Industry News
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DFO launches two new fall campaigns with Savour Ontario and MilkUP
September 15, 2021
Fall is almost upon us and Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s (DFO) marketing division is introducing two new campaigns to kick off the season.
Below you will find information about DFO’s culinary brand Savour Ontario Harvest Pairings, in partnership with the LCBO and local Ontario winery, Henry of Pelham, as well as Pick-Me-Ups by MilkUP, an all-local, milk-inspired campaign.
Savour Ontario Harvest Pairings
The campaign promotes Ontario cheese with VQA wine pairings via a neck tag on select Henry of Pelham wines. The fall session will feature three unique neck tags highlighting pairings of local cheese, wine and chef-curated recipes.
Harvest Pairings is proudly promoted locally and provincially through various channels.
Consumers can:
- Explore all Harvest Pairings on SavourOntario.ca;
- Learn more about a local dairy farming family and the Henry of Pelham (Speck) family via the Autumn edition of the LCBO’s Food & Drink magazine;
- Try select dishes at three Ontario restaurants.
Pick-Me-Ups by MilkUP
This campaign targets Gen Z and aims to remind them of milk's proud status as a lifestyle staple and once again make milk a respected choice in their minds. The campaign runs for the month of September and features a unique pop-up store on Queen Street West in Toronto, Ont.
Click on the links below for more details.
Savour Ontario Harvest Pairings
MilkUP 2021 Brand Launch
Federal election campaign analysis
September 15, 2021
This week’s English-language and French-language debates did not provide any knockout moments for any of the leaders. The French-language debate failed to deliver any evidence of a shift away from the current trend of a tight race between the Conservatives and the Liberals. However, following the debate, popular Quebec Premier François Legault indicated his preference for a minority Conservative government, while offering criticisms of the Liberal, NDP and Green platforms. Thus far, most polls have shown Quebec as a race between the Liberals and the Bloc with the Conservatives in third. As advance polls open it will be interesting to see if progressive voters come out for the NDP in early voting, locking in their vote before the Liberals have a chance to win it back.
The English-language debate focused on a number of areas of social concern but failed to show how each leader would manage the economic recovery needed to pay for the high debt and deficits politicians have run during the pandemic. The debate got more confrontational but at times lacked substance as the leaders defaulted to their talking points. Justin Trudeau appeared off his game, frustrated and tired as he was the focus of attacks from all party leaders. We will have to see what the polls show after the debate but it appears Trudeau did not do anything to change the momentum of the campaign back in his favour.
Federal election update: advanced polls now open
As we get closer to Election Day on Sept. 20, 2021, we wanted to outline the four ways in which you can cast your ballot. We encourage all our members to talk to their local candidates about how they can support Canadian dairy and want to emphasize the importance of voting to ensure dairy farmers continue to be the backbone of communities across the country.
Option 1 – Vote on Election Day
- Polls will be open for 12 hours on Sept. 20
Option 2 – Vote During Advance Polls
- Friday, Sept. 10
- Saturday, Sept. 11
- Sunday, Sept. 12
- Monday, Sept. 13
To find your advance polling station, check your voter information card or use the
Voter Information Service.
Option 3 – Vote by Mail
- Apply online or at any Elections Canada office across the country
- You must apply before Tuesday, Sept. 14, 6 p.m. and then vote using the special ballot process
Option 4 – Vote at any Elections Canada Office
- To vote here, you will need to vote before Sept. 14, 6 p.m.
- Elections Canada offices will soon be open seven days a week
Be sure to check your email as we will continue to provide regular updates on the election and strategy. If you set up meetings with your local candidates, we would like to hear about who you’re meeting with and how the meeting went. Please contact Constantin Urtilescu at constantin.urtilescu@milk.org.
Outdoor Dairy Days in-person event set for September
September 15, 2021
Dairy farmers are invited to come together to explore advanced technology, equipment and products in the unique outdoor setting at Outdoor Dairy Days, presented by Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show.
Outdoor Dairy Days
Sept 21-22, 2021
Discovery Farm
Woodstock, Ont.
The in-person, outdoor event is in partnership with Progressive Dairy Operators. Over the course of two days, industry partners will offer hands-on tips and ideas while demonstrating dairy farm technology in action.
“We are looking forward to bringing the industry back together to network. The outdoor site at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show provides an excellent place for that to happen safely as pandemic restrictions ease,” says Doug Wagner, president of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show.
Outdoor Dairy Days attendees must preregister for the event. More information and registration can be found
here.
As always, the safety of guests, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, staff, suppliers and local communities is of the utmost importance. COVID-19 protocols and extra sanitation measures will be followed for this in-person event in accordance with the Ontario health orders of the day. This includes guidelines regarding number of guests and masking.
September issue of Milk Producer magazine available online
September 07, 2021
The online version of the September Milk Producer magazine is available at www.milkproducer.ca.
You can also catch up on previous issues by clicking here.
Head office closed for Labour Day Holiday
September 03, 2021
Labour Day Holiday - Monday, Sept. 6, 2021. Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s (DFO) head office will be closed for the Labour Day Holiday. Producers requiring DFO services over the holiday period should contact their local field services representative. DFO will be maintaining key services for dairy farmers, transporters and processors during the holiday period. Staff will be available or on-call as needed.
