OCA to reopen debate on renaming the organization to Cattle Farmers of Ontario at 2013 AGM
By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com
Ontario cattle producers are gearing up for this year’s Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) annual general meeting that’s scheduled to kick-off on Wednesday at the Doubletree Hotel in Toronto, Ontario.
This year’s theme is entitled “Ontario Beef Business: The Engine of Rural Ontario”. The two-day event will include 2013 OCA board of director elections, Environmental Stewardship Award presentations, an annual banquet, and several keynote speakers.
One of the big proposals that will be voted on is a potential name change for the organization from the OCA to Cattle Farmers of Ontario, which if passed would rebrand the organization to align with other livestock organizations such as the Dairy Farmers of Ontario. In order for the vote to pass it will require two-thirds of the vote. A new organization name change has been an ongoing discussion for years and five-years ago the new name was proposed and defeated at an AGM five years ago.
In the age of the importance of online search, one of the biggest drivers for the proposed name change is that the current name doesn’t drive enough traffic to the OCA website compared to the search term “Ontario beef”. The proposed name change has the potential to assist the organization with enhanced online presence for Ontario beef. In addition to potential online marketing opportunities, the current name is considered by some as sexists as it refers to cattlemen, which in the name excludes women. The debate will occur and be voted on once again at this year’s AGM.
The full agenda of the AGM can be found on the OCA website.