Election took place at the Annual General Meeting
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
Keith Currie, an eighth generation farmer from Simcoe County, is the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s new president.
After serving three terms as vice-president, Currie entered the running for president.
Currie’s 151 votes won the election over incumbent Don McCabe during the OFA’s Annual General Meeting in Toronto on Monday.
Prior to voting, Currie said Ontario’s farming community needs to include all farmers.
New OFA president Keith Currie.
Photo: OFA
“I worry that agriculture has built its own walls. OFA has always been an organization that’s represented all farmers and all of agriculture and I feel that’s changing,” said Currie. “There’s a fracturing amongst our industry that’s happening at a time that we can least afford it to happen.”
Currie said one of the challenges facing Ontario’s farmers is balancing production with consumer relations.
“As our farming operations change and evolve to meet the demands of production along with the demand for transparency, so too will the way we need to advocate for agriculture…,” reads Currie’s presidential candidate profile on OFA’s website. “The demands by the consumer for the greater need by our industry to have full disclosure will change our approach we go forward."
Currie’s other involvements include reviewing The Crombie Report and chairing the board of directors of AgScape.
Farms.com has reached out to the OFA and Keith Currie for comment.