Hurricane Dorian Caused a Great Deal of Damage. Corn Is Laying Flat In

Summer 2019

www.peifa.ca

Hurricane Dorian caused a great deal of damage. Corn is laying flat in many areas of the province, apples are sitting bruised on the ground, and crops have been beaten and battered by high winds and heavy rain in many areas. It also caught many of our wheat acres still standing in the field. In my case I lost about 30% yield and quality due to harvest weather. This Hurricane was an “Act of God” that is beyond one’s control to manage. It is a prime example of where our Federal Business Risk Management programs should kick in and ensure we remain whole. AgriRecovery is among that suite a programs and it’s an avenue that the Federation is exploring in collaboration with the Atlantic Grains Council (AGC). Our corn and apple producers in particular were very hard hit by this storm and something needs to be done. The Federation has some further information within this newsletter on this subject and I encourage you to check it out. We need to build a case together in order to be successful. PEIFA is actively looking at the situation and has brought this to the attention of the Minister Bloyce Thompson and his Department.

The hurricane highlights the fact that climate change is here and agriculture is standing on the front lines. Personally, I have had to make some business decisions based on the changes in our weather patterns. I believe, on the cropping side of things in my case, we have all had to take stock of what we are planting, what variety or seed we are using and when we actually plant our crop. Mother Nature has been unpredictable and we need to remain vigilant. This year, with a late spring, another dry summer and then Dorian – we must remain on our toes and doing what we can to stay ahead of the curve.

The fall out of the Hurricane has really made me pause and consider the importance of commodity and general farm organizations. The Federation has been increasingly focused and dealing with the environmental file and the impact of our unpredictable weather. Last year, we had heavy frost in June taking its toll on our fruit industries. Then we had a horrible fall and again this year it’s a hurricane. This of course is in addition to the onerous and devastating fines handed to farmers caught in a fish kill when extreme rain falls on their particular piece of land. The strength of a farm organization really starts with the Members who agree to stand together and push forward change for the greater good. We saw that last winter following a hard harvest for root based vegetable growers including potatoes as well as a host of horticultural crops. We see that with IRAC recently holding the line on electricity rates following outcry from the farming community including the Federation – just as two examples off the top of my head. The Federation stands for all farmers as an umbrella organization that focuses on the cross-cutting issues. However, there are times when standing together means standing next to another organization. It is why the Federation is going to take the lead for corn producers in particular in collaboration with the AGC. We feel a local presence is important for this issue and the PEIFA is prepared to carry that torch.

Your Federation is focused on other issues as well. PEIFA is currently reviewing is communication strategy and examin- ing how effective we are communicating with you our Members, as well as our stakeholders and the general public as a whole. This initiative may come as a refresh of the organization as we also look at the logo, the slogan and the various mediums we use to communicate issues of importance – including this very newsletter. Summer 2018

www.peifa.ca

The Federation alongside Farm & Food Care PEI recently hosted 20 Members of the Provincial Legislature on a series of Farm Tours on September 12th that was certainly a highlight for me. There were MLA’s there from all three parties in the legislature including the Minister of Agriculture and Land and the two Agriculture critics from the Liberals and the Greens. Some of the attendees were new MLA’s and a number of them were very forthcoming in saying they were “new” or “novice” when it came to the farming community and our challenges. Their grasp of the issues was certainly enhanced through this tour as it gave opportunity for some of your fellow farmers an opportunity to speak directly to politicians and showcase how they conduct their respective farming operations. It also provided opportunity for our Executive Director to present on a host of our issues directly to these 20 politicians over lunch. As one person remarked to me – this tour accomplished more in one day than 20 individual meetings in a Boardroom downtown ever could have.

Farm & Food Care PEI also hosted a tour that the Federation was able to join. 32 local dieticians who work for government, schools and various organizations had a tour similar to the MLA’s. Again, many of them were new to farms. It was an interesting day that was eye opening for many of them – and allowed them to ask questions directly to producers around issues like hormones, antibiotics, animal welfare, and many others.

