BANFF, Alta. – Alberta’s general farm organization is considering a name change.
Wild Rose Agricultural Producers may become the Alberta Federation of Agriculture Producers to end confusion with the political group, Wild Rose Alliance Party.
The change may not happen for another 18 months because it requires a legislative change, said president Humphrey Banock.
A name change is the least of the organization’s struggles as it goes through a review to build membership and invite more commodity groups to join.
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There are about 49,000 farmers in Alberta working in the province’s second largest industry. Yet membership remains voluntary and keeping afloat is an annual struggle, he said in an interview during the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s recent summer meeting in Banff.
“Our membership is struggling and with part of the realignment we are hoping to expand and hopefully bring in more commodity groups around the table,” he said.
Wild Rose is a full member of the CFA of which Banock is second vice-president. However, the Alberta group is often unable to pay the full membership dues.
“We spend a lot of our time dealing with membership issues and it becomes disheartening at times,” he said. “We could be doing things that are more focused. There is a void in Alberta for some of the general issues.”
Common concerns about farm safety, crop insurance and environmental issues affect all farms.
“We could do a good job of representing everybody on that and bring a broader voice to the table other than two or three voices,” he said.
The organization is currently asking the six Alberta Conservative leadership candidates three questions each to see where each person stands on agriculture.
Wild Rose will use social media to share the results and hopefully stimulate public debate.
Wild Rose formed in 1996 as an off shoot of the Unifarm organization that also faltered because it could not build a broad membership or obtain guaranteed funding to operate.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has also decided it is time for change. The organization is looking to recruit new members beyond the current 22 groups, but they need a reason to join, said president Ron Bonnett.
The federation has embarked on a five-year plan so staff and members can work smarter and be more effective as a general representative for Canadian farmers.
“It is an holistic review to serve our farmers more effectively,” said Jessica Goodfellow of the CFA.
During the summer meeting, a new governance model was discussed and a comprehensive communications program should be released early next year.
Advocacy strategies will focus on rural policy, a national food strategy and Growing Forward Two as well as a membership drive.
