Oxford County Federation of Agriculture

Farmers Working for Farmers

Website: www.oxfordag.ca President, Walter Kropf E-mail: info@oxfordag.ca Phone: 519-852-8836 Communications/Administrator, Amy Matheson

OCFA wants YOU!

The Oxford County Federation of Agriculture (OCFA) would like to encourage you to consider being part of the strongest voice of agriculture and join our Board of Directors. Agriculture is the strongest industry in Ontario and it needs intelligent, proactive, enthusiastic leaders to take it into the future. Like most organizations, OCFA is always looking to find new, energetic, passionate people willing to join their boards. Perhaps you feel the board is doing a good job and does not need you. Wrong! All organizations need new people to motivate and make improvements. You are part of agriculture therefore your opinion and ideas are important and valuable. There are many benefits to being a board member. You will represent your county at the table helping to make responsible Oxford and Elgin Member Services decisions that will move agriculture into the future. The directors Representative Janine Lunn presents of the Oxford County Federation Board make comments on William Robinson of Embro with his new issues that involve the wellbeing of the agriculture industry. iPad from the OFA exhibit at the Canadian Directors have made presentations to politicians at all levels Outdoor Farm. William is looking forward to offering their opinion and concerns. The directors also participate having his nieces help him learn to use this in many promotional and educational events. If you are not ready new technology for the farm, and for fun. to become a director you are welcome to join one of the committees working towards protecting and promoting the agriculture industry in the areas of land use, ag awards and local food. To find out how you can be part of the team. Contact Amy Matheson at info@oxfordag.ca or by calling 519-852-8836 or Janine Lunn, at Janine.lunn@ofa.on.ca 866-408-0128. Come be a part of the strongest voice of Ontario agriculture!

Save the date!

Thursday, November 1 8:00 p.m. Oxford County Federation of Agriculture Directors Meeting, OMAFRA, Woodstock. All OFA members, commodity representatives and farm associations are encouraged and welcome to attend. www.oxfordag.ca Saturday, November 3 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. The Embro and Zorra Agricultural Society All You Can Eat Fish Fry and Dance. Age of Majority after 9:00 p.m. Contact Natalie at 519-949-4978 for more information. Tickets available at McKays Food Market. Saturday, November 10 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Oxford and Elgin County Federations of Agriculture invite you to attend the Future of Farming Forum. We want you to bring your ideas and vision for our local agricultural community with you, so that we can brainstorm new ways to connect with our members. This event includes a free lunch and opportunity to tour Ontario Refrigerated Services. Contact Amy at 519852-8836 or info@oxfordag.ca for more information. Sunday, November 18 & Monday, November 19 Ontario Young Farmers Forum The Language of Agriculture, Doubletree by Hilton, Toronto Airport. Open to all young farmers and people ages 18 - 40. www.oyff.ca Final registration November 9. Monday, November 19 and Tuesday, November 20 Ontario Federation of Agriculture Annual Convention, Doubletree by Hilton, Toronto Airport. www.ofa.on.ca Thursday, January 10, 2013 Oxford County Federation of Agriculture Annual General Meeting, 7:30 p.m., OMAFRA Woodstock. All OFA members, commodity representatives and farm associations are encouraged and welcome to attend. www.oxfordag.ca

HayEast 2012 must have government support

By Don McCabe, Vice-President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) The first of many truckloads of donated prairie hay has made it to Ontario thanks to HayEast 2012, a program that aims to help drought-affected Ontario and Quebec farmers feed livestock through the winter. Thousands of large bales of hay have been generously donated by our prairie neighbours - but to ensure the program is a true success, we need private and public sector support to help with moving these donations cross-country to farmers in need. HayEast 2012 is a reciprocation of HayWest, a 2002 program that saw Ontario farmers ship hay to livestock herds in the prairies when that region was affected by similar drought conditions. That program saw not only the generosity of farmers on one end of the country donating hay to the other; it also brought significant financial support from the private and public sector. During HayWest 2002, the federal government covered the cost of rail cars to help fund cross country hay transportation costs. CN and CP rail companies also made significant transportation donations. Nearly $110,000 was donated by the private sector in Ontario, Quebec, PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. And, 1,600 volunteers as well as hundreds of private businesses and corporations stepped in to show their support. In the end, the HayWest 2002 program saw almost 60,000 bales of hay moved, sustaining 30,000 head of cattle. It was a good news story of farmers helping farmers, and it meant a great deal to Canadas agricultural community to see neighbourly support on such a large scale. This past summers drought has left many Ontario and Quebec farmers in circumstances similar to the dire conditions experienced in Alberta in 2002. Record-low rainfall caused pastures to dry up, and there was no forage crop worth harvesting on many farms. Existing Ontario hay inventories see competing bids at high prices. Affected farmers may not be able to feed their livestock through the winter without help. Those that are able to find hay will not be competitive. To date, 30,000 large hay bales have been requested by more than 150 farmers in need in need in Ontario. Western Quebec numbers are being collected. Many of the western-based organizers of HayEast 2012 are anxious to help eastern Canadian farmers because they hope to repay the kindness they experienced a decade ago. And, while Western Canadian farmers dont have the bumper hay crop that Eastern Canada had in 2002, theyve donated as much as they can spare for Eastern Canada. HayEast 2012 organizers have begun approaching the private sector for donations to help fund transportation costs. Anyone wishing to help can make a donation at any Scotiabank across Canada. But as the winter quickly approaches and many Eastern Canadian farmers wait for hay that will provide the peace of mind to sustain their livestock through the season, Canadian farmers in all provinces will continue to look to the federal government and the important role government must play in facilitating delivery of this important program. The hay, the people, and the processes have been put in place by hundreds of volunteers so far. Now our government partners must step in to move donated hay to where it needs to go, to make HayEast 2012 a true success.

Follow our Administrative Coordinator, Amy Matheson on @amy_oxfordag and find us on www.facebook.com/Oxford County Federation of Agriculture

50 THE RURAL VOICE