www.OntarioGrainFarmer.ca Published by SPECIAL EDITION: WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE AUGUST 2023 Women on board CELEBRATING DIVERSITY IN DISTRICT LEADERSHIP
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AUGUST 2023 volume 14, number 08 ONTARIO GRAIN FARMERis published 9 times a year (December/January, February, March, April/May, June/July, August, September, October, and November) through Grain Farmers of Ontario. Distribution is to all Ontario barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmer-members. Associate Membership Subscription available upon request. Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies of Grain Farmers of Ontario. Seek professional advice before undertaking any recommendations or suggestions presented in this magazine. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065283. Return undeliverable items to Grain Farmers of Ontario, 679 Southgate Drive, Guelph, ON N1G 4S2. © Grain Farmers of Ontario all rights reserved. Publisher: Grain Farmers of Ontario, Phone: 1-800-265-0550, Website: www.gfo.ca; Managing Editor: Mary Feldskov; Production Co-ordinator: Kim Ratz; Advertising Sales: Joanne Tichborne 6 ON THE COVER Women on board Rebecca Hannam CELEBRATING DIVERSITY IN DISTRICT LEADERSHIP From the CEO’s desk A BRIGHT FUTURE 4 2023 agronomy update Kelsey Banks 12 Leadership matters Ontario Grain Farmer 10 Business side Conversations with business experts 17 GrainTALK newsletter An update on Grain Farmers of Ontario news and events 18 Sustainability and the value chain Lisa Ashton 14 Crop side Agronomic information from crop specialists 27 Weed science research Jeanine Moyer 20 Ontario mill fills a niche market Lois Harris 24 Women in STEM Barb Keith 28 Farm women and mental health Mary Feldskov 30 Rural childcare challenges Mary Feldskov 32 Good in Every Grain Updates on our campaign 34 BIODEGRADABLE POLY
goals, and priorities. These kinds of events — which help build goodwill and get our messages out to those who need to hear them — are only possible because of the people who make it happen. Board members leave their farms during the busiest times of the year, and staff put in many extra hours before, during, and after the event to ensure it is a success. And this is just one example of the many projects undertaken throughout the year that this dedicated group of individuals execute with skill, efficiency, and dedication on behalf of the industry. Grain Farmers of Ontario recognizes, however, that there is more we can do to bring more diverse voices to the table. Across the value chain — from research and academia to agri-business, industry partners, and at the farm gate — there is untapped potential to encourage the participation of people from underrepresented communities, including women, people of colour, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, and from other marginalized communities. In this issue of the Ontario Grain Farmer magazine, we are highlighting many of the women in agriculture, including Grain Farmers of Ontario's women leaders, up-and-coming graduate students and their research, and agronomists, researchers, and farmers who are all making an impact on our industry. I am proud to be part of an organization that has recognized the need to be more inclusive and is making strides to effect change. At the end of July, we closed applications for the second year of the Grain Farmers of Ontario Legacy Scholarship. I am looking forward to learning more about the bright, inspirational, and accomplished winners of the scholarship program, which will be awarded to students in traditional agricultural programs and students studying in diverse fields such as business, engineering, and sciences. By investing in people — from all walks of life — and building a more inclusive, welcoming, and engaged environment for them to grow, thrive, and excel, I see a bright future for the grain and oilseed sector. I can not wait to see what that future brings. l 4 ONE OF THE DRIVERSbehind the formation of Grain Farmers of Ontario in 2010 (when the Ontario Corn Producers’ Association, Ontario Soybean Growers, and Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board joined forces), was to better capitalize on the agriculture industry's greatest asset: its people. Over the past 13 years, Grain Farmers of Ontario has benefited immensely from the talent, expertise, and dedication of its Board Members, delegates, farmer-members, and staff who have made tremendous contributions to the growth and development of the organization. I am always amazed at how much Grain Farmers of Ontario has been able to accomplish — and the resulting benefit of a stronger, sustainable, and more robust grain and oilseed sector. In June, several members of the Board and staff headed to Ottawa to host an annual reception for MPs, Senators, and Parliament Hill staff. This event is hosted in partnership with our colleagues from the Atlantic Grains Council, Les Producteurs de grains du Québec, and Spirits Canada. It is an opportunity to network with policymakers and government officials about the grain and oilseed industry in Canada and talk to them about our vision, From the CEO’s desk Crosby Devitt, CEO, Grain Farmers of Ontario A bright future
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Cover story 6 2023 WILL BE remembered as a year that Grain Farmers of Ontario made history — for the first time, the organization’s board of directors includes women. Julie Maw and Angela Zilke were elected to represent District 3 (Lambton) and District 7 (Oxford, Waterloo) during annual meetings in January and officially became directors on February 2. “Equity, diversity, and inclusion is something we are working on weaving into everything we do,” explains Brendan Byrne, Grain Farmers of Ontario chair. “We have worked to build the reputation of this board and create an open environment. We will continue to ensure that all voices are heard and are welcome at our table.” JULIE MAW, DISTRICT 3 (LAMBTON) COURTRIGHT, ONTARIO Before becoming a director, Maw served as a delegate and district treasurer in Lambton and as a delegate representative on the Grain Farmers of Ontario Research and Innovation committee. But being elected as a director and having the opportunity to serve on the provincial board is an