AGM Update - What We’ve Done; Where We’re At

The Holland Marsh Growers’ Association has been very active since its inception in mid-July. While the organization has its roots in early April, following the completion of the Muck Crops Conference and the formation of a nine-member Board of Directors, it was shortly after the announcement of funding from the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation and the hiring of an Executive Director that the organization came to fruition as something much more than a group of farmers.

Since that time, the list below details main highlights, with a second list showing more detail as to what the association has done.

What we've done

The Holland Marsh Growers’ Association has already developed a Vision and Mission for the organization and its members. What most are unaware is that this process can (and does) take years to establish – but the Board of Directors knew what it was aiming to do for its members and, more importantly, knew the reason why a farm organization was being formed in the first place.

Vision Statement:

We are champions of economical, environmental, and entrepreneurial sustainability in agriculture.
 
What that means is that we want our members to make money, in an environmentallyfriendly fashion as possible (for consumer interest), while recognizing that our farmersare the original entrepreneurs. Being a member doesn’t mean giving up your independent farm identity – it means, as a member, we, as a farmer-based organization, want to addvalue to your farming practice.
 
Mission Statement:

The Holland Marsh Growers’ Association (HMGA) is dedicated to improving economic conditions for its farmer members; fostering a new era of co-operation amongst farmers, packers, and retailers while promoting our high-value food and unique region to local consumers.

Businesses spend years trying to find themselves – especially during tough economic times like now. Coke spent millions of dollars to identify their vision and mission statement – that they will be the best soft drink company in the world. The HMGA will live by its Mission Statement – we, as an organization, want to improve the financial conditions for its members from farmer to grower/packer/shipper to our packing brethren.

We want our area to be recognized as the first-class region we all know it to be – but it will take more than the four months we have been in existence. There are no short-term solutions to decade-old problems, but there is nothing that the organization will not tackle for its membership.

Major items completed:

• Developed and implemented a Constitution

• Established a Board of Directors and elected a Chair

• Hired an Executive Director to run the Association

• Established a business address

• Established funding, on a two-year basis, for initial funding; have organization bank accounts with four signing officers (part of transparency and accountability)

• Incorporated the Association as a Not-For-Profit organization – which was done under the Ministry of Consumer and Business Affairs in order to provide our membership with greater organization transparency and accountability than that provided for under the Agricultural Organization’s Act, the government provisionfor most agricultural-based organizations

• Developed a brand – Holland Marsh Gold; developed an association logo that reflects that brand; developed a website (two locations) at www.hollandmarshgold.com and www.hmga-assn.org; own the rights to nearly 25 other website addresses that are directly or indirectly linked to the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association

• Membership approved in the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (the provincial lobby organization for horticulture) and the Ontario Produce Marketing Association (dealing with all within the entire value chain, from farmers to retailers). Proceeding with membership in the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) in the upcoming year and, through OFVGA, membership at the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) – the national lobby organization for horticulture

• Launching organization announcement with Greenbelt Foundation and specialmedia presentation involving Toronto chef and local food advocate Jamie Kennedy; media focus on Holland Marsh playing out well with local food advocates; stories about Holland Marsh appeared in all major Ontario dailies todate – more to come; agriculture publications also talking about efforts torejuvenate Holland Marsh area

• Acquired permission from the Ministry of Transportation, with the help of the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, to put up at least a dozen signs announcing to consumers that they are entering the Holland Marsh and permission as well to place a sign up on the Muck Crop Research Station – with details needing to be worked out for signage placement and permission with the University of Guelph. However, merely getting permission from the Ministry of Transportation for the signage at the Muck Crop Research Station was grateful appreciated, as anyone dealing with the regulatory regime on a regularly basis would appreciate

• Research project on phosphorous with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, the University of Guelph (Muck Station), and HMGA has been preapproved through the Lake Simcoe Clean-up Fund; addresses concerns with canals on a number of fronts, including best management practices for drainage problems; on-going efforts to work with other government agencies (federal, provincial, and municipal) continuing so that the farmer voice is heard

• Organization was represented and gave oral presentation to Queen’s Park committee regarding Lake Simcoe Protection Act; well received by committee members who were duly impressed that Holland Marsh farmers are working together

• Working with a number of organizations regarding the potential Peaker Plant generator being discussed for construction in close proximity to much of the Holland Marsh and area; maintained opposition, worked with environmental groups to continue pressure on companies not to construct in proximity to Holland Marsh; now working with Gord Miller, Ontario’s Environment Commissioner, on a contingency plan and alternative options – but he is on-side with opposition to a peaker plant in such close proximity to Holland Marsh and all muck crop area

• Working with City of Toronto local food procurement plan – had request for 50 per cent local food option was put into place after presentation by HMGA

