Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The CFFO Commentary: No Guilt Advised for Farmers Who Succeed and Have Larger Operations

By John Clement
December 2, 2011
 
 
Pat Lynch is an unabashed supporter of farmers who work hard at their vocation and aren’t afraid to see their operations grow larger. A long-time fixture within Ontario agriculture, Lynch believes that farming is something that should be pursued with great passion and that those with farms of significant size shouldn’t feel guilty about their success.
 
Lynch isn’t without credentials for his opinions. He’s been awarded for the efforts he’s made as a crop consultant by both industry and academia, plus has made strong contributions on provincial soil management, weed and research committees. Lynch brought some of his opinions on agriculture to the annual convention of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario and shared them during a panel presentation on sustainability and profits.
 
According to Lynch, Ontario agriculture is a success story with strong productivity gains seen in both livestock and cropping over the last five decades. He pointed out that all of this has been done while farmers have learned to use less agricultural land, less pesticides, and less energy per acre. He also said that Ontario agriculture requires continued volume to be sustainable and that organic production will not produce as much per acre as modern farming techniques.
 
Lynch maintains that profit is not a dirty word and that some farmers need to get over their guilt feelings about pushing for success. He pointed out that if Ontario farmers don’t pursue their vocations with passion, the land will still be farmed by other larger farmers, investors of Canadian funds, offshore investors, or niche producers.
 
Lynch also pointed out a number of roadblocks to sustainable profits. He advised farmers to guard against waiting for the government “to do something,” to stop the infighting between quota and non-quota farmers and to be willing to change production systems for changing markets. Lynch added that farmers need plans and strategies to succeed, plus be willing to change their barns and equipments for greater efficiency. Finally, he advised strong family communications, the use of advisors, plus the use of products and services that contribute to success.
 
The CFFO Convention panel presentation is a good example of the wide variety of opinions on production agriculture that you will find within a meeting of the CFFO. You’ll also find strong discussions on marketing systems for farm products, meeting the challenge of climate change, best management practices in business, and research and innovation, to name a few. If you haven’t been to a CFFO meeting, check out our website’s coming events page, or watch for our media advertisements. You’re more than welcome to come to events where real farmers talk about real issues. We hope to see you there.

 
 

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: 46

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

Governments Of Canada and Manitoba Investing More Than $6 Million to Grow Local Food Processing Economy and Support Jobs

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing more than $6 million to help grow the economy by increasing food production facilities and supporting jobs across Manitoba under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced here today. “When we invest in food processors, we’re helping them grow, stay competitive and ensure they can keep putting their high-quality food on tables here in Canada and around the world,” said MacDonald. “These projects will help build a stronger, more resilient food system while supporting good jobs in the process.” A total of 19 food processors in Manitoba have been approved for funding for equipment upgrades, facility expansions, and new technologies that will improve efficiency, production capacity and environmental performance. “These investments support our economy, strengthen our communities and ensure susta

Governments of Canada and Manitoba Announce Support for Livestock Producers Affected by Drought Conditions

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are announcing support measures to aid Manitoba’s livestock producers affected by drought conditions, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today. Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) will provide support measures through its AgriInsurance program, improving cash flow for livestock producers needing to secure additional feed. “Our livestock producers play a critical role in our food supply and our economy. We need to do everything we can to support them, especially in the face of these dry conditions,” said MacDonald. “These program changes will ensure producers in Manitoba receive claim payouts faster, so they can source other feed options as quickly as possible.” For claim calculation purposes, MASC will be applying a quality adjustment factor to reduce yield appraisals by 40 per cent for drought-stricken cereal crops (all varieties of wheat, oats, bar

Government Fulfills $2 Million Commitment to Food Banks of Saskatchewan

As announced in the 2025-26 Provincial Budget, the Government of Saskatchewan is providing $1 million to Food Banks of Saskatchewan in August 2025 to distribute to agencies across the province. "This funding fulfills our government's commitment to provide $2 million over two years to help Saskatchewan families and food banks with rising food costs," Social Services Minister Terry Jenson said. "By partnering with Food Banks of Saskatchewan once again this year, we are providing additional support to communities across our province." The $2 million commitment was first announced in July 2024, with the first $1 million installment provided to Food Banks of Saskatchewan in August 2024. The Ministry of Social Services will work with Food Banks of Saskatchewan to distribute the second $1 million installment in August 2025 to agencies based on the population and average food bank usage of the communities they serve. "Saskatchewan Food Banks are experiencing an unprecedented year of dema

Register for Keep it Clean’s webinar on pre-harvest tips to produce market-ready crops

Keep it Clean will host a webinar on Wednesday, July 30 at 11 a.m. CDT to inform Canadian growers, agronomists and retailers of key on-farm practices to avoid unacceptable product residues and answer any questions to help protect the marketability of Canada’s canola, cereal and pulse crops. Registration for the webinar, which will include a live Q&A with experts, is now open. The webinar will dive into key practices, including how to properly stage crops for pre-harvest glyphosate application, why it’s essential to follow pre-harvest intervals (PHIs) and how to scout effectively for disease. “Applying a product like pre-harvest glyphosate for weed control too early can lead to unacceptable residues in harvested grain, putting market access at risk,” says Krista Zuzak, Director, Crop Protection and Production at Cereals Canada. “Following label directions - like waiting until grain moisture is below 30 per cent in the least mature part of the field - helps prevent residue issues

iTradeNetwork Webinar – Register Now

The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC), the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA), and the Association des producteurs maraîchers du Québec (APMQ) have been working with iTradeNetwork to schedule a series of webinars for growers.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service