There are two topics which are so apt regarding chalk and cheese.
I farm in the Peace River country at Farmington, near Dawson Creek, B.C., the northwest of prairie farming.
We are into our fourth drought year, this I believe becoming the most severe.
Since the May long weekend blizzard and rain, we have received just three millimetres of rain in now six weeks in our area. Crops are thinning daily and becoming too late for secondary tillers even if rain came but none is in the forecast for the next 14-day period.
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Almost on a daily basis I am phoned by farmers from Saskatchewan whom I met on my combine trips to Ottawa in 2000-2001 regarding the drowning of crops and so many unseeded acres with up to 15 inches rain in the same period as our quarter-inch.
Both are very serious and I know from personal experience government programs in place will wriggle their way out of addressing this in a meaningful way. This is so true.
The other chalk and cheese is comparing Lyle Vanclief to Eugene Whelan as past agricultural ministers. Farmers have much respect for Eugene Whelan, as I do. I have been interviewed by him and know his person.
There is little or no past respect for Lyle Vanclief, whom I met many times on my trips. His legacy was to bring despair to farm families and (he) definitely has no heart for the industry.
When I saw inThe Western Producerhe had been inducted into the Agricultural Hall of Fame, I was horrified and sickened to the core. The man comes not even close to this prestigious award. I am sorry to have to be saying this but he crippled many farm families.