honour, she says. “There are a number of issues that grain farmers are dealing with, and some are really out of their hands, so I see being on the board as an opportunity to bring both local and provincial issues to the table to be addressed.” Maw and her husband, Kyle, expanded Mooremaw Farms in Courtright in 2009. They grow no-till corn, soybeans, and wheat and operate a custom farming business along with their three young sons, Logan, Emery, and Hudson. She worked off-farm in the sports, marketing and agricultural banking sectors for many years. In 2018, Maw transitioned to farm fulltime and has since started a Maizex seed dealership that she owns and operates. In addition to being a busy sports mom, she volunteers as an alternate for the Lambton Federation of Agriculture and as a leader of local 4-H clubs. “I’ve always been engaged in promoting agriculture, so becoming a director is an opportunity to continue educating consumers about where their food comes from and having those important discussions,” says Maw. As a Grain Farmers of Ontario board member, sustainability for future farmers is also on her mind. What we do today will have an impact 10 years from now, so it’s important to build that sustainability, she adds. ANGELA ZILKE, DISTRICT 7 (OXFORD, WATERLOO) EMBRO, ONTARIO Like Maw, Zilke is no stranger to her local farming community. She has been working in what she calls “behind the scenes” roles in Oxford County commodity associations for the past 30 years alongside her husband, Mark. A self-described pencil pusher and number cruncher, her career was in administration and accounting before she returned to the farm full-time and began raising a family. She served as an administrative assistant for Grain Farmers of Ontario District 7 for the last 11 years and as an alternate delegate in 2022. Zilke farms 400 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, and edible beans with her husband. Mark is also a partner in Zilke Farms in Hickson, where he farms 4,000 acres of crops with his brothers. Improving communication between producers and consumers is an area that Zilke wants to focus on as a Grain Farmers of Ontario director. She’s passionate about advocating for farmers and correcting misinformation about agricultural practices. “People who have no idea about agriculture post on social media, and it spreads like wildfire,” she says. “It seems like consumers are very untrusting of what we do as farmers, and we need to show them that we are trustworthy. We are consumers too, Women on board CELEBRATING DIVERSITY IN DISTRICT LEADERSHIP Rebecca Hannam continued on page 8 • Julie Maw and Angela Zilke were elected to the Grain Farmers of Ontario’s Board of Directors in January 2023. • Maw farms with her husband, Kyle, and their three children in Lambton County. • Zilke and her husband Mark farm in Oxford County. • Grain Farmers of Ontario has been engaging in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion programming to bring more diverse views to the table. • While Maw and Zilke are the first women to sit on the Grain Farmers of Ontario Board, Anna Bragg served as president of the Ontario Corn Producers’ Association from 1999 to 2001 and Valerie Hobbs sat on the Ontario Soybean Growers Board from 2004 to 2010. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 7 AUGUST 2023 JULIE MAW (LEFT) AND ANGELA ZILKE HAVE JOINED THE GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
8 and we wouldn’t put anything out there that we wouldn’t feed our own children.” Above all other titles, she is perhaps most proud to be ‘Mom’ to Kate, Matt, Hannah and Danielle and ‘Nana’ to Oliver, born in 2022. Zilke spends much of her free time refurbishing and taking care of the family’s farmhouses and barns. PATHS TO LEADERSHIP Before this year, Grain Farmers of Ontario was one of the only commodity organizations without women on the board, which begs the question: ‘Why?’. But Maw does not feel gender is an issue within the organization. “We are one of the last to have women on the board, but there’s no negative story behind it,” she says. “It’s not that it wasn’t wanted or was frowned upon, but I think it’s a great opportunity and a great time to make the transition.” While she recognizes that some of her peers have faced roadblocks while trying to get involved in the agriculture industry, Maw feels she has been welcomed and treated the same as a man would be at both the local and provincial levels of Grain Farmers of Ontario. “My biggest concern is that I’m not interested in being with an organization that wants to have a woman on their board to check a box,” she says. “I truly believe you need to earn your position, just like everyone else.” Despite being the only woman at county or district meetings many times over her longterm involvement, Zilke does not believe gender factored into her election as a director. “I don’t think it really occurred to them that I was a woman,” she says. “They know I’m going to learn, ask questions, and give my two cents.” Although Maw and Zilke have had positive experiences, women remain underrepresented when it comes to directors and delegates. At the Women’s Grains Symposium last fall, Maw and four other delegates participated in a panel discussion about their experience as women involved in Grain Farmers of Ontario and how diversification could be improved. THE 2022 WOMEN'S GRAIN SYMPOSIUM FEATURED A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH (L-R) RACHEL TELFORD, KRISTEN CARBERRY, MARGARET VINCENT, JULIE MAW, KAYE MCLAGAN, AND JENNIFER DOELMAN. continued from page 6 Between farm and off-farm work, family responsibilities, volunteer roles, and other farm group invitations, pressures and demands on time were identified as key barriers to more women getting involved in leadership positions. Having a strong support system at home to help with farm and family commitments was discussed as vital to taking on new roles. In addition to the two new directors, 24 of the 166 Grain Farmers of Ontario delegates and alternates in 2023 are women, up from 19 last year. PAVING THE WAY While Maw and Zilke are the first-ever women on the Grain Farmers of Ontario board, there were women on two of the three commodity boards that merged to form Grain Farmers of Ontario in 2010. Anna Bragg, who co-owns Bragg Farms in Bowmanville, served as president of the Ontario Corn Producers’ Association from 1999 to 2001. In addition, Valerie Hobbs, who runs Blythe Brae Farms in Woodstock, was a director of the Ontario Soybean Growers from 2004 to 2010. l
