New head named for Grain Farmers of Ontario

A Perth County cash cropper is the new man in charge of the Grain Farmers of Ontario.

Mark Brock, who farms 1,400 acres near Staffa, southwest of Mitchell, is the new chairman of the board of the Grain Farmers of Ontario.

Brock takes over at one of the most controversial times in the farmers' association history, as the province prepares to impose restrictions on farmers’ use of neonictinoids on their corn and bean seeds.

The chemical coating, which is designed to stop insects and pests from eating the seeds, has also been linked to the death of bees.

Brock, a University of Guelph graduate, was recently named Farmer of the Year by the Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario.