The Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) board of directors were recently in Toronto for its annual Queen’s Park Barbecue held on the south lawn of the Ontario Legislature.
This year marked a special milestone for the OCA as it celebrated its tenth year of hosting one of the most highly anticipated events at Queen’s Park.
The first barbecue, initiated in 2003, was a way of thanking politicians for their support during the BSE crisis and it has continued over the last decade as a valuable opportunity for meaningful conversation with Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and their staff and to showcase the outstanding beef produced by Ontario beef farmers.
Heightening the profile of the event this year, OCA was delighted to host and serve over 600 attendees with Ontario Corn”Fed Beef tenderloin in partnership with the Ontario Premier and Minister of Agriculture and Food, the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, who served a number of hungry MPPs and their staff.
OCA was also pleased that Tim Hudak, Ontario PC Leader and Andrea Horwath, Ontario NDP Leader, were in attendance to help serve and meet with OCA sirectors.
“Each year we appreciate the warm welcome we receive at Queen’s Park,” said Dan Darling, OCA president. “Our annual barbecue continues to provide a unique opportunity for Ontario beef farmers to meet collectively and individually with MPPs from across the province on issues of concern for rural Ontario and Ontario’s beef industry.”
Throughout the day, OCA directors and staff had the chance to meet with numerous MPPs to discuss the state of the industry and to discuss ways to improve the competitiveness and profitability for Ontario beef farmers.
Topics of discussion included OCA’s confidence in Ontario’s Risk Management Insurance Program as a valuable tool for the entire industry, the importance of building beef research capacity in the province, and improving programs that encourage the next generation of beef farmers to enter the business or carry on the family operation.
“Ontario’s beef and cattle sector is important to the province providing both jobs and contributing billions of dollars to the economy,” said Darling.
“We are proud of our industry and proud of our farmers and we welcomed the chance to share our passion and commitment with our MPPs. We look forward to their continued support in recognizing the value of our industry and the importance of agriculture to all Ontarians.”