Milk Producer magazine: Meet the founders of Sweet N’ Nice Ice Cream
September 01, 2021
Andrew McBarnett, Rosemarie Wilson and Stafford Attzs are the founders of Neale’s Sweet N’ Nice Ice Cream, which produces Trinidad-inspired ice cream flavours using 100 per cent Canadian dairy.
In 2013, Neale’s Sweet N’ Nice launched in Canada with two flavours: coconut and mango. Today, the products are sold in several provinces across Canada.
Click here to meet the founders and read more about what makes Sweet N’ Nice so unique.
To read the current issue, visit
www.milkproducer.ca.
You can also catch up on previous issue by clicking
here.
Perth dairy producers partner with commodity groups in CTV’s Fields to Forks
September 01, 2021
Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) is proud to share a short vignette featuring Perth County dairy producers and others for CTV’s
Fields to Forks. This exciting opportunity was initiated by the Perth dairy producer committee, in partnership with the Perth County Federation of Agriculture and other Perth commodity groups. It premiered on CTV London earlier this week and will continue to run through September. You can watch the video
here.
Part of a larger series, this video spotlights local Perth farmers and their collective pride in producing high-quality food for families in their community and around the world. The video debuted on CTV’s broadcast and web on Aug. 24 and will continue to air over the next few weeks.
Registration open: Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference
August 25, 2021
Producers are invited to register for the
Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference, scheduled to take place virtually on
Nov. 22 and 23, 2021.
AWC is created for every woman who is passionate about agriculture and food. Registration includes two full days of presentations from speakers who will inspire, motivate and engage. Don’t miss this opportunity to:
- Meet hundreds of women who are passionate about the agriculture industry;
- Learn about leadership, communication, life skills and much more;
- Hear women’s unique stories about their journeys and the lessons they have learned;
- Network with other delegates during the conference;
- Watch speaker presentations again until Dec. 31, 2021.
For more information on the speakers, click
here.
To register for the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference, click
here.
Milk Producer magazine: Corn rootworm and Bt resistance in Ontario
August 23, 2021
In 2020, certain Ontario regions experienced high corn rootworm pressure that challenged current Bt rootworm hybrids. In regions where Bt rootworm corn hybrids have been used for more than three consecutive years, resistance among corn rootworm populations is suspected. To assist producers in addressing this issue and rotating away from silage corn,
Milk Producer is publishing a series of articles provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
To read the current issue, visit www.milkproducer.ca.
You can also catch up on previous issue by clicking
here.
DFO partners with Ontario Basketball Association to recognize outstanding athletes with new award
August 19, 2021
The Ontario Basketball Association (OBA) and Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) have come together to shine a light on some incredibly deserving young basketball athletes in the province and their contributions on and off the court. The revised partnership allows us to highlight the personalities and achievements of eight young basketball players, and provide opportunities to help them succeed as they work to achieve their hoop dreams.
Funding from DFO partner enabled OBA to create the OBA Nav Bhatia Community Athlete Award, in recognition of the impact the Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer has had in representing the diversity and passion of the basketball community in this province.
“DFO is happy to partner with the Ontario Basketball Association as part of our MilkUp program, which was created with youth success in mind. Under the MilkUP brand, we commit to providing a meaningful, measurable and enduring effect on youth sports and highlight the benefits of milk in a healthy, active lifestyle at all ages and skill levels,” said Cheryl Smith, CEO of Dairy Farmers of Ontario. “The creation of the OBA Nav Bhatia Community Athlete Award reflects the value we share in supporting youth to achieve their full potential.
Partnering with the OBA allows us to recognize these outstanding athletes and their contributions to their communities. Every dollar that goes into this program represents direct investment from a real person – a dairy farmer – and we are very proud of the support we provide to youth activity and opportunity, where they live and work.”
In May 2021 Nav Bhatia became the first-ever fan inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The most recognizable superfan on the sidelines, Nav has attended every Raptors game since the inception of the franchise in 1995, becoming an icon in his courtside seats and taking pride in his team while celebrating the culture and the people involved in the game he loves.
“We would like to thank DFO for their continued support to the basketball community in these unprecedented times when our young athletes need it the most in order to reach their full potential,” said Claude Nembhard, Executive Director of Ontario Basketball. “Our shared values in promoting a healthy, active lifestyle will help us highlight some of the amazing young people who participate in Ontario Basketball’s programs and help them achieve their post-secondary goals and inspire lifelong success both on and off the court.”
The OBA Nav Bhatia Community Athlete Award will be presented to two male and two female student athletes who have participated in OBA programs and have committed to a Canadian post-secondary basketball program. Selection will be made based on their commitment on the court, in the classroom and in their communities. Each winner will receive a bursary of $5,000 on behalf of Nav Bhatia from DFO.
Read more in the press release here:
https://basketball.on.ca/ontario-basketball-dairy-farmers-ontario-team-recognize-outstanding-athletes-oba-nav-bhatia-community-athlete-award/