Our Farm & Food Care PEI program also hosted another very successful Breakfast on the Farm this past summer with approximately 1000 people in attendance. We hope to build on this success next summer. The program has also recently installed a sign in Wood Islands welcoming people to “Canada’s Agriculture Island – Share our Pride!” This sign will also be placed in Borden, and was scheduled to but ran into regulatory problems. You would not believe how hard it is to put up a sign!

The Federation is monitoring the Federal Election and the various policies put out by the individual parties themselves. The Federation has taken note of a Liberal promise to review the Business Risk Management suite of programs and is reaching out to the other respective parties to see if this is on their radar as well. In addition, the Federation is working with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture in their “Producing Prosperity” campaign that encourages parties to get behind national farming issues of importance. We all eagerly wait for October 21st and will work with our local MPs, regarless of party for the betterment of PEI agriculture.

Lastly – we are focused on land. The Federation recently met with the Minister of Agriculture and Land and his Deputy to talk about the importance of the Lands Protection Act, and the need to ensure we are all playing on a level field. The recent sale in central PEI did not go unnoticed by the PEIFA and we have been vocal behind closed doors about the need for change. We have told Government that we are an eager and open partner to any initiative the keeps farmland in production and available to Island farmers. This issue will continue to be of great concern and top of mind as we head into the winter months. Rest assured that we are pushing this file on government and made a point of talking to this issue during our MLA Farm Tour.

I could go on but will have more time while convalescing from hip surgery in December to hopefully write my last President’s message for the AGM on the 31st of January 2020 where your attendance puts meaning and thanks for all effort your board and staff contribute throughout the year. David Mol

PEIFA President

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2019 PEIFA Board of Directors

PEIFA EXECUTIVE MEMBERS  David Mol - President  Grant Compton - 1st Vice President  Ron Maynard- 2nd Vice President  Ian Drake - Exec Rep. for PEI Young Farmers  Keisha Rose- Member at Large  Mary Robinson - Past President  Robert Godfrey - Executive Director

PEIFA BOARD MEMBERS  Janet Murphy - Director - Chicken Farmers of PEI  Gary Hughes - Director - Dairy Farmers of P.E.I.  Nathan Burns - Director - Egg Producers of P.E.I.  David Mol - Director - Island Grains & Proteins Council  Kevin Simmons - Director - PEI Cattle Producers  Isaac Thompson - Director - PEI Fur Breeders Association  Dale Murray - Director - PEI Hog Commodity Marketing Board  Bernie Shea - Director - PEI Horticulture Association  Phil Hamming - Director - PEI Certified Organic Growers Cooperative  Billy Cameron - Director - PEI Potato Board  Patrick Byrne - Director - PEI Wild Blueberry Growers Association  Ian Drake - Director - PEI Young Farmers Association  Harry Elsinga - Director - PEI Sheep Breeders Association  Matt Compton - Director—PEI Strawberry Growers Association  John Rowe –Director - PEI Woodlot Owners Association  David MacNearney -Director-PEI Beekeepers Association  Nancy MacKay - Fruit Tree Growers Association

COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE MEMBERS

Prince County  Parker Ellis  Andrew Lawless Queens County  William Visser  Matt Hughes Kings County  Becky Townsend  Keisha Rose Page 4

Environmental Farm Plans

Do You Need Your EFP Updated?

The PEI Federation of Agriculture continues to offer Island producers the opportunity to participate in the Enhanced Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) program. In order to ensure your farm remains eligible for provincial programs linked with Enhanced EFPs, please contact the Federation of Agriculture to schedule a time to review your Enhanced Environmental Farm Plan. EFPs are valid for five years.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the program, please feel free to contact JoAnn Pineau with the Enhanced EFP Program at 368-7289.

EFP Program Manager, JoAnn Pineau, has been busy meeting with industry representatives and leading discussions on improving the effectiveness of the EFP program. EFP content has recently been reviewed, resulting in an improved program that includes new content and better reflects current regional farming practices. JoAnn welcomes input from producers of all commodities.