10 ‘MY MOMMY IS a Farmer!', exclaims the title of a children's book by Sandi Brock, who, together with her husband, Mark, operates Shepherd Creek Farms near Staffa, Ontario. The storybook — told from a child's perspective — challenges the notion in popular culture that farmers are, almost exclusively, men. In fact, if you google 'images of Canadian farmers', you'll get several pages of results of photos of mostly men standing out in their grain fields or in front of big tractors. CANADIAN WOMEN FARM TOO! Despite what a Google search might imply, women are actively involved in farm businesses, and their numbers are growing. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, women now account for 30.4 per cent of farm operators, increasing from 28.7 per cent in 2016 — which means almost one in three Canadian farmers is a woman. In the grains and oilseed industry, 25.6 per cent of operators are women. And Ontario leads the charge — one in four Canadian women running a farm business is Leadership matters MENTORSHIP AND OPPORTUNITY KEY TO WOMEN’S SUCCESS Ontario Grain Farmer Member Relations located in the province, with 20,895 women taking the lead. The census also reports that women are high adopters of technology, leading to increased efficiencies and environmental sustainability. Women reported increased adaption of technology like geographic information systems (GIS) mapping — a 72.3 per cent increase from 2016. And the number of women reporting adoption of automated steering guidance systems (autosteer) increased by 45 per cent. And farms led by women are successful: the largest net increase in women farm operators from 2016 to 2021 were from farms with revenues over $2 million — from 1,385 in 2016 to 2,580 in 2021. That's an increase of 85 per cent. INDUSTRY REPRESENTATION While women's participation in primary agriculture production is significant — and increasing — that does not always translate to the board table in agricultural organizations. According to a 2015 study by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC), only eight of the 65 agricultural organizations surveyed had a woman as chair; and only 28 per cent had a least one woman on their board. Since 2015, there has been a notable change, with women taking on more leadership roles across the sector; for the first time, both the federal and provincial ministers of agriculture — Marie-Claude Bibeau and Ontario's Lisa Thompson — are women, and women are taking the lead of provincial and national organizations like Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Peggy Brekveld, Ontario Pork vice-chair Tara Terpstra, and Farm Products Marketing Commission chair Amy Cronin. Former Canadian Federation of Agriculture president, Mary BARB KEITH (RIGHT) WITH SONS LOGAN (LEFT) AND LUCAS AND HUSBAND DON BADOUR.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 11 AUGUST 2023 Finding a supportive group of professional women in agriculture and building a trusted mentor relationship with them is a great way to really start on a leadership path. Robinson, has recently been named vice president of the World Farmers' Organization. BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION Despite more visibility in top leadership roles, women still experience barriers to participation in agriculture organizations, with the CAHRC study citing balancing careers and family obligations, an 'old boys club' mentality, and a lack of role models as reasons for the gap in representation at the board table. For Barb Keith, a beef, goat, cash crop, and custom farm operator from Perth, Ontario, the realities of managing a farm, a part-time off-farm job, and being the primary caregiver for her two sons, Logan and Lucas, meant she had to make a hard decision about running for a position on a provincial agriculture board. "I just couldn't see how I could make it all work," says Keith, who anticipates one of her sons will need major surgery this year which will require several months of recovery. Keith's husband, Don Badour, is also a director for Beef Farmers of Ontario, which means he is often away from home or busy with board meetings. "Having an off-farm job makes it harder to join commodity boards," she adds. EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION In recent years, agriculture organizations from across the sector have engaged in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) training and programming to help better understand how to be inclusive and welcoming of traditionally underrepresented people, including women. Grain Farmers of Ontario's Women's Grain Symposium, an annual event held in November, gives women in the grain and oilseed industry the opportunity to network, develop leadership skills, and engage in professional development. Among the goals of the event, together with the Grains in Action program, which provides young farmers and agri-food professionals with an overview of the entire grain value chain, is to build a pipeline of interested, enthusiastic, and committed leaders who will contribute at the District level or as future Board members. The programs have been successful: in 2023, 24 women were elected as Delegates or Alternates (up from 19 in 2022), and two women were elected to Grain Farmers of Ontario's Board of Directors. MENTORSHIP AND OPPORTUNITY Leaders in the grain and oilseed industry have some advice for women who want to use their skills, knowledge, and expertise to contribute to the industry at a local or provincial level. "You don't need to start big to be involved," says Lauren Benoit, a Delegate from District 8 (Huron). "Show up to a meeting, get to know a few of the delegates and directors, then go from there. Once you've dipped your toes in, you can branch out and find the opportunities that are right for you." "Don't be afraid to invest in yourself to help round out your skill sets and your competencies to make sure that you are able to 'show up' at your best," says Jennifer Doelman, a Delegate from District 13 (Prince Edward, Lennox, Addington, Frontenac, Lanark, Leeds, Grenville, Renfrew, Ottawa). "This