Partner Perspectives: Beef Farmers of Ontario

This past week, the OLIP interns enjoyed a break from the city and ventured to Elora, Ontario, to visit the facilities and farms of the Beef Farmers of Ontario. Coordinated by Thomas Brandstetter and guided by our generous hosts, Evan Chaffe, Aynur Izzettin, Jaclyn Horenberg, Kara Sickle, and Mel Reekie, we had the opportunity to learn about the BFO’s 60-year advocacy for the province’s 19,000 beef farmers.

Starting off with a fascinating presentation at the BFO’s Research Centre, we spoke with Evan and Aynur about the beef farming industry, including their strategy and priorities, as well as the timelines for various projects. With this foundation, Kara then guided our tour of the facility and shared details about the Black Angus cattle housed at the centre. Ranging from testing procedures to the orientation of the pens, it was an informative tour that we greatly enjoyed – especially taking a stroll out to view the pastures!

We are also grateful to BFO for hosting our lunch, during which we had more opportunities to learn about the farming process. Namely, we explored the financing programs, business risk management protocols, as well as how different initiatives are marketed from farm to city.

After a hearty lunch, we then visited RJM Farms, where we had the opportunity to tour the corn fields and feedlot with Randy and Jaclyn. We learned about identifying medical signs, as well as different breeds of cattle outside the Black Angus, including the Blue Belgian and Charolais.

Altogether, the life cycle of the farm process was an enriching discussion, and it was a site tour that offered us many takeaways into this organization. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our hosts for taking the time to share their insights, as well as BFO for their continued partnership with our programme! The visit to the farms remains a highlight of the OLIP experience.