Building relationships to get results

Nov 19, 2024

By Drew Spoelstra, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

It’s been a year since I was chosen to lead the Ontario Federation of Agriculture as its president, and as we prepare for our annual general meeting next week, it’s a good time to reflect on what’s been a busy 12 months in this new role.

Advocating for Ontario farmers is a business based on relationships and during this first year, my biggest focus and that of our board has been around building and fostering those relationships as we work toward achieving results for farmers.

We’ve had some great opportunities this year to build better relationships and encourage a greater understanding of Ontario agriculture with the Premier, provincial cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants, and elected officials of all major political parties.

We’ve also built a productive working relationship with the new minister at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and his team, and we’re active locally and nationally on issues that matter to our members.

Growing our partnerships, for example, with the Rural Ontario Municipal Association and the Association of Ontario Municipalities is bringing broader perspectives to discussions around farmland, energy, railway issues and more.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?