Hog Watch Manitoba News
March 2002

NEWS RELEASE - CITIZENS AGAINST FACTORY FARMING - Mar.29-'01.

Citizens Against Factory Farming (CAFF) has expressed dismay at the spreading cloak of secrecy surrounding plans for several huge hog barns near Roblin, in west-central Manitoba.

The R.M. of Shell River recently decided to accept an invitation from the Northwest Technical Review Committee to attend a closed meeting on Intensive Livestock Operations (ILOs) on April 5th in Grandview. (Other R.M.s will attend similar meetings elsewhere.)

The Committee is supposed to make sure that applicants for ILOs in that part of the province, meet provincial regulations. Now, the Shell River Reeve and two Councillors have also agreed to attend a private meeting with the "Roblin Holding Company" on April 10th.

That's a private group of investors set up to support the proposed animal factories. Larry Powell of "CAFF" says, despite its claims to impartiality, the Committee (which has yet to turn down an application) is nothing more than a special interest group, just as the Holding Company is. "After all, he says, everyone knows which side they are on. And it certainly isn't ours!

Powell freely admitted at an R.M. meeting yesterday (Wed.) that even "CAFF" could be labelled as a special interest group. "But at least we are prepared to shout our cause to the rooftops, in a public forum, because we believe we are right. "Yet the promoters are acting as if they have something to hide. Why don't they come out of the shadows, too, so the public can see what is really going on?"

What is even more disturbing, adds Powell, is that so many of our elected officials (not all) seem so eager to conduct public business in secret! Powell asked the R.M. to request both the Committee and the Company to open up their meetings to the public. The Reeve, Albert Nabe, refused. There was no debate.
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Council of the RM of Piney has imposed a moratorium on livestock development until the end of May.The moratorium, approved during a packed-house special council meeting Thursday, will be lifted May 28. Lifting of the moratorium was planned by council to coincide with the completion of a process of amending the municipality's livestock by-law.

Newly-elected reeve Luc Gendreau, in recommending the moratorium, insisted the majority of Piney residents believe strong livestock development regulations are needed.

The moratorium would give time for the livestock by-law to be amended before council begins to process new applications, he said.Council was ultimately unanimous in approving the moratorium.

There were, however, questions about the need to process livestock applications already before council. It was also suggested council could proceed with processing applications for operations falling safely within even a much stricter livestock by-law.

Gendreau, however, insisted the municipality needs a moratorium until "we have a by-law that meets the needs of our community." Councillors agreed the moratorium should be imposed only if a strict deadline were put in place. An open-ended moratorium would leave farmers in limbo for too long, Councillor Alana Schoenbach said. Amendments to the by-law could be completed by May 28, council agreed.

The meeting also saw council agree to solicit public input on possible amendments to the livestock by-law at a meeting April 27. The meeting will likely be held at the Piney Hall beginning at 1 p.m. and concluding at 6 p.m. A resolution will be prepared only after the meeting is held.

Gendreau would like to see council ban all future livestock development involving liquid manure.He also suggested council should tie animal units of waste produced by a livestock operation directly to land base. For instance, he said, the municipality could require two acres of spreading land to each animal unit of waste proposed by an application.

Councillor Earl Sawka cautioned a ban against liquid manure would discriminate against hog and dairy operations. It would also work, in effect, against smaller operations, which would be unable to afford the cost of composting manure.

Some studies suggest composting is viable for hog operations, Councillor Barb Zailo responded.Briefs would be welcome from anyone, rather than ratepayers alone, council agreed.

Following the meeting former reeve Marvin Hovorka suggested council would best focus on dealing with land use and site issues rather than environmental concerns.

He also expressed concern about inviting a wide-open response at the April 27 meeting.
That leaves the possibility of Piney becoming the focus of activists from across Manitoba, he said.

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NISKU, Alta. — Despite falling incomes and greater distances to schools and services, 98 percent of rural residents in the four western provinces think they have a good life, a survey of people in rural communities shows.

Philippe Ricard, with Socio-Graphic Studies in Quebec, said he has never seen such an overwhelming show of support for quality of life.

In the survey of 1,968 farmers and non-farmers who lived in rural areas of the four western provinces, 43.2 percent rated their quality of life as good and 54.9 percent rated it very good.

"I survey quite a bit in urban areas and you don't get such good results for quality of life," said Ricard, who conducted the survey for the Western Agri-Food Institute, a group set up with funding from western provinces to research and promote western agriculture and rural development.

"As you can see, it is a good place to live," said Ricard, as he unveiled the research to the members.

Manitoba farmer Owen McAuley, chair of the institute, said the positive attitude is a sign that life in rural areas is good.

"I think that speaks well for us. It's a significant difference than you would have got in urban areas," said McAuley.

