By Teresa Van Raay, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
For Ontario farmers, winter is more than just a break from field work, time to plan for the coming year or to take in some education events – it’s also Farm Business Registration renewal season.
Ontario farm businesses that earned a gross income of at least $7,000 in the past year must register their business to qualify for certain programs and benefits, like farm property class tax rate for farmland, farm vehicle license plates, or participation in special government programs for agriculture.
Yes, it’s another item on a long to-do list, but it’s also one of the most important decisions we make as farm business owners. When you complete your Farm Business Registration (FBR), you’re choosing which of Ontario’s three accredited farm organizations will represent your farm, your family and your future.
For me, that choice has always been clear. Together with my husband and two sons, I farm near Lake Huron where we raise hogs and grow and process garlic, and I’ve been a member of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) since we started farming.
My dad had always been active in farm organizations, and being a member of OFA was simply part of being involved in agriculture, but as the years have gone on, my reasons for belonging have only grown stronger.
Like every farm in Ontario, our farm is affected by far more than just what happens in our own barns and fields. Energy costs, rural roads and bridges, labour rules, environmental regulations, taxation — the list goes on. And over time, I’ve come to realize just how many different ministries and levels of government are connected to farming. Whether municipal, provincial, or federal, agriculture touches them all.
As farmers, we need a voice at those tables to make sure the needs of agriculture and rural communities are represented. It’s not something an individual farm business can do on its own, and that’s one of the key reasons I belong to OFA.
As an advocacy organization, OFA makes sure the needs and opportunities of its members are in front of decision-makers. In 2025 alone, OFA reviewed 129 government regulatory consultations and submitted 45 board-approved policy responses, while engaging the public through more than 150 media interviews and dozens of columns and news releases. That kind of presence matters.
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