Commentary

New Year’s Hopefulness

January 3, 2020 | Clarence Nywening

When we look out at the barren fields over the winter season, it can be easy to see nothing but dead leaves and the waste of last year’s crop that may have not gone as well as we had hoped.

No matter how the past year has gone, every January first, I can’t help but be reminded of the hope we have for the New Year. This hope, rooted in the promise of blessing from our faithful God, encourages us to plant our crops each year, and to care for the livestock in our barns. This hope, so often a mainstay of farmers across our country, reminds us that despite the many factors of farming that we can’t control, we can be assured that every year there will be another chance to start over, another chance to plant new crops and another chance to see the new livestock being nurtured and grown.

At Christian Farmers, we look forward to yet another chance to work with our government to make laws and policies that best represent the welfare of the farming community.

This coming year, we are interested to see what changes the new Canada-United States- Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) will make. This agreement, which took the place of NAFTA, was recently ratified, and we hope to continue conversation with politicians on both a provincial and federal level to better understand how CUSMA will affect trade in the agricultural sector.

It is also our hope to continue to work with our provincial government as they begin to implement their new Security from Trespass and Protection of Food Safety Act. We have been greatly encouraged with the work that has already been accomplished in the past year in regards to the trespassing act as well as the new animal welfare act. We hope to see this work continued in the New Year and will continue to support legislation that protects both farmers and their livestock.

There is much to hope for, and when the year of 2020 is over, it is our greatest hope that farmers across Ontario can do as it says in Deuteronomy 8:10 and “… praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.” At CFFO we wish you all the blessings of this New Year.

Clarence Nywening is Board of Directors President of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKXS Chatham, and CKNX Wingham.