GreyCountyLocal344MemberNewsletter
Summer,2017
MemberProfile:CedarDownFarm
LeslieMoskovitsandJeffBoesch
GreyCounty’sCedarDownFarmisdefinitelycedaranddown.Thedriveinfromtheconcessionroadisthroughapicturesquelowlandcedarforestwhichopensupintoaclearingwithahouse,outbuildings,pasturesandgardenswithcroplandsbeyond.LocatedjusteastofthevillageofNeustadt,CedarDownFarmisownedandoperatedbyLeslieMoscovitsincooperationwithherpartner,JeffBoesch.Inrecenttimestwochildren(Asher,threeyearsoldandWren,oneyearold)havejoinedtheMoscovits-Boeschhouseholdandfarmcrew.LeslieandJeffgrowcertifiedorganicvegetablesforaCommunitySharedAgriculture(CSA)venture.“Wegrowadiversearrayofvegetables,herbsandflowersonaboutsixacresfor200summersharesand100wintershares,”Lesliesays.WedelivertocustomersinHanover,PaisleyandGuelph,sheadds,andalsosellwholesalevegetablestoanArtisanaleRestaurantinGuelph.Lesliesayssomuchaboutfarmingbringsthefamilyjoy,includingprovidingfresh,nutritious,andsafefoodforotherfamiliesinthecommunityandseeinghowlocal,ecologicalagriculturecanitselfbuildcommunity.
Jeff,Leslie,AsherandWren...andturkey
“BeingCSAfarmers,wegettoknowourcustomersreallywellandtheyus,andit’sveryrewardingtoseethatfarmer/eaterrelationshipbecomestrongandseehowmuchitcontributestoagriculturalandcommunitysustainability,”Lesliesays.“Wealsogetenormousjoyfromlivingandworkingonourfarm,[and]thebeautyandabundancethatcomesfromthislifestyle,especiallynowthatwecanshareitwithourtwolittleones.”Lesliesaysthatfarmingwithtwoyoungchildrenunderthreeyearsofagecanbeachore.“Tryingtofindtimeforourselvesandnotbeworkingfromdawnuntilduskisachallengethathasgottenmoredifficultwithtwolittlekids,”shesays.Butotherwise,Leslieadds,“ourkindoffarmingcanbechallengingbecausewearemanagingsomanytypesofcropsaswellasdoingalotofadministrativeworktomaintainourCSAcustomers.”ThisisalsothestrengthoftheCSAmodel(cropdiversityandastrongcustomercommunity),shecontinues,butitcanbechallengingtomanagetheneedsofsuchdiversecropswhilealsohavingsuchahighlevelofcustomerinteraction(writingnewsletters,communicatingwithmembers,harvestplanning,planningfornextyear’scrops,etc.).Atthemoment,LeslieandJeffhavenoplanstoexpandtheirfarmbusinessbutrathertoworkatmakingwhattheydobetter,moreefficientandprofitable.ShesaystheyvaluetheNFUbecauseitisacommunityoflike-mindedfarmerswhotheyfeelreallyfocusonimportantissues.“WegototheNFUforinformationonfarmpolicyandtolearnaboutissuesfacingfarmersacrossthecountry,butalsowefeeltheNFUissupportiveofactionsthatwemightwanttotaketoimproveandchangepoliciesthataffectusandourcommunity(farmingandnon-farmingcommunityalike),”sheadds.LesliealsoexpressesgratitudetotheNFUandNFU-OGreyCountyLocal344fortaking“avocalpositioninsolidaritywithIndigenouscommunities.”Shewasreferring,amongotherthings,totheNFU’scalltoLocalsacrossCanadatofindwaystosupportIndigenous
people’sstruggles,theNFU’screationofanIndigenousIssuesWorkingGroup,andtheGreyLocal’songoingco-sponsorshipof“IntroductiontoIndigenousIssues”coursesledbyalocalOjibwehistorianandteacher.LeslieandJeffarebothactivebeyondCedarDown.LeslieservesontheNFU-OGreyCountyLocalBoard,andJeffontheboardofFarmstart.
AdvocacyContaminationofnon-geneticallymodified(GM)alfalfacropsinOntarionowmorelikelyEarlierthisyear,GreyCountyLocal344issuedamediareleaseforewarningmembersthatalfalfaseedwillbemorewidelyavailableforsalein2017.“Allfarmers,conventionalandorganic,shouldbeconcernedaboutthe[certain]cross-pollinationofGMalfalfawithnon-GMornaturalalfalfabecausetheeconomicconsequencescouldbesevere,thereleasestated,addingthattheseedinquestionisbeingsoldunderthenameHARV-XTRAandisaproductofMonsantoandForageGeneticsInternational.Toreadthefullreleasevisit:
http://owensoundhub.org/life/3057-contamination-of-non-gm-alfalfa-crops-more-likely.html
You’reInvited!
