Ontario farmers welcome federal budget announcements

submitted by Rachelle Kerr, Communications Coordinator

Ontario Federation of Agriculture

This week’s federal budget contained several good news announcements for Ontario farmers dealing with rising costs and other challenges impacting the competitiveness of the agriculture sector. The government’s agrifood focused budget items included new funding for interest-free cash advances for farmers; a top up of the On-Farm Climate Action Fund for farmers in Eastern Canada; reduced escalator tax increases on wines, craft beer and ciders, and spirits; support for Foot- and-Mouth Disease (FMD) preparedness; and the establishment of a Dairy Innovation and Investment Fund.

“We appreciate the federal government’s response to the needs of the agri-food sector by providing funding in key areas that support farming and food production in Canada,” says OFA President Peggy Brekveld.

“Agriculture is a cornerstone of our federal economy and government support of our sector will help our continued contributions to jobs and growth, as well as expand Canada’s global reputation as a breadbasket to the world.”

Two budget items in particular were among the recommendations the Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Food Corner

By Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville

The Ploughman’s Lunch varies according to the country that you are in. This recipe combines ideas from a broad variety of sources. The idea is to put together ingredients that your family or guests might appreciate. Some of the ingredients may be new to your taste buds but it’s a great way to try new flavours, textures and colours, including combining sweet, sour and pungent. The following recipe meets my fancy but feel free to go your own way. It is written on a one-plate principle rather than a community dish and only makes economic sense if you are serving multiple guests. You can also vary quantities according to your personal touch.

Ploughman’s Lunch

Possible Ingredients

• 1 extra-large hard-boiled egg, chilled and sliced in two (sprinkle with some paprika)

• 1 slice of Naan bread (or more), cut in smallish triangles

• 3 slices of chilled prosciutto

• 1 - 2 oz ramekin of olives filled with blue cheese

• 1 - 2 oz ramekin of hummus

• 1 - 2 oz ramekin of Tzatziki

• 1 - 2 oz hunk of the Pâté of your choice (I’m partial to Chicken Liver Pâté myself)

• 3 slices of assorted cheese, e.g., Limburger, Jarlsberg or some old white Cheddar

• 1 jumbo dill pickle, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. You’re going to want largish serving plates due to the number of ingredients involved

2. Be your artistic self and arrange all of the ingredients on the plate (but not the Naam)

3. Warm the Naam bread in the microwave briefly and serve on separate plate

This rather fancy Ploughman’s lunch calls for either a dark beer like the St. Ambrose Stout, a cold Sauvignon Blanc or a slightly chilled Shiraz in the reds. I like to chill reds a bit to duplicate European wine cellars where you need to wear a jacket to work or visit.

Other options for ingredients include: cocktail sausages, grainy mustard, chutney, sweet, pickled onions, small chilled or warmed meat balls, dried fruit such as apricots and capers. Please let me know what your choices were and how they worked out by contacting me at pcormier@ranaprocess.com.

(OFA) and others made to the federal government during the pre-budget consultation process earlier this winter: improvements to the Advance Payment Program (APP), a federal loan guarantee program that gives farmers access to lowinterest cash advances, and financial compensation for farmers negatively impacted by federal tariffs on fertilizer imports from Russia.

The government announced an increase to the interestfree limit for loans under the APP from $250,000 to $350,000 for the 2023 program year. It had previously been capped at $100,000 and was temporarily raised last summer to $250,000 for the 2022 and 2023 program years. “This is a particularly welcome announcement by the government as spring planting season is around the corner and farmers continue to face pressure from rising interest rates and ongoing increases in the cost of fuel, fertilizer and other farm inputs,” says Brekveld. In response to calls from OFA and other farm organizations to return the estimated $34.1 million in tariff monies already collected directly back to farmers, the government announced it will add $34.1 million to its On-Farm Climate Action Fund for fertilizer-related projects in Eastern Canada. “We’ve been clear since day one that our preferred solu-

1st South Dundas Sparks, Embers & Girl Guides Service Project

tion has always been the direct return of tariff dollars to farmers, and this announcement does make this money available to primary agriculture through a funding program with on-farm benefits, which is an alternative we had put forward in our dialogue with government on this issue,” adds Brekveld. The budget also provides funding for a new national Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccine bank and development of FMD response plans, a ten-year investment to support new dairy product innovation, and a temporary reduction in the automatic annual increase of the escalator tax on wine, craft beers and ciders, and spirits to two per cent from the planned 6.3 percent increase. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is the largest general farm organization in Ontario, representing 38,000 farm families across the province and serving as the leading advocate and strongest voice of Ontario’s farmers. As a dynamic farmer-led organization based in Guelph, the OFA represents and champions the interests of Ontario farmers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, research, lobby efforts, community representation, media relations and more.

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Help Wanted

by Jenn Eamon

The South Dundas Sparks, Embers & Girl Guides are engaging in a service project this year to help fill Birthday Boxes for the Community Food Share. A Birthday Box is a self-contained package with everything you need to have a Happy Birthday party.

“Our girls collected items from friends & family members and worked collectively at a meeting on March 6th & 7th to sort and organize all the donations, then fill each box with the supplies needed to throw a Birthday Party,” said Guider Jenn Eamon.

“We were generously supported by again this year by Dan Pettigrew from Foodland, Winchester with a donation of 45 containers of icing and from Laura Callery from Valumart, Morrisburg with a donation of 45 boxes of cake mix,” Jenn added. “Without community partners like Dan & Laura, this project would not be nearly as successful. This year we were able to donate 50 complete Birthday Boxes to the South Dundas FoodShare.”

“Our units are the 1st South Dundas Rainbow Unit, we are a combine unit of Sparks, Embers (new name for Brownies) & Guides, as well as the 1st South Dundas Pathfinder Ranger Unit.

Our Rainbow unit currently has 24 girl members and is closed for registration as we are at max capacity for our meeting space. Registration for the new year will open in the spring and can be found with all other information like meeting dates and times at girlguides.ca.

Also to note our Spring Classic (chocolate & vanilla sandwich cookies) Cookie Campaign begins on April 1st so please keep an eye out for cookies sellers to support your local unit. Cookies are $6/box this campaign.”