EDMONTON – The Women of Unifarm will decide at their June convention whether to divorce Alberta’s main farm organization.
“We’re doing some planning now to see if they want to change their name or if they want to become a separate organization. The decisions will be made at their June convention,” said Verna Kett, president of Women of Unifarm during a meeting at the Wild Rose Agricultural Producers (WRAP) convention.
During that convention, the farm organization Unifarm became the Wild Rose organization.
With each $100 membership in Unifarm, farmers’ wives automatically became members of Women of Unifarm. There are about 700 active members in the group.
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“We’re the stronger organization of the two of them,” said Kett.
Because of the strength of the women’s organization and the worry the main organization isn’t attracting farmers, some women want to set up their own group separate from Wild Rose.
“We feel we could get the 700 active members on their own without having the main organization,” said Kett, of Wainwright.
There was a lot of joking the new organization could be called Wrappers or Rosebuds, but Kett said the more apt description would be Thorns.
“Through all this restructuring we need a voice.”
Equal partners
Kett said women are equal partners on the farm and she’s tired of coming to the Unifarm meeting and being called an affiliate.
“That’s what really irks us. I thought we were partners.”
Women of Unifarm don’t automatically get a seat at the board table. Kett, as president, has to run each year and hopes she gets enough votes to sit on the board of directors.
“Are they allowing for any of us to be there? No. To be called an affiliate ticks me off to no end.
“If we’re going to be partners in this organization, things have to change.”
Kett said a new farm organization would look at raising its own money. The Women of Unifarm forgave the main organization $35,254 owed to the women to help with debt.
“If we’re going to be slotted a certain amount of money, it’s going to be ours. None of this B.S.”
Traditionally, Women of Unifarm has dealt with social and education issues on the farm and in the rural areas. A new organization would likely continue with similar issues, she said.
The Women of Unifarm convention is scheduled for Lacombe, Alta., June 13-14.
