Thousands Need Food

[rsomer]

Saw this news item on Nova Scotia regional CBC news about people left homeless and without food after Hurricane Juan. Is there something here the west can do to help?

http://novascotia.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ns_foodhelp20031004

I see the Red Cross is accepting cash donations for hurricane victims: 1-800-418-1111. I know there has been some donations of beef to food banks in Alberta, can anything be done to help the people in Nova Scotia. Maybe our beef organizations can arrange something as a visible way to repay the support that has been shown us.

[kato]

Sounds like a good idea!

[ncurry]

Just to let you all know, small farmers in Nova
Scotia have been devastated by this hurricane.
Most have lost several barns plus contents and
some animals. There looks like NO provincial
help to get these buildings back up at all, let
alone before winter. Many farmers had already
suffered a blow during spring floods, and this
is the "straw that breaks the camel's back".
Most cannot afford to insure replacement costs
for several barns having come through
drought in past 4 years as well as the same
effects of BSE as you westerners. Time to hang
together you fellows!! What are you willing to
do for the farmers who sacrificed for you a
year ago when you needed feed?

[rsomer]

I was able to get in touch with some contacts in Nova Scotia and Ontario. The feedback I got was that stocking the food banks is a problem, the need is quite high because of Hurricane Juan but also because they have an extremely high number of low income and public assistance cases per capita and often they are the ones without the means or skills to storehouse food. Although the soup kitchens, food banks and churches have made moves to deal with the problem the need is quite strong with no end in sight. Traditionally, food drives occur around Thanksgiving and Christmas and the fear is that the need won't be met this year. A contact I had in the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture was unaware of food shortages but the power had been out for up to 8 days and high barns and silos were hard hit. He understood that producers would get EMO assistance (I don’t know what that is) and the expectation was the province would help. It was pointed out to me that the blackout in Ontario was very bad for those producers as well although the media attention was focused on the cities.

I firmly believe there is a willingness in the west to help if the help is needed. Food banks in need was something I thought western producers could help with although, as with Hay West, the logistics would be difficult. I think most producers would be glad to see their beef go to someone in need rather than sell it cheap to Cargill. Any comments from east and west?