Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

CFA elects new president

CFA elects new president

Mary Robinson will take over for Ron Bonnett

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A farmer from Augustine Cove, P.E.I. and former leader of the Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture is the next president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA).

Delegates elected Mary Robinson during the CFA’s annual general meeting in Ottawa, Ont. at the end of February. She’s also the first woman and first person from P.E.I. to lead the organization in its 84-year history.

Norm Hall, a producer from Wynyard, Sask., ran against Robinson for the organization’s presidency.

Robinson takes over for Ron Bonnett, who announced in November he would resign from the position he’s held since 2010.

“It’s a big job so I’m still trying to process that,” she said after winning the election, CBC reported.

The new CFA president doesn’t have much time to celebrate her victory.

With a federal election scheduled for October, Robinson will be busy “developing (the organization’s) election strategy in the next month or so and rolling that out to the federal government and all of the players on the federal scene to ensure that we have good support for Canadian agriculture as a whole,” she told CBC.

CFA delegates also elected new vice-presidents.

Keith Currie, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, will serve as the organization’s first vice-president. And Chris van den Heuvel, a former president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, was elected as the second vice-president.


Trending Video

Ag Matters Podcast - Episode 2: Why Public Trust Matters

Video: Ag Matters Podcast - Episode 2: Why Public Trust Matters

In this episode, we explore the topic of public trust in agriculture with two incredible guests: Susie Miller from the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops and Jackie Dudgeon-MacDonald, a lifelong farmer and advocate for Canadian farming.

Susie provides insights into the role of policy and industry standards in supporting sustainability and transparency, highlighting how collaborative efforts shape Canadian crops' future. Jackie shares her unique experience as a farmer managing grain and cattle operations, balancing family life, and navigating direct-to-consumer relationships. Together, they unpack the meaning of public trust, the importance of transparency in farming practices, and how meaningful connections with consumers can strengthen the bond between farmers and the public.

This episode offers a real, behind-the-scenes look at how Canadian agriculture is striving to earn and maintain consumers' trust—now and for future generations.