Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Galen Weston-ha!

Killer eggs?

It's been an interesting week. When I've been packing seed for Seedy Saturday, picking greens or just being a mom and housefrau, I've been thinking.
Galen Weston, I'll consider you here.
Read about the really dumb comment the executive chairman of Loblaws made here while speaking at the Canadian Food Summit.
When you are in charge of a 9 billion dollar business, you should be a little more on the ball than to comment about the health risks farmers markets pose, and I quote ".. one day they're going to kill some people though."
Killer greens?

Oops. Scramble, scramble. He didn't really mean it, he was misunderstood.
Friend of the farmer, strolling through the field with the salt of the earth, partners. Oops.
That image of you is gone now and forever, Galen Weston.
I mean that is for those of us whoever believed your marketing in the first place. But it sure as hell wipes out that advertising campaign, doesn't it?
Such funny and amusing stuff.
A follow-up article in the Toronto Star mentions people who got food poisoning while tasting samples at your store. How ironic. How terrible.
How many products have been recalled over the years in your stores?  How many people do you fill with edible oil products, trans fat, pop, GM products, BPA lined cans and pesticide laden produce?
It could actually be that this time around bad press isn't actually better than no press at all.
It appears to me that the joke is on you.
As was the thought of actually attending the Canadian Food Summit.
It did cost between $500 and $1000 for the two day summit in Toronto. Accommodation would be extra.
I thought I would like to go, and asked about a reduced fee for a small farmer. Umm -"no" was the answer.
Via social media I implored Galen Weston to sponsor me.
No response from him. I didn't actually expect one.
The message here?
Sorry small farmers. We're going to talk about FOOD. But without you and your input.
Then of course Galen's message to attendees that farmers are endangering the health of those to whom they sell directly.
How positively wonderful it all must have been.
Perhaps Galen you think you know food better than those of us who produce it.  I don't think so, but I realize to you I am nobody.
 I also think perhaps your business savvy isn't as spot- on as it could be.
Even farmers know about putting our foot in our mouths and how it can be bad for business to slander other business folks. You know... like the farmers you slandered.
Come on down Galen Weston. I may not own a 9 billion dollar business, but I don't have hundreds of people bad mouthing me right now. Maybe you and I could chat and talk about business.
For a price.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great comment. Now please respond to the goofy Kansas professor who says, in today's Toronto Star, "just because someone drives to the Food Terminal in Toronto to load up on produce at 3 a.m. and then sell it at a premium at the local market adds nothing to traceability."
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/1128306--it-s-all-a-question-of-food-safety

Anonymous said...

And how about the disgusting "food grade" coatings on the produce in his stores? Anything from vegetable oils to beeswax to silicone to animal collagen - EW!

Norma from Misty Haven Alpacas said...

Great post. I had missed that whole curfluffal going on...Wow, foot in mouth, for sure.

Linda said...

Thanks!
I read the article in The Star you mentioned, Anonymous, and I'm scratching my head. His point about the Food Terminal was...?
Gotta wonder about it all.