Ahead of the Heard

By Rob Lipsett, BFO President info@ontariobeef.com • www.ontariobeef.com

Signs of Spring

In a farmer’s world, signs of spring like calves on the ground, dust in the fields and green pastures always bring feelings of promise and hope for new beginnings. If at any point in my lifetime we needed a sign for a fresh start, now would be it. With the entire province back in lockdown and the fatigue of the pandemic weighing on everyone, signs of spring and warmer weather are, if nothing else, helping to lift our spirits.

While on the front lines calves are being born, fences are checked, manure is spread and crops are planted, behind the scenes, the BFO Board continues to actively lobby for improvements to business risk management programming (BRM) for our farmers and their families.

We continue to advocate for additional funding for Ontario’s Risk Management Program with the pork, sheep, veal, grains, and fruit and vegetable sectors under the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition to make up for the shortcomings of the national suite of BRM programs. We hope to meet with the Premier’s Office and Minister Hardeman’s office soon to further promote our request and do everything we can to deliver a win for our industry.

With regards to the AgriStability program, we have sent a letter to Minister Hardeman acknowledging the recently announced removal of the reference margin limit, retroactive to 2020, is an important change. But we also shared that in the absence of an increase to the program’s trigger level, AgriStability will continue to provide less than sufficient protection for Ontario’s beef sector.

Aside from our activity on BRM programming, we were thankful for the funding support announced in the 2021 Provincial Budget to ensure the beef cattle set-aside program will be available this year, if needed. Like in 2020, the program would be triggered as a result of a COVID-19 slow down or shut down in the processing sector.

Moving to another important and timely topic, with BFO’s statement of values on diversity, equity and inclusion now public, our commitment to improvement as an organization must shift to action. With this in mind, the board determined training would be a logical first step to building a foundational knowledge needed to create impactful change.

To do this, we have partnered with a company called Bloom, which provides learning experiences designed to build a baseline understanding and knowledge of the foundations of diversity, equity and inclusion. The program is comprehensive and requires an investment of time on the part of all participants, but the board and staff are excited to embark on the experience. Our hope is that through comprehensive training we will be better equipped to make informed decisions when it comes to improving diversity, equity and inclusion within BFO, the beef industry and beyond.

Lastly, I would like to thank the BFO Board of Directors for their support and confidence as I embark on another year as your president. I’ve had an unconventional tenure at the helm, but my time spent as president thus far has reminded me of how truly resilient our members, staff and industry are.

Take care and enjoy the warmer weather. OB