GrainTALK for September 2024
AN UPDATE ON GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO NEWS AND EVENTS
FROM THE CHAIR
A Q&A with Jeff Harrison, chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario.
How has Grain Farmers of Ontario helped farmer-members in the 2024 growing season as we head into harvest?
This has been a tough year for many farmers across the province, with heavy rainfalls, hotter-than-normal weather, and increased costs for equipment, seed, and inputs. One of the most important things we do as directors is be the voice for our districts to the Board and the organization. This year, delegates and directors from western Ontario were pivotal in making sure the Board and the team knew about the terrible impacts of the wet weather on the region and its farmers. This allowed Grain Farmers of Ontario to work with government, giving real world examples, to help get the crop insurance deadlines adjusted. We have also continued to work diligently on the Ontario Risk Management Program. The program paid out to farmers earlier this year, but that is no guarantee for the future and we are in talks with government to ensure the program is properly funded for future need.
Again, I want to reiterate that this has been a tough year. As farmers, we know there will be weather issues, we know there could be financial pressures, and we know there are people who just do not understand farming and share misinformation. Through all of that, your Board and team are here working for you, and we want to make sure you have access to the resources you need, especially if you need some help and don’t know how to ask. Mental health is a tough issue, but we have resources for you. Check in on each other and share these resources so we can keep our communities well and safe.
Do you have a question for the chair? Email GrainTALK@gfo.ca. •
YOUR GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO TEAM
Here is our next installment of profiles of your Grain Farmers of Ontario staff to help introduce you to the team.
JACK MCMILLAN, MARKET DEVELOPMENT CO-OP
Millan is currently a third-year University of Waterloo Student, completing a Co-op Honours bachelor’s degree in political science, specializing in international relations, with minors in international trade, geography, and environmental management. During his co-op work term, he is excited to continue growing his knowledge of Ontario agriculture, politics, economics, and trade.
RACHEL ZIMIC, MARKET DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Rachel Zimic joined the Grain Farmers of Ontario in April 2024 as the market development coordinator. Zimic has an M.Sc. degree from the University of Guelph and has built professional experience in project management, business development, and communications from past roles.
Most recently, Zimic worked at Bioenterprise Canada, a national food and agri-tech accelerator focused on commercializing emerging food and agricultural technologies.
During her almost four-year tenure at Bioenterprise, she worked on a variety of projects, including supporting the creation of Bioenterprise’s Sustainable Innovation sponsor program, a national sustainability challenge with the Dairy Farmers of Canada, and creating the programming for the Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub alongside the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Through this work, Zimic became fascinated with Canadian agriculture’s challenges and opportunities and wanted to get involved with an organization closer to the farm gate, leading her to the Grain Farmers of Ontario.
Outside of work, Zimic likes to experiment with cooking, especially using fresh and simple ingredients right from her garden. When she’s not cooking and gardening, she can be found playing soccer, walking her dogs, practicing guitar or managing soccer teams in the local Guelph league. •
2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Grain Farmers of Ontario Annual General Meeting will be held on September 10, 2024, at the Craigowan Golf Club, 595838 Highway 59 N, Woodstock, from 8 a.m. – noon. A buffet breakfast and lunch will be served. The meeting will also be live-streamed. All farmer-members are invited to attend.
The meeting is being held in conjunction with Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show at the Discovery Farm in Woodstock, Ontario. Attendees of the AGM will receive a complimentary ticket to the show.
For more information or to register, visit www.gfo.ca/agm. •
ASA CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE YOUNG LEADER PROGRAM
Applications are now being accepted for the 2024- 2025 American Soybean Association (ASA) Corteva Agriscience Young Leader Program. One farmer or farming couple will be selected to represent Grain Farmers of Ontario in the program. There is no upper age limit for participation; however, farmers must be 21 years or older to apply and be selected.
Applicants should be interested in pursuing leadership roles within the soybean industry. The program focuses on leadership, communications, and issues- based training and builds a strong peer network.
Phase I of the 2024-25 Young Leader program will take place December 2-5 at Corteva’s Global Business Center in Johnston, Iowa. It continues February 28-March 4, 2025, in Denver in conjunction with the annual Commodity Classic Convention and Trade Show.
Soybean farmers interested in this opportunity can complete the application form found on the ASA website, www.soygrowers.com. For more information, contact Rachel Telford, manager of member relations, at rtelford@gfo.ca.
Grain Farmers of Ontario is an affiliate member of the American Soybean Association. •
WOMEN’S GRAIN SYMPOSIUM
The Grain Farmers of Ontario’s Women’s Grain Symposium returns to the Delta Hotels Guelph Conference Centre November 25-26, 2024.
The Women’s Grain Symposium is open to women who are grain farmers, active members of their family grain operation, or working within the grain sector of agriculture business with a direct connection to farmers.
Registration is now open. The cost to attend is $125 and includes one-night accommodation at the Delta.
The symposium features an opportunity for women in the grain industry to network and hear from industry-leading speakers, including Kendra Dauer, risk management specialist from Stone-X, Bethany Parkinson from the Canadian Mental Health Association, and Amber Mac, president of Amber Mac Media, and more.
For more information or to register, visit www.gfo.ca/about/womens-symposium/ or contact Rachel Telford, manager of member relations at rtelford@gfo.ca. •
FIELD OBSERVATIONS
Grain Farmers of Ontario’s agronomist, Laura Ferrier, publishes a weekly field observations report on the Ontario Grain Farmer website and in the weekly GrainTALK e-newsletter. Find out more at www.OntarioGrainFarmer.ca. •
GRAINS IN ACTION 2025 – REGISTER NOW!
Grain Farmers of Ontario is heading east with the 2025 Grains in Action program, February 10 – 13, 2025! An exciting new agenda is being developed with stops to include the Port of Johnstown, Kawartha Ethanol, and the Canadian Senate, among others. Participants will meet in Belleville for the start of the four-day bus tour. Young grain farmers aged 19 – 35 are invited to attend. Full details and registration are now available at www.gfo.ca/about/grains-in-action/. Space is limited to 30 participants. A waitlist will be in effect once capacity is reached.
For more information contact Rachel Telford, manager of member relations, 226-979-5581, or rtelford@gfo.ca. •
MARKET COMMENTARY
By Philip Shaw
Crop prices slumped as we went into the end of July and the beginning of August after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed a huge crop being produced in the United States.
On July 12, the USDA boosted U.S. corn production to 15.1 billion bushels, an increase of 240 million bushels from June. This was based on an increase in corn planted acres by 1.5 million acres to 91.5 million acres. U.S. yield was held at 181 bushels per acre. The USDA soybean estimate was down from June by 15 million bushels, set at 4.435 billion bushels. This was based on a 52 bushel per acre trendline yield.
In Ontario, wheat harvest was early and eventful as constant wet weather made life difficult for wheat producers. With futures values slumping, the Canadian dollar was at .7220 cents U.S. as of July 30 and continues to add stimulus to Ontario cash grain prices. •
