EGG FARMERS OF ONTARIO ANNOUNCES 2021-2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mississauga –  Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) re-elected Scott Helps as its Chair and Dan Veldman as its Vice Chair on a video conference call held in connection with its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on March 31, 2021. Scott Brookshaw and Tonya Haverkamp were also elected to the Executive.

 

Scott Helps, an egg farmer from Wyoming, Ontario has been on EFO’s Board since 2012 and has been Chair since 2020. Dan Veldman, an egg farmer from Embro, Ontario has been on EFO’s Board since 2011 and Vice Chair since 2020.

 

EFO’s Board of Directors consists of 11 farmer-elected representatives.  Two members of the Board decided not to seek re-election at local Zone meetings held earlier in the year, Craig Hunter, of Brockville, and Marc Bourdon of Maxville. Their terms as Board members ended at the AGM.

 

For the second consecutive year, the COVID-19 pandemic meant holding the AGM virtually with more than 250 egg and pullet farmers, as well as industry stakeholders, participating in the event.

 

"Last year, when we delayed our annual meeting until June, I don’t think any of us thought that we would still be forced to hold virtual meetings this year,” said EFO Chair Scott Helps. “The pandemic turned every aspect of life upside down. Our sector had its share of challenges, but overall I think we should appreciate that we were more fortunate than many others.

 

I would like to thank every single person in our supply chain that worked so diligently to protect the health of all of the people that work together in our complex system to bring our eggs to consumers”, Helps said. “We want to acknowledge all the essential workers – especially in the public-facing areas right up to retail workers – who never really received the recognition they should have for keeping Canada’s food supply working.”

 

The meeting was opened by Ontario Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman, followed by video greetings from Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Some of the other speakers included Yvon Cyr of the Farm Products Council of Canada,Amy Cronin, Chair of the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission, Roger Pelissero, Chair of Egg Farmers of Canada, Chad Gregory from the United Egg Producers, Ian McFall, Executive Vice President of Sales for Burnbrae Farms, Alvin Brunsveld, Ontario Pullet Director and Tonya Haverkamp and Kristen Thompson-Dow, Co-Chairs of the Pullet Industry Committee.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.