Farm & Food Care Ontario elects executive and names staff

For immediate release

(January 18, 2012) – Farm & Food Care Ontario’s Board of Directors met for the first time on January 13 to approve the organization’s bylaws, set policy and choose an executive committee to lead the group through until its inaugural annual meeting on April 17, 2012.

Co-chairing the interim Board of Directors are farmers John Maaskant of Clinton and Paul Wettlaufer of Neustadt. Maaskant served as chair of the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC) up until the December 31 amalgamation with AGCare (Agricultural Groups Concerned about Resources and the Environment). Wettlaufer is the former chair of AGCare.

Rounding out the three-member executive is Treasurer Joe Hickson. Hickson, a farmer from Lindsay, recently served as treasurer on the AGCare Board of Directors.

The interim board of 12 currently consists of six directors elected from each of the former AGCare and OFAC boards. At the annual meeting on April 17th, a new board of 12 will be elected by the membership. It will comprise of four “crop” directors, four “livestock” directors and four directors elected to “at large” positions. Nomination packages will be sent to Farm & Food Care’s membership in February.

The Board is pleased to announce that the staff will remain unchanged. Crystal Mackay will serve as Executive Director; Kelly Daynard as Communications Manager and Heather Hargrave as Program Coordinator.  Serving in contract positions are Sue McLarty as Project Manager, Sam Bradshaw as Environment Specialist and Patricia Grotenhuis as Communications Assistant.

Two new staff members have been added to the Farm & Food Care team. Kristen Kelderman, a recent graduate from the University of Guelph with a degree in Animal Science has been hired to the role of Farm Animal Care Coordinator. Bonnie Marson has been hired to serve as the group’s Administrative Coordinator.

Farm & Food Care is the first coalition of its type in Canada, bringing together tens of thousands of livestock, crop and horticulture farmers and related businesses with a mandate to provide credible information on food and farming in Ontario. To learn more about Farm & Food Care Ontario or to support the new organization’s efforts, visit its newly launched website at www.farmfoodcare.org. 

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For more information:
Kelly Daynard, 519-837-1326 x221           This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.