2019 is showing to be a positive year for the Environmental Farm Plan program. There has been great demand for the program this spring, from many different commodities. The EFP staff looks forward to working with producers, and to help develop an EFP for their operation.

On August 22nd, JoAnn attended the 2019 Precision Agriculture Conference, hosted by the UPEI Faculty of Sustainable Engineering. This conference provided an overview of precision agriculture opportunities from academic and industry standpoints, and included a wide range of information on managing agricultural risk, which can be passed on to producers through the EFP program. EFP staff continued to meet with producers across PEI throughout the summer to complete EFPs.

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Farm Safety Program

In September, Crystal Fullerton joined the PEI Federation of Agriculture as the Farm Safety Coordinator and Environmental Farm Plan Officer. Crystal has extensive experience in a variety of agricultural sectors including dairy, beef, sheep, poultry, greenhouse, organic and vineyards. She has worked in Nova Scotia, Alberta and Qatar. She and her husband are enjoying their new home in Cornwall and look forward to getting involved in the Island Agricultural scene. Crystal is an avid photographer and looks forward to showcasing Island Agriculture in both the Federation calendar and online. She has been a volunteer in 4H, the NSPE, various equestrian organizations and is the foun- der of the DalAC Art Show which showcases the creative side of the people who work in the Agriculture sector.

Crystal strongly believes in the importance of farm safety programs. She will continue the hard work of the PEIFA Farm Safety Program and its work to offer PEI producers a variety of training courses, including: First aid and CPR Tractor Safety Safe Animal Handling Farm Animal Care Workshop

As the Farm Safety Program coordinator, Crystal will maintain the program’s online and physical presence, promotions, events, and of course, planning and execution of the 2020 Canadian Agricultural Safety Week. The Farm Safety Program will continue listening to the needs and requests of agricultural producers and farm employees looking to update training and improve their operation’s safety each year. The PEIFA is pleased to partner with the Province in offering the Farm Safety Program.

Farm Presentations On Sept 27th, Crystal presented to Rollo Bay Holdings Ltd staff about the legalities about using cell phones while operating farm equipment on public road ways and the consequences of such action. For a second presentation on the benefits of the Farmer Assistance Program, she included FAP Counselor Frank Bulger. While Crystal talked about who qualifies for the FAP (all Federation Members, their families and employees), Mr. Bulger discussed how to recognize health issues like stress, bullying and harassment in the workplace and how they can reach out to the FAP program for help.

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Farm Safety Program continued

Safe Animal Handling Day

On Sept 25th, the Farm Safety Program hosted the Academy Diploma Program in Bioscience and Agriculture students from Kinkora and Kensington High Schools at Orwell Corner. The event had 51 students, 7 presenters and 5 livestock animal handling stations.

2020 “Faces of Farming” Calendar We are currently working on our 2020 ‘Faces of Farming’ Calendar and are still looking for some volunteer family farms to include. Please contact us if you are interested in participating.

Student Tractor Safety Day On May 24th the Farm Safety Program hosted a Tractor Safety Day at the Kensington Fire Hall. The event was for students enrolled in the Kensington and Kinkora Academy Diploma Program. The day consisted of guest speakers from JVI driver training, Workers Compensation, Highway safety, and other agriculture industry representatives. The students spent the afternoon completing obstacle courses with various pieces of farm machinery, which were provided by Kensington Agriculture.

Youth Farm Safety Day Farm Safety starts with prevention and therefore, it starts young. The PEI Federation of Agriculture's Farm Safety Program hosted a Youth Farm Safety Day on Monday, May 20, 2019 .

Is there anything you would like to see done in Farm Safety? The farm safety program is seeking input from our members on what you would like to see done in farm safety that isn’t already being done. Are there any courses, services, or workshops that you would like to see offered? We want to serve our members the best we can and your feedback would be appreciated. Please call or email Crystal at the office [email protected] 902-368-7289.

