The Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency is represented by a 11 member board elected on a rotating basis (four each year and three in the third year) by their peers (other sheep producers) for a three year term.
Board members annually elect a Chair and Vice-Chair from amongst themselves. Board members attend at least ten board meetings per year. In addition to board meetings, directors may sit on various internal and industry committees. The Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency is represented at organizations such as the Canadian Sheep Federation, Canadian Sheep Breeders' Association, Agricultural Adaptation Council, Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council, and others.
Board members participate in many agricultural and sheep industry events and must keep in close contact with District Committees and County Clubs in their regions.
Membership
As a requirement of the regulations, all producers of sheep and/or wool in Ontario are required to register with the Agency. Upon registration, the member receives a producer card and number and is then eligible to vote at district meetings.
The Province is divided geographically into eleven(11) electoral districts. Each district elects a Provincial Director to represent them on the Board for a three year term. Each district also elects a District Chairman, District Secretary and District Directors to administer the activities within the district.
Districts by Geography (Counties)
The Province of Ontario is divided geographically into eleven (11) electoral districts.
District 1
Counties of Essex, Kent, Lambton Middlesex, and Elgin.
District 2
Counties of Grey and Bruce.
District 3
Counties of Huron, Perth, Waterloo and Oxford.
District 4
County of Brant, Regional Municipalities of Hamilton-Wentworth, Haldimand- Norfolk and Niagara.
District 5
Counties of Wellington and Dufferin, and the Regional Municipalities of Halton and Peel.
District 6
County of Simcoe, District Municipality of Muskoka and the District of Parry Sound.
District 7
Metropolitan Toronto, Regional Municipalities of York and Durham, Counties of Victoria, Peterborough, Northumberland and Haliburton.
District 8
Counties of Lennox and Addington, Hastings, Prince Edward, Frontenac and Leeds.
District 9
Counties of Renfrew and Lanark, and the Township of West Carleton and the City of Kanata in the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton.
District 10
Counties of Russell, Prescott, Glengarry Stormont, Dundas and Grenville, and the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton except the Township of West Carleton and the City of Kanata.
District 11
Kenora, Rainy River, Thunder Bay, Cochrane, Algoma, Sudbury, Temiskaming, Nippising & Manitoulin.
Provincial Directors
Communication with the OSMA Board of Directors
While OSMA Board meetings are held in closed session, we are committed to ensuring open communication between member producers and the Board of Directors. Producers are invited to submit any matter pertaining to the business of OSMA for consideration by the Board.
Producers may make a submission to the Board of Directors. All written materials, including a written summary of any proposed oral submission to the board must be delivered to the OSMA office to the attention of the General Manager, three weeks prior to the Board meeting date.
The OSMA Board will make every effort to accommodate all producer requests in a timely fashion unless the proposed matter has already been duly considered by the Board, or is deemed to be a matter, which falls outside the jurisdiction of OSMA.
Unless otherwise stated all Board meetings are held in Guelph.
Provincial Directors for 2012 – 2013
To find out what counties each District Represents ~ Click here.
District 1 - Fraser Hodgson, Vice Chair
email: hurgrove@xcelco.on.ca
Fraser and his wife Ruth own and operate a farm of 400 acres in Lambton County along Lake Huron. Their operation includes cash crop corn, soya beans and wheat, a 25 head cow-calf purebred Shorthorn herd and a flock of 110 ewes. Our sheep are primarily commercial, although we do have a number of purebred Texel and Suffolk ewes.For many years, purebred sales were the mainstay of the business, but over the years, as the industry changed, our focus has changed to commercial meat production.
District 2 - Dennis Fischer, Chair
Counties - Grey & Bruce
email: dbfischer@bmts.com
Dennis was raised on a mixed farming operation and joined the OSMA Board in October 2007. Dennis along with his wife Brenda Ann and their four children operate a farm just outside of Elmwood. They have a commercial ewe flock consisting of 450 ewes, and a small cow/calf operation. When not at home, Dennis works as a controller for a local company.
He has been involved with the local hockey association for several years, and currently schedules referees for three local arenas. He has also been involved with the local 4-H sheep club.
District 3 - Luann Erb
email: erbcroft@quadro.net
Luann and her husband Tim operate a cash crop and 125 mixed flock of sheep near Stratford ON. In Feb 2009, after being laid off from a Farrowing to Finish operation she was chatting with the local Country Depot owner in Mitchell ON, and learned of a flock that may be for sale. After contacting the owners, the flock was purchased within a couple of weeks and moved to the farm once the lambs were weaned for the Easter Market. Luann and Tim have built a farmgate business as well as attending a weekly Slow Food Market in Stratford. Their plans are to expand to 250 sheep to meet the demand for lamb in her local area. Luann is also the Chair of the Education Committee for the IPM 2013.
District 4 - Robert Scott
email: bcf_222@hotmail.com
Rob has owned and operated Bridged Creek Farm, located outside of Brantford since 1992. Rob and wife Joanne have three sons and a daughter. The family operation, involving the two younger sons, Cody and Matthew, and daughter, Rachel, includes custom welding, a herd of registered Texas Longhorn cattle and an equine venture. Eldest son Daniel serves in the Canadian Airforce. The primarily Dorper flock presently numbers 150 ewes, and another 200 are being added in 2012-13. Accelerated lambing and intensive pasture management with rotational grazing are practiced.
District 5 - Andrew Gordanier
email: andrewgordanier@me.com
Andrew lives in the town of Shelburne with his wife and two children. Their home farm is about ten minutes drive south of town. Andrew grew up on a cow-calf operation and bought his first ewe four years ago.They have about 175 commercial Rideaus and 25 Purebred Ile de France sheep. Andrew studied Agriculture at the University of Guelph for two years in their two-year diploma course from 1995-1997.
District 6 - Josephine Martensson-Hemsted
email: josephine@vanam.com
District 7 - Marc Carere
email: carere@i-zoom.net
Marc has extensive experience in agriculture. In partnership with his wife Helen, he has operated Ballinahistle Farms Limited for over 30 years. Since 1998 they have concentrated their efforts on the development of a large commercial ewe flock and lamb feedlot. Marc has been involved with many commodities including beef, dairy and cash cropping and has served these industries in various capacities. He continues to participate in many industry projects and committees.