GFO Newsletter for April 2013
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On the road in March
The March Classic wasn’t the only event that kept Grain Farmers of Ontario staff and directors busy during the month of March. Booths at the London Farm Show (March 6-8) and the Ottawa Valley Farm Show (March 12-14) allowed us to connect with farmer-members and discuss their concerns for this growing season. We also attended the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) Annual Meeting in Ottawa, and the Commodity Classic in Florida. The Commodity Classic gave senior staff and directors the opportunity to attend meetings with many of our US counterparts to discuss regulatory issues such as low level presence and international trade. The conference is an annual event to gather influential farm groups and representatives for seminars and meetings. •
Grains in Action
Another successful Grains in Action program has wrapped up for the year. The February session brought together 25 young agricultural leaders from across all 15 Grain Farmers of Ontario districts to learn about the grain industry value chain.
At P&H Milling in Cambridge, questions were answered about why it is so important for farmers to provide high protein wheat for the baking industry. A stop at GreenField Ethanol in Chatham broadened the group’s understanding of the current and potential end uses for Ontario-grown corn. And at Richardson’s grain terminal in Hamilton, the group toured a laker vessel used for transporting grain. These were just a few highlights from the four-day program.
Participants of the Grains in Action program are young farmers who have been identified as leaders and as people who may want to become involved in the future success of Grain Farmers of Ontario. The goal of the program is to help them better understand the grain sector in our province and the role of our organization.
Applications are already being accepted for the 2014 Grains in Action program. Two courses are being offered (January and February). For more information, please contact Member Relations Coordinator Valerie Gilvesy at 226-979-5581 or vgilvesy@gfo.ca. •
Have you seen our blog?
The Growing Rural Connections blog is a way for Grain Farmers of Ontario to provide interesting and relevant rural stories. It’s a way to educate consumers and keep farmers connected with the stories being told in the media about Ontario agriculture.
We’ve also started a new section of the blog entitled ‘Around the World.’ This is where Grain Farmers of Ontario’s staff members and directors will post updates on their travels to other countries and share what they have learned about agriculture through study tours, seminars and conferences.
You can find the blog at: http://growingruralconnections.wordpress.com/. If you have an interesting story to share, contact Mackenna Roth, Communications Coordinator – Public Relations, at mroth@gfo.ca.•
