As a part of our member outreach program, the LFA has a limited number of tickets to the London Knights vs Kitchener Rangers hockey game in London Sunday March 6 at 2 pm .

We are in a suite with 4 other counties, if  you are an LFA member, and interested in a social mixer as well as learning more on the day to day functioning of the LFA, please email Dave Ferguson at wafgabe@brktel.on.ca ASAP. Tickets go fast!

With thanks to Scotiabank for sponsoring the food, and the OFA Involve Fund.

For farmers and agribusiness people alike, the Speakers' Bureau series of workshops is designed to encourage those involved in agriculture to tell THEIR stories - what they do and why they do it - to non-farming audiences. Farm & Food Care has scheduled a seminar in Lambton County.

WHEN: Wednesday, 9 March 2016 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
WHERE:Brooke-Alvinston-Inwood Community Complex - 3310 Walnut Street Alvinston,

Visit farmfoodcare.org under the events tab to register and for more information.

Ontario Pork : ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

DELTA GUELPH HOTEL &
CONFERENCE CENTRE
MARCH 22-23, 2016

Click here to see the agenda.

Click here to register.

The Ontario Student Nutrition Program - Southwest Region had over I0,000 people pledge their support via OSNP's Say Yes to Good Food in Schools Campaign by December 2015.

We are happy to announce that as a result of the success of the pledge campaign, the Ontario Student Nutrition Program - Southwest Region has launched Say Yes to Good Food in Schools (Round 2). This will give schools a 2nd chance to raise NEW pledges which will benefit their student nutrition program. This new 2nd round of OSNP's Say Yes to Good Food in Schools campaign will run until June 29, 2016. Grant cheques will be allocated to schools in September 2016.

Everyone can Take the Pledge through http://www.sayyes.studentnutritionpledge.com/ . It costs nothing to Take the Pledge, just a minute of your time. The best way to raise pledges for your school is to simply tell everyone about it! Promote the Say Yes to Good Food in Schools website to parents and grandparents  via  your  school  website, school newsletters and share on your social media accounts. Check out the  "Resources"  tab  on  the pledge  site  www.sayyes.studentnutritionplcdgc.com  which has  downloadable  logos, pictures and flyers to assist you in spreading the word!

Blog from christianfarmers.org

The Ontario government’s proposed strategy to build a circular economy in the province recognizes the economic value of many of the things that we “throw away” into landfills. There is greater economic value in turning trash into treasure whenever this is possible.

On February 12 2016, two of our CFFO staff and two members of the Executive Board were given a tour of the Walker Industries campus which straddles the boundary between Niagara Falls and Thorold Ontario. The campus included office buildings, a gravel quarry, a working landfill, a recycling and garbage drop-off, a composting facility, and a fertilizer processing facility.

Click here to finish reading.

The County of Lambton's Going Green Committee has partnered with the City of London to offer Regional RideShare, a free service offered to interested carpoolers from all over southwestern Ontario who are matched with a driver or rider to share rides to work, school, medical appointments or special events.

The service can be accessed at www.regionalrideshare.ca. Once participants sign up on the website, they will be asked to enter their home and destination details, driving preferences, travel times, whether they're a rider or a driver and how many seats are available. The site then automatically searches for compatible carpoolers who live in the same neighbourhood or along the identified route.  It is then up to the participant to send the matching carpoolers a suggestion to share the ride.  All users are required to review and adhere to the mandatory Regional RideShare rules.

See www.lambtononline.ca for more information

Wyoming, ON – At its regular meeting Wednesday, February 3, 2016, Lambton County Council:

•Heard a presentation from representatives of the Lambton Federation of Agriculture.

•Heard a presentation from the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership.

•Heard an update presentation from Tourism Sarnia-Lambton.

•Supported a request from Tourism Sarnia-Lambton to apply to host a Federation of Canadian Municipalities Board Meeting in 2018.

•Approved changes to the format of the biannual Warden's Election including beginning the event at 9 a.m. and choosing a Judicial official to preside over the event.

•Requested more information from the provincial Minister of Transportation regarding the status of the Highway 40 expansion through Sarnia and asked that the Ministry consider splitting the project into stages.

