Beyond Election Day: making your voice heard

By the time this magazine arrives in your mailbox, you will be about to vote or have just voted. For farmers, it’s not a great time of year for an election. We’re busy in the fields getting crops planted and tending to animals. W e might visit the polling booth, put a checkmark beside a candidate’ s name, and then go back to sitting on the tractor. And while voting is important, we don’t have to wait for an election to make a statement. Here are some ways you can make your voice heard:

Youth Advisory

The NFU Youth are an active and engaged group of members across Canada representing farmers under 35. Locals also hava a youth representative, and Aaron Armstrong is the provincial youth advisor. Each year, they host an annual youth retreat and have hosted succession planning workshops in the past. Want to hear more? Email Aaron at bluewheelbarrowfarm@gmail.com.

Consultations and surveys

The NFU-O participates in numerous consultations through the course of year at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels. These have ranged from presentations on a Canadian food policy to land use planning consultations to meat regulation submissions. Many of these are open to the public, and members can use these opportunities to submit their own opinions or promote the NFU- O’s positions. As well, we often ask our members for their thoughts through phone or email surveys. Those are a quick way to get involved. To stay up to date on our activities, follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NFUOntario/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nfuontario/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NFUOntario

Become a Local Food Advocate

The NFU-O’s Local Food Advocates network brings together both professionals and community members who understand that local food can help us educate young people, improve health, and give us a deeper connection to nature. By working together, we can support local food and help make our communities healthier, fairer, and more connected. And we can help local farmers to thrive while protecting biodiversity and the climate. Visit https://nfuontario.ca/wpr/local-food-network/ for more details.

Sit on an NFU committee

The NFU has a number of committees that members can participate in ranging from the Indigenous Solidarity Working Group, the Trade Policy Action Committee, the Farmland Access and Control Committee, and the Direct Marketing Committee amongst others. For a complete list or to get involved, contact Cathy Holtslander at holtslander@nfu.ca.

Too busy planting and plowing? One of the easiest ways to make your voice heard is by becoming a member of the NFU-O! (It’s not too late to switch your farm organization. Just call Agricorp at 1-866-327-3678 and ask to have your FBR with the NFU-O). Our members decide our policies and elect Board members to represent you and your interests to policymakers, commodity groups, and others. Stay in touch and make your voice heard!