By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com
Representatives from all three parties rose in the Ontario Legislature this week to acknowledge Ontario Agriculture Week. It seems rare these days that politicians from all strips get behind a common cause, but this week they were able to set aside their political differences to pay tribute to Ontario’s farmers.
Observing Ontario Agriculture Week is a way of thanking farmers for all that they do, a gesture which I know farmers appreciate. In fact, the timing couldn’t be better - harvest season, when farmers are busy out in the fields taking off the crops. It is also the week leading up to the big feast – Thanksgiving.
Just like politicians rarely get out to the farm, farmers rarely get to Queen’s Park. In case you missed it, here’s what our province’s politicians had to say about Ontario Agriculture Week. Farmers they haven’t forgotten about you!
Statement made by the Honourable Kathleen Wynne Minister of Agriculture and Food
Queen’s Park – October 9, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the hardworking men and women who bring the good things that grow in Ontario to our tables every day.
This week is Ontario Agriculture Week — a time for us to celebrate the important role Ontario’s agricultural sector plays in our province’s success.
Last year, the agri-food and agri-products sector contributed $34 billion to Ontario’s economy and supported approximately 740,000 jobs.
Ontario’s food processing sector ranks as the province’s second-largest manufacturing industry…
And our local food is valued and enjoyed beyond our borders, with food exports hitting a record high of $10.8 billion last year.
That is why it is so important for us to recognize the dedication of the people who have made this industry a cornerstone of our economy.
Supporting their success is part our three-part economic plan to invest in people, invest in infrastructure and support a dynamic and innovative business climate across the province.
Mr. Speaker, this week is important not only for our farmers and their families, but for all of the people of Ontario.
From farm to fork, the impact of our agri-food industry is felt in rural and urban communities alike.
Whether you live in a city like Toronto or a small town like Seaforth, it is key that we fully understand that our agri-food sector unites us all in One Ontario.
By working together to ensure the success of our farmers, processors and retailers, we are strengthening our communities and economy.
On Monday, I challenged the agri-food sector to double its growth rate by 2020 and create 120,000 new jobs in Ontario.
To help the industry reach this target, we will be doing more to cut down regulatory barriers that hold back investment in the sector…
We will support innovative projects through our new Local Food Fund that will get more Ontario food on our plates and create jobs across the province….
We’ll also continue investing in initiatives like Growing Forward 2 to help Ontario leverage significant federal-provincial investments over the next five years…
And we’ll continue to support our Local Food Bill, which, if passed, will help us promote and celebrate the good things that are grown, harvested and processed in Ontario.
By working together, I know we will continue to challenge ourselves to expand our thinking and our horizons…
…To grow our economy and our communities in a way that will ensure sustainable, long-term success for future generations.
Mr. Speaker, Ontario’s agri-food industry is vital to this province.
That is why I ask my colleagues and the people of Ontario to join me, not only this week but each and every day throughout the year, in saluting and supporting our farmers and agri-food industry.
Because by doing so, we are helping ourselves, our neighbours, our communities, and the entire province.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker
Statement made by Ernie Hardeman MPP for Oxford (PC Agriculture and Food Critic)
Queen’s Park – October 7, 2013
I’m pleased to recognize Ontario Agriculture Week and the contributions of our farmers. But if the Local Food Act isn’t changed, this will be the last one. Ontario Agriculture Week is a celebration of the many things that we grow in Ontario, but it is more than that. It’s a celebration of agriculture’s contribution to our economy and the many jobs it creates. It’s a time to recognize that our farmers are stewards of the land and work to protect our environment. It’s a time to recognize the farmers who are always willing to help those in need.
They demonstrated that last winter, as some farmers struggled to feed their livestock following a devastating drought. Farmers came together and raised money to help those in need and bring in hay from the west. We have seen it through the contributions of Ontario Pork, the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association and the many others who give generously to our food banks.
Ontario Agriculture Week is a time to recognize what all our farmers mean to Ontario. Today, more than ever, Ontarians are aware of local food and want to choose Ontario. Now is the time for us to ensure that they can. It’s a time to look at what we can do to make local abattoirs sustainable. It’s a time for this government to address the challenges our farmers are facing and to show respect for rural Ontario. It’s a time for us to make the changes necessary to the Local Food Act that will actually have an impact on our food system so that we can continue to celebrate Ontario Agriculture Week.
Statement made by John Vanthof MPP for Timiskaming-Cochrane (NDP Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Critic)
Queen’s Park – October 9, 2013
It’s an honour to be able to stand in the Legislature to recognize agriculture week. I am proud to be here speaking on behalf of my leader, Andrea Horwath, and my New Democratic colleagues, but I am perhaps even more proud to be able to stand in this place as a farmer.
Ontario Agriculture Week is more than the $34 billion it has contributed to the local economy by the agri-foods sector. It is more than the 740,000 jobs that are dependent on the agri-food sector in this province. It’s much more than promoting local food, as important as that may be. Agriculture week is about people: the people who grow crops and take care of their livestock 365 days a year. Agriculture week is about sitting in Tim Hortons in Tillsonburg or Temiskaming Shores and listening to farmers talk about the price of soybeans—and yes, we do grow soybeans in northern Ontario. Agriculture week is about the farm families who, whether they have 50 head or 500 or 5,000, do everything they can to make sure that their livestock are comfortable and healthy. It’s about harvesting a bumper crop or watching a crop being shredded by hail. That’s the difference between a happy bank manager and a not-so-happy one. Agriculture week is about the settlers who originally cleared the land and the waves of immigrants from
around the world who came and still come to work in Ontario, on our farms, and who eventually end up owning their own farms. The names on the mailboxes on the rural routes tell the story, and the beautiful farms at the end of the lanes testify to their hard work and determination.
To us in this Legislature, Ontario Agriculture Week should be a reminder to acknowledge those who have given so much to our province and have so much more to give. As legislators, we need to heed their advice and work with them so they can continue to do what they have done throughout our history. We need to do more than press releases and challenges. They are the greatest industry. Farmers are the cornerstone of our society and our economy. They are one of our greatest industries, and they’ve done absolutely wonderful things without our attention. We need to work with them and not challenge them for press release purposes. We need to work with them.
On that, I’m very proud to be able to stand here as a farmer.