CFA in Action - Webinar, New Working Group...

I f you have anything you would like to include in the CFA in Action, please let us know by noon the Friday before each update. Please send your information to [email protected].

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Ag More Than Ever Webinar

Ag More Than Ever presents its December webinar: #Farm365 - 365 Days Later with Andrew Campbell.

In January 2015, Andrew Campbell started #Farm365, a social media project that gave people a glimpse into his fa mily's ag story every day of the year. Join Andrew as he discusses the lessons learned from #Farm365, incl uding how to make the most out of media attention, how to deal with trolls, and what you can do to agvocate in any medium.

The webinar will take place on Thursday, December 3, starting at 1 pm EST. Click here to sign up.

Introductory Meeting for Market Development Working Group

As part of CFA's planning process for the next agriculture policy framework (APF), a new working group has been established to explore market development programming and policy and make recommendations to the APF planning committee.

Chaired by Dan Mazier, CFA Director and President of Keystone Agricultural Producers, the initial meeting of the working group explored current market development programming under Growing Forward 2, discussed concerns with existing program administration, and identified issues for the working group to explore in more depth. These include concerns with project application service standards, the scope of traceability initiatives for livestock, the balance between domestic and international market development, and the role the federal government plays in international export promotion. The working group will be holding a second conference call in December 2015, and intends to provide final recommendations to the APF committee in February 2016.

For more information on this working group , please contact Scott Ross at [email protected] or Drew Black at [email protected].

Land Matters Group

Humphrey Banack, CFA's 1st Vice-President, along with Drew Black, CFA's Director of Environment and Science Policy, attended the November 23 meeting of the National Energy Board (NEB) Land Matters Group (LMG) Steering Committee. This group convenes a couple of times each year to discuss issues relevant to land owners, managers and users.

The NEB is currently considering and revising how it engages Canadians and has launched a discussion regarding in what way the LMG can better support its membership and continue to be of usefulness to both the NEB and members of the LMG. The meeting also heard progress updates on two research studies being conducted on the abandonment of pipelines and the development of a sub-committee on easements and life-cycle information for landowners.

If you would like more information about the discussions that took place during this meeting, please contact Drew Black at [email protected].

OFA Holds Annual Meeting

CFA President Ron Bonnett speaks to delegates at the 2015 annual meeting for OFA.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) held its 2015 annual general meeting November 23 and 24 in Toronto. The theme for this year's meeting was "How to Talk Farming and Influence People" and guest speakers included: Hon. Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario; Hon. Jeff Leal, Ontario's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; and Andrea Horwath and Patrick Brown, leaders of Ontario's NDP and Progressive Conservative parties respectively.

Speaking at the meeting, CFA President Ron Bonnett provided an overview of CFA's recent activities, highlighting priority issues such as business risk management programming, the labour shortage in Canadian agriculture, and the need to bolster basic research.

The meeting's keynote speaker was Jeff Fitzpatrick-Stilwell, Senior Manager of Sustainability at McDonald's Restaurants of Canada, who spoke to McDonald's efforts in creating and introducing sustainable production practices throughout its food procurement and production chain.

OFA will be celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2016.

Pesticide Risk Reduction Program

The technical working group for the Pesticide Risk Reduction Program met November 17 to receive updates on biopesticide submissions, identification of new priorities, and progress reports on the development and update of crop profiles. This technical working group, which is comprised of representatives from industry and federal/provincial governments, also held a very informative roundtable discussion that allowed for updates on relevant meetings and activities from the 2015 growing season related to pest and pest management.

For more information, please contact Drew Black at [email protected].

Survey Examines Barriers to Women in Agriculture

As part of its three-year research project, Supporting the Advancement of Women in Agriculture, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) is conducting a survey to examine possible barriers to women advancing to leadership roles in agriculture.

Both women and men are invited to complete the 15-minute survey available here, which will be open until November 30.

The project involves a comprehensive assessment of the current situation facing women aspiring to senior management and executive positions in agriculture by collaborating with project partner organizations and others within the CAHRC network. Using a gender lens, the assessment will explore the contribution of women to the industry, the barriers they experience, prioritize options for improvements, and assess the effectiveness of current services.

The information garnered will inform the development of programs and resources to assist women in agriculture as well as agricultural employers, organizations and training institutions to strengthen access to leadership opportunities and business success for women working in agriculture.

For more information, please visit the CAHRC website.

Ag Safety Fund Accepting Applications

The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association in partnership with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has announced the call for applications to the 2016-2017 FCC Ag Safety Fund.

Now in its sixth year, the fund helps charitable and non-profit groups deliver agricultural safety training across Canada in a community setting.

Local and provincial/territorial safety training projects are eligible for up to $5,000 in funding. National projects are eligible for up to $15,000. Projects can include awareness training and/or practical training related to tractors and farm machinery. Target audiences can include youth, farm owners, farm workers, first responders, and the general public.

Applications are being accepted until December 18, 2015. For more information or to apply, click here.