can be training, connecting with mentors and coaches, or even just starting small and working in volunteer roles on projects with leaders you admire and respect. Practice makes perfect — leadership is a skill that one never stops being able to develop." "First and foremost, know that you have incredible value to bring to this industry, and the way you see the world is a viewpoint we need more of," says Victoria Berry, manager of communications at Grain Farmers of Ontario. "Many women work in maledominated fields and know how to help others navigate those spaces. Many of you have juggled home lives, family management and business management. But, it's just not as easy as knowing you are talented, great leaders. It often also takes working with a mentor on how to present yourself, how to find confidence, how to network and be a strong leader. I think finding a supportive group of professional women in agriculture and building a trusted mentor relationship with them is a great way to really start on a leadership path." In August 2023, Grain Farmers of Ontario will be highlighting many of the women leaders in the grain and oilseed industry. Visit www.OntarioGrainFarmer.ca or follow @GrainFarmerMag on Twitter to learn more about their paths to leadership and their advice for women who want to take their leadership opportunities to the next level. l JENNIFER DOELMAN.
12 NO ONE WILL ever know what type of growing season is up ahead. Crop planning is important, but the reality is there are factors that can influence the crop growing season and require a change in the plan. There is a primary factor that causes this change - the growing environment. The 2023 planting season across Ontario started with a blast of heat followed by cooler conditions and then a minor amount of rain in some areas. From planting until mid-June (when this article was written), the weather featured a mix of hot and cool temperatures. Although the planting and early growing season weather was mixed, overall, the fields looked okay in terms of weed population, but there was a concern for lack of germination and emergence. THE GOOD AND NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS Good news: once the rain went through many areas, seed germination started, crops emerged, and overall, things looked good from the side of the road. The not-so-great news: when scouting, the side effects of the dry planting and early lack of rain started to show. Kristen Kelly and Kelsey Hill, sales agronomists at Harvex Agromart in Oxford Station, scouted fields across eastern Ontario in the early season. They noticed side effects of the dry planting and fluctuating weather that followed. Among their observations: Slow germination and emergence For seed to germinate and the plant to 2023 agronomy update EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON 2023 ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS Kelsey Banks SIGNS OF MANGANESE DEFICIENT CORN SEEN BY KELSEY HILL, HARVEX AGROMART JUNE 2023. PHOTO COURTESY OF KELSEY BANKS. emerge, the soil needs to be about 10 degrees Celsius for spring-seeded crops and good soil moisture and growing environment. Due to the lack of adequate moisture and cooler temperature during the normal time of emergence, the crop was slow to emerge. Residual herbicides had a very minimal effect One of the key factors for residual herbicides to activate is environmental conditions. In dry growing seasons the herbicide cannot be 'triggered' to activate without a key factor — soil moisture. Signs of macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies There were some signs and symptoms of macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies. Agronomy ARMYWORM.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 13 AUGUST 2023 For some growers, the response may be to apply a foliar fertilizer in this situation. Although this may be a good strategy in some growing environments, it is important to keep in mind what the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) states in their article Effectiveness of foliar applied nutrients in dry weather: 'Foliar applied nutrients can be a useful tool to compensate for nutrient deficiencies. However, during extended drier, hotter weather conditions, their effectiveness can be limited by changes in cuticle chemical composition, the passive uptake through leaf stomata and aqueous pores, and the drying of foliar applied nutrients.' RESEARCH ON ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Holly Byker, agronomy manager, Northern and Eastern Ontario Crop Research Centres, University of Guelph, and Dr. Jocelyn Smith, The 2023 planting season across Ontario started with a blast of heat followed by cooler conditions and then a minor amount of rain in some areas. From planting until mid-June, the weather featured a mix of hot and cool temperatures. field crop entomology research scientist and adjunct professor with the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus, are working on several projects that examine the impact of environmental conditions on crop development. One of Byker's projects focuses on corn and soybean planting dates. One significant finding in spring 2023 was that the crop planted earlier emerged slower than the crop planted mid-spring. Furthermore, the crop planted from mid-spring to the final planting on June 8 was very delayed and slow to emerge due to the lack of moisture available. Dr. Jocelyn Smith and University of Guelph master's student Natasha Weppler are working on a project to evaluate economic thresholds for true armyworm in cereals. These studies are being conducted in Ridgetown and Kemptville in partnership with the Grain Farmers of Ontario and OMAFRA. The project focuses on the effects of cereal development and the timing of true armyworm invasion. Another aspect of the project is to assess the level of natural control of true armyworm in Ontario by beneficial insects such as parasitic flies and wasps. In 2023, the true armyworm flight counts in pheromone traps were not noticeably higher than in other years, but there have been many recent findings of armyworm populations in winter wheat in southwestern Ontario and some in seedling corn. Scouting for true armyworm was encouraged at the end of June into early July. There is hope that growers will not encounter this type of varied planting and early growing season conditions again. The good news is that research is being done to learn more about managing these issues. l
