Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario Partnership Program

JFAO provides opportunities for young people age 15-29 of all backgrounds, but especially those in rural Ontario, to take on the challenge of exploring their individual talents and potential to develop personally while being involved in bettering their communities, networking, and having fun. JFAO’s mission is “To Build Future Rural Leaders Through Self-Help and Community Betterment.”

Self-directed programs and opportunities provided by JFAO and its more than 25 affiliated clubs help to develop in members a sense of social and environmental responsibility, the ability to provide effective leadership, and an awareness of good citizenship within the community and world around them.  (Adapted from the JFAO Constitution, 2008)

JFAO’s Unique Role

As the only rural youth organization run for and by rural youth, we hold a unique and important role in shaping the future of Ontario.

JFAO gives young people the opportunity to develop their leadership skills through hands on experience.  Members, encouraged to act on their ideas, are continuously going above and beyond the call of duty.  Each year local members donate hundreds of hours to support community and environmental projects – raising tens of thousands of dollars that are returned to worthy causes in their communities – support that would not be there if Junior Farmers’ ceased to exist.

History of JFAO

Our roots reach far into the soil of Ontario’s agricultural and rural history.  The first meeting of a Junior Farmer club was held in 1914, with the provincial body, JFAO, being established in 1944.  Our mission statement “to build future rural leaders through self-help and community betterment” captures both our past endeavours as well as guides our plans for our future.  For nearly a century, Junior Farmer members have helped shape rural and urban Ontario.  Politicians, teachers, farmers, medical professionals, representatives of the legal profession and community leaders represent just a few vocations chosen by Junior Farmer members, past and present.  Our history is rich and our future holds endless opportunities.

Problem and Opportunity

For 86 years the Junior Farmer program was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food.  Government cutbacks in the rural sector over a course of several years included funding to the JFAO.  Since 2000, JFAO has been operating solely on corporate and individual sponsorship and grants.  The result of this was the loss of a full-time office and support person, resulting in most of the work associated with running a provincial Association falling to the provincial Executive-- all volunteers.  Financial constraints and less ability to provide support to local clubs accelerated a decline in membership due to the continuing urbanization of our province – a decline, which has finally been, stabilized in the last few years thanks to the increasing support of our sponsorship partners.  We are pleased to announce that in 2008, Junior Farmer clubs returned to six counties where they had disappeared since provincial funding was lost.  While we are already working on three new clubs for 2009, there is still a great opportunity to further revitalize the JFAO so that it can continue to fulfill its mission of “building future rural leaders.”

Proposed Solutions

While much as been done to minimize costs and begin building an Endowment Fund to support our continued operation, funding is required for all our programs and projects if JFAO is to continue its existence.  If basic funding can be secured, revenue to improve programs can be generated by memberships and registration fees.  A list of some of the on-going programs & activities offered by JFAO is attached, accompanied by a brief description.

Goals

Our goal is to solicit enough sponsorship to cover the cost of our programs and projects.  If we can successfully deliver the programs/projects that our members want, we can attract new members, develop new programs, generate revenue and ultimately become self-sufficient.

Our Fundraising Plan

JFAO will work with each corporate sponsor to determine which type of benefits and profile are most suited to meeting their objectives.  We will provide an open forum for discussion to identify potential benefits and opportunities of interest to the sponsor.

We continue to work on several fundraising projects at the provincial level, including the ongoing Ontario Century Farm sign program, and an annual charity golf tournament.  Our fundraising efforts and the generous donations from corporate and individual will ensure that JFAO continues its mission for future generations.

How You Can Give

Fill out the enclosed form and write a cheque made payable to the Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario or contact any of the people listed below to begin discussions.  In-kind donations of time, services or specific supplies will also be recognized at the equivalent dollar amount.

Thank you for your support.

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