Wellington Federation of Agriculture’s 70 Annual Banquet

Ted Arnott attended the Wellington Federation of Agriculture’s 70 Annual Banquet,
held October 29, 2010 at the Fergus Legion. Mr. Arnott delivered the following remarks:

Thank you, and good evening. It’s great to be here, and even better to see all of you
here at the Wellington Federation of Agriculture’s 70th Annual Banquet.

Since my presentation stands between you and your dinner, I thought it best to be
brief…

But I do want to express my congratulations on your 70 years of service to farm families
in Wellington County, and all the best as you look to the future.

And while the future is always uncertain, there are always challenges—some
predictable, some unforeseen.

And there are always the naysayers who believe things can only get worse.

I have faith in the future—and we should all have faith. We have good reason. Our
farm families have held together with resilience and hope.

In the Province of Ontario, and in the County of Wellington, we have the best farmers in
the whole world. We should be proud of this fact, proud that our labour provides
nourishment for a nation, and a continent, and for markets all over the world.

It is your professionalism, strengthened by that well-deserved pride, that enables you to
overcome adversity no matter what its origin:

Bad weather, depressed markets, international trade talks over which we feel
powerless, rising input costs, layer upon layer of new regulation, and so on.

But together, we confront adversity head on.

It has been my privilege to work with you now for more than 20 of those 70 years.

Together, we have always supported supply management, better safety net programs,
sensible environmental protection, an emphasis on research and bringing new methods
and technology to the farm.

We have worked together through crisis, and also through success. And most recently,
we have worked together to support “Buy Local” initiatives and the Ontario Agriculture
Sustainability Coalition’s vision of effective business risk management programming.

Going forward, as your MPP, I want to continue to work co-operatively and
constructively with the OFA, the other general farm organizations, and commodity
organizations too.
Indeed, we all need to work together, and this applies to government as well: local,
provincial and federal, setting aside party labels and partisan interests, and looking out
for the best interests of the people.

Working together, striving to speak with one voice, articulating a vision of the future for
our farm families that allows you not only to survive, but to thrive and prosper. That’s
what we need to do.

This is our shared vision, and one that we pass on to the next generation.

Thank you for inviting me tonight, congratulations, and God bless you.