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PEIFA Annual Golf Tournament

The 22nd Annual PEIFA Golf Tournament was held on Thursday, August 8th at Countryview Golf Club in Fairview.

Thanks to all players and prize sponsors for making this such a successful day!

2020 Calendar in the works

The PEIFA is once again working on our very popular Faces of Farming calendar promoting Island farms and farm families to the general public.

This calendar is very popular and the office constantly gets calls looking for these calendars from the non-farming public. The 2020 calendar will be fully distributed within a couple of weeks of being printed.

If you would like to be featured in a future calendar, please send us a note or give the PEIFA office a call at 902-368-7289 or [email protected] Page 8

Federation Activities

Hurricane Dorian

Hurricane Dorian hit PEI as a post-tropical storm on Saturday September 7, 2019 with hurricane force gusts of wind. According to Environment Canada, the storm brought sustained winds of over 100 km/hr in every area of the province

Rainfall ranged from 135.4 mm at Tignish Wharf to 10.6 mm at Souris Harbour. The further west, the more rain.

Damage to agricultural crops: - Corn crops across PEI have sustained significant damage. In some cases the cobs have actually broken off or have been flattened. There is a fear that some aspects of the livestock sector will be faced with a feed shortage this coming winter - Spring grain remaining in the field was effected with many fields laying flat the following morning  Apples were knocked from trees and some tree trellis systems failed with the sustained winds knock- ing over trees to a degree that the roots themselves were ripped from the ground

The Federation is working with the Atlantic Grain Council in leading the exploration effort regarding AgriRecovery support for those crops effected by the storm.

The Federation has also reached out to Minister Thompson and converyed what PIEFA has been told by growers. The Minister concurred with the damage assessment and reported that he had been given a similar briefing earlier that day. He said he too will continue to monitor how it unfolds. The Federation, alongside the Atlantic Grain Council will be seeking a meeting to further discuss this issue later in October.

Please see Page 11 for further details.

MLA Farm Tours

On September 12, 2019, 20 Provincial Members of the Legislative Assembly joined the PEIFA and Farm & Food Care PEI on a tour of three Island Farms,

The Tour stopped at three Island farms: Crasdale Farms – Dairy Blue Bay Farms – Potatoes Atlantic Grown Organics – Horticulture, Organics

Lunch was held at The Mill in New Glasgow where the PEIFA was able to present on it’s top priorities and gave a presentation on Farm & Food Care PEI.

This tour was a great success in terms of showcasing Island agriculture, the Federation and Farm & Food Care to our elected officials. This was a very successful way of lobbying the Government alongside the opposition in one day. The luncheon provided amble opportunity to talk one-on-one with individuals and discuss issues of importance, especially following the PEIFA Priorities presentation when issues that matter to the PEIFA were raised.

A special thanks to all three farms for opening their doors and telling their important story to our elected officials. Page 9

Federation Activities

CFA General Managers Meeting

Executive Director, Robert Godfrey attended the CFA General Managers for two days in Whitehorse, Yukon on September 4th and 5th to discuss CFA issues of importance and share our provincial issues that were relevant to the rest of the country.

The meeting included a presentation on the ongoing Federal Election and CFA’s “Producing Prosperity Campaign that focuses on:  Economic Growth  Food Security  Environmental Stewardship

The PEIFA spoke at length about the deleterious substance issue and CFA is considering the creation of a Working Group that will include other provinces to tackle the issue of climate change, how this impacts farmers, and the government’s enforcement response. The enforcement of environmental protection is not unwarranted when there is negligence, but when extreme weather is involved, there needs to be a better way.

Electricity Efficiency and Conservation Advisory Council

PEIFA’s Executive Director, Robert Godfrey has been asked to join the Government’s newly created Advisory Council as a representative of primary agriculture. This Council is being Chaired by Efficiency PEI and examines policy related to electricity and electricity conservation on the Island and provides recommendations to Government.

The Council met for the first time on September 10th, 2019.

