WANHAM, Alta. – It’s easy to get opinions from Yvonne Sinkevich about the state of agriculture.
A self-defined “political dog”, she collects information and sharpens her viewpoints as the women’s vice-president of the National Farmers Union and member of the Alberta Farm Women’s Network. Her husband Wally is also an NFU member.
On the Crow Benefit payout to farmers she says, “we’re not happy with that, we’ve lost that one.”
The Canadian Wheat Board is on “pretty shaky ground.” Sinkevich thinks it will remain, but with some drastic changes. The board has helped farmers in this area: “How can we, in the Peace, (River area) market to the U.S. or Saudi Arabia?”
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On a recent course in Winnipeg, the Sinkeviches were impressed by the aggressive marketing done by the Canadian International Grains Institute and the quality control by the Canadian Grain Commission.
Jobs lost
On Alberta Agriculture’s cuts she is concerned about the loss of women’s jobs with the elimination of the home economist position.
“I couldn’t go to them to find out what computer software we need.”
The Sinkeviches began farming 28 years ago on the homestead Wally’s parents “grubbed” out in the 1920s in the Peace River district. Wally had eight siblings, so at first they farmed as a family.
Now Yvonne and Wally have the whole farm. They grow mostly grains and oilseeds on their 2,400 acres and this year planted more canola than usual. Still, Wally would have preferred more wheat but “you can’t grow by prices; you have to do what the land is ready for,” said Yvonne.
The Sinkeviches are the youngest farmers here but they are already thinking about how to transfer the farm to their three children, all of whom are in agribusiness.
Yvonne and Wally wonder if there could be some way to pension off farmers so “you wouldn’t have to starve or put your son in debt.
“I haven’t got any faith in safety net income – that’s new (government) money. Where will it come from? … NISA was put in place for rich farmers who have money.”
Yvonne said if NISA had been in place in the 1970s, there would be more farmers on the land. Many of their neighbors have disappeared. And the stigma of being a failure at age 50 or 60 hurts.
“They’re still here driving trucks, doing labor or going back to school.”
Yvonne said she and her husband are a team, but it was only this past year that they put her name on the title and formed a legal partnership. Yvonne usually does the discing when it comes to farm work.
Wally does most of the other farm work and does the books on their computer as well.
Hired help
In the fall, they hire help and in the past, a foreign exchange student helped out each year.
“I refused to do it (farm work) when my kids were little. Now I have more time,” said Yvonne.
Child care remains a problem, especially for women trying to be equal partners.
“Farm women are just so terribly busy and it’s getting worse. You can’t get them to meetings. Any time left they spend with their families. …
“Our (farm women’s) labor hasn’t been measured in any way. We raise a lot of kids, grow a lot of food,” said Yvonne.
“What do you have to do to get organized? If you’re not into organizations you never think about these things.”
