NOTE
This icon represents a link to a PDF that will open in a new window. The size of this file is listed next to the icon. Be patient with the larger files as they may take more time to download.
These files will require the Adobe Reader program to read.
Click here to download it (free).
THE CANADIAN WHEAT BOARD - The NFU's CWB Campaign The federal government is planning to end the Canadian Wheat Board's single desk authority effective August 1, 2012 in defiance of existing legislation that requires a farmer vote before making any changes to the CWB's single desk. Because of trade deals such as NAFTA, if the CWB's single desk is eliminated, it will be impossible to reinstate it later. The National Farmers Union says farmers, not MPs, should decide the future of their grain marketing agency and we are working to save the Canadian Wheat Board. Click here for more about the NFU's CWB campaign and how you can be part of it.
SIGN ON LETTER The NFU is calling on other Canadian organizations to sign on to a letter in support of keeping the CWB and respecting our democracy by upholding farmers' right to vote on any proposed changes. CLICK HERE to READ this letter. SIGN ON to the letter by sending an email with the subject "CWB" to nfu@nfu.ca and include your group's name and contact information.
NFU Warns New Trade Agreement with EU Could Crush Canadian Farmers
The Canadian government and the European Union (EU) are negotiating a new "free trade" agreement, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
National Farmers Union (NFU) President, Terry Boehm, warns this agreement will further intensify Canada's farm income crisis. "The CETA would mean many changes, but none more negative than its effect to extinguish farmers' rights to save and re-use seeds," states Boehm.
NFU's position on the CETA talks were validated by what came next. Read the letter to Ontario Farmer from NFU President Terry Boehm.
Download the PDF (42 KB)
NFU Joins Ottawa Rally Against Canada-EU Trade Agreement on Friday, October 22. Read the full release.
Download the PDF (126 KB)
Please print off the CETA petition (below) and pass it along to friends, neighbours, and others to sign. Each petition needs to have ONE of the first page and can be followed with as many of the second and third pages as you can fill!
Send original signatures to the NFU office at:
2717 Wentz Avenue
Saskatoon, SK S7K 4B6
Bill C-474 Ag. Hearings Cancelled Farmers' Markets at Risk!
C-474 is a private member's bill that will require an analysis of market harm before new
Genetically Modified (GM) varieties are released.
Click here for more information .....
Free Trade and Globalization Has Decimated Canada's Farms
The results are dismal for Canadian farmers left with no market power after over twenty years of free trade with the United States (NAFTA) and Canadian government policy supporting globalization and corporate concentration.
To review the results, read:
"Free Trade": Is it working for farmers?
Comparing 1988 to 2010
Download the PDF (864 kb)
NFU Report on Land Grabbing:
At a June 7, 2010 news conference, the NFU released a major research report on a corporate and investor buy-up of Canadian farmland. The report entitled Losing Our Grip: How a Corporate Farmland Buy-up, Rising Farm Debt, and Agribusiness Financing of Inputs Threaten Family Farms and Food Sovereignty also details the farm debt crisis, and agribusiness financing of farm input sales.
The National Farmers Union calls on all citizens of Saskatchewan regardless of political beliefs to hold their present and future governments accountable for our fair share of our non-renewable resources.
Special deals for NFU members at
Canadian Tarpaulin Manufacturers Ltd.
Get 10% off on machinery covers, shelter covers, bale stack covers, and more - when you provide your NFU membership number when ordering.
Free shipping in Canada on orders over $1,000. Make sure you return to the special NFU link to take advantage of the special pricing when you place your order!
Visit the Canadian Tarpaulin Manufacturers website
at: www.cantarp.com
News releases from the National Farmers Union
Click here to access our webpage with the latest news releases
Union Farmer Newsletter - June 2010 edition
"Free Trade": Is it working for farmers?
Comparing 1988 to 2010
Click here to download the newsletter (452 kb)
NFU National Conventions
2010 - 41st Annual NFU National Convention
Hilton Garden Inn, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - December 2-4, 2010
For reservations call 1-306-244-2311 or e-mail chad.love@hilton.com
Organic Farming: a pioneer's perspective Elmer Laird, a founding member of the National Farmers Union, was inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2008. He established the first certified organic research farm in Canada, and has been writing about organic food production for over twenty years. The Saskatchewan Organic Directorate (SOD) has compiled Elmer's writings, and the document is now posted on the SOD website.
Click here to access this valuable resource (PDF format - 7.78 mb). NFU in New Brunswick launches new website The National Farmers Union in New Brunswick has launched a brand-new, bilingual website.