PEI Agri Watershed Partnership Steering Committee

The PEIFA continues to work with the Water Alliance and Government and the PEI Potato Board on this important committee. This Committee recently completed a list of key on the ground “risk factors” that contribute to soil loss/fish kills This list is extensive and is grouped into: Climate Soil Erodibilty Topography/Geography Crop Management Indicators This list has been compiled and will be used as a basis to develop an “industry standard” that will be taken to producers for comment in the next year. The development of any “standard” will help farmers understand what to do to mitigate against soil loss AND give enforcement officers a baseline to better determine whether or not some- one has done their “due diligence” if an environmental event were to take place following extreme weather.

PEI Potato Expo

The PEI Potato Expo will take place in Charlottetown Eastlink Centre February 21-22, 2020. The PEI Federation of Agriculture will have a booth. Page 10

Federation Activities

GHG Reduction Report – Phase 2

The PEI Federation of Agriculture continues to work with the Department of Climate Change, Water and Environment to formulate a plan to action some of the GHG Reduction Practices that the PEIFA report contained when it was submitted this past spring.

The Department alongside the PEIFA will be meeting with Mike Proud of Efficiency PEI during the week of September 16, 2019.

The Federation will also will be reaching out to and speaking with DFPPEI about some of the manure management practices the report identified to understand their feasibility and whether or not this would be something they would be interested in pursuing.

4R Nutrient Stewardship

The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Steering Committee recently approved a 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Standard Manual.

This Manual was released for public comment through the Canada Gazette for a 90 day period and received no negative comments

This will be utilized by Agri-Retailers to certify and quantify acres under the 4R model on PEI.

New Staff Member

The PEI Federation of Agriculture recently hired Crystal Fullerton to take on the role of EFP/Farm Safety Of- ficer. Crystal has an extensive background in agriculture and hails originally for Nova Scotia.

Crystal started work in September and has hit the ground running on both the EFP front and Farm Safety. She has been an excellent addition to the PEIFA Team.

Please Join the PEIFA Board, and PEIFA Staff in welcoming Crystal to the PEIFA Family.

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Federation Activities

DID YOUR CROP GET DAMAGED BY HURRICANE DORIAN

The Event Numerous calls and press coverage have identified that the corn crop in particular on PEI suffered severe damage from Hurricane Dorian. Were your fields affected?

The PEI Federation of Agriculture (PEIFA) in partnership with the Atlantic Grains Council (AGC) is initiating in a process to assess the extent of extraordinary and disaster driven costs incurred by both growers and grower livestock/ feeders from Hurricane Dorian in our province. PEI. PEI has experienced bad weather before but not even the Hurricane Juan event back in 2003 caused the pre - harvest / harvest damage and devastation experienced this time around. While there is no guarantee, the intent of the PEIFA and AGC on behalf of our growers is to gather cost based financial data and information defining types of problems faced by impacted farmers. This information will be used to apply and carry out analysis leading to an application for access to AgriRecovery funding. This is a cost shared federal provincial initiative that is designed to respond to disasters and potentially fund extraordinary costs associated with Hurricane Dorian. AgriRecovery compliments other cost shared Business Risk Management programs such as Crop Insurance and AgriStability, and DOES NOT compensate producers for yield loss, which would normally be covered by Crop Insurance.

Examples /Types of Devastation Damage which may be extraordinary include: Crop Quality/Feed quality impacts/ feed shortage Increased harvest costs Increased investment in handling and processing costs Damage to farm storage and infrastructure Increased labour or custom work charges per acre harvested Environmental damage & degradation

Strategy & Approach The PEIFA proposes to get the word out to farmers as soon as possible with the hope of hearing back and keeping track of all extraordinary challenges attributable to Hurricane Dorian. Surveillance and cost monitoring is going to be critical in building an AgriRecovery case. It is critical that if you had damage to contact us.

Communications If your corn (or other crop) was damaged as a result of Hurricane Dorian and you face extraordinary costs associated with harvest, storage, usage or marketing (and others), please contact the PEI Federation of Agriculture at [email protected] or 902-368-7289 to document your circumstances and help us prepare the information needed to ask for AgriRecovery support.

