An agricultural activist, Ralph Ferguson was born in Mosa Township. He moved to a farm in Enniskillen Township as a boy. Before serving as a federal politician, Ferguson was a strong supporter of local farmers.
Ferguson was a long-time advocate of supply management and orderly marketing. In the late 1950s, Ferguson lobbied for the creation of the Ontario Pork Producers’ Marketing Board. In the 1960s, he supported the formation of the Ontario Egg Producers’ Marketing Board. He knew both would have a positive impact on Lambton’s agricultural community. In the 1970s, he was appointed a charter member of the Farm Products Marketing Council.
A true innovator, he was an early adapter to liquid fertilizer for field and sweet corn. He created a modified corn planter for liquid application. This enabled him to plant Green Giant sweet corn in Lambton County.
In 1977, Ferguson was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal his for work in agriculture and community development.
He was MP for the federal riding of Lambton-Middlesex from 1980 to 1984 and again from 1988 until his retirement in 1993. He wrote many policy papers on agriculture that eventually formed the basis of government policy. During his federal tenure, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Food. Ferguson welcomed many high-level Canadian and international officials to his home in Lambton. In opposition, he served as Agriculture Critic and Assistant Critic for International Trade.
Ferguson is most noted for his “Compare the Share” report. It documented the farm gate price, the wholesale price, and the retail price of each commodity group. This study showed the comparatively low share of margin that accrued to farmers. In 2004, “Compare the Share II” was published by the Centre for Rural Studies and Enrichment at St. Peter’s College in Saskatchewan. It follows up on many of the findings and themes from Ferguson’s 1991 study. You can read local newspaper coverage following the release of Ferguson’s study here.
After retiring from politics, he returned to his Brooke-Alvinston farm. He stayed active in community projects, including a study of cancer rates in rural Lambton County. He was also an avid conservationist with a special interest in woodlot management. He received the 2004 Conservation Farm Award from the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority. This recognized his early efforts at wildlife conservation and woodlot sustainability.
Community Contributions:
- Founding President of Brooke Township Junior Farmers
- Active Lambton 4-H parent
- Founding committeeman of Lambton Pork Producers’ Association
- Committeeman on Lambton Wheat, White Bean & Soybean Producers’ Association
- Lambton delegate to Ontario Egg Board
- President of Brooke-Alvinston Agricultural Society
- Board of Directors for McNeil Feed & Grain Limited
- Member of the Watford High School Board of Education
- Rotary member in Alvinston
- Member of St. Andrew’s Society
- Alvinston Robbie Burns Evening committee
Contact Us
Subscribe to this page