The Rural Voice, 2001-12, Page 12BERNIE McGLYNN
LUMBER LTD.
BUYER OF HARDWOOD BUSHLOTS
Wholesaler - Hardwood Lumber
Box 385, R.R. 2.
Wingham, On:. NOG 2W0
- BERNIE McGLYNN
Ph/Fax (519) 357.1430
SAWMILL -
R.R. #5, Mildmay, Ont.
(519) 367-5789
Thanks to the farmers who have supplied us
with excellent wool
and to all our
customers who
purchased yarn for
their knitting projects.
Merry Christmas.
The Philosopher's Wool Co.
Inverhuron, 519-368-5354
CANADIAN
CO-OPERATIVE
WOOL GROWERS
LIMITED
717_
Now Available
WOOL ADVANCE PAYMENTS
* Skirted Fleeces
* Well -Packed Sacks
For more information contact:
WINGHAM
WOOL DEPOT
John Farrell
R.R. 2, Wingham, Ontario
Phone/Fax 519-357-1058
8 THE RURAL VOICE
Jeffrey Carter
Is this the message farmers want to tell?
The Globe and Mail on October Farmers of Canada to develop a
29 published a 10 -page special
section, Agriculture: Food and much
more. I called to investigate further
and after bouncing around The
Globe's automated telephone Jenice
for a few
minutes, I
eventually talked
to a live person
and found that
the section was a
product
of the paper's
advertising
division.
I actually
enjoyed "the
read". It made
me laugh. I have
a rather dark, if
not perverse,
sense of humour.
The advertising people at what's
arguably Canada's finest newspaper
are not all that different from the
folks at some of the little outfits I've
worked for over the years, it would
seem. Both have the propensity of
selecting editorial material that
manages to say little with many
Words.
For instance, in the lead article,
Lyle Vanclief, Canada's agriculture
minister, is quoted extensively in
relation to how family farmers should
"respond to the new realities of the
marketplace."
"i think we're at a real crossroads
here, and we have to treat it as an
opportunity. There are a lot of
expectations, yes, but Canadian
agriculture can grow and thrive if we
consistently meet and exceed those
expectations," Vanclief is quoted.
There's a lot more, talk of "key
planks" and "action plans" and other
such drivel. I imagine the publicity
folks at Agriculture and Agri -Food
Canada came up with this particular
article and that Mr. Vanclief agreed
to his direct quotes after they had
been written for him.
There was other articles of a 'rah -
rah' vein throughout the section.
The article "safe, safer, safest"
focused on efforts by The Chicken
HACCP plan and there were similar
articles talking about food safety. The
wonders of biotechnology and the
global marketplace were proclaimed.
A little piece on organic farming was
even slipped into the mix.
The biggest advertiser was the
Council for Biotechnology
Information. Figures. They had a full -
colour page (bet that cost them) and a
quarter page.
There was an editorial written by
Caroline Emond of Geneva,
Switzerland about the World Trade
Organization that I assume was a paid
advertisement. Emond wrote about
Canada's "well-balanced and credible
position"at the WTO. Among other
things she suggested the position, "is
based on the fundamental
objective that all farmers in Canada
must earn a decent living from their
work."
Emond must be referring to their
off -farm work, right?
Other advertisers included Farm
Credit Canada, the Canadian
Fertilizer Institute, the Export
Development Corporation, a dozen
universities, a group of milk
processors, the Dairy Farmers of
Canada, the Canadian Pork Council,
and the Canadian Federation of
Agriculture.
That's right. Canadian farmers
helped pay for this — dairy farmers,
pork producers and anyone who
belongs the CFA. �A
To be fair, the pork council, DFC
and CFA advertisements, in
themselves, made good points. Yet to
place support the overall effort was a
mistake.
There was too much in the way of
mindless cheerleading and statements
in some of the articles were, at the
very least, misleading.
Farmer dollars could be spent in a
wiser fashion.0
Jeffrey Carter is a freelance
journalist based in Dresden, Ontario.
Letters may be sent to P.O. Box
1207, Dresden, Ontario, NOP IMO or
to this magazine.