PleasejoinusforthesecondannualNFUGreyLocalBarbecue.SharesomedeliciouslocalfoodandgreatconversationwithsomeofyourfellowNFUmembers.Saturday,September23,2-6pmatMassieHall,496765NVeteransRd,Chatsworth
GMPotato
TheCanadianBiotechnologyActionNetwork,anNFUpartner,reportedearlierthisyeartherewillbenocommercialplantingsofgeneticallymodified(GMorgeneticallyengineered)potatoesinCanadain2017duetomarketrejection.TheGMpotatowasapprovedinCanadainMarch2016.ThecompanySimplot,thatdevelopedtheGMpotato,saystheyhaveonlyputtheGMpotatoonholduntilthemarketisready.TheGMpotatoisgrownintheUS(Thelatestnumbersshowonlyasmallamount–400acres–ofGMpotatoesgrownintheUSin2015).
TakeAction
Simplotsays,“Whenthere’samarketwe’llbethere.”WillthisGMpotatomakeittomarketinCanada?WritetotheheadofficeofyourgrocerystoreandaskthemtopledgenottosellGMvegetablesandfruits. Foralistofaddressesvisit:https://cban.ca/gmos/products/not-on-the-market/apple/grocery-store-contacts
CurrentNFUpolicyrelatedto
Stoproadsidemowing!Thereisperhapsnothingmoredispiritingtopollinatinginsects(anthropomorphismaside)thanruralroadsidesthathavebeenmowedintogolfgreen-likelawns.Yetmoreandmorefarmersseemtobedoingjustthis,infrontoftheirhomesteadsandforextendedstretchesineitherdirection.Strippedofnativewildflowersandgrasses,theseditchareasarebarrentopollinatorsandrepresentafurtherthreattotheirexistencealreadycompromisedbymoreextensivelossofhabitatandagriculturalpesticidesandherbicides.
Conservationauthoritiesareencouragingrurallandownerstoleaveditchgrowthofwildplantsintactandtoplantmorenativefloweringplantstoattractpollinators.Asanexampleofwhat’spossibleandbeingencouraged,seeamediareleasebytheGrandRiverConservationAuthority:https://www.therecord.com/news-story/7480596-creating-a-haven-for-butterflies-and-bees/Also,GreyLocalwouldbepleasedtoassistmemberswithideasabouthowtocreatepollinatorpatches.ForassistancecontactGaryKennyatrivercroft16@hotmail.ca.
“IntroductiontoIndigenousIssues”GreyCountyLocalhasnowcompleteditsco-sponsorshipandorganizationoftwocoursesof“IntroductiontoIndigenousIssues.”LedbylocalOjibwehistorian,teacherandmedicinemanGlennTrivett,thethree-sessioncourseshaveproventobepopularandhavebeenfullybookedeachtime.“Thecourseisaneye-openingexperienceandleavesparticipantsnot
NEW:GreyLocalFacebookPage
RecentlytheGreyLocalBoardsetupaFacebookpageasameansofkeepingLocalmembersandthegeneralpublicbetterinformedabouttheLocal’sactivities,aswellasawaytoshareinformationaboutNFUandNFU-Ontarioactivities.Toviewthepagedoanonlinesearchfor:NationalFarmersUnion-OntarioGreyCountyLocal344.
WANTED:WearelookingforaLocalmemberwhoknowsFacebookwellandwouldvolunteerhis/hertimetomanagetheGreyCountyLocal344Facebookpage.ThiswouldbeagreatopportunityforamembertosupporttheLocalfromtheconvenienceofhis/herhome.IfinterestedcontactGaryKenny:[email protected]
feelingguiltyorashamedabouthowIndigenouspeopleshavebeentreated,butmotivatedtofindconcretewaystoexpresstheirsolidaritywiththem,”saidGaryKenny,NFU-OGreyCountyLocal344president.“WecanthanktheextraordinaryteachinggiftsofGlennforthat,”Kennyadded.AthirdcourseisplannedforSeptemberandisalsofullyregistered,andafourthwillbeheldinNovember.Inaddition,GreyCountyLocalispreparingashortresourcetoexplainwhyattentiontocontemporaryIndigenousissuesisrelevanttothefocusandworkoftheNFU.
Forinformationabouthowyoucanregisterforanupcomingcourse,contactGaryKenny:[email protected]
INBRIEFNFUandLaViaCampesina
InJune,GreyCountyLocal344grantedfundsforNFU-Oyouthleader,AylaFenton,toattendaninternationalLaViaCampesina(LVC)conferenceinBasquecountry.LVCisalong-timepartneroftheNFU’s.AylawillattendaGreyLocalmeetingintheFallandprovideareportofherexperience.
InJuly,theGreyLocalBoardsupportedaworkshopatCedarDownFarmfocusingonissuesrelatedtosettlercolonialismandthequestionoffarmingonthetraditionallandofIndigenouspeoples,muchofwhichwasacquiredunjustly.ProvidingsomeleadershipwaslocalOjibweteacherandhistorian,GlennTrivett.Another,somewhatmodified,workshopontheseissuesisplannedforearlynextyear.FormoreinformationcontactGaryKenny:[email protected]
GLENNTRIVETT,OJIBWAYEDUCATORANDHISTORIAN.PHOTOCREDIT:LISAB.POT,THERURALVOICE.
GrazingexpertSarahFlack.
Howtoreachus…Forgeneralconcerns,questions,commentsorsuggestionspleaseemailus.Wewilltrytorespondwithin72hours.local344@nfuontario.caForamorespecificrequestcontact:GaryKenny–President:519-799-5804
