Thompson Goddard Photo
AVONMORE – District 14 members of the Grain Farmers of Ontario held their January District meeting at North Stormont Place in Avonmore on Thurs., Jan. 14. District 14 includes the counties of Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Prescott, and Russell in Eastern Ontario. 2022 chair Jakob Vogel explained that when a farmer in Ontario ships grain to an elevator, there are check off dollars which pay for membership in the GFO.
Close to 40 members attended the event, with District 14 director Scott Fife explaining the meeting provides the GFO to update local members on major incentives and projects. Fife continued this is a very important event as the membership will elect delegates during the meeting and alternate delegates who will represent them at the provincial organization. District 14 can elect 10 delegates and two alternates from which the chair and other executives for the district will be chosen.
Delegates elected for 2023 include Michel Dignard, Jakob Vogel, Markus Hearle, Jan Rosendal, Brent Vanden Bosch, Alan Kruzel, Kevin Winters, Scott Fife, Andy Corput, Mark Fraser, with Andrew Harbers and Marcel Lafrance elected as Alternate Delegates.
During the meeting, several video and in-person reports were provided by representatives of the GFO including GFO vice president, strategic development Paul Hoekstra, director, government relation for GFO Debra Conlon and the manager, communications Victoria Berry.
“District meetings are important to all District 14 members as it allows for in person engagement in the organization which receives our check off dollars,” said Jackie Pemberton, Zone 11 OFA director in a post event email. She continued how these meetings allow members to receive information from the GFO on the support provided by the organization in areas such as education and research.