•Directed that the County continue to seek a round-table meeting with the provincial Minister of Transportation to discuss an update on concerns regarding winter maintenance on Highway 402 and that the meeting be held in Lambton County, with time scheduled for municipal leaders and the public.

•Directed staff to examine the potential to partner with local school boards and service providers for the development of a rural transit system based on the Muskoka Extended Transit pilot project.

•Adopted the position of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative regarding the proposed Waukesha Water Diversion.

•Directed staff to send a letter to the Premier of Ontario urging the Ministry of Community and Social Services to increase social assistance rates to reflect the rising cost of healthy food.

•Approved additional hours for the complement of Personal Support Workers at Marshall Gowland Manor.

•Endorsed the proposed Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative pilot projects developed by community working groups and approved the extension of $1,027,463 in provincial funding in each of the next two years for these projects.

•Received Notice of Motion from Councillor Todd Case requesting a report examining the structure of the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership Board of Directors.

•Directed staff to prepare a report for February 17 Committee meetings detailing the current cost of taxpayer funded, non-statutory benefits across all divisions of the Corporation.

•Directed staff to prepare a report summarizing funding available for capital projects in celebration of Canada's 150th Anniversary.

•Noted that County Council is next scheduled to meet in regular Open Session at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 2, 2016.

Three new bursaries for students of OFA families who are entering or currently pursuing a post-secondary education in an agriculture-related program are available this year to mark OFA's 80th anniversary. The bursary funds were raised at the 2015 OFA Annual General Meeting silent auction and Harvest Tailgate Celebration 50/50 draw.
The bursaries will be awarded regionally, including one recipient from each region across Ontario (North, East and South-West). Eligible applicants include students of OFA families from across the province. The selected recipients will be announced at the 2016 OFA Annual General Meeting & Convention.

The deadline to submit an application form to OFA is August 1, 2016.

Bursary information and application forms are available at ofa.on.ca/bursary.

Directors of the Lambton Federation of Agriculture spoke at a regularly scheduled County council meeting in February about issues affecting Lambton farmers.

Topics included rural internet access, natural gas access, road accessibility for farmers and more. To follow the link on the talk from the Sarnia Observer, click here.

The 80 for 80 trivia contest features weekly online questions related to OFA’s 80 years of farm advocacy. The trivia contest is a fun and interactive way for members to relive OFA history and celebrate the 80th anniversary. For each correct answer, members will be entered into a monthly draw to win a $200 gift card to Mark’s or TSC Stores. Winners will be announced monthly.

Click here to go to OFA's 80 for 80 contest.

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Open Houses Scheduled to Discuss Draft County Official Plan
Thursday, February 4, 2016

Wyoming, ON - Four Open Houses have been scheduled for next month to allow the public an opportunity to review and discuss the County of Lambton's draft Official Plan.
The Official Plan is a key planning document that outlines County policy for land use as well as environmental, social and economic matters.  The document provides a long-term strategy/outlook that is used by municipalities in the County federation to guide their own Official Plans.  Public input, received last year on a number of background reports including the topics of agriculture, economic development, natural heritage, and affordable housing, has helped to shape the draft document.

Open Houses will operate as informal, drop-in sessions and will be held:
• 5 - 7 p.m., Monday, March 7 at the Dawn-Euphemia Community Centre (6213 Mill Street, Florence)
• 5 - 7 p.m., Thursday, March 10 at the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia lobby (411 Greenfield Street, Petrolia)
• 5 - 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 22 at the Shores Recreation Centre - lower meeting room (7883 Amtelecom Parkway, Forest)
• 5 - 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 23 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 447(350 Albert Street, Corunna)
A Public Meeting to discuss the draft Official Plan has been tentatively scheduled for June.
The County's draft Official Plan can be found by clicking on the "Official Plan Review" tab at www.lambtononline.ca.
The current version of the County's Official Plan came into effect January 3, 1998.
 

Please contact:
Jim Kutyba      Dave Posliff
GM, Infrastructure & Development Services   Manager, Planning & Development Services
County of Lambton     County of Lambton
519-845-5413      519-845-0809 x 5342
jim.kutyba@county-lambton.on.ca   dave.posliff@county-lambton.on.ca