By Vanessa Renaud, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Strengthening ties between rural municipal leaders and the farm community was on the agenda last week as representatives from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture took part in the annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference.
Rural infrastructure investments, land-use planning, affordable housing and economic development were top-of-mind as issues that are priorities for Ontario’s farmers and rural municipalities alike.
OFA has been attending this conference for many years to build relationships with rural leaders and help raise awareness of the issues faced by our sector and how we can work together to find common solutions.
After all, Ontario’s agri-food sector is a major driver of the provincial economy, contributing more than $50 billion in economic activity and supporting 871,000 jobs – that’s about 11 percent of the provincial workforce.
I’m part of my family’s farm business in Eastern Ontario, work as a Certified Crop Advisor for a local agricultural business and sit on the OFA’s board as a director. This was my first year participating at ROMA, and it was a wonderful experience to learn more about municipal affairs and the challenges and opportunities faced by rural communities.
The workshops and panels focused on topics like healthcare, schools and transportation infrastructure, all issues that are also important to the farm community. Agriculture, however, was also an important part of discussions, including how municipalities can support and plan for economic development such as agritourism and on-farm agri-food business opportunities.
As a first-time participant at the event, I was encouraged by the number of municipal leaders I met who are keen to learn more about agriculture and what they can do to better support the farm businesses in their communities.
What also struck me were the strong parallels between municipal priorities and what matters to farmers. Improving rural infrastructure and services such as transportation, affordable energy, and highspeed internet, as well as access to social services such as schools, health care and community centres are vital to attracting and keeping businesses, families and jobs in rural Ontario.
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