Farmers encouraged to complete annual Farm Business Registration

By Steve Brackenridge, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The deadline for membership renewal in the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is quickly approaching.

There are several ways that farmers, farm businesses and agricultural organizations can hold a membership in the OFA, which is the leading advocate and strongest voice for Ontario’s farmers.

The most common membership is Farm Business Registration. Ontario farm businesses that earned a gross income of at least $7,000 in the past year must register through Agricorp to qualify for certain programs and benefits.

These include farm vehicle license plates and the farm property class tax rate for farmland, as well as access to apply for special agricultural government programs, like compensation for crops and livestock lost to wildlife, and cost-share funding for initiatives to improve soil health and water quality or protecting species at risk.

Another OFA membership option is the Individual Farm Membership, which is open to individuals who are or have been directly involved in farming but who do not otherwise quality for Farm Business Registration.

And finally, OFA’s membership also includes more than 30 Ontario commodity and agricultural organizations, who share our belief in the strength of partnerships and working together towards achieving common goals.