Thunder Bay-area dairy farmer Peggy Brekveld was elected a president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s (OFA) at the farm organization’s 2020 Annual General Meeting, Nov. 23.
She succeeds Keith Currie who served for four years.
Brekveld and her husband Gert own and operate Woodstar Farm, a 70-cow dairy operation in Murillo, outside Thunder Bay.
She is third female president in the organization’s history and will serve in the position for a one-year term.
Brekveld previously served as the OFA’s vice president for the last six years and was the Zone 15 Director for three years representing the Northern Ontario region of Algoma, Cochrane, Dryden, Kenora, Manitoulin-North Shore, Nipissing East & West, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury East & West, Temiskaming and Thunder Bay.
She’s been a board member of the Thunder Bay Federation of Agriculture since 2005, including two years as president.
In a Facebook post, the OFA extended congratulations to its 32nd president.
“Over her six terms as vice president, Peggy has proven to be a dedicated, passionate and tireless advocate for Ontario’s agri-food sector.”
She was recently recognized as one of the six 2020 Influential Women in Canadian and is known as an advocate for diversity in the agriculture sector.
Brekveld helped bring together the Thunder Bay District Agricultural Economic Impact Study, a website for her county federation (www.tbfarminfo.org), promotional displays and farm tours.
The Guelph-based OFA, representing 38,000 farm families across the province, is the leading advocate for Ontario farmers in government relations, farm policy recommendations, research, lobby efforts and community representation.
