CFFO Autumn Newsletter

CHRISTIAN FARMERS FEDERATION OF ONTARIO

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

President’sComments

Prophylactic Use of Neonicotinoids

CFFO in Action

Aut

umn

Newsletter

FoodgrainsProject

September 2014, Volume 12, No.3

We live in a wonderful part of the

world. We enjoy a healthy democ-

racy and the rule of law. We have privileges

and rights that are envied by most of the

world. However, in our complacency, only

about half of eligible voters bothered to vote

in the Provincial election. In the upcoming

municipal elections this fall, less than half

the voters will vote and in next year’s fed-

eral election, probably less than sixty per

cent will vote. To maintain a healthy de-

mocracy we need to do better. Our organi-

zation and many other farm organizations

work hard to identify and clarify the is-

sues, so voters can make informed choices.

The real heroes of our democracy are

those citizens who are prepared to stand

for office. Some celebrate a victory while

many are disappointed on election night.

The citizens who are not successful are

the people who really make democracy

work. These people are largely forgotten

once the election signs are packed away.

However, they are essential to a function-

ing democracy for without them, there

would be no choice for the electorate. This

group brings forth new and unique ideas

to make the country a better place to live

and work. Some candidates know their

ideas and opinions do not as yet have a

wide following, but they diligently carry

out their duty and present their ideas to

the electorate. A democracy thrives on a

wide diversity of opinions. The disappoint-

ed candidates provide a vital service. We

should all congratulate them for their con-

tribution and wish them well in the future.

Welcome to the new CFFO newsletter.

In this edition, you will find some old

and some new things contained within it.

Our new format is intended to provide

you with a more informative and inspiring

newsletter. We want to inform you about

a controversial policy concern in agricul-

ture. This time out, we are talking about

the government decision to intervene in

the neonic pesticide issue in a way that

curbs prophylactic use of these chemicals.

We want to let you know more about the ac-

tivities of the CFFO, both as an advocate of

farmer’s concerns with government and ac-

tion within the community to set an example

of what it means to live the life of a Christian

Farmer. This time out, we are going to talk

about our efforts to have an impact on the

provincial election through our District Elec-

tion Toolkit. We want you to know about the

efforts of the CFFO to strengthen the future

generation of farmers through our scholar-

ship program. We will introduce this year`s

recipients and briefly highlight their goals in

seeking out higher education. We will also talk

about the Canadian Foodgrains Bank projects

going on in many of our districts this summer.

Finally, we want to focus on one facet of

our CFFO member benefits program and

remind you of all the programs you could

be taking advantage of as a CFFO member.

We hope you enjoy this edi-

tion of the CFFO Newsletter.

GENERAL MANAGER NATHAN STEVENS

PRESIDENT’S COMMENTSLORNE SMALL

CFFO Newsletter

September 2014, Volume 12, No. 3


Author’s Note: This issue’s Policy Note is taken from the July 11 CFFO Blog. Each week, the CFFO produces a new article on a wide variety of issues and concerns. If you aren’t a subscriber, head to www.christianfarmers.org and click on CFFO Blog to find out more.

The provincial government announced

that it is now making strides to deal with

the social and environmental concern sur-

rounding the prophylactic use of neoniciti-

noid – or neonic – pesticides by farmers in

Ontario. The goal is to move to targeted

use of these chemicals where need is dem-

onstrated rather than using it without re-

gard to circumstances on the ground. From

where I sit, there are a few key points to

consider on this matter that the sector as a

whole needs to recognize moving forward.

The first recognition is that the recent

provincial election has established a new

reality for farmers and rural residents.

Quite simply, it is possible to win a major-

ity of seats in Ontario largely without win-

ning seats in rural Ontario. The loss of this

counter-balance to urban interests in this

area means that it is of paramount impor-

tance for the sector to work hard to meet

the concerns of Ontario citizens at large

in order to maintain the social license to

operate. This means that we need to take

steps to deal with the social and envi-

ronmental concerns of our urban neigh-

bours, and likely most of our non-farming

rural neighbours, including adapting our

practices to reduce the potential to harm

bees. Moving forward, some of this will

be market-driven and some of it will be

done through public policy and regulation.

