Grain farmers appoint new director from Prescott County

Haerle is one of three directors east of Toronto on the new amalgamated marketing board that represents the province’s 28,000 corn, soybean and wheat producers.

Schneckenberger quit suddenly last month saying he no longer had the enthusiasm for the job.

Haerle, 42, has been a county delegate for corn and soybeans and argues that the farm voice needs to be heard in Toronto.

"The biggest challenge at the moment is getting the risk management program in place," he said. "The second issue is getting farming back into the public eye because city people don’t know where their food comes from."

Government lobbying is also a challenge, he added. "We need more research and innovation. Fighting bureaucracy is a big challenge of any board. It’s very difficult to get to politicians at the right time. When governments budget the farmer comes last."

Haelre and his wife Roxane were recently chosen by the American Soybean Association as the only Canadian family to join 24 American couples in the Dupont-Pioneer young leader program, which offers workshops for farm couples who want to get involved in boards and at the political level.

Haerle said he voted for the amalgamation of the three commodity marketing boards and he is also a regional director for egg producers. Haerle has 16,000 laying hens and crops 1,350 acres. He was a dairy producer milking 11 cows and decided three years ago to switch to chickens.

"It was a good decision," he said. "It’s significantly less labour per day and it’s easier to manage. It’s easier to take care of a large flock of birds than 100 cows."

Haerle arrived in Canada from Germany with his parents in 1980 when he was 12 years old. "It was a great experience," he said. "When you go back 30 years ago, a trip like that was a bigger deal. Leaving your past behind and making your future has another challenge. We were welcomed by great people."

Haerle describes himself as "shy but when I get to know people I open up and I voice my opinion when I need to but not in an aggressive way. If I have something to say I say it."