Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The CFFO Commentary: Christmas Story Leads to Actions to Build up Individuals, Families and Communities

By John Clement
December 23, 2011
 
Christmas is an important celebration on the Christian calendar. We believe that God became incarnate, offered his life to achieve our redemption, and left us with a mission to join in the work of advancing the “good news.”
 
The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario finds its roots in the “good news” that life can be lived according to patterns that are both liberating for farmers and which build up families and communities. Many of our members believe that God has called them to participate in the biological cycle of food production and they value the development of public policies that help them as producers, marketers and citizens. Through it all, the members of the CFFO hope to be a blessing to Ontario agriculture.
 
One of the biggest contributions the CFFO has brought to the province is a focus on fairness in public policies. We’ve had lots of lively conversations amongst our members due to the fact that nearly everyone has their own particular take on what’s fair in a given situation. That being said, there are three broad areas that have defined much of the CFFO’s contribution.
 
A continual perspective within the CFFO is that public programs should never allow one farmer to “work the system” so that an advantage can be gained over a fellow farmer. Nobody wants to see public monies being used to eventually subsidize farm expansions, even though many want to see support offered to help farmers through market or weather losses.
 
Another perspective that is often heard singles out public programs that leave some farmers out of the benefits. For example, farmers can sometimes be disadvantaged because programs can reward specialization while ignoring attempts to manage risk through on-farm diversification.
 
Finally, CFFO members have been ready to offer leadership on fairness issues that focus on gaining access to market opportunities. For example, marketing systems may sometimes need tweaking to ensure opportunities to new entrants. This is always seen within a balancing act that tries to also be fair to farmers who have already made a significant investment in the industry.
 
That’s a very quick overview of the very practical aspects of how the Christmas story has impacted many of the 4,200 members who have chosen to join the CFFO. Whatever your perspectives on such matters, I wish all listeners and readers a blessed Christmas and extend my best wishes for the New Year.

 
 

John Clement is the General Manager for 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, and UCB Canada radio stations in Chatham, Belleville, Bancroft, Brockville and Kingston and in Brantford and Woodstock. It is also found on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,200 family farmers across Ontario.

Views: 93

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

U.S. Farmer Sentiment Erodes Further in June

Farmer sentiment declined again in June, as producers became less optimistic about both current conditions and the year ahead, according to the latest Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer on Tuesday. The barometer fell to 113 points in June, down from 119 in May. Both major components of the index weakened, with the Index of Current Conditions dropping five points and the Index of Future Expectations falling seven points. The current conditions measure was 26 points below its December 2025 level and reached its lowest point since December 2024. The June survey, conducted from June 15 to 19 among 400 farmers across the U.S., showed high input costs remain the dominant concern. Of the respondents, 47% listed high input costs as their biggest worry, well ahead of low crop and livestock prices at 23%. In a related question, 42% of farmers said high input costs were the main factor limiting improvement in their farm’s financial situation this year. Low output prices were c

Alberta Crops Continue to Improve, But Too Much Rain Is Becoming the Bigger Concern

Alberta crops are generally in better shape than they were a year ago, but for many producers the conversation has shifted from needing rain to finding a break in it. The latest Alberta Crop Report, covering conditions as of June 23, shows provincial crop ratings edged up to 69 per cent good-to-excellent, comfortably ahead of last year’s 50 per cent and above the five-year average of 64 per cent. While that’s encouraging, excessive moisture is beginning to create a different set of challenges across parts of the province. Frequent rainfall has delayed herbicide applications, slowed crop development and left some low-lying fields saturated. Producers in central and northern Alberta continue to report standing water and uneven emergence, while cooler-than-normal temperatures have limited crop growth despite generally favourable soil moisture. The regional picture remains mixed. Southern Alberta continues to post some of the province’s strongest crop ratings, with timely rainfall sup

Alberta Crops Are Primed for a Big Year—If Farmers Can Get Into Their Fields

By the time the calendar turns to July, Alberta farmers usually have a pretty good sense of what kind of crop they’re growing. This year, the answer depends largely on where you farm. The latest Alberta Crop Report shows much of the province heading into July with excellent yield potential thanks to abundant soil moisture. Provincial crop conditions remain well above long-term averages, and hay and pasture are responding to the moisture. But there is another side to the story. Frequent rainfall, saturated fields and limited spraying opportunities are creating mounting concerns over disease pressure, weed control and delayed crop development in several regions. While moisture has largely replaced drought as the dominant concern, too much water is becoming its own production challenge. Moisture Is No Longer the Limiting Factor Across much of Alberta, crops have access to plenty of water heading into one of the most important months of the growing season. Surface and sub-surface mo

Deere partners with ASW Distillery on spirits

Fiddler Combine Bourbon and Fiddler Steel Plow Rye helps celebrate American ag

Global Oil Output Rebound Expected as EIA Forecasts Lower Fuel Prices Through 2027

The latest U.S. Energy Information Administration outlook points to increased global oil production and lower energy prices over the next two years.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service