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Federation Activities

CFA Semi-Annual Meeting

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture held their Semi-Annual Meetings in Quebec City from July 16-17th, 2019. As a part of this meeting, the PEIFA and the PEI Potato Board were allotted time on the agenda to discuss the ongoing deleterious substance issues Island farmers are currently dealing with.

CFA then went on to pass a resolution supporting the PEIFA in its call for a National Working Group made up of ECCC, DFO, AAFC and industry to deal with the issue.

Resounding support around the table for the plight we face as farmers facing six figure fines after extreme weather has caused adverse effects on the environment.

CFA hosted a meeting of Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Ministers that was co-chaired by CFA President Mary Robinson and the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau.

CFA gave a presentation focused on their campaign theme “Producing Prosperity” which focuses on: Economic Growth, Food Security and Environmental Sustainability. See Page 14 for more info on this.

There was also a strong call for action and financial assistance for export oriented commodities being affected by the geo-political dispute Canada continues to have with China

Following the FPT Meeting there was a reception with the Ministers and their Deputies Minister of Agriculture. PEI’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Bloyce Thompson attended both the meeting and the reception. He was accompanied by Carolyn Sanford, Chief Veterinarian for the Province.

PEIFA took the opportunity to speak informally with the Minister and Ms. Sanford

PEIFA also took the opportunity to raise the deleterious substance issue with Minister Bibeau’s Chief of Staff Alison Porter which generated further discussion into September.

PEIFA believes this meeting was a success and resulted in positive impacts for some of the organization’s priority issues.

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Second Annual Breakfast on the Farm

Breakfast on the Farm- Saturday, August 3rd, 2019

Mt Albion, PE - Farm and Food Care PEI’s second annual Breakfast on the Farm was hosted at Vanco Farms Ltd in Mt Albion on Saturday, August 3rd, 2019; and it was a huge success. One thousand people took advantage of this excellent opportunity to visit a unique potato and tulip farm, enjoy an all-PEI sourced breakfast, learn what it takes to get creamer potatoes from the field to food plate, the process of growing tulip bulbs, farm tours, agricultural displays, children’s activities and much more. Farm & Food Care PEI is very appreciative of everyone who supported this event, and are excited to see what next year’s annual Breakfast on the Farm will consist of.

Farm & Food Care PEI would like to thank everyone who helped make this important event happen. We are profoundly appreciative of the VanNieuwenhuyzen family and their staff for their excellent hospitality and graciously opening up their beautiful farm to us and the public to host this event. To all our partners, we are grateful for their support and contributions to Breakfast on the Farm, especially to the local businesses who donated all the tasty island sourced food. We would also like to acknowledge Ilona Daniel and her team for all their hard work while preparing and cooking all the delicious food for all attendees. We are genuinely thankful for all the incredible volunteers who came out to help make Breakfast on the Farm run smoothly, plus set up and take down for this event. Lastly, a big thank you to everyone who came out to support this event, and help us promote it. Without you all this event could not have happened, we truly appreciate all of your support. Breakfast on the Farm was a free public event that brought together consumers and producers, with an overall greater goal of increasing the public’s trust in our food and agricultural industry, here on Prince Edward Island. . Guests who attended this event were treated to a free locally sourced breakfast and also had the opportunity to tour a PEI family farm, participate in a variety of activities, become educated on where our food comes from, and more. Coffee was offered to attendees in exchange for a donation to PEI 4H where $145.85 was donated to the PEI 4H Trust. Breakfast on the Farm created a unique opportunity for island farmers, tourists, and non-farming islanders to have a conversation about food and farming on Prince Edward Island. This event allowed the public to have all their questions and concerns answered by the people who are actually producing and involved in the production of the food that is on our plate; this ensures that the public is receiving accurate and credible information. It truly provided a showcase for food production on PEI and gave non-farming islanders the opportunity to meet real farmers and members of the agri-food industry. This was a positive and effective event for the food and agriculture industry on Prince Edward Island.

