SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan Wom-en’s Agricultural Network wants women to be treated equitably when it comes to community pasture allocation.
In a resolution passed at their annual winter conference, SWAN members are urging the provincial government to re-evaluate its policy on community pasture allocations.
Barb Gibson, a director from Conquest, said women who can prove they have their own cattle operation should be able to get their own allocation.
Individual patrons can get up to 50 head allocated into a local pasture. However, the provincial government classes spouses (husband or wife) as a family unit, and only 50 head are allowed between them even if the ownership is separate with different brands.
Read Also
European wheat production makes big recovery
EU crop prospects are vastly improved, which could mean fewer canola and durum imports from Canada.
Fathers and sons or daughters can be judged as separate units and both individuals get their 50-head share.
“Intergenerational relationships are judged differently,” said Dale Weisbrot, community pasture agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “It’s a case of one leaving eventually and one getting in.”
Drawing the line
Weisbrot explained it as a traditional approach. But he also pointed out that a company or partnership, plus the individual people, cannot apply for separate allotments.
“Where would it end, and would it be fair,” asked Weisbrot.
In the case of spouses, owning separate land, having different brands or wintering separately wouldn’t help. They would still be judged as one family unit.
Gibson said she’d heard of a case where a woman was farming on her own. She was unmarried, had her own land and cattle and her allocation of 50 head.
“After the woman got married, her allocation was cancelled because husband and wife are considered as one,” said Gibson.
In a pasture run by the federal agency PFRA, a married woman could get her own allocation if she owned her land and cattle and derived most of her income from farming.
Gibson said her organization will be passing the resolution on to the provincial government. Peter Remple, director of Saskatchewan’s lands and regulatory management, said his department is planning to look at every policy involving community pastures, but if groups have complaints, they should supply some clear guidelines to remedy the situation.
