Does NFU represent the average farmer? Some interesting characters on their board.

[seldomseen]

Just the Ag arm of the NDP. I won't go anywhere near them now but I a have short history with them.

When i was just getting started farming i had a couple of real strong NDP neighbors and they were also strong supporters of the NFU. About the time I was leaving high school these two older neighbors would always try to get me to come to their NDP or NFU meetings. Being young and naive I decided to go check it out even after my Dad said he wouldn't go. When I got to the meeting they told me it was going to be a membership drive. There was a house full of other people and we were going to get paired up and go around selling memberships. Wayne Easter was the head of the NFU at the time and somehow I got paired up with Wayne. So my day turned into driving Wayne Easter from farm to farm while he tried to sell memberships. I somehow managed to disappear after the meeting without buying a membership and have never gone to anymore NFU meetings. These same neighbors got me to a NDP meeting one time and met Allen Blakeney and I got out of that one also without a membership or a donation.
The old pickup that I drove Wayne in ended up parked broken down and rusted out behind the yard and my kids would play in it sometimes. Then watching the news Wayne Easter would show up and i would tell my kids "You see that guy from the government he spent a day riding in our old pickup" I don't think they ever believed me.
Sorry for rambling.

[macdon02]

Seldom, i went to a recent NFU, EPR meeting, mostly out of curiosity to see the other view. NFU said they asked 40 other farm organizations to join them lobbying govt. Here's our first problem, wtf is going on that we're needed 40 organizations to represent us? Apparently the take is getting a little rich if there's that many, representing "farmers". Second, they want all the genetic dna given to the universities. Now i have zero issues with public funded genetics, in fact i encourage it, but giving universities exclusivity to all the breeding material is asking for a disaster. Let them wage war against the Bayers and Cortevas of the world to keep them in check. There needs to be a balance between the 2. There will be more money in owning grain on paper the next 10 years then actually producing it as the corruption in govt is putting regulation in place making production unprofitable, the oligopoly will thrive as is.

[dalek]

Still No F$&@ing Use

[Oliver88]

Wow, quite the list of priorities from these loons.
The list of items they endorse would basically end all agriculture in Canada and kill our economy.



Other noteworthy items from their website,
They are very much opposed to hydro power, specifically site C dam in BC, which doesn't exactly square with the desire for renewable energy which they also support, not sure what site C dam has to do with farmers?
Lots of anti GMO
Lots of support for UN initiatives
Supporting climate change initiatives, including the carbon tax
Anti pipeline, pro First nations soveriegnty
Anti free trade/NAFTA/CETA
Pro bilingulism/Francophone (noteworthy that the only region without an NFU chapter is Quebec
Pro Pharmacare in Canada
Promoting prison farms
Anti growth hormones
Many media releases about gender
NFU is proud to endorse Idle No More’s “UNsettling Canada 150” Call to Action ( wouldn't that involve kicking farmers off the land, not sure if they thought that one through all the way?)
They are against property owners defending their own property or lives against criminals, but the entire cause of the problem is not enough women in the right positions
Solidarity with natives in US blocking pipelines
Concerned about Brazilian and Palestinian farmers rights
Concerned that the government of New Brunswick isn't doing more to help farmers due to low wild blueberry prices( at least it is almost farming related, but not sure how you farm a wild plant??? Can't it be one or the other?
They sent condolences to Colten Boushie
Supports migrant workers
Endorses LEAP Manifesto
Supported ALberta's bill 6, farm safety bill brought in by NDP, which was universally opposed by all in the industry
SUpported Lawrence Macaulay, previous federal ag minister
Concerned about support for Libraries
Against TPP
Pro supply management ( at least it is ag related)
Still lamenting the fall of the CWB, and longing for the good old days.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

What a joke that post was. Selectively picking segments of some of the directors profiles, often quoting their interests or hobbies and omitting their agricultural qualifications. Lots of commercial farmers - conventional grain and livestock producers included throughout the ranks of the NFU directors and members.
If you think I'm going to waste my time further countering your ridiculous claims in this thread you've got another thing coming. I've better things to do with my time even if you haven't.

It would be bad enough if I'd had to selectively cherry pick to find such gems, but the truth is, there was only about 3 board members who didn't state something so ridiculous in their bio's that it warranted including in the list. Perhaps all the members who's bio's are blank are better, or perhaps their bio's are so far out there that they don't dare publish them. And the really scary part, I did include their agricultural qualifications, refer to the list above. And those are the board members, assuming that the cream rises to the top, imagine what the rank and file must have for qualifications and beliefs?