Breakfast on the Farm 2019 Partners: Gold Partners: Little Potato Company, ADL, Cavendish Farms, PEI Potato Board, PEI Wild Blueberry Growers Association, Maritime Pride Eggs, Egg Farmers of PEI, Dairy Farmers of PEI

Sliver Partners: PEI Agromart & Island Lime, Maritime Electric, Green Diamond, Stringray Productions, Farm Credit Canada, Atlantic Beef Products, Allan Equipment

Bronze Partners: Fitzpatrick & Company, PEI Bag Company, Kensington Agricultural Services, Phillips Agri-Services PEI Potato Solutions, Vesey's Seeds Ltd, Keir MacLeod's Vinyl Window & Siding, Cows Inc., The Salty McCain Produce Inc., Island Press Ltd, Steerman's Quailty Meats, Caseley's, KJL Select Meats, Larkin Bros., Stephen Harris Photography, Brackley Drive In

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Federal Election 2019 Producing Prosperity Campaign

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture - the unified voice advocating for Canadian farmers at the national level – recently launched Producing Prosperity in Canada, a non-partisan advocacy campaign leading up to the federal election in October.

In 2017 the federal government’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth, led by Dominic Barton, highlighted agriculture and f ood-processing as a key growth sector for Canada. Canada possesses world-class agricultural expertise, a modern economy, and established infrastructure to move products to market, noting that more is needed to leverage the sector’s potential for expanded trade and domestic growth. Canadian farmers currently export 50% of their products, and internationally Canada’s agri-food industry has earned an excellent reputation for producing safe, high-quality food, due in part to our high environmental safety standards. Canada is well-positioned to satisfy increasing food demands, both domestically and abroad. But the sector needs increased government support to fulfill its vast potential.

Aimed at incumbent MPs, new candidates, and policymakers of all political stripes, the Producing Prosperity in Canada campaign promotes specific benefits of the agri-food sector – as the most significant economic engine in Canada, a champion of food security, and innovative contributor to national environmental stewardship:

Economic Growth – The Canadian agri-food industry generated $112 billion in GDP in 2016, and between 2012 and 2016 overall growth of the sector was 11%, compared to 7.8% across the entire economy. The industry provides 2.3 million Canadian jobs, that’s 1 in 8, making it the second largest employer in the country. Canada produces twice as much food as it consumes and is well-positioned to benefit from increasing domestic and global food demand.

Food Security – Canadian agriculture produces among the most diverse range of products and food in the world. Our regulatory leadership has allowed our farmers to produce food of exceptionally high quality, enabling us to become among the most efficient and affordable worldwide. Canadians spend less on food than most other countries, using under 10% of disposable household income on groceries.

Environmental Stewardship – Currently only about 6.5% of Canada’s land mass is being farmed, and a strong agri-food sector helps ensure this precious resource is preserved for future generations. Canadian farmers have drastically reduced carbon emissions from on-farm activities over the past 3 decades, and new technology and innovation efforts continue to further reduce the carbon footprint. Research partnerships between government, academia and agriculture are targeting lower emissions from crop production and livestock, and continue to explore opportunities to use water more efficiently.

Since the campaign launched in April, Producing Prosperity in Canada has been met with tremendous support, and dozens of federal politicians have signed the campaign pledge to, “support maximizing Canada’s agri-food industries to grow and prosper, for the benefit of all Canadians.”

Recently the CFA’s summer meetings were held in Quebec City, attended by agricultural commodities from across the country, and discussions ranged rom canola to carbon-capture, to Food Day 2019 (on August 3rd), to government relations. The meetings culminated with a Federal, Provincial and Territorial Agriculture Ministers Roundtable gathering, and the Producing Prosperity in Canada campaign provided a strong framework for the discussion.

No one understands farming issues better than farmers themselves. Who better to communicate with government about the policies that will move Canadian agriculture forward?

The federal election is less than 3 months away, which makes ‘now’ the perfect time for CFA members to connect with their local political hopefuls from all party stripes, to promote the importance of Canada’s Agri-Food sector as a national priority.

