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Beef Farmers of Ontario Announces New Leadership
February 20, 2026
Election Results from BFO’s 64th Annual General Meeting
The Board of Directors of the Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) elected its new president and vice president during BFO’s 64th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held this week in Toronto. Jason Leblond of Chisholm, Ontario, will lead the association in the year ahead as President, with Don Badour of Perth, Ontario, serving as Vice President. Past President Craig McLaughlin stepped down from his leadership role after serving the maximum term of nine years with the association.
BFO also welcomed two new directors to the Board - Lisa Pallister from Grey County and Don Scott from Grenville County.
Pallister was elected to represent the feedlot sector for a one-year term, replacing Tom Kroesbergen, who stepped down after two years in the role. A seventh-generation farmer, Pallister resides near Dundalk, Ontario, where she works alongside her family operating a beef feedlot and cropping operation.
Scott was elected to represent the eastern region, replacing Past President Craig McLaughlin. A third-generation farmer, Scott operates a beef and cash crop farm with his family. He began with crossbred commercial cattle before transitioning to purebred Limousin production. Alongside his wife, Scott raises replacement females and stocker calves, markets direct farmgate beef sales, and develops elite herd sire prospects.
In addition to the newly elected directors, several board members were re-elected or acclaimed to continue their service. Don Hargrave of Maxwell, Ontario, was elected to a third term representing the cow-calf sector. Jairus Maus of Paisley, Ontario, was acclaimed to a second term as feedlot director. Joost van der Heiden of Listowel, Ontario, was also acclaimed to a second term as background director. Emily Bromley of Renfrew, Ontario, will complete her term this year as BFO’s youth representative.
BFO continues to attract strong leaders to its board, which is a tremendous asset as the association continues to focus on market development for Ontario beef, and growth and profitability in all sectors. In an effort to secure a strong pipeline of leaders within the beef industry, BFO’s BUILD Leadership program will return in April to offer beef farmers with a skill-building opportunity to improve their governance, advocacy and leadership skills.
“It’s an honour to serve as President of the Beef Farmers of Ontario, which is a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. I’m proud to be part of an association with such strong leadership and engaged members, and I look forward to working hard on their behalf in the year ahead,” shares Jason Leblond, BFO President. “We have important advocacy work ahead of us to help create a business environment that supports Ontario beef farmers, particularly as we seek a provincial guarantee under our Beef Breeder Loan Program.”
The BFO Board of Directors and staff welcomed close to 400 attendees during this year’s two-day AGM. Delegates and guests heard from several featured speakers, including keynote speaker Dr. Frank Mitloehner, who discussed the role well-managed livestock systems play in sustainable food production. Steve Duff, Chief Economist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, provided a cattle market outlook.
BFO was also pleased to welcome the Honourable Trevor Jones, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, who addressed delegates during the annual banquet. Parliamentary Assistants Paul Vickers and Bill Rosenberg, along with several Members of Provincial Parliament, also joined guests for an Ontario Corn Fed Beef dinner.
In his remarks, Minister Jones committed to modernizing the Beef Cattle Marketing Act, a long-standing priority for BFO, to ensure greater equity in the check-off collection system and align Ontario’s processes with those used in most cattle-producing provinces, as well as with the veal, sheep and pork sectors in Ontario.
The BFO Board of Directors consists of 12 elected officials: three from the cow-calf sector, three from the feedlot sector, one from the background sector, one each representing the southern, northern and eastern regions of Ontario, and two at-large. Directors are elected for three-year terms on a rotating basis. In addition to the 12 elected officials, one youth representative is appointed by the BFO Board of Directors through an application process to fill a non-voting position.
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