We live in very interesting and challenging times! As I prepared myself for writing this year's President's Message, it provided a great opportunity to step back and observe what is currently happening from a provincial, national and global perspective. Starting with an upcoming Ontario provincial election on October 6th ....to a somewhat hastily called federal election for May 2nd.....to the strong resurgence of commodity prices within a fragile global recovery....to the massive and unexpected power of nature with the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.....to broader political unrest in the Middle East, it is readily apparent that we are living and operating businesses in unpredictable, changing and unprecedented times.

While 'change' is a single word, it is both the pace and magnitude of that change that will continue to drive how agri businesses and our farm-based customers operate and manage our respective businesses. In the mid 1800's, Charles Darwin said "It is not the strongest of species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change." I think the same principle can apply to business. As the agribusiness sector focuses on being "responsive to change" during these unprecedented times, OABA is well positioned to provide leadership to the membership in a number of key areas.

A cornerstone activity of OABA is to develop and deliver products, programs and services for members that 'add value' to agri business firms operating in the crop input, grain and feed sectors. In this area, the Association has 'stepped up' activities in the area of 'Human Resources' through the delivery of documentation templates and resources to the membership that will demonstrate due diligence and accountability. As part of the evolution of this important area of member operations, OABA recently signed a licensing agreement with TwoGreySuits™ that will provide subscribing members with access to professional human resources services on a 24/7 basis for a nominal annual cost. During the coming months, OABA's tri-annual Employment & Compensation Benchmarking Survey will be conducted, and work is also underway on the development of a "Supervisor Training" program for the membership.

The area of government relations continues to take a high profile within OABA, and it is increasingly evident that an effective government relations program is really never finished. With upcoming federal and provincial elections in the coming weeks and months, it is essential that individual members step up and play a key role in the getting the 'agri business message' delivered to incumbents and candidates in the local riding. I encourage you to become 'politically' active and take the necessary steps to ensure that your business and its issues are effectively communicated to your municipal, provincial and federal politicians. To bolster our advocacy efforts related to both government and consumer awareness, OABA has produced a series of five 'video messages' that focus on the value of agriculture and agri business and encouraging support of Ontario's agri-food section by asking for Ontario grown food products.

The Association continues to place a priority on workplace health and safety. In addition to general health and safety activities, Fred Spiro, OABA's Health & Safety Specialist is also available to member firms of OABA on a fee-for-service basis to conduct training, audits, inspections and consulting in this essential area of operations.

I would like to thank the volunteers and staff for their commitment to both the Association and the advancement of Ontario agri business. It is through this effective combination of volunteer expertise on the Board of Directors, and Crop Inputs, Feed, and Grain Section Committees, and a dedicated and professional staff consisting of Joanne, Tracey, Fred, Ron and Dave, that OABA has positioned itself as a strong organization that effectively represents and advances the interests of our membership to industry stakeholders including government, producer groups and consumers.

In closing, I would like to thank the Board of Directors and the membership for the honour and opportunity to serve as President of the Ontario Agri Business Association in 2011.