Brant County Federation of Agriculture (BCFA) will mark its 85th anniversary with its annual banquet at Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall in Burford on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
The BCFA is a county unit of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture that is run by a board of volunteer directors. Its mission is to support, protect and celebrate the industry while advocating for issues impacting local agriculture.
Made up of farmers, producers, and agricultural professionals from all sectors, the BCFA’s primary purpose is to promote the interests of agriculture in the County, advocate for policy changes at local, provincial, and federal levels, and to provide valuable resources and support for its members, including community awards and scholarships for high school and post-secondary students.
The annual banquet celebrates local agriculture and agribusiness in the County of Brant, while giving local farmers the chance to network and socialize.
“I don’t know if it’s because of our busy lifestyles or how modern technology has changed things, but there aren’t many social events when farmers can connect, support each other, or learn new things these days,” said Jean Emmott, vice-president of the BCFA. “So that’s one of the nice things about this banquet, getting together and socializing with each other.”
While the banquet made its first return since the pandemic in 2025 at the Paris Fairgrounds, this year it’s making its long-awaited return to the Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall. Although dinner has traditionally been prepared by a group of volunteers with the hall, Emmott said this year’s meal will be provided by Giles Catering and will feature roast beer and bone-in chicken. The evening will also have a cash bar, and a selection of door prizes as well as a silent auction.
“We do a fairly extensive silent auction every year, and the proceeds are divided between local food banks and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, the donations of which are matched by the Canadian government times four,” said Emmott. “It’s nice to be able to support the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. I really am in awe of what they do in developing countries because they actually are teaching people how to grow better home crops and how to have better yields and whatnot. We typically get donations to the silent auction from different groups and people, and it’s done very well in past years.”
Following dinner, BCFA members will announce the recipients of two $1,500 scholarships: the Open Award and the Agricultural Award.
This year also marks the much-anticipated return of the 2026 Brant Farm Award, previously called the Agriculture Farm Family of the Year. The award honours a farming operation that demonstrates the values of community leadership, intergenerational commitment and sustainable agricultural practices that keep farming viable and rural communities strong.
This year, Brant Farm Award will be going to Jaysar Dairy Operation and J&S Grain Farms, both of which are owned and operated by Onondaga area residents Jay and Sara McLellan and their son Alex.
“The McLellans represent excellence in farm management, environmental stewardship and extraordinary community involvement. Jay’s service includes 35 years with Onondaga Fire Department, (now Chief), director with District 6 Grain Farmers, past Chair of Brant Dairy Producer Committee and of the Brant Milk Cooperative,” stated a BCFA press release. “He has presented the wheat station for Grade 5 students at Bite of Brant for 30 years. Sara is a member of the Brantford Rotary Club and various committees. Alex has been a firefighter for ten years and has volunteered at Bite of Brant for ten years. He and wife Madison are volunteer coaches with Brant Youth Volleyball.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
