In This Issue

• Breakfast on the Farm in Ottawa, June 22, 2024
• FFCO's 2024 annual Speakers' Conference highlights
• Henry Swierenga awarded 2024 Food & Farming Champion award
• ICYMI: An evening with Chris Koch
• FFCO elects 2024 Board of Directors
• FFCO recognizes retiring directors
• Order your "Life is Better on the Farm" T-Shirt
• Seeking Educational Events Assistant for summer 2024
• Local Food Week, June 3-9, 2024
• Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, Breakfast on the Farm
• Share the news, The Real Dirt on Farming booklet is available to order
• Member Accolades
• Gold member testimonial: Turkey Farmers of Ontario

Promotions have already begun and registrations are rolling in for FFCO’s second Breakfast on the Farm event of 2024. The Ruiter family of Blackrapids Farm in Ottawa are set to welcome guests and volunteers to their dairy farm on June 22, 2024. The convenient location of Blackrapids Farm within the Ottawa city limits promises that this event will reach a wide urban audience. Guests will be able to tour the farm and witness the innovation and technology used in farming today, reflecting the Ruiter family's commitment to efficiency and sustainability.

In addition to experiencing a modern dairy farm, this event will include a farm equipment display, livestock breed displays, and interactive, informative exhibits from commodities and farm organizations so that families can see a wide variety of Canadian agriculture and talk to farmers from many groups.

FFCO would be pleased for commodities, agribusinesses or others to join as an event partner or with a display and take advantage of this unique opportunity to connect with consumers from Ottawa and the surrounding area.

To partner with FFCO as a partner for the day or to inquire about booth space, please reach out to alicia@farmfoodcare.org

Pictured above: Chris Koch sharing his inspiring "If I Can...," message.

Pictured above: Dr. Graham Taylor of the University of Guelph and Jennifer Mitchell host a question period on Artificial Intelligence for attendees.

Pictured above: Dr. Cami Ryan sharing her topic of dis / misinformation; difficult to detect and impossible to ignore.

Pictured above: A crowd of FFCO supporters fill the room for the sold-out conference.

On April 11, 2024, 150 farmers, agriculture business representatives and other industry supporters gathered at The GrandWay Events Centre in Elora, to participate in Farm & Food Care Ontario’s (FFCO) 2024 annual Speakers' Conference.

Participants joined from across the province to listen to three speakers; Chris Koch, a Canadian farmer and motivational speaker with an inspiring, "If I Can.." message presented by Farm Credit Canada (FCC); Dr. Graham Taylor, Canada Research Chair in Machine Learning at the University of Guelph; and Dr. Cami Ryan, a social and behavioural sciences lead at Bayer Crop Science, in a presentation supported by Bayer Crop Science.

FFCO's 2024 annual Speakers' Conference would not be possible without the generous support of great partners.

2024 Food & Farming Champion award recipient announced

In front of a large crowd in Elora, the annual Farm & Food Care Champion Award was presented to Henry Swierenga of Niagara, on April 11, 2024.

Henry was nominated by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) in recognition of his continued support and promotion of agriculture, with letters of support submitted by Chris Mullet Koop, President of the Niagara Federation of Agriculture (NFA) and Joanne Fuller of OFA. His award was presented by Bruce Christie, past chair and board member of FFCO, with assistance from Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Lisa Thompson and FFCO board chair Crispin Colvin.

Pictured (left to right): Past chair and board member of FFCO Bruce Christie; 2024 Food & Farming Champion Award winner Henry Swierenga; Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Hon. Lisa Thompson; and FFCO Chair Crispin Colvin.

In case you missed it: An evening with Chris Koch

On April 10th, Farm & Food Care Ontario and Farm Credit Canada (FCC) were proud to present an evening of inspiration with Chris Koch, a Canadian farmer and acclaimed motivational speaker.

Speaking to a group of Junior Farmers, 4-H members, University of Guelph students and other youth in agriculture, Chris shared why building personal and professional resilience is key to the long-term success of the Canadian agriculture industry. He emphasized that “The core of the human spirit comes from new experiences” and we “should be more afraid of regret than failure.”



FFCO appreciates Chris for flying in a day early to share his powerful message with this group of youth and to the team at FCC for making this event possible.

Pictured here: A large crowd of Junior Farmers, 4-H members, and University of Guelph students listening intently to Chris's presentation.

Chris Koch is shown here after the youth event with 4-H members (from left) Shana and Danica McKillop and Kate Lennon-Davey.

FFCO elects 2024 Board of Directors

Farm & Food Care Ontario’s (FFCO) 2024-2025 board executive was chosen on April 26, 2024. Re-elected to the Farm & Food Care Ontario board executive are the following:

• Crispin Colvin, nominated by Ontario Federation of Agriculture (Chair)
• Janelle Cardiff, nominated by Egg Farmers of Ontario (Vice Chair)
• Jennifer Mitchell, nominated by Ontario Canola Growers (Second Vice Chair)
• John Taylor, nominated by Ontario Mutual Insurance Association (Treasurer)

Joining the executive are:

• Kelly Gubesch, nominated by Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd., and Maple Leaf Foods
• Joe Hickson, nominated by Ontario Seed Growers’ Association
• Steve Lake, nominated by Grain Farmers of Ontario
• Quintin McEwen, nominated by Ontario Sheep Farmers
• Pete Overdevest, nominated by Dairy Farmers of Ontario (Ex-Officio newly elected)
• Nadine Schwandt, nominated by New-Life Mills, a division of Parrish & Heimbecker, Ltd. (newly elected)
• Nicki Scott, nominated by Fruit & Vegetable Growers' Association, and Ontario Potato Board
• Joost van der Heiden, nominated by Beef Farmers of Ontario (newly elected)
• Andrea Veldhuizen, nominated by Chicken Farmers of Ontario

FFCO recognizes retiring directors

Retiring directors Mark Hamel, who joined the board in 2022 representing Dairy Farmers of Ontario, and Jason Leblond, from Beef Farmers of Ontario, who joined the board in an ex-officio role in 2020, were thanked for their years of service and commitment to the organization at FFCO's 2024 Annual conference on April 11th.

Also recognized was retiring director and past board chair Bonnie den Haan. Bonnie joined the FFCO board in 2018, first nominated by Dairy Farmers of Ontario and then by Sheldon Creek Dairy. Bonnie started as a director and then served as chair from 2021-2023, helping steer the organization through the complicated days of the pandemic. 

Retiring director: Bonnie den Haan

Retiring director: Jason Leblond

Retiring director: Mark Hamel

Order your "Life is Better on the Farm" T-Shirt

"Life is Better on the Farm" t-shirts, designed for FFCO, are now available to order for $20.00.

Show your love for the farm life and your support for FFCO with these stylish and comfy tees. Order now and feel the farm vibes wherever you go!

FFCO seeking Educational Events Assistant for summer 2024

The Educational Events Assistant will be responsible for assisting with Farm & Food Care Ontario’s (FFCO) display lending library, assisting with bookings and shipping of resources, displays and other materials across Ontario. The position will also be the lead for FFCO’s presence at any summer events including the Canadian National Exhibition.

Please send your resume and cover letter by Friday, May 17, 2024 to: Kelly Daynard, Executive Director, kelly@farmfoodcare.org.

We thank all applicants but only those chosen for an interview will be contacted. 

Local Food Week, June 3-9, 2024

Local Food Week is coming up from June 3-9, 2024 and we're here to celebrate the amazing farmers who work hard to bring us fresh, healthy food every day right here in Ontario! From farm to table, let's support our Ontario growers and producers.

Show your love for Ontario food using #loveONTfood all week long on various social media channels.

Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, Farm Discovery Zone

On April 6, FFCO and partners took over a section of downtown Elmira to create a Farm Discovery Zone in conjunction with the 60th annual Elmira Maple Syrup Festival. This area was packed full of equipment, activities, food samples and livestock displays and welcomed an estimated 15,000-20,000 visitors throughout the day. The event had more than 125 farmer volunteers on-site that answered numerous questions and initiated conversations with thousands of guests.

Highlights from the day included, beef, sheep, pork and dairy livestock displays including a live milking demonstration. The barn was bustling all day long with visitors wanting to see and ask questions about the animals. An extensive equipment display was positioned throughout the Farm Discovery Zone, which enabled guests to see farm equipment up close and even be able to sit in the driver’s seat. Also located throughout the event were numerous activities and educational exhibits put on by our partners, which highlighted many other sectors involved in Canadian food and farming.

Throughout the day FFCO and partners handed out 30,000 all-Ontario food samples including; apples, cheese, milk and hard boiled eggs.

This unique take on Breakfast on the Farm allowed for many authentic interactions to take place at an already popular local event. There were countless opportunities for farmers and non-farming Ontarians to have conversations about food and farming. This event would not have been possible without the support of our incredible partners. 

To see a full list of our supporting partners, please visit: https://www.farmfoodcareon.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Elmira-Breakfast-from-the-Farm-Sponsors.pdf

Share the news: The Real Dirt on Farming booklet available to order

The sixth edition of The Real Dirt on Farming is now available to order!

Dive deep into the roots of Canadian agriculture with the latest booklet. The digest version of the booklet was also inserted into 212,000 newspapers owned by the National Post the second week of April from Vancouver through to New Brunswick.

Let's work together to educate and inspire others about the amazing world of agriculture.

Email info@farmfoodcare.org for more information.

Member accolades:

Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd. celebrate 115 years

Congratulations to Parrish & Heimbecker, Limited on the celebration of its 115th anniversary as a family-owned business, serving Canadian agriculture.

Beef Farmers of Ontario offer BUILD Leadership Program

The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) have initiated the BUILD Leadership Program to enhance the leadership skills of existing and potential leaders within the Ontario beef sector. In partnership with the Rural Ontario Institute, this program aims to equip participants with the knowledge and confidence needed to excel as leaders, ultimately advancing the Ontario beef industry as a whole. The program includes sessions covering various aspects of leadership, such as board roles, communication, conflict resolution, advocacy, and financial literacy. 

Pictured above is the BUILD program attendees with The Honourable Wayne Easter, The Honourable Lisa Thompson, President of Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Ron Bonnett, Director Emeritus International Relations, Canadian Cattle Association, John Masswohl, and Michael Keegan of Michael Keegan & Associates.

Meet a Gold Member: Turkey Farmers of Ontario

"Turkey Farmers of Ontario (TFO) represent about 155 turkey farmers across the province. As a smaller organization, we work with partners like Farm and Food Care Ontario to allow us access to larger audiences with essential information about agriculture. We value our partnership with FFCO as it provides opportunities to collaborate and provide credible information about farming and where food comes from to those unfamiliar with the industry. We enjoy participating in Breakfast on/from the Farm events, engaging with the public and answering any questions about the turkey industry. Our friendly mascot Wishbone enjoys joining us to represent our turkey farmers and bring smiles to those who meet him."

Emily Haramule, Manager, Public Affairs & Marketing

Become a Member

Did you know?

• You, your farm or your business can become a member of FFCO
• Your support in membership makes FFCO's work possible
• Corporate members ($1800+) can access free training and workshops

Not a member yet? Learn why others have joined FFCO.