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There was a joke going around the
Farmers’ Market in Perth on Saturday, among the thousand or
so people who stood in line to defy the law and buy uninspected beef. It went something like this: “What are you
in for?” asked one convict to another as they shuffled
along. “I was caught scrambling some illegal eggs and my
buddy here pickled ungraded beets,” replied the inmate.
Sure, there was laughter. But it was
the sarcastic kind. The type of deep guffaw that’s often
accompanied by shaking one’s head, and then followed by a
stern pursing of the lips. Because, judging by the
political banter that was being shared, the silliness of the
truth was just too much for these average folk to handle.
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The two recent “food strikes”,
organized by the Lanark Landowners Association (LLA), seem
to have struck a cord with these otherwise law-abiding
citizens who are just plain fed up with being told what is
good for them. They have lost their patience with over
regulation.
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They don’t feel they
need to be protected from themselves when they choose to buy
a carton of eggs from the source, rather than from a stack
at a grocery store chain. They aren’t afraid of a cucumber
or beet that may not be exactly perfect in shape, because
they trust the local producers who they have come to
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know and respect. For them
selling apple cider made fresh from the orchard, free of
preservatives and added sugars, is the furthest thing
from a crime. And they won’t be persuaded otherwise.
To them meat from local cattle is a
treat to be thankful for. It’s not an illegal commodity, as
some layers of government would have us believe.
The two recent “food strikes”,
organized by the Lanark Landowners Association (LLA), seem
to have struck a cord with these otherwise law-abiding
citizens who are just plain fed up with being told what is
good for them. They have lost their patience with over
regulation. And the LLA has provided them with a venue to
vent their frustrations.
When Randy Hillier, the feisty
president of the LLA, calls the movement a “rural
revolution” he means it. This is one group that won’t tire
and shrink away, tail between their legs, when the big boys
at Queens’ Park, or City Hall, or on Parliament Hill start
wielding their power.
Support for the family farm, and other
rural small businesses that rely on the land to prosper, is
growing. Next up, the LLA is looking towards a food
cooperative model of purchasing farm fresh products.
Eventually the bureaucrats will step
in. Hillier and his well-organized army of pro-farm
supporters, know this. And they will be ready. Not with
threats or unsubstantiated accusations, but with clear and
reasoned arguments.
If there is one thing the LLA has
proven that they are good at it is standing tall in the face
of adversity and welcoming all input from all sides.
Viva la revolte! |
