CFFO Hosts the Hon. Rob Black, Senator for Ontario, at Provincial Council

The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario (CFFO) held their June Provincial Council meeting at the GrandWay Events Centre in Elora on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, welcoming the Hon. Rob Black, Senator for Ontario, as the keynote speaker for the event.

Senator Black spoke to the group of Ontario farmers about the role the Senate plays in Canadian politics and the importance of his recent study on soil health in Canada.

“This is a long-term, in-depth study that will serve generations to come,” said Senator Black, who is Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and who is working to update the original study from 1984 that he says has been the most requested study in the Canadian Senate to date. The Senator expressed the importance of good, healthy soils saying, “We need to feed Canada and the world.”

The study will focus on five aspects of soil health, including the state of Canadian soil and its use, climate change opportunities in soil health and related financial impacts, soil health regulation, now and into the future, agri-forestry and its implications on soil health, and supporting science and technology in relation to soil health. The Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry is hearing from farmers, processors, manufacturers, policy makers, assistant deputy ministers, Indigenous groups, business owners, scientists, and stakeholders from a variety of different sectors in order to get a snapshot of the current soil conditions in Canada. The fact-finding missions will send Senators across Canada and elsewhere, with the goal of producing a Report on Soil Health in Canada that can be referenced for years to come about preserving and improving soil health now and into the future.

Other topics covered during the meeting included a review of the CFFO District Annual General Meetings and Town Halls, as well as the CFFO Provincial Annual General Meeting & Gala that was held at the St. George Banquet Hall in Waterloo on March 28th. Members were given the opportunity to express district concerns, discuss current policy issues such as the Proposed Provincial Planning Statement and lack of large animal veterinarians, and learn of updates to the CFFO Wellness Program. General Manager Tom Tavani highlighted plans for a new district board training session that will help district board members become more familiar with their roles and responsibilities as well as training on how to convey to their faming neighbours about the benefits of CFFO membership.

The next CFFO Provincial Council Meeting will be hybrid, with in-person and online options, and held on September 27th at the Best Western Plus Hotel & Conference Centre in Leamington, ON. All CFFO members are encouraged to attend.

For more information on the Senate of Canada and to follow the soil study, visit: www.sencanada.ca

Pictured above: CFFO General Manager Tom Tavani (left) and CFFO Member Relations Manager Paul Bootsma (center) pose with the Hon. Rob Black, Senator for Ontario (right) at CFFO's June Provincial Council Meeting at the GrandWay Events Centre in Elora, ON.