Dear Editor:I was honoured to participate in the Young Farmers Forum Hearings in Lanigan on April 28, 2010. I have spent many years travelling and dealing with all stripes of politicians, on my own time and money, for the betterment of all farmers and especially young farmers, who are our future.
The meeting went all right, till some young arrogant farmers indicated that "their biggest problem in agriculture was the OLD farmer." Our fore fathers came to Canada because of the feudal system in Europe - barons controlled that system. Our fore fathers worked hard at farming and tried to make sure their sons and daughters would carry on farming into the next generation.
Those arrogant young farmers should work with old farmers for inter generational farm transfers due to the high capital investment needed to start farming. We as farmers in 2010 are heading back into the feudal system, controlled this time, by multinational companies and investors.
Fourth generation farmers are disappearing fast and fifth generation farmers will be extinct.
Young farmers and other so called cutting edge farmers will have to get their act together to lobby the government of the day to develop policies that are good for all farmers and not insane policies that only benefit the multinationals.
Sitting back and doing nothing will result in more farms ending up in auction catalogues and those very young arrogant farmers will be slaves to multinationals and farm investor groups.
Edward SaganMelville, Sask.
