Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The CFFO Commentary: Tackling Agricultural Challenges Aided Through Leadership Training

By John Clement

October 1, 2010

I appreciate good leadership. Good leaders have a way of focusing people on critical issues and helping them to work together on finding solutions. Sometimes that involves pioneering a new way of doing things and forcing people to react, while at other times it involves pushing others from behind to bring forward important ideas. There are as many styles of leadership as there are leaders.

Leadership is particularly important in agriculture. A cursory look at farming shows a multitude of commodity and interest groups containing a multitude of opinions about how to move their industries forward. The challenges are multiple and need to bridge subjects as diverse as marketing strategies, communications, relationships with processors and government, and public affairs. Without leadership on these issues, the multitude of voices within agriculture can quickly become a cacophony that quickly descends into inaction and ineffectiveness.

With that perspective in mind, I’m particularly keen on some of the leadership initiatives being offered by the Rural Ontario Institute. Officially launched on April 1 of this year, the ROI “has a mandate to provide rural leadership development and focus on multi-stakeholder engagement for the purposes of engaging rural stakeholders and developing and delivering community engagement strategies; securing and communicating ground intelligence on rural issues; and informing decision makers on rural issues.” It was created through an amalgamation of The Centre for Rural Leadership and The Ontario Rural Council.

The ROI has jumped from the starting gate with three core programs. They include the highly effective Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program, Steps to Leadership and Personal Development Workshops and Seminars. Although all of these programs are important, the AALP program is the centerpiece and features a 48-day program delivered over the course of 19 months. It combines instruction, distance education, international travel and dialogue with business, government, industry and community leaders. Studies show an impressive 11 to 1 payback for agriculture for leadership programs like AALP.

My bet is that the ROI has a few more tricks up its sleeve and will offer even more targeted leadership training opportunities in the future. Those looking for leadership training should check out their website at www.ruralontarioinstitute.ca for announcements and opportunities. And with Class 13 of the AALP program close to graduating, it’s not too early to consider whether you, or someone you might recommend, might be interested in participating in this unique training program.

As I mentioned earlier, Ontario agriculture needs good leaders to meet the challenges of the day. Groups like the ROI make the task of training leaders much more manageable.

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 4,353 family farmers across Ontario.

Views: 36

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

Amanda Ellis, flax crop committee

Amanda Ellis farms near Wawanesa, MB, with her husband Simon and his family at Ellis Seeds. The Ellis family has farmed the homestead where Amanda and Simon now live since 1919, and the operation continues to run with support from both sides of the family and close friends. They grow wheat, oats, soybeans, peas, flax and canola. What motivated you to get into farming? I fell into farming with my husband’s family to fill a need. I came from a business and finance background and started by taking on some casual bookkeeping for the farm. I enjoyed being part of the farming work and, over time, became more involved in the day-to-day operations. I’ve always enjoyed working with numbers, being outdoors and being part of something that contributes to our communities. This role allows me to do all those things. One of my favourite parts of farming is the constant learning. What motivated you to get involved with Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA)? I wanted to better understand the research, mar

CCGA Statement on Bill C-273 Supporting Innovation

Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) welcomes the introduction of Private Member’s Bill C-273, the Facilitating Agricultural Regulatory Modernization Act (FARM Act), by MP David Bexte. The bill represents an important step toward modernizing Canada’s regulatory system and reducing unnecessary red tape that has impeded the timely adoption of innovative agricultural products. Farmers have consistently called for more timely access to new tools and technologies that improve productivity and competitiveness. By enabling a 90-day provisional approval process for products already vetted in trusted jurisdictions, this bill supports innovation while maintaining regulatory integrity. CCGA also recognizes the foundational work of MP Kody Blois, whose earlier bill helped shape this approach. Bill C-273 builds on that effort and reflects a growing, cross-party understanding of the need for a more efficient and responsive regulatory system that supports faster access to new products for far

EMILI collaborates with 24 innovators on 33 unique projects in 2026

As EMILI celebrates 10 years of driving agriculture innovation, we are proud to announce 33 unique projects taking place on Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert in 2026. This includes commercial and pre-commercial solutions that EMILI is testing and demonstrating in crops and storage bins across 10,000 acres on its two Innovation Farms sites in Grosse Isle and MacGregor, Manitoba.  As an industry-led non-profit, EMILI is in a unique position to provide innovators with access to leading-edge equipment, technology, and production practices along with unbiased feedback on how their innovation works on a full-scale farm. This is more important than ever, as Canada’s agriculture sector navigates climate volatility, global tensions that cause transportation and storage constraints, price instability, and shifting consumer expectations. “Technology is evolving and reshaping the industry at a rapid pace, allowing producers to do more, and in a more productive and sustainable way. But produc

Census of Agriculture opens next month

Canadian farmers will have from May 4 to July 31 to complete the census

The Rural Ontario Institute announces the Community Well-being Dashboard in Canada’s two official languages

The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) is pleased to announce the Rural Community Well-Being Dashboard and supporting factsheets are now available in Canada’s two official languages.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service