Board

Ed Scharringa

President

Ed has worked in vegetable and flower wholesale, farm market retail and the restaurant business, bringing both farming and marketing experience to the CFFO Board. Ed joined the CFFO Board of Directors in 2009, serving in various roles. He currently also serves on Presidents' Council and is vice-chair of the Agricultural Adaptation Council. Ed and his wife, Elaine, have six children, four of whom continue to work in the agri-food industry today.

John Bos

Vice-President

John resides in the Cambridge area, where he and his wife, Joy, are part of a multi-generational family farm. John, along with his brothers and nephews, run a multi-faceted operation, with dairy and pork as their main commodities. He has served on the provincial working group that developed OMAFRA’s New Horizons: Ontario’s Soil Health and Conservation Strategy (2018), and he currently sits on the Animal Care Council of Farm & Food Care, Ontario.

Frank Hoftyzer

Vice-President

Frank hails from Hastings, where he and Julia, his wife and business partner, got their start in dairy farming. They have also been involved in the goat industry, and they currently run a cash crop and custom farming business. Frank currently serves on the Board of the East Central District Christian Farmers Association and the Environmental Council of Farm & Food Care Ontario. He has also served as president of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association.

Simon de Boer

Director

Simon and his wife, Leinie, live near Tara, where he remains active in the daily life of his family dairy farm, now owned by his son and daughter-in-law. Simon devotes much of his time to community, both through his church and the local agricultural society. He is also involved in the Grey-Bruce chapter of ALUS, which helps farmers develop conservation projects on marginal land. Over his years of involvement in the CFFO, Simon has served many terms on both the Board of Directors and the Grey-Bruce District Christian Farmers Association.

Tom Diemand

Director

My wife and I run a business and we are also both members of the Perth District of the CFFO. I have been self-employed most of my life mainly in Ag-related businesses. I enjoy being involved in our Parish of Immaculate Conception in Stratford, Ontario. It is a joy to be so blessed to spend time with my children and grandchildren.

Ian Greydanus

Director

Ian farms with his wife, Caroline, in Grafton. They have four children, two of whom are involved in the farm business. Together, they run a cash cropping and grain elevator enterprise. Ian was part of the grassroots which established the Grain Farmers of Ontario organization, having served 12 years as a director on the former Ontario wheat board. He currently serves as vice-president of the East Central Christian Farmers Association. He has also served several terms on his church council.

Bethanee Jensen

Director & Treasurer

Bethanee owns and operates Shepherd’s Fold, a Dorset sheep farm near Brussels. Today, she and her husband, Pierre, are semi-retired. Bethanee has a passion for farmland preservation and serves on the board of the Ontario Farmland Trust. She served her first term on the CFFO Board of Directors in 2011 and has been involved in CFFO leadership ever since, including serving on the board of the Huron District Christian Farmers Association.

Henk Vaarkamp

Director

Henk and his wife, Ans, emigrated from the Netherlands in 1985. They started dairy farming in Haldimand County with their four children; their son joined the business in 2004. Henk has served on the Haldimand-Norfolk District Christian Farmers Association, the Haldimand Dairy Producer Committee and the Haldimand Agriculture Awareness Committee. He is also active in his church, having served as an elder. He and Ans spend time each winter in the Dominican Republic, engaged in mission work and development projects.