Oxford County Federation of Agriculture

Farmers Working for Farmers

Website: www.oxfordag.ca E-mail: info@oxfordag.ca Phone: 519-852-8836 President, Walter Kropf Administrative Co-ordinator, Amy Matheson

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July 5 Oxford Federation of Agriculture Directors Meeting 8:00 p.m., OMAFRA Woodstock, all OFA Members, commodity representatives and farm associations are encouraged and welcome to attend. July 4&5 Southwest Crop Diagnostic Days. www.diagnostic days.ca July 13 Farm Smart Youth Day. www.uoguelph.ca/farmsmart/expo July 14 Farm$mart Expo. www.uoguelph.ca/farmsmart August 3&4 Embro Truck and Tractor Pull. All proceeds support local community groups and Junior Farmer projects. www.embrotractor pull.com August 9 Oxford County Cattlemens Annual Beef Barbecue, Tavistock Memorial Hall, 519-4212327. August 25 & 26 Ontario Toy Show and Auction, Quality Inn Hotel and Convention Centre. www.tinytoys.com/toyshow September 11-13 Canadas Outdoor Farm Show, Canadas Outdoor Park, Woodstock. www.outdoorfarmshow.com September 18-22 International Plowing Match, Waterloo Region, Cultivate Country Celebrate Community. http://www.ipm2012.ca November 2-11 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Exhibition Place, Toronto.

This photo of a corn field thriving in mid-June near Brownsville was taken by Sally Smith Pelleboer. BUY LOCAL OXFORD MAP AVAILABLE The Buy Local Oxford map is now available online at www.oxfordbuylocal.ca and at various retailers and farmers markets in Oxford County. In its second print for 2012, the Buy Local Oxford map was designed to support our local farmers and the agricultural community by promoting Farmgate Markets in Oxford County. Support your local economy by purchasing locally grown food, directly from the farmer and in return you will get the freshest, most nutritious and best-tasting food Oxford County has to offer. OXFORD COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE, 2013 Nomination forms for the 2013 Agricultural Awards of Excellence are now available online at www.oxfordag.ca or by calling Amy Matheson at 519-852-8836. Help us recognize and celebrate excellence in our community. If you know of an individual, organization or business in Oxford County that you think would qualify for an award in Large and Small Agribusiness, Family Farm, Conservation, Farm Innovation, Niche Market, Technology category, or the Youth in Agriculture Bursary, please complete the nomination form. Completed forms can be scanned and emailed as an attachment to info@oxfordag.ca or mailed to 436494, Line 43. RR 2 Embro. Ontario N0J 1J0. Call for nominations ends August 15, 2012. EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING AT OCFA There are a lot of exciting things happening at Oxford County Federation of Agriculture. A collaboration with the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program, the Farm Bus, a new website design underway, and utilizing social media, were seeking new partnerships and input and would love to hear from you! If you have an agricultural event happening in Oxford and would like to see it in our newsletter, please contact Amy Matheson. We are also seeking photography submissions for our newsletter and other print media. ONTARIOS AGRICULTURE SECTOR A MAJOR ECONOMIC ENGINE Agriculture stabilizes our rural communities and provides a healthy, safe food supply while contributing to environmental health through the protection of soil, water and air. More than 80,000 Ontarians make their living directly on farms and 718,000 Ontarians work in the agri-food industry Economic activity associated with farm sector production sustains 164,000 jobs across Ontario with an expenditure on wages and salaries of $7 billion These jobs contribute $3.4 billion in taxes to all three levels of government Ontarios farm outputs contributed $22 billion in gross economic stimulus to Ontario in 2009 with a net value of $10.7 billion WE VALUE YOUR INPUT At any given time, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is working on as many as 150 issues to ensure the viability of Ontarios farms and farming families. As members, you are the OFA and your input and involvement is valued. Member Service Representative for Oxford/Elgin, Janine Lunn. janine.lunn@ofa.on.ca 1-866-408-0128.
Follow our new Administrative Co-ordinator, Amy Matheson on @amy_oxfordag and find us on www.facebook.com/Oxford County Federation of Agriculture