Proposed Bylaw Amendments
Proposed Bylaw Amendments
Fiscal Year End and Members’ Meetings
Special Meeting of Members | March 25 and from 10am – 11:30am (Hybrid)
NSFA will be holding a Special Meeting of Members to consider proposed bylaw amendments related to:
- changing the organization’s fiscal year end from August 31 to March 31, and
- the addition of a provision related to hosting both an annual general meeting and a general member meeting, in recognition of seasonality.
Meeting Details
Date: March 25, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Format: Hybrid (in person and Zoom)
In person: NSFA Offices, 7 Atlantic Central Drive, East Mountain
Virtual: Zoom (connection details will be shared with members in advance)
Background and Context
At the NSFA Annual General Meeting on December 5, members voted to proceed with the process required to change NSFA’s fiscal year end to March 31. This Special Meeting is the next step in that process and is required because changing the fiscal year end requires a bylaw amendment and member approval.
Why change the fiscal year end?
The proposed fiscal year end change is intended to better align NSFA’s financial reporting with:
- the farm registration cycle, and
- federal and provincial funding timelines.
This alignment is expected to improve consistency between membership revenue, budgets, work plans, and reporting, and support clearer, more timely financial information for members, funders, and partners.
Transition planning
Moving the fiscal year end will require a one-time transition year and adjustments to internal planning and reporting schedules. NSFA will manage this through coordinated planning with auditors and a revised internal planning calendar aligned to the new fiscal year.
AGM timing and Farmers’ Forum
If the fiscal year end changes to March 31, NSFA’s Annual General Meeting would shift to June or July and would be delivered in a hybrid format to support accessibility and participation during a busy season.
NSFA also recognizes the value of member-facing events held in winter, and confirms that the Farmers’ Forum will continue as a dedicated winter event focused on Council elections, policy, government relations, and information sharing.
Bylaw Amendment Documents
The proposed bylaw amendments are available here.
(If you have difficulty accessing the documents, please contact NSFA.)
Questions
If you have questions in advance of the meeting, please contact:
Carolyn Van Den Heuvel, Executive Director
cvandenheuvel@nsfa-fane.ca
(902)893-2293