Second, the balanced approach of the

Ontario government is reasonable when

you consider the concerns of both sides

of this debate. When we look at neonic

issues, there are scientists and academ-

ics that are weighing in on both sides of

the argument, so a purely science-based

solution is a long way off. When we look

at the reality on the ground, we see that

seed companies are providing untreated

and treated seeds at essentially the same

price. As long as this is the case, it is natu-

ral for most farmers to choose the treated

seed “just in case”. Moving to a system

where neonics are only used where they

are needed by permit will result in real

choices and decision-making for farmers.

Third, from a stewardship perspective,

the simple truth is that the entire indus-

try needs to move away over time from

the prophylactic use of pesticides, as well

as antibiotics and other treatments we

are using “just in case”. The intensive use

of these technologies without the pres-

ence of an actual concern as a preventa-

tive is wasteful and, moreover, leads to the

rise of resistant strains of bacteria, bugs

and weeds, which shortens the lifespan

of these technologies as a useful tool for

farmers. The responsible use of technol-

ogy should be part of the toolbox of so-

lutions available when a problem occurs,

or signs are pointing to a problem being

about to occur. When we get down to

brass tacks, why should farmers be de-

faulting into using these treatments where

pest pressures are light or non-existing?

The decision on the part of the provincial

government to find a way to curb the use

of neonics holds important lessons for the

agriculture community. We need to under-

stand that urban consumers are driving

choices both in stores and at the electoral

level. We need to understand that rising so-

cial and environmental concerns can out-

weigh economic concerns when we deal

with sustainability from a triple bottom-

line perspective. And, finally, we need to

recognize that good stewardship is about

using the right technology in the right time,

in the right place and in the right amount.

ISSUES SPOTLIGHTNATHAN STEVENS

PROVINCIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ON NEONICS IS A SIGN OF A NEW ERA FOR FARMERS IN ONTARIO

CFFO Newsletter

CFFO Newsletter


CFFO ELECTION TOOLKIT HELPS THE DISTRICTS IN-VOLVE THEMSELVES IN THE PROVINCIAL ELECTION

During the recent Provincial Election, the

CFFO put together an election toolkit for

the District Leadership to use when en-

gaging in the campaign. The kit included

key questions to ask during all candi-

dates sessions, draft letters to MPPs

and draft letters for local newspapers.

There were three issues that the CFFO

focused on during the campaign. The

first was for commitments related to

water stewardship. Shifts in land val-

ues, erratic weather, and government`s

interest in a more self-reliant sec-

tor point towards the importance

of water management in the future

of farm productivity and resiliency.

The second was a call to look for ways

that help the farm economy reach its full

potential by getting some of the underly-

ing systems right. There are many areas

of concern here, including energy policy,

wage policy and reducing unnecessary

red tape, all of which can negatively

impact the viability of the family farm.

The third was a call to strengthen the

protection of prime farmland in On-

tario. Farmers face the global challenge

of feeding nine billion people by 2050

and in Ontario, we are expecting an

additional three million people. These

pressures require a thoughtful, long-

term plan to deal with these challenges.

The CFFO is working hard to make

positive changes for individual farm

operations and the entire sector. Our

leaders’ contributions in these ar-

eas are vital in keeping agriculture

a vibrant and promising industry.

CFFO SUPPORTS THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE THROUGH ITS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The CFFO believes in the value of sup-

porting the next generation of agricul-

ture. Each year we offer a scholarship

opportunity for young students with

aspirations for careers in agriculture.

This year, we are pleased to announce

that seven scholarships have been

awarded to the following students:

• JOEL FOX from the Quinte District

is attending the Ridgetown Cam-

pus of the University of Guelph and

knows that farming is in his future.

He has a strong desire to learn more

about sustainable agriculture and

the issues facing our industry so

that one day he can operate a sus-

tainable and efficient family farm.

• JELTEVANDEBELT from the Elgin

District is also attending Ridgetown

with a focus on learning more about

running a dairy farm. While there,

she is also learning about many

other types of production as life is

often full of unexpected changes.

• RACHAEL EYGENRAAM from the

Wellington District is attending

Ridgetown is pursuing her two year

associate diploma so that one day

she will be able to either take over

the family farm or set off on her own

with greater knowledge of how to

be a good steward of the creation.

• DERIC HARTEMINK from the Elgin

District is attending Ridgetown. He

has an eagerness to learn about

agriculture in all aspects of life,

including through higher educa-

tion. Entering his second year in

the program, he is looking forward

to learning more about the man-

agement side of a farm operation.

