Germinating conversations

Doug Dyck operates an 850-hectare mixed-grain farm near Plum Coulee with his brother-in-law and nephew, where he faces two realities: that of the wonderful, intergenerational, diverse nature of farming life, and that of rising fuel and machinery costs, which have increased tenfold while the price of wheat has barely doubled since 1972.

“I am concerned about the viability of this farming method for my nephew into the future,” Dyck told more than 100 people gathered at Winkler Bergthaler Church on March 21 to hear what he and four other Manitoba Mennonite farmers had to say about food, faith and the land. “I have heard the phrase ‘fair trade’ or ‘fair price’ frequently in the past 10 years . . . but I have never heard it being discussed as it relates to the North American producer.”

“Germinating Conversations” was the first of two listening events planned by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba, A Rocha Prairie Canada and Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), at which farmers were given the opportunity to explain their practices and their challenges to urban eaters. Kenton Lobe, one of the event organizers and an instructor in international development and environmental studies at CMU, said the goal of the meeting was “to help residents in town and urban settings understand better the range of issues and concerns confronting those who grow food for a living. True understanding starts with good listening.”

Marg Rempel, who owns a mixed livestock and crop farm near Steinbach, believes that consumer assumptions are frustrating to farmers and labels are not always helpful. “It’s very popular to label things in terms of confinement versus free range, or corporate farm versus family farm,” she said, “but small is not always beautiful and large is not always destructive. The availability of water, the location of the farm, among other things, influence what farming system is optimal.”

Dean Hildebrand and his wife Tina have transformed a 260-hectare traditional grain farm into a cow/calf and grass-finishing beef ranch south of Morden. Hildebrand spoke out against the controversial issue of transgenetic engineering and seed manipulation. Guided by Genesis 1:11, he said, “I strongly believe that companies should not own seeds. They should not be patented or genetically manipulated.”

Ron Krahn works in partnership with his father and brother and their families to manage a 1,824-hectare grain farm near Rivers. They struggle with how to be faithful stewards. “We don’t like to spray, but tillage seems to be the greater evil, and so we practise zero tillage to eliminate top soil erosion,” he explained. “But then we need to spray.” There are no easy answers, he concluded.

Conrad Zacharias and his wife Valerie own a certified organic dairy farm in the village of Reinland. “I can’t sell to you directly,” he told the audience. “Six different parties need a cut. Regulations attempt to compensate for lack of relationships. Absence of relationships has created a vast disconnect between farmer and eater. If there was a close relationship between producer and consumer, they would produce and eat differently.”

Laura Rance, an award-winning journalist and editor of the Manitoba Co-operator, commended the organizers for the “unique and unusual effort.” This conversation “is very badly needed in our society, where 80 percent of Canadians live in urban areas and are distanced from the land that roots us.”

“Farmers have embraced the challenge to feed the world,” she said, asking, then, “Is it their burden alone to carry? Can we replace the word ‘production,’ which puts responsibility on one sector, with ‘availability’? Then all of us own that challenge.”

To watch a video of the event, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f9aPY2_d2I.