Farm & Food Care Ontario elects 2022-2023 Board of Directors. Results below.
By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash
Election of the Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO) 2022-2023 board and executive took place on April 20, 2022, in a member-wide annual meeting and subsequent board meeting.
The FFCO is a coalition of farmers and food partners proactively working together to build public trust and consumer confidence in our food and farming systems.
Newly elected or re-elected directors in the board’s Livestock, Crop/Horticultural and At Large categories include:
- Crispin Colvin, Ontario Federation of Agriculture (re-elected);
- Bonnie den Haan, Sheldon Creek Dairy (re-elected);
- Mark Hamel, Dairy Farmers of Ontario;
- Steve Lake, Grain Farmers of Ontario;
- Andrea Veldhuizen, Chicken Farmers of Ontario;
Returning members to the Board of Directors include:
- Janelle Cardiff, Egg Farmers of Ontario;
- Brian Gilroy, Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association;
- Joe Hickson, Ontario Seed Growers’ Association;
- Jason Leblond, Beef Farmers of Ontario (Ex Officio);
- Quintin McEwen, Ontario Sheep Farmers;
- Holly McGill, Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd.;
- Jennifer Mitchell, Mushrooms Canada;
- John Taylor, Ontario Mutual Insurance Association.
Retiring directors Richard Blyleven, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario; Josh Boersen, Grain Farmers of Ontario; Jordan Fois, Chicken Farmers of Ontario were thanked for their years of service and commitment to the organization.
Election of FFCO’s executive also took place, with Bonnie den Haan re-elected chair of the board for a third one-year term. Crispin Colvin, nominated by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, will serve as first vice chair, and Janelle Cardiff, nominated by Egg Farmers of Ontario will serve as second vice chair. John Taylor, nominated by the Ontario Mutual Insurance Association, has been re-elected as treasurer.
Chair Bonnie den Haan commented: “Farm & Food Care Ontario’s efforts to promote the work of farmers and food processors are so vital. As chair over the last two years, I have been overwhelmed by the positive energy in the agricultural industry; especially when we work together, we can achieve amazing results. I am very much looking forward to expanding the reach of our initiatives this year.”
Vice Chair Crispin Colvin added, “I’m extremely proud of the work that Farm & Food Care Ontario does to bring awareness, appreciation, and information about agriculture to our neighbors across Ontario. It is going to be an exciting year for FFCO, and I am looking forward to moving ahead with all our projects.”
At the organization’s online annual business meeting, voting members approved changes to the by-laws as they relate to the two existing member councils—Farm Animal Care and Farm Environmental Councils. These councils will cease to exist.
Replacing them will be a new Member Forum, with membership from FFCO’s Platinum, Gold, and Silver members. This forum, like the councils before, will meet three or four times annually and will feature topics and speakers across all areas of work – animal care, environment, and public trust. Chairs for the new forum will be selected at its first meeting in June of 2022.
For more information on Farm & Food Care Ontario, visit: https://www.farmfoodcareon.org/.