Associations keep producers connected
Two long-time volunteer board members reflect on the rewards of getting involved.
Canadian farmers scramble for time to meet off-farm commitments. With crops to manage, herds to monitor and plans to execute, who has the time to volunteer with industry associations?
Still, thousands of farmers and ranchers do, devoting their time and expertise to a wide range of organizations and activities. Why?
“If you’re going to do something beyond the farm, you need a reason,” says vegetable producer Jeff Wilson of Birkbank Farms in Orton, Ont. “If agriculture is healthy, I’d like to think I’d be doing as good as or better than my neighbour. If agriculture isn’t healthy, it doesn’t matter how good I am, I won’t be thriving. When you try to move the collective whole ahead, you’ll also find ways to move ahead yourself.”
In addition to serving as the chairman of the Ontario Asparagus Growers’ Marketing Board, Wilson has contributed significantly to the Ontario Agricultural Research Institute.
Often quoted, and admittedly outspoken, Wilson has increasingly directed his time and energy toward research issues. He credits this involvement for his growing interest in the possibilities of functional foods and nutraceuticals, which he expects to play a bigger role in his business in the future.
“There’s no button you can push called all problems solved,” he says. “But the beauty of being in a tractor is that you get to think a lot. You might work on an idea for years, but suddenly you see something in the industry that’s running parallel to what you’re thinking, and then you know you have something.”
Bringing good ideas home to the farm
When Florian Possberg comes home from a trip, the staff of Big Sky Farms almost always expects something new to happen. The Humboldt, Sask., pork producer has been known to shake things up based on what he learns at industry events.
Over the years, Possberg has been active in organizations such as Canada Pork International, Canada Pork Council and Saskatchewan Pork and Prairie Swine Centre Inc. Like Wilson, his volunteerism is a combination of industry philanthropy and enlightened self-interest.
“I think we have a responsibility to help with the industry’s issues that make our own business tick,” says Possberg. “Besides, someone has to do it. If we all take the attitude that we can each contribute a little bit, then it all gets done.”
Industry involvement has also given him a window to a much wider world. Trips to Japan, Denmark, Brazil and Mexico have shown him first-hand where Canada’s international priorities should be.
“Canada exports 58 per cent of our pork,” says Possberg. “Trade issues around pork have us excited about expanding our processing capacity in Western Canada, and issues like traceability. I’m not sure I would’ve been so enthused about this if I hadn’t seen the bigger picture myself. You go back to the farm with a new perspective and say: here’s what we need to be doing, and this is why.”
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