Over 60 Delegates Attend Ontario Pork Policy Day

Sep 25, 2023

Guelph - Ontario Pork held its 2023 Policy Day with over 60 producers participating. The annual event is a chance for delegates to provide feedback and offer suggestions on how to best move the province’s pork industry forward.

Board Chair John de Bruyn opened the discussion by providing an update on initiatives and activities that Ontario Pork has been working on during the past year.

Upcoming events include the Queen’s Park Reception in November, where producers will have the opportunity to speak directly with MPP’s to discuss the importance of government investment in our industry, emergency preparedness and improvements to risk management.

Delegates were also given an overview of proposed changes to producer statistics and were presented with a detailed marketing update.

Vice Chair Tara Terpstra led a session on how to strengthen Ontario’s pork industry by detailing the importance of producer involvement in advocacy, along with discussions on board recruitment and succession planning.

During each session delegates gave valuable feedback on what direction and priorities they’d like to see Ontario Pork focus on for next year.

The day was capped off with a presentation from representatives of the Community Safety Knowledge Alliance, who detailed the risks of cybersecurity attacks and offered a number of best practices to safeguard against cyber threats.

Watch highlights from the 2023 Policy Day here: https://youtu.be/WtBHS8SkLYE

Source : Ontario Pork

Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.