New Beginnings

June 27, 2025 | Simon DeBoer - Long time member of CFFO

New Beginnings

On March 6, 1954, during a meeting in Strathroy, a group of four Dutch immigrant farmers made the significant decision to establish a provincial Christian farmers' organization. The intention was to create an umbrella body to unite several local groups, primarily based in southwestern Ontario.

Was this concept entirely new? Both yes and no. These men had grown up with the idea of faith-based farm and labor organizations and felt a deep Christian calling and responsibility to carry this vision forward in their new homeland. They sought to be a witness of God's Word—even in Canada.

According to the minutes from that first meeting, regular gatherings were held for the next three years. The last of these early meetings took place on April 7, 1956, at the Christian Reformed Church in London. Mr. R. Feddema, who served as Chair, expressed disappointment in the turnout: 14 members in the morning session and 19 in the afternoon. Frustration, as we all know, can affect anyone. The minutes from that meeting were never signed by the Chair, and no further meetings were held for the next five years.

Then, on March 28, 1961, a new record of minutes appeared—this time from a meeting held in Woodstock. A typed agenda accompanied the documentation. Years later, Elbert van Donkersgoed wrote in Dutch at the top of the page: "Het nieuwe begin"—"A new beginning."

The preparatory work for this meeting appears to have been carried out by four individuals: B. Zylstra, H.P. Schuringa, W.C. Haverman, and C. Verburg. Mr. Verburg would go on to serve as Secretary to the board until November 1968. John van der Ploeg started to record the minutes in English at the Meeting held on Friday February 21st, 1969. For years the board tried to find a person to record the meetings, John made it happen .

The Christian Farmers Federation tried to (CFFO) underwent many changes in the years that followed, including the hiring of fieldmen, a policy director, and additional staff. At one of the first provincial board meetings I attended, Elbert van Donkersgoed proposed a bold idea—what he called "Stable Funding." This plan would require every farmer to be a member of a farm organization.

While the idea garnered interest among other farm groups, the provincial government was initially less receptive. However, this changed about a decade later when the New Democratic Party (NDP) came into power in Ontario, and Farm Business Registration (FBR) became law.

As a result of this policy, two organizations were granted status as accredited farm organizations: the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Christian Farmers Federation. This led to a dramatic increase in our membership, from fewer than 700 members to over 4,500. Two years later, the National Farmers Union (NFU) also became an accredited organization, causing our membership to decline slightly by several hundred.

Yet again, it was "a new beginning" not without its challenges. The need for more staff and a larger office became evident, along with other significant changes, such as the adoption of new technologies like the fax machine and, eventually, the internet.

Over the years, the CFFO office has relocated multiple times. Just a year ago, we experienced yet another new beginning with the purchase of a new office located just outside of Ingersoll. It is our hope that this will serve as our permanent home for many years to come.

Through it all, we remain confident in the guiding hand of God and trust in His continued help as we move forward.

The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy.