Food processing in next group for vaccination

Jan 15, 2021

The Ontario government has included workers in the food processing industry in Phase Two of vaccination rollout

By Jackie Clark
Staff Writer
Farms.com

The Ontario government announced the plan for the next stage of COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the province in a statement on Jan. 13. Phase Two of the plan will include frontline workers, including those working in the food processing industry.

Representatives from the agriculture industry expressed gratitude that these workers are deemed critical essential workers and included in this phase of vaccination.

“We recognize first responders, healthcare workers, and those in long-term care must be prioritized in terms of first access to vaccines. However, we are thankful meat processing essential workers have been identified as a priority for phase two of the vaccination rollout,” Rob Lipsett, president of Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO), said in a Jan. 14 joint statement from BFO and the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association (OCFA).

Mike Conlin, president of the OCFA, agreed.

“Prioritizing workers in meat production and inspection to receive early immunization of the COVID-19 vaccine will help reduce and/or mitigate further disruptions in the meat supply chain, reduce implications for farmers, and protect the welfare of animals and security of our food supply,” he said in the statement.

Phase Two individuals could receive doses as early as March 2021, and expected to be completed by the end of July 2021, followed by Phase Three (general population) vaccines beginning in August 2021, said the release from the provincial government.

Other groups that will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase Two are older adults (beginning with age 80+), individuals living and working in high-rosk congregate settings, individuals with high-risk chronic conditions and their caregivers, and other frontline workers including teachers and first responders, according to the Jan. 13 release.

Inside Creative House\iStock\Getty Images Plus photo

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.