Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The CFFO Commentary: Christmas and the Difference it makes for Farming

By John Clement
December 24, 2010

I'm not by nature a person devoted to creeds and confessions, but every once in awhile something will strike me as particularly meaningful in one of those documents. At this Christmas season, some of the words found in the beginning of the Heidelberg Catechism strike me as appropriate. The question is asked "what is your only comfort in life and death?" And the answer is "that I with body and soul, both in life and death am not my own, but belong to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ..."

That, in a nutshell, is the whole rationale for the existence of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. Because our lives belong to a Saviour who has a claim on our lives, we confess that his desires for the world have become our desires for the world. And we believe that He has desires for how farming is carried out, both in the practices used by farmers and in the policy environment that supports them.

How we make those desires a reality is very much an exercise in freedom, rather than according to a blueprint. Our members strive to be both entrepreneurial and collegial and use their freedom to make diverse choices regarding their operations and the policy choices that support them. Accordingly, the CFFO spends a good deal of time working with its members to clarify their goals and values and to work towards concrete expressions of those ideals.

That being said, it's never been an easy task to build an agricultural system that expresses values. For one thing, farming is incredibly dynamic and continually changing due to weather patterns, new technology, husbandry practices, trading patterns and generational expectations. And then there's the sheer difference of opinion that can take place regarding the choice of marketing systems, the amount of government intervention in the farming economy, and food choices by consumers.

Over the CFFO’s history, we’ve had several moments when we’ve been influential in persuading others about better ways to support farming. At the very least, we’ve been a witness to the fact that our farming needs to be conducted as stewards acting on behalf of another owner. And we see that as the practical application of the difference made through God’s actions at Christmas time.

Whatever your perspectives on such matters, I wish all listeners and readers a blessed Christmas and hope that after all the gifts are unwrapped that the central message of the season will find a place in your heart.



John Clement is the General Manager of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham, Ontario and is archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,200 family farmers across Ontario.

Views: 30

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

Minister MacDonald sets the stage ahead of NPF meetings

Ministers and other stakeholders are in Halifax this week

Farm Management Canada launches Canada’s Young Farmers

The platform is designed to support and amplify the next generation of Canadian ag leaders

Watch for the development of Sclerotinia stem rot in canola

Information is OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Environment Canada, and their employees assume no liability from the use of this information.   June surface soil moisture conditions indicate that much of the Prairie canola growing region currently has sufficient soil moisture to support germination of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum sclerotia (Fig. 1). Cumulative rainfall from May 30 – June 28 was the highest in the Edmonton, Lethbridge, Winnipeg areas, and lowest in northern Saskatchewan and the Peace River area of Alberta (Fig. 2). When rainfall over the whole growing season (April 1 – June 28) was considered, the Edmonton area was much higher than average (Fig. 3). Recent heavy rains across the Prairies have significantly increased these amounts. Temperature over the May 30 – June 28 period was highest in southern Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan and lowest in western Alberta (Fig. 4). For the whole growing season temperatures have

Table Beet Harvest has Begun

Ontario's 2026 fresh beet harvest is underway with a positive outlook and steady supply, reinforcing the province's position as Canada's leading producer of this resilient crop.

Cereal rust risk report April 1 to June 29 2026 stripe rust reported in Alberta and eastern Canada along with leaf and stem rust in eastern Canada

Stripe rust development in Alberta There are reports of stripe rust developing in Alberta, though at low levels to date. The wheat crop is maturing in the Pacific Northwest and will decline as a source of inoculum as it is harvested. The spread and development of stripe rust in Alberta now depends more on weather and crop conditions within the province going forward. No rust reports to date in Saskatchewan and Manitoba Cereal crops in the southern US states have nearly been harvested and were affected severely by drought this crop season. Spring cereals in the northern states are still developing but there are no reports to date of rust infection in these northern states. Crop development in many parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba is delayed relative to normal, and frequent and heavy rains raise the risk of disease development in all crops. To date though there have been no reports of rust development in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Cereal rusts reported in eastern Canada Colleagues

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service