CFFO IN ACTION

CFFO Newsletter

Page 5

As part of celebrating our organizations

60th Anniversary, CFFO partnerd with

Canadian Foodgrains Bank representa-

tive David and Katheryn Mayberry to see

if we could join in a project that would

benefit both organizations.

Six districts were able to commit acres of

land towards the goal of 60 acres for 60

years. We added some existing projects

in other districts and then a late offer in

early May put the total over 140 acres.

Many inputs have been donated towards

these projects and the CFFO wants to

thank them all. Seed suppliers, fertilizers

companies and chemical suppliers and

applicators, as well as custom opera-

tiors, all contributed to these projects.

We want to say thank you to the many

people who have made this venture suc-

cessful. Thank you to the district boards

that have put a lot of effort into these

projects and to our members who have

donated land, time and resources to

plant the crops this past spring. Thank

you to all the suppliers that contributed

inputs; Pioneer seeds, Alpine Liquid fer-

tilizers, Huron Bay Coop/FS, Monsanta,

Hessel’s Farm Supply and others that

have contributed. Thank you to Brons

Farms, Roos Farms, Veldale Farms, Ry-

zebol Farms and the Schippers for con-

tributing custom work. There may be

others we are not aware of who have

assisted in this venture which we also

gratefully acknowledge. The kindness of

many makes this a wonderful time for

the federation.

Also a thank you to all those who are

part of existing projects in Thunder Bay,

Quinte and Simcoe County. Thank you

for allowing us to place signs alongside

your projects.

As you travel around the province, keep

your eyes out for the large signs placed

at each project with the logos of the

CFFO and Canadian Foodgrains Bank;

they look terrific.

With the expected donations going to-

wards the Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s

efforts to reduce world hunger, farm-

ers have again shown their compassion

for caring for those in need. We live in

a country that is blessed in many ways

and these projects provide a way for us

to share what we have. May God bless

those who are assisted by the results of

our work here.


CFFO ELECTION TOOLKIT HELPS THE DISTRICTS IN-VOLVE THEMSELVES IN THE PROVINCIAL ELECTION

CFFO SUPPORTS THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE THROUGH ITS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

• LEESIERTSEMA from the Huron Dis-

trict is graduating from the Ontario

Veterinary College of the University

of Guelph and will be working in the

rural community at Blyth Veterinary

Services, providing large animal

services, which is a growing con-

cern for some rural communities.

• DYLAN WYMENGA from the Cha-

tham-Kent-Essex District is at-

tending Dordt College in Iowa

and is pursuing a career in agri-

culture and embracing the best

in farm technology and farm

management so that he can

farm successfully into the future.

• KATRINAKOPPERTfrom the Oxford

District is attending the University of

Guelph she is setting out to earn her

Bachelor of Science in Animal Biolo-

gy, which may lead to her becoming

a veterinarian. She desires to sensi-

bly apply the knowledge she gains to

make the world around her better.

The CFFO wants to wish these young

adults great success in their studies and

in their future careers in agriculture. May

the Lord bless you in these endeavors.

Scholarships continued...

CFFO & THE FOODGRAINS

PROJECT

DISTRICTS IN ACTIONPAUL BOOTSMA

FIELD SERVICES MANAGER

CFFO Newsletter

Page 8

THOUGHT YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE CFFO?

Did you sign and return your “Mem-

bership Application” that came with

your FBR receipt? If not, fill out the

Membership form online at

www.christianfarmers.org

or call the office at 519-837-1620 to

have one sent to you.


This summer the CFFO staff has been serving cakes to celebrate the federation’s 60th

anniversary. At the Simcoe County picnic the attendees enjoyed a square dance, in

Oxford a modern dairy barn was on displayed and children enjoyed the Gay Lea bouncy

cow. The Chatham-Kent-Essex district handed out their district scholarship to Dylan

Wymenga who will be attending Dordt College in Sioux City, Iowa. Dylan also received

the federation scholarship, we expect great things Dylan. Thanks to the district boards

for the work in organizing our district picnics.

The Christian Farmers Federation of On-

tario is working hard to provide value

to its members. Several partnerships

have been established over the past

two years that offer discounts to CFFO

members.

