Thursday, June 16, 2011

Rant.."Hey, what about us?!"

The world works in funny ways. Some things that don't make sense happen, and things that appear to be common sense,...well, you know.
Think about these things.
Interesting article in The Hamilton Spectator about a $97,000 payment to two families wanting to start up a "visionary organic farm and teaching centre" outside of Hamilton. Read about it here.
No problem..I'm happy the Ministry of Ag is helping out a poor farmer to set up this teaching farm.
Oh wait. Not farmers.
One family is a chef from Hamilton, who with the other family makes up a corporation who own 4 restaurant ventures, and have just purchased a fifth.
And this money is going to be used to set up a farm so he can supply his own restaurants. Thus cutting out anybody supplying him now and may depend on that income...as a farmer?
And as non farmers they are going to teach the masses about organic growing...or will hire folks to do this?
Something isn't fitting together for me here. These people, who have a whack of money, are getting government money to set up a farm so they can supply their own restaurants.
If there is money floating around, I'm sure I would love to know about it, as would other farmers (who are farmers and live below the poverty line.)
I have lots of "visionary ideas", but fund them myself.  Where the hell do you find out about all this money that is floating around out there?
And I'm wondering if the farm they have purchased is my own family farm. I shudder.
I'd LOVE to set up a farm to teach people about heirlooms, growing heirlooms, saving seed and much more. Kinda do some of that already, I guess.  Anybody that comes, I'm talking.
Just went on a website tonight, and saw that lots of new growers are pulling people to their farms by teaching "workshops".Ahh-the new income. $225 for a 2 day workshop to learn about growing your own food?
People!! Save your money, come here and I'll tell you for free.
If you know it, and you want other people to know it, then share the info.  This is important.  Not just rich people should know how to do this.  Perhaps it is more important for folks that don't have much money to buy food.  Why, oh why is everything to make a buck?
Community is built by sharing knowledge. Wisdom is passed down from generation to generation. Relationships are based on trust, mutual support and help. You get what you give.
So give.

And Ministry of Agriculture-wow. Splashy announcement and sad. You've neglected the farmers.
I'm hoping I can get a grant to open up a restaurant so my farm can supply it! I know a whole lot about food.
I really do.

"It don't make no sense that common sense don't make no sense no more"
                                                                                                 (John Prine)






4 comments:

Izabell Fagan said...

Well said, Linda.

Linda said...

Johnny Prine said it best, I think!

Hilary said...

Linda you always say it the best. I think it is time for some people to pull their heads out of the sand and realize what they are missing/ignoring. The article definitely got my head a shaking.

Linda said...

Thanks Hilary- I appreciate your comment. Tragic really where our tax dollars go sometimes.