NISKU, Alta. Ñ After eight years as the poor cousin, Alberta has once again become a full-fledged member of Canada’s national farm organization.
Until Jan. 1, the Wild Rose Agricultural Producers had been an associate member of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture because it couldn’t pay its dues.
However, Wild Rose executive director Rod Scarlett said the CFA has since lowered its full membership fee to a more affordable $8,400, allowing the Alberta group to become a full member.
Unifarm was a full-fledged CFA member when it was Alberta’s main provincial farm group, but it dissolved after major organizations such as Alberta Wheat Pool, United Farmers of Alberta and Alberta Cattle Commission pulled their support. Wild Rose Agricultural Producers was formed in 1996 after Unifarm’s demise, but with no ongoing source of funding, it was unable to pay its annual CFA membership. Most other provincial agriculture organizations are funded by government and producer checkoffs.
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“The formula worked out for us,” said Scarlett, who added Alberta farmers will now be represented when political decisions are made in Ottawa.
“For Wild Rose, that allows us to be involved in some national decisions and be at the national meetings.”
Wild Rose president Bill Dobson said the organization will make a presentation to the provincial government this year for an assured funding formula.
“We’re the poorest farm organization in the richest province and I’m ashamed.”
Wild Rose has sometimes had an adversarial relationship with the province’s agriculture ministers. Doug Horner, Alberta’s new minister, said at Wild Rose’s recent annual meeting that he recognizes the group’s contribution to agriculture and wants to work with it more.
“I want to make the relationship a lot closer than it has been,” he said.
