Better access to information and improved member services are part of an Ontario Forage Council (OFC) project receiving $30,000 from the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC).

As part of this initiative the OFC has launched a new web site, www.ontarioforagecouncil.com,  which quickly links producers, agri-business and researchers with the latest technical and practical forage information in Ontario and North America.

Other activities include a newsletter to transfer technical information to the primary producers, and highlighting roles that forages play in soil conservation and nutrient management.

One of the key objectives of the OFC is to serve as a strong and unified voice for the role of forages within the agriculture industry, effectively reducing the overlap of forage interests into many other Ontario agricultural organizations and councils.

Forages and pasture are the primary source of feed for many types of livestock and represent the largest commodity acreage in Ontario - 3 million acres that are worth over $500 million annually. In Ontario, there are over 40,000 forage producers, and the OFC aims to unite the interests of these producers with researchers and agri-businesses across the province.

The AAC is a non-profit coalition of 54 agricultural, agri-business and rural organizations working together to support Ontario’s agricultural sector and rural communities. The AAC receives its funding through Ontario’s share of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Adaptation Rural Development Fund.

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For more information:

Mary Jarvis, Program Coordinator, Agricultural Adaptation Council Tel: (519) 822-7554 Mary's e-mail

Ray Robertson, Network Manager, Ontario Forage Council Tel: (519) 986-3756