketing – stuff like that. And even when new breakthrough technologies come, it’s the OMAF field staff and their private sector partners who teach us how to use them effectively.

We take them for granted, and I think government sometimes does too – by creating bureaucratic impediments. I am still annoyed, for example, at a former deputy minister’s decision to prevent some OMAF staff farm visits just prior to the last election. ‘Don’t want any potential for bad press.’  (No, this was not publicized; OMAF staff did not blab; only persistent probing dragged the info out of them. But the edict did not benefit rural Ontario.)

And major barriers to out-of-province travel persist – or perhaps have even grown – even when this would/could be funded by farm groups and would help the staffers become even better informed, and provide even better service to Ontario agriculture.

But enough of that. This column is about positives and the need to say thanks. So from this Ontario farm family to OMAF field staffers: Thank you so much, and keep up the good work.

Views: 210

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

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

Saskatchewan farm show ready to highlight new innovations

Western Canada’s largest outdoor farm show returns this month to showcase new and exciting technology for the agriculture sector. Ag in Motion show director Rob O’Connor said there will be more to explore, drive and discover. “There’s a reason Ag in Motion is known as the place to find out what’s new in agriculture every year,” O’Connor said. “Advancements in production and AgTech are always featured and celebrated here.” Among the key attractions this year are the Ride & Drives that give farmers the opportunity to get behind the wheel and test the latest equipment in real field conditions, offering a hands-on comparison of models and features. A variety of sprayers, tractors and material handling equipment, such as skid steers, compact loaders and will be available to try out. The 2025 Innovations Program highlights emerging products and solutions developed to solve real on-farm challenges, which are available for visitors to view on-site. New this year is the debut of the one-da

Hail, excessive moisture, insects caused the most crop damage in Saskatchewan

Thunderstorms swept across parts of the province, bringing moisture along with some hail and that means some producers will be assessing crop damage over the next week to determine the impact on yields. According to the latest Saskatchewan Agriculture crop report, the most rainfall recorded was 115 millimetres (mm) in the Archerwill area, followed closely by the Beatty area with 85 mm. There was also notable rainfall in the Kinistino and Middle Lake areas with 75 mm and 65 mm, respectively. Despite heavy rainfall in some locations, overall provincial topsoil moisture conditions declined from the previous week’s report. Kim Stonehouse, a crops extension specialist, said other than hail, there were several other factors that contributed to crop damage. “There was also grasshopper and flea beetle activity that has persisted and is causing some minor damage in some dry areas,” Stonehouse said. “In West Central, East Central and Northeast regions producers are reporting minor damage fro

Tax credit expands meat processing facility

The province’s inviting and tax-friendly business environment, and abundant agricultural resources, make it one of North America’s best places to do business. In addition, the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit helps attract investment that will further diversify Alberta’s agriculture industry. Beretta Farms is the most recent company to qualify for the tax credit by expanding its existing facility with the potential to significantly increase production capacity. It invested more than $10.9 million in the project that is expected to increase the plant’s processing capacity from 29,583 to 44,688 head of cattle per year. Eleven new employees were hired after the expansion and the company plans to hire ten more. Through the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit, Alberta’s government has issued Beretta Farms a tax credit of $1,228,735. “The Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit is building on Alberta’s existing competitive advantages for agri-food companies and the primary producers t

Massey Ferguson introduces the MF 8S Xtra featuring comfort and efficiency upgrades

Massey Ferguson, a worldwide brand of AGCO (NYSE:AGCO), is proud to announce the introduction of its new MF 8S Xtra series, building on the success of the multi award-winning MF 8S models and featuring new styling, increased efficiency and even better operator comfort.

Four-Time Olympic Gold Medalist, Hall of Fame Inductee, and Philanthropist Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser to speak at Grape Growers 40th Annual Celebrity Luncheon

The Grape Growers of Ontario’s Celebrity Luncheon marks the opening of the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival by showcasing Canadian personalities and celebrating the annual grape harvest. This year, in partnership with Meridian

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service