Not sure why you took this so personally, or why you believe it is should be your responsibility to defend them, it wasn't directed at you. And none of them are my ridiculous claims, they are either direct quotes from NFU board member bio's, or paraphrased synopsis of their press releases, most of which are beyond being defensible.

Not sure how an organization which purportedly represents farmers was hijacked ( or perhaps always was?) by primarily radical left anti-everything eco/social justice warriors, or what motivated them to get involved, but I can't help but wonder if one followed the money, that it would lead back to the same sources as Vivian Krause found to be behind the other anti-industry groups attempting to destroy Canada's productive industries.

Is it our own fault for not getting involved, which allowed this small but vocal minority to take over and pretend to speak on our behalf? Or is it the presence of such ignorant anti agriculture type people that drove well intentioned actual farmers away? As long as they are irrelevant and not taken seriously by governments, as stated by other posters, then perhaps it is safe to just ignore them, and let them back themselves into a corner of obsolescence, perhaps politicians will (or already did) eventually notice that there are no farmers amongst their membership, and ignore them too.

Only problem is that their message is exactly what certain politicians love to hear to justify their anti-industry policies. Our current federal Liberals, and soon to be deposed Alberta NDP specifically.

[foragefarmer]

Ab5 et al

Want to point out that I have never belonged to no Ag farm group.

You seem to be all hell bend on posting anything that comes to mind chastising any other Canadian who doesn't have the same political view as your's, and now have focused on a Ag farm group who has NDP association. My honest view is you were part of the now defuncted Wild Rose Party and can't seem to find a place to park your ideology so you use Agriville to get your crap out!

Just wondering if you could do a synopsis on the WCWGA, particularly which Ag companies sponsor them? You could also question yourself with a list of Ag related Companies who sponsor them who do they really represent in Ag?


Their VP participated in Syngent's Grower University 1 & 2. I'm sure he's in favor of the new seed tax which all us farmers will be paying. Maybe he could grace us with his weekly post or view point!

But I highly doubt AB5 you would find anything negative regarding the WCWGA as they are a right wing leaning Ag Farm group and that's all the matters to you! Maybe your neighbors to the V.P. of WCWGA!

[chuckChuck]

https://www.nfu.ca/about/board-of-directors/

Readers don't rely on Alberta 5 to present a profile or critique of NFU board members. Go read their profiles for your self. There is a wide range of Board Members from large conventional farms to small farms from most parts of Canada.

What bothers Alberta 5, is any organization or individual who has a different point of view than his. Alberta 5 doesn't want to hear different opinions and will spend a whole lot of time discrediting anyone who would dare to counter his particular point of view.

Which is quite ironic considering he spends a whole lot of time on a public discussion forum where the whole point is to hear a wide range of views!

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Chuck, So as usual, it sounds like you didn't read any of the original post before casting your aspersions. I posted this on a public forum asking for feedback. I was asking if these are the issues of utmost importance to Canadian farmers. If the viewpoints and lifestyles of the members reflect those of the wider farming community.

And so far, looks like Three members of Averyville do share those extremist anti agriculture views. And for that, I thank you for your contribution to the thread.

And, a question to the three posters who have come out in support of these viewpoints, assuming you are land owning farmers. One of the NFU's policies is giving the land back to the natives. If you are in favor of that, why do you require a lobby group to lobby for that action. What is stopping you from just turning your land over to them by yourself?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

And thank you for posting the link too, chuck. This way anyone else can check the bio's and press releases and verify what I posted is accurate.

It is Noteworthy that none of the three supporters made any attempt to defend, or refute any of the claims, but instead only attacked the messenger .

[chuckChuck]

Chuck, So as usual, it sounds like you didn't read any of the original post before casting your aspersions. I posted this on a public forum asking for feedback. I was asking if these are the issues of utmost importance to Canadian farmers. If the viewpoints and lifestyles of the members reflect those of the wider farming community.

And so far, looks like Three members of Averyville do share those extremist anti agriculture views. And for that, I thank you for your contribution to the thread.

And, a question to the three posters who have come out in support of these viewpoints, assuming you are land owning farmers. One of the NFU's policies is giving the land back to the natives. If you are in favor of that, why do you require a lobby group to lobby for that action. What is stopping you from just turning your land over to them by yourself?

Where in the NFU policy does it suggest giving back all agricultural land to First Nations? I can't see it on their website. Didn't look very long.

Perhaps you are confusing settling outstanding treaty land claims, honoring treaties and natural resource revenue sharing with giving back land to first nations?

Since you are opposed to subsidies to any industry, when are you going to start sending back the agricultural subsidies you receive? Just asking because you of all people should be abiding by your often stated free market principles!