Former federal agriculture minister Charlie Mayer said he's not surprised by the results.

"I think people live in the country by choice," said Mayer who lives in St. Francois Xavier, about 20 minutes outside Winnipeg.

The study was commissioned by the Western Agri-Food Institute to find the similarities and differences between farmers and non-farmers in rural areas of the Prairies and British Columbia.

By understanding the attitudes toward agriculture, the group hoped to better understand where agriculture would fit into the rural economy of the future.

Instead of highlighting the differences between farmers and non-farmers in rural areas, the study pointed out their similarities. Both groups of rural residents said there was a need for good health care, roads and education.

There was also little difference among attitudes toward intensive livestock operations, genetically modified crops, pesticide use or economic development.

When the rural residents were asked what they would do if a project with economic benefit to their community had a negative impact on the environment, 58 percent said they would try to find a compromise.

Eight percent said they would accept or defend the project and 34 percent said they would disagree with or oppose the project.

Gaye Lenderbeck of the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council said she was surprised by the willingness of people to co-operate on major projects.

"We tend to get a little hot about hog barn development. I think there really are 58 percent who are willing to compromise but you don't hear that message," said Lenderbeck.

Ricard said if the opposition is weighed slightly against large projects, it's because the people have chosen to live in rural areas for the quality of life.

"The compromise leans more towards nature," he said.

Jeff Turple of Target Ag-Ventures in Calgary said the survey shows governments must realize agriculture policy isn't necessarily rural development policy.

While there is little difference in attitudes between farmers and non-farmers, the survey showed there are clear differences in attitudes among provinces.

The survey conducted in December and January showed 63.3 percent of the people in Manitoba feel hog barns and intensive livestock have had a negative impact on the environment, significantly higher than the 33.8 percent of people in Saskatchewan, the 25.5 percent in Alberta and 2.4 percent in B.C.

The Alberta residents said oil and gas activity and garbage and waste disposal had the most negative impact on the environment.

Canadian Wheat Board support is greatest in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, while the majority of Alberta and B.C. residents thinks the board hinders producers.

For the prairie sample the study's margin of error is 3.8 percent for farmers and 3.7 percent for non-farmers.

Across the West, the margin is 3.1 percent for farmers and non-farmers.
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CBC News Online - Manitoba News Digest 02/03/20

WebPosted Mar 20 2002 01:45 PM MST
Brandon, Man.

Federal government reports quoted in the Ottawa Citizen say the hog industry has had limited success in becoming more friendly to the environment.

The documents, released through a Freedom of Information request, outline specific problems where large-scale hog operations are connected with cases of asthma, bronchitis and depression.

Michelle Benning, director of the Environment Bureau at Agriculture and Food Canada, says the federal government monitors the problem, but it's not their job to control it.

"The size of farm operations and such has always been subject to municipal and provincial regulations, not to federal regulations," she says.

Benning says the federal government funds environmental equipment for hog operations to mitigate the effects of pollution. It is also involved in research to better understand the environmental impact of hog operations.

• Province shirking its responsiblities? •

Bill Paton, a botany and biology professor at the University of Brandon, says the province has been avoiding its responsibilities.

"In this province, it's been a disaster – it's been a license to pollute," he says. "It's been an ongoing, sometimes heated, debate between Environment Canada officials in this province who have a purely regulatory role, and provincial officials who are not qualified to be on the job."

Paton says the province needs to monitor and control the way hog barn waste is used.

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Livestock becomes election issue - Piney
This is chance to determine level of hog production
By Janine Gibson
Winnipeg Free Press March 19, 2002

