"This is the perfect storm," he told about 60 farmers at a meeting in Chesterville Feb. 18 on an across the province swing to check the pulse of farmers. Bonnett, the president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, explained that every farmer has been hit with income losses as corn and soybean prices dropped to a 25 year low, dairy and beef farmers can’t sell cattle because of the BSE crisis and Ontario’s knee-jerk reaction to the Walkerton disaster has created "draconian" legislation.

Meantime, pressure to force the government’s hand by unifying farmers under "one voice" follows Bonnett across the province as farmers keep asking, "Why doesn’t it happen?"

The OFA is working in that direction by agreeing with commodity groups to present the Ontario government a solution on two issues: the farm income crisis and the increased cost of the regulatory burden, he said. But farmers have to back the solution by getting on a bus and demonstrating at Queen’s Park, he insisted. "We have to have this rally on March 2," he said, adding that if farmers don’t support it, it’s like sending talking heads to Queen’s Park without an army behind them.

The OFA also met with farm leaders in other provinces to send an urgent demand for help to Ottawa, Bonnett said. If that doesn’t work, Parliament Hill will also be hit with a protest, he said.

Dairy farmer Susanna Cayer suggested farmers withold their property and income taxes because the Ontario and federal governments won’t listen to talk. "The only way you can get any action from them is if you take something away from them – something you’ve got that they want," she said.

While withholding income tax has been discussed, all farmers must participate for it to work and that’s difficult to guarantee, Bonnett said.

The OFA is also struggling with a backlash from within its ranks, as disaffected eastern Ontario farmers are calling on the OFA to align with the Lanark Landowners Association to force the hand of government.