Executive & Contact:
George Stevers (President,  5146 Line 44, RR # 2, Gadshill, N0K 1J0,
519-393-6855)
Andy Megens - Vice President
Ann Slater (Sect./Treas., R.R. 1 Lakeside, ON  N0M 2G0, 519-349-2448, aslater@quadro.net)
Bill Jeffery - Director
Frances Weitzel - Director
Kevin McComb - Director

Scroll down for more information on our two Perth/Oxford NFU Campaigns:
 

Save Our Small Abattoirs

 and

Why We Don't Want CETA - a corporate bill of rights

 

Why We Don't Want CETA

The Perth-Oxford Local is calling on NFU locals, NFU members and concerned citizens to take action to protect our seed, our farm and our democratic rights from being bargained away.

What Can You Do:

1. Write, phone, fax or email your MP, the Prime Minister, the Minister of International Trade, and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, along with leaders of the opposition and their critics for trade and agriculture to voice your concerns.

A sample letter is attached below.  The address to send the letter by mail is at the top of the letter.  To send an email, go to www.parl.gc.ca and click on "Senators and Members" to find email addresses.

nfuontario.ca/upload/files/CETA letter to MPs.doc

 nfuontario.ca/upload/files/CETA letter to MPs.pdf

2. Write, phone, fax or email municipal and provincial leaders. Provincial and municipal leaders need to know that for the first time, an international trade agreement reaches beyond the federal level and into provincial, territorial and municipal jurisdictions. If adopted the current European positions will forbid all government entities including schools, hospitals, universities and municipalities from favouring local goods and services, including local food.

A sample letter to send to your municipality is attached below.  You can also make a request to speak to your local council.

nfuontario.ca/upload/files/letter to municipalities on CETA.doc

nfuontario.ca/upload/files/letter to municipalities on CETA.pdf
 

3. Get the word out about the risks of CETA - talk to your friends and family, write letters to the editor, host a meeting on CETA and print and hand out copies of the ‘Why We Don’t Want CETA’ brochure attached below.

nfuontario.ca/upload/files/CETA leaflet colour 2.pdf
 

4. Contact, and work with other organizations in your area who, along with the NFU, are part of the Trade Justice Network including the Council of Canadians, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario and the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions.  For more information on the Trade Justice Network and its members go to www.tradejustice.ca.
 
5.  Check out the National NFU website - www.nfu.ca  for more information, a copy of the NFU petition to stop CETA and to view a copy of the leaked draft of CETA.

The federal government wants to sign the agreement by the end of the year. Ontario farmers have nothing to gain from CETA and everything to lose. CETA is good for corporations and bad for citizens. Let’s work together to protect our family farms, our rural communities and our democracy.

 Save Our Small Abattoirs

The Perth/Oxford Local of the National Farmers Union has a long-standing interest in the survival of small, locally-owned and operated, provincially-inspected abattoirs in our community and across Ontario. Small, multi-species abattoirs are essential to the survival of family farms and rural communities.
 

Help Save Our Small Abattoirs
 

Local Abattoirs are Crucial for the Local Food Movement

For more information on the issue and what you can do to help save small abattoirs scroll down or open the following document:

nfuontario.ca/upload/files/National Farmers Union abattoir update May 2011.pdf

Farmers Need Small Abattoirs

National Farmers Union May, 2011

Update and Suggested Actions

Small, locally-owned, provincially-inspected, multi-species meat and poultry abattoirs are essential to the survival of family farms and rural communities. They provide a crucial link between livestock and poultry farmers and consumers looking for healthy, nutritious, delicious food produced by farmers they know and trust.

Since February 2010, more and more farmers, eaters and organizations have raised their voices in a call to Save Our Small Abattoirs. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Hon. Carol Mitchell has acknowledged small abattoirs are a critical part of the local food movement and the local economy. Some small abattoirs have received funding to make upgrades or expand their operations, but the minister also admits that funding alone will not solve all the issues.

Small abattoirs and small poultry processors are still closing. Each time a small abattoir closes, farmers lose, the community loses and eaters lose.

What Can We Do?

1. Let politicians from all political parties know how important small abattoirs are to farmers. Contact the Minister of Agriculture, the Premier, agriculture critics, leaders of the opposition parties and our MPPs.

    

2. This is an election year in Ontario. Ask candidates what they are going to do to save small abattoirs in Ontario and let them know what we think they should do.

    

3. Continue to raise awareness about the need to save our small abattoirs among family, friends, colleagues and customers.

    

4. The Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario (FWIO), also have a campaign to save small abattoirs. Talk to local Women's Institutes and work with them to raise awareness and encourage action to save small abattoirs.

    

5. Talk to other organizations and encourage them to let politicians and political candidates know that small abattoirs are important.

6. Buy locally produced and processed meat either direct from farmers’ or from butchers or retailers that purchase their meat from local farmers. When buying meat at a butcher shop, a supermarket, a health food store or a farmers’ market ask who raised the animals.

    

7. Consider whether or not you are willing to pay more for local food, which is often fresher, and therefore healthier and tastier. The individual attention small farmers and abattoirs provide takes extra time and increase the value of local food.

Points to raise with politicians and with political candidates:

Some of the points below come from the work of the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario.

• Despite increasing support for local food, small abattoirs are closing across Ontario.

   

• There cannot be local meat without small abattoirs and small poultry processors.

   

• Small abattoirs across the province are struggling to survive for a variety of reasons. However, lack of demand for their services is not one of them, nor is the decrease in the number of cattle in the province – most small abattoirs and small poultry processors are busier than ever.

   

• Abattoirs need to be able to stay small. Funding is often directed to abattoirs wanting to expand or develop new markets. Abattoirs who need to make upgrades, especially to aging facilities, must have access to user-friendly funds even if they do not want to expand their operation.

   

• Abattoir owners need to be able to see and plan for the future. There needs to be a long-term approach to regulatory compliance so that abattoir owners can develop realistic business plans which they can take to the bank.

   

• Safe food must always be a top priority. Effective regulations and government inspection programs protect family farms, eaters and food processors.

   

• Food safety regulations must accommodate processors of all sizes and must help maintain and expand the diversity of processors across the province.

Contact the NFU Ontario office (1-888-832-9638 or office@nfuontario.ca) or Ann Slater (519-349-2448 or aslater@quadro.net) for postcards to send to Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell or for more information. OR

You can print and send the attached letter to the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Hon. Carol Mitchell.  

nfuontario.ca/upload/files/postcard as letter re. abattoirs.pdf

For more information on why small abattoirs need to be able to stay small see the following document:
nfuontario.ca/upload/files/small a luxury.pdf