• HMGA working with the Muck Crop Research Station and Local Food Plus to redevelop regulations specifically for the muck crop soil of the Holland Marsh (and surrounding areas, including Thedford-Grand Bend); LFP is a third party certification party helping to move local product into local institutions and retail bodies with a premium price; only way to get involved in government access, including cafeteria at Queen’s Park; met with Ontario Speaker, Steve Peters, in regards to having Holland Marsh products at Queen’s Park while in-season

• Dozens of letters sent out on behalf of the membership in regards to peaker plant facility, compensation proposal for damage due to weather, animals, etc., ditch clearance and development of future projects/programs revolving around canal dredging and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) throughout Marsh for membership, labour situation (agricultural workers getting approval from Court of Appeal to form unions), taxation and misrepresentation, and Lake Simcoe Protection Act; letters sent to the Ministers of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada regarding lack of recognition of horticulture in federal plan; financial payout for tobacco farmers and impact upon this immediate area; letters sent to Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs regarding canal reconstruction

• Finished filming for a “Pride of the Holland Marsh” documentary through Greenbelt Foundation

• Working with Bradford council on economic development committee (want Jamie to participate); working with King Township on economic development committee

• Met with Royal Winter Fair – developing full program for Holland Marsh Growers’ Association involvement including booth, on-stage presentation, chef cook-off (Holland Marsh products only), sampling for visitors, and acquiring food for entire event; future contracts formed with Royal will include all farmers submitting to be on first-order tendering list; food procurement for entire facility to be local, in-season with a possibility of Holland Marsh “Royal” products in the works over the winter

• Royal Agriculture Winter Fair was well intended by board members and members and staff – handed out more than 50,000 one-pound bags of carrots to numerous consumers; handed out more than 9,000 pamphlets with our logo (see tipcard); excellent response – consumers were overwhelmed with what HMGA is doing, love the idea; booth developed for Royal and future tradeshow events – owned by HMGA (lifetime)

• Working with Greenbelt Foundation on economic impact of agriculture from the Holland Marsh into Ontario (includes farms throughout Holland Marsh) to numerous articles via Letters to Editor – met with Toronto Star editorial board as well regarding issue; have established contacts with hundreds of media – both agriculture and mainstream

• Met with Fresh Vegetable Growers’ of Ontario (FVGO) to discuss how the HMGA fits in with their overall organizational status; explained what HMGA is doing and how the organization is growing

• Active partnership with new event in area, Soup-a-licious – products from Holland Marsh; successful event in Bradford (prior to Santa Claus parade) and moving to King Township next year; alternate between two townships

• Financials audited, year-end date established (October 31), and budgeting forecasted for eight-month period ending July 31 – with second grant from Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation coming into play for Year Two

• Beginning development of a research and development priority list for Holland Marsh growers

 
Where we're at
 

• Met with Ontario Market Investment Fund (new government body) to discuss marketing/communication project that is on-going with Holland Marsh Growers’ Association regarding possible additional funding; awaiting word from panel – but assessment has been done and confirmed that project is well done

• Met with Foodland Ontario to discuss Holland Marsh promotion; additional meeting to take place this month

• Met with government representatives from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs and Ontario Ministry of Environment about organization’s involvement for a project in the Lake Simcoe Clean-up Fund

• Attended Outlook Conference; OPMA Gala – largest contingent of Holland Marsh representatives ever; working with OPMA on

• Work has begun on a creative consumer program involving road side signage, logo/symbol, and communication within written media throughout area from Toronto to Barrie and extending throughout all of Southwestern Ontario to Ottawa; advertising and advertorial work has begun

• Working on pilot project for Ontario/Holland Marsh involving DRC / OPMA / HMGA bringing in a PACA-like trust program; developing stages – but all are on-side to do this; HMGA will be the political impetus for this

• Meeting with Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, Minister of Municipal Affairs, other government bodies including opposition; maintaining relations with government members to push Holland Marsh area

• Asked to participate in South Simcoe Agricultural Action Initiative

• Working on pull communication/marketing campaign geared at consumers wanting Holland Marsh products and tapping into growing local food movement; working with interested parties (retailers, small marketplace entities) on a push marketing concept to get them on-side Holland Marsh identity, concept, and brand

• Meeting being established for HMGA and Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority to identify priorities and issues for membership of both organization

• Identify and prioritize issues of relevance and importance to growers and members; act upon requests from members and growers – in short, be the organization required

• Put organization members into positions that will benefit all members, including Pest Management committee (decides chemical and minor-use priorities on a national and regional level), Safety Net committees (whether provincial or national), and research committees (to ensure relevant projects are conducted) In short, our originally stated goal has not changed; it is to stabilize agri-business profitability for our members

 
Where we're going?
 
That is entirely up to the membership. This is a farmer-based, farmer-driven organization and will be following member issues and board of director initiatives.