In May of 2013, the CFFO and Chrys-

ler Canada came to an agreement to

offer CFFO members a discount on a

number of Chrysler models. To receive

these set discounts, a member needs

to go to a Chrysler dealership that has a

fleet department and show their CFFO

membership card and give them the FAN

(fleet account number) code provided by

Chrysler Canada. The FAN code is G5303.

We encourage all our members to take

advantage of this benefit and of other

benefits available through the CFFO.

CFFO BENEFITS

From left to right:

Simcoe County board,

Oxford board, Welling-

ton district board

OTHER CFFO BENEFITS

• CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP SER-

VICES

• MARK’S WORK WEARHOUSE

• COUNTRY GUIDE MAGAZINE

• CHRYSLER CANADA

• MANULIFE INSURANCE

• RBC

For more information on the ben-

efits CFFO provides with their mem-

bership, please visit the website at

www.christianfarmers.org

FREE BREAKFAST AT CANADAS OUT-

DOOR FARMSHOW WEDNESDAY SEP

10, 2014 8-11 AM

Visit the CFFO booth in the Ag Busi-

ness Pavillion. Bring a non CFFO

member and recieve 2 tickets for a

free breakfast.

CFFO members get $3 off.

FREE BREAKFAST

CFFO Newsletter

Page 9

By Meindert van der Galien

The Foresters Fall and Beachburg

area (Whitewater Region) of Ren-

frew County is home to many Menno-

nite families that have moved there in

the last two decades. They are modern

Mennonites; they dress in Mennonite

style but drive vehicles and are listed in

the phone book.

Now motorists driving in the Admaston-

Bromley Township of Renfrew County

see horse and buggy roadside signs that

the township has installed to warn mo-

torists of steel-wheel buggy traffic.

This spring, three Orthodox Menno-

nite families — men with beards and

straw hats, women and girls in long

black dresses and wearing bonnets —

have purchased farms in the area. They

moved from their previous location in

the Wingham and Linwood area of On-

tario. They use steel-wheel wagons, hay-

loaders, horse-drawn mowers, binders

and threshing mills. No tractors. Many

more families are interested in moving

to this area if small, suitable farms can

be found.

Orthodox Mennonites live very sim-

ply, with no electricity or telephones

in their homes. They do not own auto-

mobiles or computerized technologies

and farmers use work horses instead of

tractors. The new families had the hydro

disconnected at the road and the hydro

poles to their property pulled out of the

ground. The kids from the three fami-

lies are home-schooled at the one farm.

It’s an interesting sight seeing them, all

in black, walking through the village of

Douglas after being brought there by

horse and buggy.

The new arrivals bought smaller, loamy

soil farms that are not on heavily trav-

elled roads so they can go to the local

towns in their horse-drawn buggies.

The men have also been busy taking

down old bank barns in the area and

hauling the timber and lumber away

in their horse-drawn wagons. All three

families have built barns or sheds.

The newcomers are well respected by

the locals and the township councils and

have been warmly welcomed. Life on a

farm coincides with the Mennonite reli-

gious beliefs that farming is not merely

a job but a sacred lifestyle. Horse-drawn

vehicles have become a familiar sights

in the area towns where the new arriv-

als do their shopping. They shop locally,

which is something (ironically) the lo-

cals don’t always do. Bonnechere Val-

ley Township council has reached out a

neighbourly hand by providing a central

hitching post in the town of Eganville

where they often go to shop. Some busi-

nesses have also installed hitching posts

for the horses.

It will be interesting to see how the land-

scape changes further.

Meindert van der Galien is a Renfrew-

Lanark CFA director. He visited all three

families and gave them CFFO literature.

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE LANDSCAPE COULDN’T CHANGE ANYMORE FROM CATTLE TO HUGE CASH-CROP FIELDS, IT DOES AGAIN


CHRISTIAN FARMERS FEDERATION OF ONTARIO7660 MILL RD., RR 4GUELPH, ON N1H 6J1T: 519-837-1620Fax: 519-824-1835Email: [email protected] Site: www.christianfarmers.org

RETURN UNDELIVERABLE ITEMS TO

The CFFO Newsletter is published four times per year by the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario for its members and friends. Editor: Jenny Denhartog; Production Manager: Franchesca Weeks

CFFO Newsletter


THANK YOU TO OUR PLATINUM SPONSORS

CFFO Autumn Newsletter

Documents

Transcript of CFFO Autumn Newsletter