By Connie Tabbert
Secretary
Renfrew County National Farmers Union, Local 330
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — There was no shortage of discussions throughout the three-day National Farmers Union convention held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Three members from Renfrew County Local 330 of the National Farmers Union attended the event – president Tony Straathof; vice-president Tim Tabbert and secretary-treasurer Connie Tabbert.
There were workshops, panel discussions, resolutions pondered and various business reports to deal with.
David Suzuki, Canada’s leader in sustainability and environmental issues, also attended the event. While he was there as a member of the NFU, he also took the time, when invited, to address the audience during a public event Thursday evening.
One of the more interesting panels was titled Farming in a Changing Climate, with four NFU members sharing how they are changing their farms and farming practices in light of climate change. There was also an interactive panel titled Can Supply Management provide a living for all family farms. The first panel discussion was The Changing Climate for Agriculture Policy.
Two public events were also held. Kent Mullinex, director with the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems, Kwantien Polytechnic University spoke on Agriculture in a Changing Climate and a movie titled Migrant Dreams, which was based on how migrant workers are treated versus how they should be treated.
Elections for various officers within the organization were also held. Jan Slomp of Courtenay, BC was returned for his third term as president. There was no election for Second Vice President (Operations) as Cam Goff of Hanley Saskatchewan was acclaimed while Lydia Carpenter of Dunrea, Manitoba was elected as First Vice-President (Policy). Coral Sproule of Perth, Ontario was returned as women’s president and Ayla Fenton of Kingston, Ontario returned as Youth President, both acclaimed. Katie Ward of Woodlawn, Ontario was elected women’s vice-president and Dana Penrice of Lacombe, Alberta was elected Youth vice-president.
The members voted in favour of a constitutional amendment. It was passed that if any board member misses three consecutive board meetings without given prior notice of their intent to be absent, the board may declare that seat vacant.
There were also just under 30 resolutions to be discussed. Since it was not possible to get through them all, some were referred to the board to discuss and decide.
Some of the resolutions that were discussed and passed:
* A study be conducted on farm bankruptcies across the country and that an in-depth report on this situation be reported.
* The NFU lobby federal and provincial governments to provide any citizen with access to facilities that can test well water for neonicotinoids, glyphosates and their respective derivatives.
* The NFU urge the federal minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to consult across Canada with the objective of developing an holistic, integrated food and farm policy based on pillars of food sovereignty that meets the social, economic and environmental needs of all Canadians, including farmers.
*The NFU endorsed the concept of a Basic Income Guarantee for all Canadians and that it encourage the federal government to work with the provincial governments to consider, investigate and develop a basic income guarantee for all Canadians.
* The NFU request the federal government terminate the registration of GM alfalfa in Canada on the basis that GM alfalfa is a glyphosate resistant perennial which will increase production on costs of canola, soybeans, corn and eliminate organic alfalfa production.
* The NFU urge the government to track/document agricultural chemical usage across the country for the purpose of studying its long-term effects.
* The NFU continue to call on the federal government to ensure ingredients from the diafiltration process or any other process that separates milk into component parts are treated as dairy and their import into Canada is restricted.
* The NFU will call upon the federal government to grant migrant workers in agriculture permanent residency status in Canada.
The Renfrew County National Farmers Union meets the first Monday of each month at the Barr Line Community Centre at 7:30 p.m. Any members are welcome to attend, and anyone who would like to attend to find out more about the NFU is welcomed. You may also email the local at [email protected].