14 GLOBALLY, AGRICULTURE ANDfood companies are developing sustainability programs to build resiliency within their business, meet sustainability targets, and communicate environmental and social progress to stakeholders. The sustainability of an agri-food value chain starts with farmers and their approach to managing their operations. Moving along the value chain, each enterprise plays a role in advancing sustainability, from improving internal efficiency to setting targets that affect the actions of upstream and downstream businesses in their value chain. Sustainability is a broad topic and can hold different meanings depending on the context and balance across the sustainability pillars — social, economic, and environmental. Within the agricultural commodity sector and related value chains, there is currently an emphasis on sustainability-related targets and actions specific to climate change and land use conversion. Complementary, there is general recognition that farmers need to be economically and socially sustainable to adopt practices that result in climate-friendly outcomes, such as increasing the concentration of carbon stored in soils. WHAT IS CURRENTLY DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY DEMANDS IN VALUE CHAINS? Effects of climate change and biodiversity loss — Climate change can impact agricultural production by increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, pest and disease Sustainability and the value chain PERSPECTIVES OF PRIVATE SECTOR EFFORTS Lisa Ashton SOY CANADA’S SUSTAINABLE CANADIAN SOY PROGRAM WILL DEMONSTRATE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CANADA’S SOYBEAN PRODUCTION. pressures, and warm annual average temperatures. These impacts and the subsequent risks and disruptions to value chains have motivated many food and agriculture companies to act and work towards decarbonizing their value chains while building their capacity to adapt to future changes. This action includes supporting the adoption of on-farm practices that can result in greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. Within the private sector, there is also a growing understanding of the costs associated with inaction in mitigating climate change and protecting biodiversity. According to the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, over 50 per cent of the world's economic output is moderately or highly dependent on nature. Supporting and investing in the sustainability of sectors directly engaging with natural ecosystems, such as agriculture, is therefore critical to a strong economy. Private sector standards and guidance — recent developments in regulations and guidance for the private sector are beginning to provide some direction for how companies should account for, report, and set targets for GHG reductions along their value chains, including agriculture production. For example, companies with substantial value chain GHG emissions from agriculture and forestry (i.e., greater than 20 per cent) now have a framework for setting GHG targets through the Science Based Target Initiative's (SBTI) Food, Land, and Agriculture Guidance. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a well-established international organization, has drafted guidance for companies with value chain GHG emissions from agriculture and forestry to measure and track progress towards GHG targets. These frameworks are beginning to create a uniform standard for companies to effectively include agriculture in their GHG inventories, track progress, and Sustainability
transparently communicate that progress to their value chain and other stakeholders. To standardize how companies report on their climate actions, regulatory bodies such as the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Canadian Securities Association (CSA) have proposed regulations that could require publicly traded companies to report GHG emissions from their operations, energy use, and value chains. These proposed regulations signal a rising demand for the private sector to measure, report, and reduce their GHG emissions as demonstrated progress in climate change mitigation becomes a tangible component of sustainable business and investment decisions. Shareholder, stakeholder, and value chain demands and interests — Shareholders of agriculture and food companies are increasingly interested in ensuring their investments are sustainable. This interest is driven, in part, by commitments that many financial institutions, including banks and pension funds, have made to improve the environmental and social impacts of their investments and lending portfolios. According to a 2022 report by Price Waterhouse Cooper, sustainable investments will represent 21.5 per cent of total managed assets globally in 2026, up from 14.4 per cent in 2021. Agriculture and food companies are responsible to various stakeholders, including agricultural communities, investors, consumers, and employees. For example, when asked about key drivers of sustainability reporting among companies, Katherine Balpataky, senior director of corporate partnerships at ALUS, noted that she is starting to see "companies take landscape impacts seriously. Companies are looking at pressures on food stability; things like climate change, extreme weather events, soil health, and water and ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 15 AUGUST 2023 Sustainable investments will represent 21.5 per cent of total managed assets globally in 2026, up from 14.4 per cent in 2021. libro.ca/ag | 1-800-361-8222 Libro Credit Union is proud to support farmers and agri-businesses in southwestern Ontario. Our roots are firmly planted here. Libro is a full-service financial institution, with an expert agricultural team to meet all your banking, borrowing and investing needs. Talk to Libro Coach today. Supporting agriculture for 80 years Operating Accounts • Term Loans • Mortgages • Operating Lines • AgriInvest • Investments • TFSA • Wealth Management continued on page 16 how this relates to farmer livelihoods; and they're acknowledging they have a role to play in helping farmers adapt to these changes. Managing risks relates to sustainability reporting because investors want to see companies have plans to build resilience in the system". WHAT DO SUSTAINABLE VALUE CHAIN PROGRAMS LOOK LIKE? Currently, many companies and value chains are responding to the multiple drivers by developing programs to achieve positive sustainability outcomes at the farm level. When asked about the current design of sustainability programs, Rebecca Johnson, sustainability specialist at Viresco Solutions, described how companies often approach program development with a few key objectives, including reducing GHG emissions, improving