Led by the CFA, the Producing Prosperity in Canada campaign will continue to request support for maximizing Canada’s agri-food industries to grow and prosper, for Canada and the benefit of all Canadians.

To learn more, please visit: www.producingprosperitycanada.ca Page 15

Federal Election 2019 The Advance Payment Program Producing Prosperity Campaign

Environmental Stewardship – Currently only about 6.5% of Canada’s land mass is being farmed, and a strong agri-food Financial loans to assist farmers in planting, sector helps ensure this precious resource is preserved for future generations. Canadian farmers have drastically reduced Harvesting and marketing their crops. carbon emissions from on-farm activities over the past 3 decades, and new technology and innovation efforts continue to further reduce the carbon footprint. Research partnerships between government, academia and agriculture are targeting lower emissions from crop production and livestock, and continue to explore opportunities to use water more efficiently. 0% Interest up to $100,000 Since the campaign launched in April, Producing Prosperity in Canada has been met with tremendous support, and dozens of federal politicians have signed the campaign pledge to, “support maximizing Canada’s agri-food industries to grow and prosper, Loans under $25,000 have reduced fees for the benefit of all Canadians.” $100,000—$1,000,000 rate is prime -0.75% Recently the CFA’s summer meetings were held in Quebec City, attended by agricultural commodities from across the country, and discussions ranged rom canola to carbon-capture, to Food Day 2019 (on August 3rd), to government relations. Loan limit is $1,000,000 The meetings culminated with a Federal, Provincial and Territorial Agriculture Ministers Roundtable gathering, and the Producing Prosperity in Canada campaign provided a strong framework for the discussion.

No one understands farming issues better than farmers themselves. Who better to communicate with government about the policies that will move Canadian agriculture forward? Please contact Andrew Wood or Tim Seeber for more

The federal election is less than 3 months away, which makes ‘now’ the perfect time for CFA members to connect with their information on the Advance Payment Program. local political hopefuls from all party stripes, to promote the importance of Canada’s Agri-Food sector as a national priority. Federation Members received preferred administration fees Led by the CFA, the Producing Prosperity in Canada campaign will continue to request support for maximizing Canada’s (Please contact the Agricultural Insurance office to forward agri-food industries to grow and prosper, for Canada and the benefit of all Canadians. crop insurance paperwork to Tim or Andrew )

To learn more, please visit: www.producingprosperitycanada.ca Page 16

Special Fleet Pricing for PEIFA Members

Examples of Discounts available for Federation Members for 2020 Models

Ram 1500 Quad/Crew Cab (DS Models) 4x4 $14,500 Ram 1500 Reg Cab (DS Models) $7,700 Ram 2500/3500 Regular Cab Pickup $11,000 Dodge Grand Caravan (Excl CVP - 29E) $12,500 Dodge Grand Caravan CVP - 29E Only $8,450 Pacifica (Touring & Limited Models, Excl. Hybrid) $8,500 Jeep Wrangler $4,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee (excl SRT & Trackhawk) $7,750 Chrysler 300 (All models) $8,300 Dodge Durango (Excl. SRT) $7,750

Summerside Chrysler Dodge 3 Water Street Summerside, PE C1N 4K4 www.summersidechrysler.com

Sales 1-866-798-4276

www.peifa.ca Page 17

PEIFA Corporate Partner

PEIFA Corporate Sponsor

PEI Federation of Agriculture 420 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PEI C1A 7Z5

Staff Directory Robert Godfrey [email protected] Executive Director Tim Seeber [email protected] Advance Payment Program Andrew Wood [email protected] Advance Payment Program Crystal Fullerton [email protected] EFP/ Farm Safety Officer JoAnn Pineau [email protected] EFP/PEI Wild Blueberry Association Jennifer Murphy [email protected] Executive Assistant Santina Beaton [email protected] Farm and Food Care Coordinator www.peifa.ca Phone: (902) 368-7289 Fax: (902) 368-7204