The Citizen, 2015-09-03, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015. PAGE 13.
OFA hosts MPPs at farms for Field Day event
By Peter Lambrick,
Board Member, Ontario
Federation of Agriculture
Field work took on a different
meaning this week for Ontario
Federation of Agriculture (OFA)
staff and directors. We set aside our
work on the business of farming for
a day to tour MPPs through apple
and blueberry orchards and an apple
packing plant in Durham region. It
was the 2015 OFA Field Day and we
were showcasing a slice of the
diverse, innovative sector that drives
the provincial economy. MPPs from
all three parties attended including
Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal, NDP
Leader Andrea Horwath, NDP
Agriculture Critic John Vanthof and
PC Agriculture Critic Toby Barrett.
The OFA Field Day was hosted by
Kirk Kemp of Algoma Orchards and
Charles Stevens of Wilmot
Orchards, near Newcastle, about an
hour east of Toronto. MPPs and staff
were taken on a private tour and talk
through these operations and learned
about the way these two farm
businesses add value to the
economy, the consumer and the local
community.
Standing out in the orchard
provided the perfect backdrop to
have conversations with politicians
about issues that really matter to
Ontario agriculture. Hosting the
Field Day event gives us the
opportunity to show, and not just
tell, the importance of our industry
to the provincial economy.
We highlighted four topics that are
on the minds of many Ontario
farmers – energy rates, infrastructure
support, farmland preservation and
pollinator health. Our messages are
direct and simple on these issues.
We are asking the government for
more competitive energy rates, to be
more in line with neighbouring
areas, to keep the farming and rural
sector competitive. We continue to
push for an expansion of natural gas
infrastructure throughout rural
Ontario as part of better
infrastructure support. As the
government reviews four key land
use plans, we are reminding them of
the need to always prioritize the
protection of farmland – our greatest
resource. And we continue to push
the provincial government for a
comprehensive pollinator health
strategy.
Some of the best conversations to
advocate for our industry are the
unscripted ones that happen in a
casual setting. Like an apple
orchard; What better atmosphere to
reiterate the significant contributions
that the Ontario agri-food industry
contributes to the overall health and
well-being of Ontarians?
Our sector is driving the Ontario
economy. And we will continue to
show politicians about the important
opportunities that are happening all
around them, just outside of town.
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