traceability within their value chains, and supporting and communicating the good stewardship that farmers have and continue to implement on their farms. The landscape of sustainability programs is expanding, and programs are evolving in their sophistication as companies and value chains develop approaches to align with international standards. Programs can vary in the sustainability pillars they cover, the types of data required to demonstrate progress, and their integration within value chain logistics. Some sustainability programs focus on validating an existing level of sustainability and encouraging continuous improvement. For example, Soy Canada identified an increasing demand from international customers for demonstrated sustainability of soybean production and proactively responded by developing the Sustainable Canadian Soy Program. Currently, the interest for this program is primarily from users of food gradeand Identity Preserved (IP) soybeans. Other sustainability programs focus on demonstrating outcomes from practice adoption to meet targets, scale action within value chains, and improve landscape resiliency. Johnson highlights that programs focused on accounting outcomes often start with farmer-focused information sessions and data collection to establish baselines and monitor progress. She also notes that these programs are often flexible in practice adoption depending on farmers' interests and constraints and that incentives and verification data (e.g., photo cover crop adoption) are becoming integral components of program design. FORECASTING OF SUSTAINABLE VALUE CHAIN PROGRAMS While there is a significant focus on climate action in agriculture, the capacity and interest in sustainable value chains are expected to evolve to include other ecosystem services that farmers provide, such as enhancing biodiversity. This evolution is starting to be observed through emerging frameworks for conducting nature-related financial disclosures and corporate target setting to reduce impacts on nature. Likewise, 16 Balpataky suggests, "the loss of pollinators is an obvious link for farming, but it's much more than this — it's soils and the health of the whole system. I think biodiversity will become more important in the coming years." Approaches to measuring and monitoring environmental outcomes, such as reductions in GHG emissions from practice adoption, are rapidly becoming more advanced and accurate. This trend signals a rising demand for insights on practice adoption and application of technologies such as remote sensing and digital platforms to estimate outcomes. Moving forward, the challenge is to design and implement programs that enable winwin opportunities for all participants along the value chain, including farmers. Lisa Ashton is the sustainability and environment lead at Grain Farmers of Ontario. l continued from page 15
17 (J.M.) WHAT DO FARMERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UNDERUSED HOUSING TAX? (B.Z.) The Underused Housing Tax (UHT) is a new tax that took effect on January 1, 2022. It requires an annual return to be filed by “affected owners” of residential property and applies a one per cent annual tax to properties considered vacant or underused unless an exemption can be claimed. Many farms are structured in partnerships or corporations, and occasionally there may be trusts with respect to the land ownership. This type of ownership is generally caught in the “affected owners” category; therefore, many farmers will be required to file a UHT return. WHO IS REQUIRED TO FILE A UHT RETURN? The UHT rules cast a wide net in terms of who must file. Generally, all Canadian corporations (except publicly traded Canadian corporations or Crown corporations), Canadian partnerships, and Canadian trusts have an annual UHT filing requirement for any residential property they own. The filing requirement is with the legal owner(s) as of December 31 of each year. This is important to note, especially when the legal ownership is different from the beneficial ownership — which can often be the case for estate administration planning or land transfer tax planning purposes – or when a property is transferred from one owner to another, but the legal title has not been registered to the new owner yet. The definition of residential property is also very broad. Some exceptions apply. For example, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has indicated that there is no obligation to file a return for a residential property in a calendar year if the construction of the new property was not substantially completed on December 31 of the calendar year. The CRA has also provided examples of buildings that are not considered residential properties, such as boarding or lodging houses and mobile homes, to name a few. It is also important to note that an annual return must be filed for each property by each legal owner. For example, if a partnership of three Canadian individuals owns two farms with residences, then each individual has to file two returns for a total of six UHT returns. WHAT ARE THE UHT TAX FILING DEADLINES FOR 2023? The filing deadline is April 30 annually. For the 2022 calendar year, returns were due May 1, 2023; however, the CRA announced no penalties or interest would be applied for late 2022 UHT returns, and UHT payments provided the CRA received the returns and payments by October 31, 2023. WHAT DO THE UHT RULES MEAN TO FARMERS? Many farmers are expected to be able to claim an exemption for the one per cent tax. However, even though the tax itself may not apply to Canadian farmers, the annual filing requirements have taken many farmers by surprise. Because the tax is intended for vacant or underused housing, many farmers may not