Role Of The Canadian Forage And Grassland Association In Advancing The

Forage And Grassland Sector

Vern BaronLacombe Research Station

Lacombe, AB

Strategic Road Map

Start Here

Have A Good Look At Yourself

Scales Are The Moving Target

Plot Field Farm Landscape Region

Animal Field Farm Landscape

National

We are here. We talk like we are here.

Kyoto is here.

Feed yard Feed lot

Pasture

The landscape is made up of farm units; the farm has field units.

Scales Are The Moving Target

Plot Field Farm Landscape Region

Animal Field Farm Landscape

National

We are here. We talk like we are here.

Kyoto is here.

Feed yard Feed lot

Pasture

The landscape is made up of farm units; the farm has field units.

Local Farm organization

CFGA

Research, Extension Gov’t and Industry experts

Your Farm

Community

A Good National Organization Has To:

• Work with commercial entities which may not be their own.

• Value the component parts• Work with government and government

resources to it’s advantage (public good).• Share information, even financial information

Trends in Farm Organizations:Consolidation

• Too many meetings --- Time constraints• Lack of resources (volunteers) and cash• Larger voice

• Grain Farmers of Ontario is an amalgamation of corn, soybean and wheat farmers. The process took 10 years.

• The grass roots wanted more from the cost of a membership.

Examples of Good Farm Organizations:(in common strong leadership)

• Manitoba Farm Business Groups – Prairie Provinces Farm Account Book - Development of leadership skills - Shared financial information and farm business

analyses (why? – Good for business!)• Ontario Corn Producers Association (leadership,

knowledge-based and innovative) – Now amalgamated into Grain Farmers of Ontario• Canola Council of Canada – (started small, valued and

mixed government and industry expertise and resources)

Focus

• The hardest thing about a forage organization is to focus on forage, work on forage and improve forage.

Prioritization: A Problem for Forages in a “Winner - Loser” Environment

Roles Of A National Organization• Advocate• Educator• Leader• Voice• Consensus Builder• Broker• Futurist• Representative• Image Builder

Urgency vs. Importance Decision-Maker for Your Role

Urg

ency

Importance

AdvocateBroker

Futurist

Leader

Voice Consensus Builder

ImageBuilder

Educator

When you come to a stop:

Summary

• Define, understand and respect the roles along the local to national scale for CFGA and important stakeholders

• Are there good models or examples to follow?• Focus on forage: How do you handle

prioritization in CFGA and for forages within stakeholder organizations?

• What is the role of CFGA? – Advocate, broker, consensus builder and futurist?

Road Map to Success

Start Here