By Maaike Campbell, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Farming has been part of my life for as long as I can remember — across countries, commodities, and generations. I was born in the Netherlands and came to Canada with my parents in the early 1990s. Like many farm kids, I grew up with chores, long days, and a front-row seat to the realities of producing food. That upbringing shaped who I am, and it’s also what pushed me to speak up for farmers and rural communities.
It’s what motivated me to become a board director with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Ontario’s largest and strongest voice for farmers.
As hog farmers, my husband and I lived the highs and lows of the pork sector – market swings, disease pressures, labour challenges, and everything in between. Those years taught me resilience, humility, and how deeply connected our farms are to global forces beyond our control.
Today, we raise broiler chickens and grow crops on our farm in Lambton County about half an hour from Sarnia and are slowly building a small beef herd as our children are becoming involved in 4-H and cattle showing.
Alongside farming, I’ve always been drawn to the people and policy side of agriculture and being active with the organizations within the agriculture sector. Those opportunities have reinforced something I strongly believe: if you want drive change, you have to be willing to be part of it. I care deeply about the future of farming in Ontario, and standing on the sidelines doesn’t help move the needle; showing up does.
There are two issues I’m especially passionate about that affect farmers directly, but by extension, also impact Ontarians right across our province.
The first is the availability of veterinary services for farmers. Although I live in a relatively well populated agricultural region, we don’t have reliable access to a veterinary clinic that specializes in large animals and livestock.
Click here to see more...