I worry that everything we have worked for on our farm, and what others have done on theirs, will all be trampled under by this rush to increase large corporate profits.

At the end of today’s talk show you encouraged people to write in with some of the issues they see facing farming. Since I was repeatedly cut-off and interrupted by Ron Bonnett I thought I would send you my thoughts. Our family and other farm neighbours have been working on some of these issues for awhile now and are often contacted by other walk-a-day, average farmers to talk with us about some of their concerns. They are disheartened by the way the once proud OFA has become a spokesperson for OMAF and Minister Johns in particular. Today’s show was a prime example. Another example was the recent Nutrient Management Regulations "Public Consultations" in Stratford. Apparently Mr. Bonnett was seated at the front panel, with Ms. Johns and the Deputy Minister. This is entirely too cozy a relationship and undermines the very creditable work that local federations like the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture have been doing for their members. I noticed that you did not invite representatives of the Christian Farmers, the NFU, and some of the other groups that have not been so "completely" consulted.

Are the Draft Regulations about creating a better future for small and medium sized family farmers in this province? Certainly not! The costs will be so prohibitive that most people will not be able to afford the price of implementing the regulations. I worry that many will just pack it in and our communities will suffer greatly because of it. I have heard government officials say they will provide the money, but where will it come from? To fully implement this it will cost millions of dollars. What are Helen Johns and the Conservative Government going to do, raise taxes? Or will they just ensure that more of our schools are closed? They are running out of things to cut and privatize; what will they do next, sell the roads, the air we breathe, to private interests so they can have enough money to pay for their plans? They are certainly not looking after family farmers, the environment or small town and rural communities.

Walkerton was not caused by farming. It was incompetent government officials and those who were supposed to be overseeing them, but mostly the Conservative government’s failed policies, yet it is independent family farmers who will have to pick up their tab. They are using the events in Walkerton, and a few needed improvements, as cover to remove all barriers to the really large operators that are ripping the heart out of our communities and farm neighbourhoods. Under their regulations and Bill 234, the so called "red tape bill", they are removing all local control over the large industrial-like operations. Clearly Helen Johns and the Conservative government’s vision for the future of farming is no small and medium sized farmers, just extremely large corporate backed operations. Some municipalities have used animal cap numbers, as an example, to control the size of operations to protect their family farmers and communities. Under the new regs the sky will be the limit. The only controlling influence will be their access to land to spread their liquid manure. Access to land with the type of money they have at their disposal will mean we can expect bigger and bigger operations and all the decisions about our communities will be made in Toronto. There will be no room left for my children or anyone else’s to some day run an independent family farm.

Mr Bonnett, at the very end of the program, admitted that part of the goal of the regulations was to remove the barriers placed on these operations. He tried to pretend that this was to protect small farmers. Can you think of many "small" farm operations that have engendered large protests and local government actions? I can not - so I think Mr. Bonnett is really talking about large industrial operations. This comment was very revealing. I am unsure how removing barriers will address any of the concerns highlighted in the O’Connor report, and mine and your drinking water, which the government claims is the reason for these regulations.

This government has mismanaged everything they have touched, from education, to health care and access to medical services, to Hydro and on and on. Why should we trust them to look after the interests of small town and rural Ontario? I worry that everything we have worked for on our farm, and what others have done on theirs, will all be trampled under by this rush to increase large corporate profits. None of us can afford to sit back and let our futures, but most especially our children and grandchildren’s futures be taken away without a fight. Otherwise how bad will we feel when we look back at today 15-30 years from now with a de-populated rural Ontario, with water unfit to drink, with no real family farmers left, but with large, empty, industrial agricultural structures going to rot because this system is unsustainable, and with small towns shells of their former selves, with nary a school in sight, and thinking we could have tried to do something but we were too busy and had other things we needed to do.

I realize this is getting long but are so many issues that are facing the farming community right now. Perhaps future shows could include more average people and less of the types of callers that were clearly lined up in advance by the participants of today’s show.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share these thoughts with you.

Grant Robertson