Click here to visit the NFU in New Brunswick website NFU in Ontario launches new website The National Farmers Union in Ontario has launched a redesigned website with many new features, including information on purchasing local food from farmers in your area!
Click here to visit the NFU in Ontario website Take action on the prison farm closures in Canada
Click here to take action on this issue. Are you an Ontario farmer interested in joining the NFU? The National Farmers Union is a certified general farm organization under the Ontario Farm Business Registration (FBR) program. If you choose to join the NFU through this program, you must complete the Ontario FBR application form available on the Agricorp website. Remember, the deadline for registering under the FBR program is March 1, 2009.
Click here to log on to the Agricorp FBR program website Are you a New Brunswick farmer interested in joining the NFU? The National Farmers Union is a certified general farm organization under the New Brunswick Agricultural Producers Registration and Farm Organizations Funding Act. If you choose to join the NFU through this program, you must complete the New Brunswick Registrar of Farms registration form . Under this program, registration is valid from November 1 of each year until October 31 of the following year. For more information, please contact the New Brunswick Registrar of Farms directly at 1-888-323-4440.
Click here for the New Brunswick Registrar of Farms registration form in English
Click here for the New Brunswick Registrar of Farms registration form in French Are you a Prince Edward Island farmer interested in joining the NFU? The National Farmers Union is a certified general farm organization under the PEI Farm Registration and Farm Organizations Funding Act. If you would like to join the NFU through this program, please complete the Farm Registration Form 2009 (dowload below). Please remember that the deadline for submitting your completed application form is April 1, 2009.
Click here to download a PDF version of the PEI Farm Registration Form 2009 Where's the beef... plan? The Canadian Cattlemen's Association has published a response to the NFU cattle report. We invite you to read both the NFU report and the CCA response, and decide for yourself which offers the most penetrating and reliable analysis. In the interests of helping farmers/ranchers make informed decisions, the NFU also challenges the Canadian Cattlemen's Association to provide a link on its website to the NFU cattle report.
Canadian Cattlemen's Response to the NFU report
Click here to link to the CCA website and its response document.Petition - Sign the petition to include beginning farmers in the Ontario provincial farm safety net program
The following is a note from NFU Ontario Coordinator Grant Robertson:
"Young and beginning farmers in Ontario have been experiencing a serious disadvantage due to the government's Ontario Cattle, Hog and Horticulture Payment. This is something that often occurs with Safety Net programming and something the NFU has highlighted on numerous occasions. A group of young and beginning farmers have come together to lobby for change on this issue. One aspect of what they are doing is working with Ernie Hardeman MPP to deliver petitions to the Ontario Legislature to draw attention to this issue. I would urge you strongly to print off a copy of the petition, get a few friends, neighbours or strangers to sign it, and pass it back to Ernie Hardeman's office, at:
Ernie Hardeman, MPP Oxford
(Attention: Tara Berry)
Queen's Park Office, Room 413
Legislative Building
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A8
Please let us know you have sent in a petition by e-mailing grant@bmts.com so we can track numbers. This is a non-partisan issue, so please send your petitions to Ernie as he has been the one spearheading this in the Legislature. If you wish to copy your favourite political party to also take up the issue, then that of course would be an excellent idea. Thank you in advance for being a part of the solution."
Click here to download a PDF version of the petition (58.4 kb)
Health and Dental Plan:
The NFU is pleased to offer a Health and Dental Plan to all members, their families and employees.
Find out more information here
NFU in New Brunswick Farm Financial Services
506-273-4328
NFU in Prince Edward Island Farm Financial Services
902-436-1872
The National Farmers Union is a direct-membership organization made up of Canadian farm families who share common goals. Every member of the farm family - including the farmer and their spouse and children, ages 14 to 21 - are full voting members of the Union. This structure recognizes that every family member contributes to the farm by working on it directly, or indirectly through off-farm employment.
Associate Members are a valued part of the National Farmers Union family as well. Associate Members are non-farmers who understand that food issues are everyone's concern, and who want to help family farmers build a sustainable and nutritious food system in Canada.
Member families of the Union believe that through an organization that represents all commodities produced in Canada, it is possible to promote the family farm as the most appropriate and efficient means of agricultural production. Our goal is to work together to achieve agricultural policies which will ensure dignity and security of income for farm families while enhancing the land for future generations.
National Farmers Union | 2717 Wentz Avenue | Saskatoon, SK | S7K 4B6
Phone: (306) 652-9465 | Fax: (306) 664-6226
Email: nfu@nfu.ca
This icon represents a link to a PDF that will open in a new window. The size of this file is listed next to the icon. Be patient with the larger files as they may take more time to download.
Click here to download it (free).