Many residents in the south-eastern Manitoban municipality of Piney consider they have already scored an important victory for local democracy, regardless of the outcome of the byelection to be held tomorrow. The people of Piney will decide to elect three councillors and a reeve from a slate of candidates that can be roughly divided into two camps: those who support intensive livestock operations (ILOs) and those who support more traditional family-farm-sized agricultural production.
Observing how their northerly neighbour Hanover has allowed 430 ILOs on less than 288 square miles (that's three "barns" for every two square miles), citizens of Piney have been demanding a referendum on whether to allow additional intense animal production. The previous municipal council, like Hanover and many in Manitoba, refused to conduct a referendum. Eventually, starting over a year ago, three councillors and the reeve resigned without issuing public statements. These resignations paved the way to the byelection call made Feb. 4 by Roger Bouvier of Manitoba Intergovernmental Affairs, appointed to ensure proper election procedures were implemented and who is capably overseeing municipal responsibilities until the new council is functioning.
Barb Zailo, one of only two incumbent councillors who are continuing, was elected over a year ago to replace the first resignation. Clearly allied with the Concerned Citizens group position, Zailo believes organic agricultural methods "cost less, both to the environment and in dollars," so she supports more traditional animal production systems.
Recent research by Dr Martin Entz of the University of Manitoba confirms the better net return for organic production.
Luc Gendreau, a small mixed-farm operator himself with 25 hogs and 10 head of cattle, is running for reeve. Gendreau has stated he believes all liquid manure systems are inefficient at recycling nutrients, especially given the risk to Piney's excellent water quality and generally permeable soil - a lot of sand, gravel and peat with only pockets of good agricultural land. Gendreau has been an active member of the Concerned Citizens, and stresses how neighbouring Middlebro Simply Natural Water Corp., won the International Taste Test gold medal in Virginia in 2001.
Preserve
Rose-Marie Nakata, a second-generation area resident raising her family near Kerry, has found it difficult to decide to work politically and run for councillor; but she considers it necessary. Nakata has been working to preserve small, rural towns like Kerry and their natural forest beauty. She continues to be inspired by Piney residents' deep concern about deforestation, lack of replanting and preserving water quality for future generations. Nakata believes there are many people like her; not members of groups like Concerned Citizens or Hogwatch, but deeply concerned about intensive livestock operations' long-term local impacts. Alana Schoenbach, a school trustee, cattle farmer and 23-year resident, has also decided to let her name stand for council. Schoenbach states her goal is to see a council that is respectful and accountable to ratepayers and residents. With a total of four women participating in this byelection, this marks a first for the possibility of equal gender participation in municipal management. Schoenbach has the support of many. If the number of mail-in ballots returned is any indication, there will be a very high voter turnout tomorrow. Piney residents appear determined to have their say in municipal decision making; participatory democracy in action. We all need to use it, or lose it!

Janine Gibson lives on a small mixed farm in Hanover, north of Piney. Currently the representative from the Organic Food Council of Manitoba to Canadian Organic Growers (COG). She is the COG national president and an international agriculture consultant.

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'Luddites' threaten farm operations
By Adrien Grenier
Winnpeg Free Press March 19, 2002

(The reeve and two other councillors resigned in January from the five-member council of the Rural Municipality of Piney, in the southeast corner of Manitoba, because of intense dispute in the community over regulation of hog barns and other livestock operations. A byelection to fill the council vacancies will be held tomorrow.)

I am a livestock farmer and my future depends on the outcome of the upcoming municipal election in the RM of Piney.

A group of well-organized "activists" has effectively shifted public opinion against livestock farming in my area and has turned this municipal election into one that has pitted rural residents against farmers. More importantly, my future and that of my fellow farmers hinges on who gets elected. The sad reality is that most farmers like myself are in a minority and we do not have the resources or time to wage a campaign to correct all the misleading and inaccurate staternents that have been made against livestock farming. I might add that media outlets like the CBC have become unwitting accomplices in their negative campaign.

Their vicious campaign is based on several highly emotional issues intended to create hysteria in rural residents and therefore oppose any new livestock expansion in the area. First, they claim the use of liquid manure is damaging to the environment and threatens groundwater The reality is that liquid manure is a natural product and completely safe to use as a crop fertilizer. Regulations regarding storage and spreading are highly effective and subject livestock farmers to more intense scrutiny than any similar industry. We are not talking about nuclear waste but a natural byproduct that has been used for thousands of years to replenish soil quality and nutrients. Remember that we care as much about water and soil quality as we are more dependent on it than any part-time residents who come here on week-ends only.

Secondly, they claim that farms are too big and they want farms relegated to more traditional farms of the past. In other words, they want us to have a "peasant" type of existence. They have effectively used the terms "factory farms" or "corporate farms" in a negative light. They have even suggested farmers are greedy and should not be expected to make a profit.

The reality is that sustainable and economical farms today need to be larger in order for us to make a living and to allow for our children to continue to farm in the future. I and my family have chosen to devote all our attention and resources to full-time farming and I am very worried people with no understanding of farming will be setting policy that will make it impossible for us to survive.

Rantings
Different types of ownership vehicles are available to businesses and farmers. Some may choose to be a sole owner, some may choose partnerships and some may incorporate as a corporate farm for various reasons, including estate planning or tax considerations. The activists' rantings against corporate farms are eerily reminiscent of the 1917 Russian Revolution. On the contrary, I would suggest that highly successful, corporate farms are a symbol of success and contribute greatly to the local economy, including municipal taxes, jobs and economic spinoff so necessary for local community development. I fear what our municipality will look like in 10 years if these Luddites get their way.

Farming has become more complicated and much more regulated than in the past. However, because we are such a small minority we depend so much on a greater public understanding of our situation. It has not helped that certain groups misinform the public. All we ask for is fair and equitable treatment to pursue our goals in an industry that we love.

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