Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

It has been a very busy couple of weeks.  Making headway on rebuilding my grain header, want to get that out of the way so I can start on the tractors and tillage equipment.  So although I was beginning to feel like I was making progress, in steps OMAFRA.  My farm doesn't qualify for the farm tax rate.  In the past, my father had recieved an exemption from the FBR system for religious reasons.  Having taken the decision to join the system rather than appose/avoid it, i opened up a can of worms that will only cost me.  I didn't think much about government bureaucracy before, but now i just plain hate it.  

Our freedoms are being removed.  Why does it matter if someone registers with the government to be recognized as a farmer?  Shouldn't caring for the soil and harvesting crops be enough?  People were once judged by there abilities and endevours.  Now its by what license you hold, or permit you have.  It saddens me a great deal to see the results of past efforts.  Not my efforts, but those who build this system.  I am sure there was no ill intents when regulation was introduced, but the results are not a better more efficient society, but rather a society that spends its efforts in regulations and litigations.  

I guess I shouldn't be surprised to hear that children can no longer have skating events at school, because not all kids have a helmet.  Why a helmet?  Just in case someone falls down, the school needs to avoid the insurance lawsuit.  

The youth in the world have been rebelling against the old systems, specifically in the middle east.  The occupy movements are attempting the same thing over here.  They are not successful, because we have too much to loose, where in the third world they have nothing left to loose they can only gain.   I had not ever supported these protests, but I think I can now attest to the understanding that our system is stale, and something new is required.  I don't expect to see any changes soon, it will take a revolution and that won't happen until this society has been reduced to the nothing left to loose category.  I do hope it never comes to that, but sadly that means it would never be renewed.  

It makes for quite the dilemma, and I get the joy of being stuck in the middle of it.  It would have been nice to have had the support of the bureaucracy as I start to farm, but alas it becomes my enemy.  Although mother nature may not always favour me I consider that my ally.  I hope my experience is limited and other new farmers have a better experience.  But in my book OMAFRA is.....can't find a polite way to it.

Views: 843

Comment

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

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by Allan Mervin Spicer on February 23, 2012 at 8:14pm

Gus. Couldn't agree with you less. In order to be truly free, we , as a collective community give ups some reasons to be truly free. I lost a friend to a brain injury from a motor cycle acciden prior to he helmet law. Go Occupy Wall Street.
a.s.

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

Ontario Grows Most of the Nation's Celery

Celery may not be Canada's largest vegetable crop, but it remains an important specialty vegetable for fresh markets.

University of Guelph Receives $1 Million Gift to Advance Sustainable Materials Research and Bioeconomy Growth

A $1-million gift from The WB Family Foundation will help University of Guelph researchers accelerate the development of sustainable materials made from agricultural and forestry byproducts.

Pulse Market Insight #303

Faltering Monsoon Is Central to the Pulse Outlook For pulse markets, few things matter more than the Indian monsoon and this year’s version has been erratic. June rainfall came in well below average, and while a burst of heavier rain in late June and early July briefly narrowed the gap, volumes dropped off sharply again right in the middle of the main planting window. Rainfall amounts picked up again in late July, but the cumulative monsoon rainfall is still running 16% below the long-term average. There’s still a lot of monsoon season left, but the longer the shortfall persists, the more it matters for both of India’s pulse crops — the kharif crop being seeded now and the rabi crop that follows this winter. The uneven rains are showing up clearly in seeding progress. Indian farmers picked up the pace when moisture improved, but the most recent weekly data still show planting of tur (pigeon peas) 11% behind last year and 10% below the average pace. Some of that ground can still be ma

ABP highlights leadership, collaboration at PNWER Annual Summit

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) played a strong role at the 2026 Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) Annual Summit in Edmonton, contributing to discussions on transportation, communications and industry collaboration while helping showcase Alberta Beef to delegates from across the region. The Annual Summit brings together government leaders, industry representatives and stakeholders from across the Pacific Northwest to discuss shared economic opportunities and regional priorities. Strengthening agricultural supply chains ABP Chair Doug Roxburgh participated in a panel discussion focused on strengthening agricultural supply chains alongside Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Tara Sawyer and Jennifer Riddle of Tidewater Transportation and Terminals. The discussion highlighted the importance of reliable transportation infrastructure, cross-border collaboration and efficient supply chains to support a resilient and competitive livestock industry throughout the Pacific No

Meet Manitoba Crop Alliance’s 2025-26 high school bursary recipients

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is proud to support agriculture’s next generation. MCA’s bursary program is designed to assist with the financial needs of students pursuing education in a field that will benefit the agriculture sector. Six graduating high school students from Manitoba have been awarded with bursaries valued at $1,000 each. The six bursary recipients are Austin Dubyts from Stockton, Katie Gulak from Gilbert Plains, Aiden Brunel from Ste. Rose du Lac, Keira Duguid from Gimli, Julie McMahon from Inwood, and Ella Prejet from Notre Dame de Lourdes. “Every year, I’m impressed by the quality of our bursary applicants and this year’s recipients are no exception,” says MCA chair Jonothan Hodson. “I look forward to seeing the valuable contributions they will make to our industry. The future of Manitoba agriculture is in great hands.” To qualify for these bursaries, applicants did not need to be continuing into an agriculture-specific program. However, they did need to clearly ar

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service