North Bay-area farmer named president of provincial beef farmers association

Jason Leblond, a Chisolm Township farmer, has been named the new president of the Beef Farmers of Ontario Association.

It was feeding time at’ J’s Acres’ on Thursday during the lunchtime rush. Chisholm Township farmer Jason Leblond was in his tractor, tending to his herd of cattle.

“My love is farming. It’s incredible,” Leblond said.

Leblond and his family have been running a 35-head commercial grass-fed cow-calf farm since 2006. One day, he hopes to expand his herd to 50-75.

He’ll soon be bringing his experience to the Beef Farmers of Ontario Association, where he has been named the group’s new president.

“It’s an honour, of course, that the producers and the board members saw fit to give me that job for this coming year,” Leblond said.

He will represent the province’s 19,000 beef farmers as the association focuses on growth and profitability in all sectors. Ontario is considered a net-beef importer since there’s not enough livestock to sustain the feed lot sector.

“We’re always looking to improve the numbers and increase the number of cattle producers,” Leblond said.

Combining the revenue from primary production, processing and retail, the beef sector contributes nearly $3 billion to Ontario’s GDP each year.

The value of Ontario beef exports exceeds $909 million. Key markets include the United States, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Leblond said his first order of business is to seek approval for a provincial guarantee under the association’s Beef Breeder Loan Program.

“So that any producer, but especially young producers who don’t have the capital, can get loans to bring in breeding livestock,” he said.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness told CTV News in an email that it is considering the proposal.

“The ministry has been actively exploring the potential of a government-backed breeder loan guarantee program for the sector,” the email said.

“The ministry is working closely with the Beef Farmers of Ontario to understand the challenges the industry is facing and how a provincial breeder program may support and/or address these challenges.”

Looking to the months ahead, Leblond and other cattle farmers will be watching the review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement with bated breath.

Trade negotiations

“Beef is an industry where animals cross the border back and forth all the time,” he noted.

“We do work closely with our American counterparts and hope to keep that same process.”

Despite the high cost of beef, Leblond said demand for high-quality beef has never been higher as farmers explore ways to make the product better each year.

Beef Farmers of Ontario statistics show that the average Canadian consumes 36 pounds of beef per year and only a few foods match beef’s nutrient density, offering essential vitamins and minerals for modest calories.

Farm gate receipts of cattle and calves exceeded $2 billion in 2025, representing 11 per cent of Ontario’s farm cash receipts.