Tuesday, April 6, 2021

FARM ORGs DISCONNECTED FROM FARMERS

   It is greatly disturbing that farm leadership around the province does little to help farmers within their groups that have designations placed on their private property that limits their ability to maximize their capabilities to expand, phase in next generation, innovate and provide viable drainage for their crops. In short stopping the right to farm.
   It was also greatly disturbing in past years to see farm organizations shy away from supporting farmers, who had paid memberships, in Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) cases. The Farm Organizations preferred to go on the guilty until proven innocent methodology and would not provide support to help the farmer push back against farcical orders and charges and in the very few cases of real abuse or negligence, they refused to provide retraining, mental health support or even a thorough audit of the farmers practices to help them get back on track.
   This farm group laissez faire attitude has now extended into Conservation Authorities and the massive overreach they have been allowed to take, primarily under the McGuinty/Wynne liberal governments (2003-2018). When you look at Queen’s Park Hansard records you see that the CA’s were formed under the direction, by the Ontario Legislature’s intent, of providing support to mitigate erosion and flooding. In the last 20 years that hasn’t happened.

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