CHUTE-A-BLONDEAU, Ont. - With just over two weeks before election day, Ontario's political leaders jumped off their campaign buses and hopped onto tractors Tuesday to court the farm vote at the International Plowing Match.
About 90,000 people are expected to attend the five-day event, which rotates around the province and this year is being held in a 40-hectare farmer's field at Chute-a-Blondeau near Hawkesbury on the Ontario-Quebec border.
The plowing match becomes a virtual one-stop shopping point for politicians to show their interest in agricultural issues, and is a must-attend event for them even in non-election years.
The province's new risk management programs should help convince farmers to re-elect a Liberal government, Premier Dalton McGuinty said before facing off against his political opponents in trying to plow a straight furrow.
"I've been making calls to our rural candidates, former MPPs included, and getting a good sense of what's happening out there, and we're doing very well," said McGuinty.
"One (reason) is because we've got this great program called risk management that introduces stability and bankability and predictability, the single most important issue to the family farm."
The Liberals have faced opposition to giant wind turbines in some rural parts of the province, with McGuinty acknowledging the controversy but countering by saying many farmers hope to earn extra cash by applying for their own green energy projects.
"You know the biggest number of applicants we're getting for the feed-in program, it's from rural Ontario, it's from families and farmers," he said.
"They are the greatest subscribers to our clean energy program in Ontario, by the thousands."
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture said a survey of the 44,000 farm businesses in the province found their top issues in the campaign to be energy, environmental stewardship, risk management, rural infrastructure and reduced regulations.
Since the various agricultural sectors got together and came up with plans for risk management programs, their united lobbying front has paid off in support from all the major political parties, said OFA president Bette Jean Crews.
"I have to say to our members, when it comes to your local area, look at the party that's going to support agriculture and look at the person who gets it," said Crews.
"I think the tide is turning for agriculture, regardless of party. I find that the public wants to buy local, they want to eat Ontario, they're starting to be very aware of our issues, and I think the government has responded."
McGuinty, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Green Leader Mike Schreiner all took part in the opening parade Tuesday morning.
The main event for the politicians, the all-important photo-op, was scheduled later as all four planned to try their hand at plowing a straight furrow.
McGuinty's ride will be a red Massey Ferguson, Hudak's a blue Ford, Horwath's an orange Kubota tractor and Schreiner will be on a green John Deere.
McGuinty couldn't help making the obvious joke about political leanings and bent furrows:
"I ask you to pay attention the PC tractor, it will veer sharply to the right," the Liberal leader predicted.
"The NDP tractor will pull stubbornly to the left. The Liberal tractor, dead ahead, all the time, and actually we're bringing people with us so we're together when we move forward."
The Conservatives promise a more comprehensive business risk management program, while the New Democrats have a plan to help young people become farmers or stay on the farm.
