GrainTALK for April/May 2025

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.

Meghan McLeod
Member relations coordinator

Meghan McLeod joined Grain Farmers of Ontario in November 2024 as the member relations coordinator, a new role created to strengthen and enhance membership engagement. Since November, she has been playing a supporting role in January District Meetings as well as coordinating events such as the Women’s Grain Symposium and Grains in Action.

McLeod graduated from Conestoga College in June 2021 with a diploma in public relations. Since graduating, she’s been involved with several non-profit organizations, including Junior Farmers and her local 4H Association (Durham West). McLeod’s passion for agriculture started at a very young age, being involved with showing Clydesdale horses with her family and being a member of the Durham West 4H Association and Junior Farmers. More recently, she has become more active in her local Federation of Agriculture and her fiancé’s family beef farm.

McLeod is excited to connect more with farmer-members and foster important connections in the agriculture industry. •

Executive committee re-elected

At the February Board of Directors meeting, Jeff Harrison, director of District 12 (Durham, Northumberland, Kawartha, Peterborough, Hastings), was re-elected chair; Julie Maw, director of District 3 (Lambton) and Josh Boersen, director of District 9 (Perth) were re-elected as vice chairs; and Steve Twynstra, director of District 4 (Middlesex) was re-elected as executive member.

Directors returning to the Board are Grace Pearson, District 1 (Essex), Gus Ternoey, District 2 (Kent), Jeff Barlow, District 6 (Haldimand, Brant, Hamilton, Niagara), Angela Zilke, District 7 (Waterloo, Oxford), Keith Black, District 8 (Huron), Steve Lake, District 10 (Grey, Bruce, Wellington), Leo Blydorp, District 11 (Dufferin, Simcoe, Halton, Peel, York), Lloyd Crowe, District 13 (Prince Edward, Lennox, Addington, Frontenac, Lanark, Leeds, Grenville, Renfrew, Ottawa), and Scott Fife, District 14 (Prescott, Russell, Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry). New Board members include Ann Vermeersch, District 5 (Elgin, Norfolk) and Jason Seed, District 15 (Northern Ontario). •

Canada in Asia conference

Building relationships with growing economies outside the U.S. has never been more important. Food security is especially important in Asia, where the majority of soy exports go, and is an important strength for Canada. These themes converged at the third annual Canada in Asia Conference, where 700 people from across government and industry gathered in Singapore. The importance of innovation to food security and what innovation is important to Canadian farms was the focus of a session where Jeff Barlow, Grain Farmers of Ontario director of District 6 (Elgin, Norfolk) and Soy Canada, participated. The conference also provided the opportunity to meet directly with senior diplomats such as Canada’s Ambassador to China, Canada’s Ambassador to India, and the head of the Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-food Office, who are key partners in advancing Soy Canada’s market access and market development efforts in the region. •

National Farm Crisis Line

24/7, Confidential Help When You Need It Most 1-866-FARMS01.

In February, the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing announced the launch of the National Farmer Wellness Network to provide confidential mental health assistance to Canadian farmers, their families, and agricultural workers.

This service is built for the agricultural community, offering free crisis support to:

• Farmers – Independent producers, ranchers, and growers across Canada.
• Farm Families – Spouses, relatives, and dependents of farmers (on or off the farm).
• Farm Employees – Anyone working on a farm in a paid capacity.
• Spouses & Dependents of Farm Employees – Family members who may also feel the impact of farm stress.
• Callers must be 16 years or older. Youth aged 12-15 may use the service with parental consent.

For more information, visit www.ccaw.ca/national-farmer-wellness-network/. •

Farms and Fuels Alliance launches

Grain Farmers of Ontario has partnered with Greenfield Global and Alco Group to form the Farms & Fuel Alliance (FFA). The Alliance unites Canada’s ethanol producers and grain farmers to drive economic growth and rural revitalization. Focused on smart policy development that recognizes Canadian innovation, FFA is dedicated to unleashing the full potential of our nation’s homegrown biofuels for the sake of our farms, our fuels, and our future.

Farmers and ethanol producers are a cornerstone of Canada’s economy, fueling growth in rural communities and driving investment in sustainable energy solutions. The Farms and Fuels Alliance unites industry leaders to ensure policies to unlock the full potential of homegrown biofuels and secure a thriving future for Canada’s agricultural and sustainable fuel sectors.

Visit www.farmsandfuelsalliance.com to learn more. •

Grains in Action

Grain Farmers of Ontario’s popular annual young farmer program headed to eastern Ontario this year, with stops throughout the region highlighting end-use grain facilities to help participants learn more about what happens to the grains they grow once they leave the farm.

The program, held February 10-13, kicked off in Belleville, Ontario, with an introduction to Grain Farmers of Ontario and a presentation and beer-tasting session with Beer Canada. Stops along the three-day bus tour included the Port of Jonestown, Ingredion, Ottawa Valley Grains, Sevita International, P&H New Life Mills, Top Shelf Distillers, Kawartha Ethanol, and Maizeing Acres.

The highlight of the program was attending the Future of Food reception in the nation’s capital on February 11. The Future of Food conference brought together hundreds of people from across the country to celebrate Canada’s Ag Day, giving participants a unique opportunity to network with industry leaders.

On February 12, participants enjoyed a personal tour of the Senate of Canada with Senator Rob Black. •