realize the rules on filing the annual returns apply to them. Many of our clients first responded to this legislation with the sentiment that they occupy their residence year-round and therefore didn’t expect the rules to be applicable. WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES IF FARMERS DON’T FILE? There are significant penalties for not filing or filing late — even if no tax is due. Those penalties are $5,000 per individual per form and $10,000 per corporation per form. Additional penalties may be assessed in special circumstances. Unpaid taxes are subject to interest and penalties. HOW WILL THE UHT IMPACT FAM TAX PLANNING AND FILING IN FUTURE YEARS? We do not expect the UHT rules to significantly change tax planning for farms. However, having to file UHT returns will be an additional compliance cost for affected farmers. For joint ownership of residential real estate, there is added importance going forward to clearly document whether the ownership is properly classified as a co-ownership, a partnership, or a trust relationship to ensure the farmers are clear on the UHT filing requirements. DO YOU HAVE ANY UHT TAX PLANNING ADVICE FOR FARMERS? Ensure the legal ownership of all farms is clearly documented and reviewed each year to help stay on top of the UHT annual filing obligations. WHERE CAN FARMERS GO TO GET MORE INFO? Visit mnp.ca to get the latest updates and insights on UHT. For more detailed questions, contact your local MNP advisor. l Jeanine Moyer Brittany Zehr, MNP Senior Manager mnp.ca Underused housing tax BUSINESS SIDE WITH... Business side ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 17 AUGUST 2023
18 An update on Grain Farmers of Ontario news and events FROM THE CHAIR A Q&A with Brendan Byrne, chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario. Are initiatives like the Women’s Grain Symposium and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training working? Is Grain Farmers of Ontario better for having invested in these programs? Yes, we are better and yes, they are working. This year we marked a welcome change in our board dynamics with the election of Julie Maw and Angela Zilke. Julie and Angela have important and unique life experiences that have never been voiced by women at our board table before. Interestingly, Julie really made her decision to put her name forward for Director at the Women’s Grain Symposium. The community at that event was showcasing the need for more women voices in leadership and both Julie and Angela have taken up that mantle, so I think events and programs like the Women’s Grain Symposium are definitely helping to encourage women to larger roles in our organization and highlighting the importance of their skills and expertise as part of Grain Farmers of Ontario leadership. It’s also important to me that we acknowledge that EDI doesn’t stop at gender. It’s about creating an inclusive environment for everyone and I look forward to continuing to work towards the day where everyone feels seen, respected, and represented. Grain Farmers of Ontario’s commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in our policies, procedures, and values benefits all farmers by encouraging people from all backgrounds, with varying skills and experience to be part of our conversations and to be more involved in the organization. • Do you have a question for our 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. ALEXANDRA DACEY, AGRONOMY PROJECT ASSISTANT Alexandra Dacey joined Grain Farmers of Ontario in April 2023 as agronomy project coordinator. Previously, Dacey worked for the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association as a programs analyst, assisting with the development and delivery of several costshare and applied research programs, including the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Ontario On-Farm Climate Action Fund, and the On-Farm Applied Research and Monitoring program. Dacey graduated with an M.Sc. from the University of Guelph in 2020, where she studied the integrated pest management systems for carrot insect pests at the Holland Marsh. Before that, Dacey completed a B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and four co-op work terms, working for the University ofGuelph, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, local co-ops, and DuPont Pioneer on projects related to entomology, plant science, and sustainable agriculture. In her role, Dacey is excited to collaborate with agricultural specialists and researchers on issues related to DON testing and pesticide drift to support our farmermembers, as well as contribute to the continued success of the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network, expanding the program and connecting researchers and agronomists across the world with innovativefarmers in Ontario and the U.S. AINSLEY LEBLANC, COMMUNICATIONS INTERN Ainsley LeBlanc joined the team in May as a communications intern. In this one-year contract position, LeBlanc will represent Grain Farmers of Ontario at summer events with the Grain Discovery Zone trailer and support communications projects. LeBlance graduated in June 2023 with an Associate Diploma in Agriculture from the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus. She grew up on her family’s broiler chicken and cash crop farm in Perth County and has previously worked at a local Case IH dealer in the parts department and as a crop scout. In her free time, LeBlanc enjoys taking pictures and spending time with her family and dogs at the cottage. She looks forward to travelling to parts of Ontario she has never been to and meeting many new people with the Grain Discovery Zone! CONNOR MCCULLOCH, MARKET DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT Connor McCulloch joined Grain Farmers of Ontario in May 2023 as market development assistant for an eight-month co-op placement. McCulloch is a third-year student at the University of Guelph studying Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics. He grew up in the rural township of Minto in southwestern Ontario, and as a result, he has been exposed to agriculture from a young age. Much of his past work experience has been spent in the agricultural industry, including with C&M Seeds Wheat Company, where he gained a strong perspective of the Ontario wheat industry.
