Farm group says turn up heat on municipal hopefuls

MUNICIPAL CANDIDATES STARTED COMING by our house almost two months ago, campaigning for the October 22 election that was still far away.

To me, that spoke to the kind of passion that bodes well for an election: they were more concerned about getting a foothold and making their presence known than they were about peaking too soon.

Passion is one trademark of successful politicians. In our current political times in particular, voters shouldn’t be surprised to see passion drive campaigning – passion with substance, hopefully, not just predictable slogans. It’s one thing to pay lip service to the electorate, it’s another to put some meat on the bones and take the time to explain your position, to let your passion show in the way you outline your vision for the way forward.

For example, how do you feel about the people in your constituency being well fed and nourished? How do you feel about them periodically getting out into the country for relaxation, education and culture? How do you think they feel about wildlife preservation?

Those are the kinds of questions the Ontario Federation of Agriculture wants candidates to address as they campaign for the municipal seats they’ll occupy in just a few weeks.

As the federation says, the agri-food sector is in the spotlight at all levels,

from international trade talks to provincial and federal government issues. A cascade effect occurs when something major like trade talks falter or tariffs against Canadian products are instituted. They concern products locally. At some level municipally, people will be affected.

So the federation is imploring its 38,000 farm members to make sure municipal hopefuls know how important the agrifood sector is to the prosperity of local municipalities and rural communities across Ontario.

“It’s critical that everyone running for public office understands the issues that affect our livelihood and our rural communities,” it says. “Whoever we elect will be in a position to impact policies and bylaws that determine the way we operate our farm businesses. So let’s make sure they understand what’s important to the agri-food sector.”

To that end, the federation is urging farmers to get involved in all-candidates meetings and other events in their area.

“Make sure all your local candidates know the issues that are important to their constituents,” it says.

To that end, it’s wisely created a document that outlines what it believes are the key issues for the farm sector, called Agriculture Matters – a Guide for Municipal Councillors and Staff.

It’s described as a detailed package of information on four municipal issues that affect Ontario agriculture – land use planning and economic development, environment and animal welfare, energy, and infrastructure and social services.

That’s a good move. A rural issue may not always be obvious to an urban politician.

So the guide is presented in a format that breaks the four key issue areas into component parts. It outlines what the issue is, why it matters to farmers, how municipal politicians can help and links to additional resources.

That’s a good primer for everyone who cares about where their food comes from, not just urban politicians.

For example, under land use planning and economic development, the guide covers zoning bylaws, rural economic development, farm property tax and broadband internet.

The section on environment and animal welfare includes information on nutrient management, predators, drainage and water.

Energy covers the need for natural gas and alternative energy opportunities on farm.

And under infrastructure and social services, the guide discusses the need for roads and bridges, emergency services, rural child care and rural school closures.

Individuals can make a huge difference in municipal politics. Expectations are high, and councillors need support. With help from the federation and other sources, decisions about agriculture don’t need to made in a bubble.