Calculating YOUR CARBON Footprint Calculating ... - ClimateCHECK

took over the operation’s reins and
followed in his father’s footsteps as
an active member of the local dairy
producer committee. Today, Frank
represents Region 12, acclaimed last
fall as the newest member on the
Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO)
The Haasen team: John, left, Eddy, Frank and Ivy.
board. His sprawling region covers
the province’s northern districts and
Haliburton County.
A passionate advocate of supply
management, Frank describes his
parents’ early experience as a solid
argument to support the current system.
“Those contracts were much like
the quotas we have today,” he says.
His passion and support for the
dairy industry and the marketing system
led him to consider running for
the board member’s seat. “I’m convinced
of supply management’s value,
and I also have a lot of interest in
what’s going on,” he says. “I wanted
to do it (run for the board) for quite
a while, and I’m hoping to contribute.”
Other northern dairy farmers have
long recognized Frank as a potential
board member. Two of his predecessors
who represented Region 12,
John Vanthof and Jean Guy Seguin,
had suggested he consider running
for the position when they stepped
down. However, Frank chose to wait
until the time was right.
When Vanthof announced he
would be running as an NDP candidate
in the 2007 provincial election
and not seeking re-election to the
board, Frank decided the right time
might finally have arrived. First, he
sounded out the views of his wife,
Ivy, and youngest son, Eddy, who
have integral roles in operating
Haasen Farms. “There’s no way I
would have done this without the
support of my family,” he says.
“It was a big step,” says Eddy. “It
meant a lot more responsibility for
me, but it was a good opportunity for
him. And, he’s a good person for the
job.”
Ivy offers a similar opinion. “It
means Eddy and I have to work a little
harder when Frank’s away on
board business,” she says. “But we
always support him.”
Frank met Ivy during the 1970s
through mutual friends. They married
in 1978, and are celebrating their
30th anniversary in August.
Before meeting Frank, Ivy’s only
contact with cows had been a few visits
to her uncle’s dairy farm near
MilkPRODUCER | July 2008 | 27