WOMEN’S GRAIN SYMPOSIUM Save the date! Grain Farmers of Ontario will be hosting its annual Women’s Grain Symposium November 27 - 28 in Guelph. The two-day event will be an opportunity for women farmer-members to make connections with each other and participate in professional development. Please check www.gfo.ca for more details as they become available. NEW LICENCE FEES The Grain Farmers of Ontario Board of Directors has approved the 2023-2024 budget and check-off fees. The following fees are applicable as of July 1, 2023. Fees are calculated on a per-tonne basis. Please visit www.gfo.ca/marketing/dealers/ for more information. Fees as of July 1, 2023 Barley** $1.31/mt Corn * $0.44/mt Oats ** $1.46/mt Mixed oats and barley** $1.46/mt Soybeans* $1.48/mt Wheat* $0.86/mt *Includes GFP Premium ** GFP is not applicable to this commodity MARKET COMMENTARY by Philip Shaw On June 30, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that American farmers had planted 94.1 million acres of corn, far above anything in trade estimates. It was the third-highest corn planting since 1944. While the corn acreage estimate was a major surprise, the same could be said for a big decline in soybean acreage. The USDA said soybean acreage at 83.5 million acres, which is five per cent lower than a year ago. The higher corn acreage and lower soybean numbers shocked the market, sending corn prices and soybean prices in opposite directions. Mid-July is a crucial stage for pricing; crop weather is paramount. On July 10, the Canadian dollar noon rate was $0.7523 U.S., adding some stimulus to Ontario grain prices. Ontario soft red wheat prices were fluttering near $7.25, much lower than a year ago. As market development assistant, McCulloch works closely with the Market Development team to help further the department's and the organization's goals, including online content development, account management, research, and analysis. ASA CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE YOUNG LEADER PROGRAM Applications are now being accepted for the 20232024 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 age limit for participation; however, farmers must be 21 years or older to apply and be selected; and applicants should be interested in pursuing leadership roles within the soybean industry. There are two phases to the Young Leader Program. Phase one will be held November 27 - 30, 2023, at Corteva Global Business Center in Johnson, Iowa. Phase two takes place February 27 - March 2, 2024, in conjunction with Commodity Classic in Houston, Texas. The program focuses on leadership, communications, and issues-based training but also builds a strong peer network, generating increased success in businesses and communities. Soybean farmers interested in this opportunity can complete the application form found on the ASA website at www.OntarioGrainFarmer.ca/asa-young-leader or contact Rachel Telford, manager of member relations, at rtelford@gfo.ca The deadline for applications is September 5, 2023. 2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Grain Farmers of Ontario Annual General Meeting will be held on September 12, 2023, 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. 19 ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER AUGUST 2023 Win! Enter the monthly online contest for 2023 at www.OntarioGrainFarmer.ca. In August - enter to win 1 of 5 pairs of tickets to the 2023 International Plowing Match, courtesy of the Ontario Plowman’s Association (valued at $40/pair). The contest is open to all farmer-members and is online only.
20 THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH’S Plant Agriculture department continues to build on its world-renowned reputation for research and innovation. Weeds are an increasingly common problem across all crops. From increasing rates of herbicide resistance to finding new control methods and watching for new and emerging problem weeds, researchers in the department have their pick of weed challenges to investigate. Ontario Grain Farmer sat down with three weed science students to learn about their research projects and how their research results could advance future weed control solutions. UNDERSTANDING THE ROOT OF GROUP 4 RESISTANCE IN GREEN PIGWEED Ontario is home to the first case of Group 4-resistant green pigweed in the world, and that means it is attracting attention from the global weed science community. Confirmed in a field of processing peas in southwestern Ontario, green pigweed has proven resistance to some Group 4 herbicides. Isabelle Aicklen, a University of Guelph Plant Agriculture graduate student, is committed to determining how the resistance developed and proactively identifying alternative weed control strategies for herbicide-resistant green pigweed in field crops. "Since this is the first case of Group 4 herbicide resistance, this research project is quite novel," says Aicklen. Introduced in WWII, the Group 4 chemistry is one of the oldest synthetic herbicides and has been slower for resistance to progress, especially compared to Groups 2 and 5, which have developed herbicide resistance much faster. During the first two years, Aicklen's research was conducted in a greenhouse to confirm the level of herbicide resistance in this population and rule out obvious source Weed science research WOMEN TAKING THE LEAD Jeanine Moyer LEFT TO RIGHT, ISABELLE AICKLEN, FRANCINE BALANTYNE, AND MALAVIKA NAIR. causes of resistance. Now in her third year of this four-year research project, Aicklen is studying green pigweed at a molecular level in an attempt to determine exactly what mechanism inside the plant has caused this weed species to develop resistance. "We're using genomics as a tool to look at the gene expression of the plant to determine why resistance is happening, and using this information, we also hope to develop alternative weed control solutions," she says. Field trials are also being conducted in corn and soybeans to evaluate alternative chemical options for controlling this population of green pigweed. Aicklen says that, though the first case of Group 4 resistant pigweed was found in peas, the weed could have an economic impact on field crops such as corn and soybeans. The research goal is to identify specific genes that cause resistance. This discovery Research
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