Farms needed to keep rural Ontario’s social fabric alive

Jan 23, 2024

By Brian Crews, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

At first glance, most people might find it hard to believe that a City of Toronto firefighter can also be an Ontario dairy farmer. After all, the demands of serving as a first responder in Canada’s largest city are pretty far removed from life in rural Ontario and working with livestock as part of a multi-generational family business.

And yet, that’s me. I’ve been a Toronto firefighter for more than 30 years – working 24-hour shifts – while also farming in Northumberland County east of Toronto together with my parents, Carl and Helena, my wife Cyndi Down, and our son Andrew, who is the ninth generation on our family’s farm.

It was during the pandemic that a fellow farmer in our area approached me about becoming involved with our local Northumberland Federation of Agriculture. There are many issues facing farmers in Ontario today, from urban encroachment and land use planning challenges to business transition and ensuring agriculture can offer the next generation of farmers a sustainable future

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Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.