GET THE LASTEST NEWS FROM GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO

GET THE LASTEST NEWS FROM GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO

FARMER REPRESENTATION
Within the new organization of Grain Farmers of Ontario, districts are divided slightly differently than in their three founding organizations. Below is a map of the 15 districts.

Each district is assigned a minimum of eight delegates. Additional delegates are allocated based on the extent to which each district’s total estimated combined acreage of corn, soybeans and wheat exceeds 6.7 percent of their total provincial acreage. The acreage is estimated based on adjusting production figured for average yields relative to each of the three crops.

District alignment and delegate allocations will be reviewed after the first three years and not less than every five years thereafter, based on the most recent production data. Districts will be required to represent a minimum of five percent of production as defined above, except for northern Ontario, which will be assured a minimum of one district, and eastern Ontario, which will be assured a minimum of two districts, to respect the extent of the geography involved, regardless of the quantity of production.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN GFO

• Attend the District Meeting for your area of the province.
• Farmers in each District will elect 8 to 17 Voting Delegates, for a provincial total of 150.
• These Delegates will elect one Director for their District, for a total of 15 on the GFO Board.
• Each GFO committee will be Chaired by a Director.
• Non-Director Voting Delegates will have the opportunity to serve on GFO committees and sub-committees.
• Sub-committees will be issue-driven, and formed as needed. Their composition will be designed to get the job done with the best people possible, while keeping a clear and specific focus. 
• GFO committees will include: 
  • Wheat Trading Advisory (Directors only)   
  • Market Development   
  • Research & Innovation   
  • Government Relations   
  • Communications   
  • Finance & Audit (Board Executive)   
  • Sub Committees

MEDIA TRAINING
Last fall and winter AGCare and the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC) offered a series of media training sessions to help farmers feel more comfortable talking to the media.

Due to popular demand, they’re back! We are offering two sessions in Guelph this fall for any interested farmers who have not yet participated in our media training program. We’re always trying to get the public to hear agriculture’s story. It’s hard to get the media’s attention but when we do, we’re struggling to find farmers willing and able to do interviews.

We’re offering a free, one day media training work shop with urban media expert Wallace Pidgeon for producers who are interested in being spokespeople for agriculture.

Monday, November 16, 9 am – 4 pm, Ontario AgriCentre media centre, Guelph Wednesday, December 2, 9 am – 4 pm , Ontario AgriCentre media centre, Guelph

Each session is limited to 10 to 12 participants and spots will be     filled on a first come, first served basis. This program is being   offered together with the OFAC, so each session will be a mix of livestock, poultry, crop and horticulture farmers.

If you are interested, please contact Claire Cowan at ccowan@ontariocorn.org or 519-837-9144. Deadline for registering is Wednesday, November 4.

CHARTING A NEW COURSE FOR AGCARE
AGCare was formed 20 years ago when crop and horticulture farmers banded together to in support of responsible pesticide use in agriculture, leading to the introduction of Ontario’s Grower Pesticide Safety Course. This commitment to responsible environmental stewardship helped Ontario farmers remain exempt from the pesticide ban implemented in Ontario this year.

Over the years, its activities have expanded to include biotechnology, source water protection and general public education about farming and the environment. But the organization’s funding levels haven’t grown alongside those activities, creating an unsustainable foundation.

So where should AGCare’s focus lie? And where could the money come from to pay for that focus? Is there still a need for AGCare in its current form or should other structures and mandates be considered? Should AGCare focus on educating the public about food and farming? Or perhaps return to its roots in crop protection and narrow its mandate to address only
those issues?

These questions are facing the AGCare board as it develops a new strategic plan. The answers aren’t clear nor are they easy, but the end result will hopefully be one that will continue to be a benefit to Ontario’s crop and horticulture farmers in its future.

AGRICORP UPDATE
Report your fall-seeded acres online 24/7.
Starting this September, producers who grow fall-seeded grain and oilseed crops will be able to report their final planted acres online for the following crops:

• soft white winter wheat
• soft red winter wheat
• hard red winter wheat
• organic winter wheat
• organic winter spelt

This past spring, Agricorp launched a new online tool for reporting final planted acres for the Production Insurance (PI) program. More than 1,000 producers of spring-seeded grain and oilseed crops reported their final acres using the new tool.

Over 90 percent of surveyed users said they were satisfied or very satisfied with online acreage reporting. Because the new tool was so well received, Agricorp has expanded online acreage reporting to fall-seeded crops.

Here’s what surveyed users said about online acreage reporting:
“24-7 access makes reporting convenient”
“The online acreage reporting process is very user friendly.”
“The online site is very good and saves me time.”
“Easy to read and easy to understand.”

Getting ready to report your acres
If you have PI coverage for your fall-seeded grain and oilseed crops, you should have already received information about online acreage reporting in your 2010 PI renewal package.

To report your acreage online, go to www.agricorp.com/acreage. The site will lead you through four easy steps to report your information.

Report your final acres by November 1
To be eligible for PI, you are required to report your final planted acres as soon as you finish planting and no later than November 1. If you prefer, you can still report final acres by phone. Agricorp is ready to help you on weekdays from     7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

You will be automatically renewed at last year’s coverage unless you contact Agricorp by November 1, 2009 to change your coverage. To ensure your final invoice is accurate, you must make any changes to your coverage before you submit your final acres. If you do not plant any acres of crops you insured last year, you must report zero planted acres to avoid cancellation.

Contact Agricorp
1-888-247-4999 (Mon. to Fri., 7 to 5)
Fax: 519-826-4118
contact@agricorp.com
agricorp.com