Cynics may have thought the Alberta Growth Summit was a waste of time, but it was tough to pry a discouraging word from the agriculture delegates at the Alberta conference.
“I found it a wonderful learning experience,” said Marie Logan, of Lomond. “It probably made me a better Albertan,” said the grain and cattle producer and president of the 4-H council.
High Level farmer Eugene Dextrase was equally enthusiastic: “I’ve never seen the government so open and willing to listen to the views of the people.
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“The premier sat there and listened to us the whole time,” said Dextrase, who is also chair of the Alberta Canola Producers’ Commission.
Even Bryan Perkins, Alberta vice-president of United Grain Growers, altered his initial negative view.
“I thought the process was very worthwhile. They came up with real compromises which made me much less a cynic,” said Perkins, a grain farmer from Wainwright.
He later added if nothing comes of the suggestions from the summit he’ll return to his former ways: “If nothing happens I’ll have my cynic hat back on with a strap under my chin.”
The summit was the provincial government’s way of getting suggestions from Albertans on what they want the province to look like in 2005 when the province turns 100. All summer, Albertans were asked their opinions on where the province should be heading in many areas, including agriculture.
Lots of suggestions
Perkins said he thought the hostile takeover attempt of UGG by the Alberta and Manitoba pools generated a lot of paper, but it was nothing compared to growth summit presentations. Dextrase said he had to buy a second fax machine to keep up with the flow.
Before the two-day summit, the 11 agriculture delegates and the facilitator, former federal agriculture minister Don Mazankowski, met to sift through the suggestions and come up with a uniform presentation.
Those suggestions were presented to the main body before being dissected by all the delegates. While a suggestion from one group may have been embraced as necessary by their industry, it could have disastrous effects on another. By talking together, some suggestions flew through unchanged, others were modified by the entire group or shelved as unworkable.
It was a “monumental breakthrough” and a unique way to gather Albertan’s opinions, said Aaron Falkenberg, chair of the Alberta Chicken Producers.
“It’s a new way to do things – to build consensus,” he said from Sherwood Park.
Bernie Kotelko, president of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association, said it became apparent how each industry within agriculture is connected.
“Every part of agriculture is a link in the chain. We have to look at more of a ‘we’ instead of an ‘I’ attitude,” said Kotelko.
“We need strong links right through.”
During the process, agriculture presented six priorities:
- Infrastructure, both physical and human: If there are more value-added products coming from farms, roads need to be in shape to haul the goods. There must also be training to develop leadership skills if the industry is to grow.
- Environment: With a move to more intensive livestock operations, legislation must guarantee clean water and air, while allowing agriculture to expand.
- Regulation and taxes.
- Marketing and competition.
- Need for investment.
- Research and development.
Mazankowski said the process showed agriculture is a viable industry. His job may not be over because he has had numerous requests to talk to organizations about the summit process and the end results.
“We have a pretty good feeling of what’s going to take place.”
