Revitalizing Rural Communities Through Farm and Rural Enterprises 2002

The primary requirements for successful and sustained rural enterprise development are rural community focused leadership and a sense of community among individuals.

This was the core message we heard from those who attended and those who spoke at the conference in 2002. The message offers a considerable challenge because it calls for the pursuit of community leadership and building a sense of community, both of which are difficult to produce, and they may both be considered innate rather than conferred characteristics. Regardless, they are the primary requirements in rural communities in Canada, and the challenge is to achieve these requirements.

The challenge in rural communities is to build leadership capacity and a sense of community.

The 2002 conference was third in a series and its outcome represents an evolution of ideas presented and discussed at the events since 2000. In going back to the reports from 2000 and 2001 we see key ideas and suggested strategies designed to recapture wealth on the Canadian prairies. In reviewing these we see a convergence of strategies.

In 2000 the conference was farm focused. In our summary of the 2000 event, we called for attention to recapturing wealth of knowledge, diversity, alliances, control and sustainability on farms in the prairie region. These core characteristics are what define farms which are positioned to be wealthy.

Speakers at the 2000 event provoked participants with exciting ideas and examples. Dr. John Ikerd (Professor Emeritus, Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri) was the keynote speaker at this first event and he set for us the current context of crisis and opportunity in North American agriculture. Dr. Ikerd encouraged participants to reconsider the narrow logic behind ideas of economic efficiency and he challenged us to devise new models of farming which meet broader goals, including economic, community and ecological goals. Larry Solomon of Energy Probe Canada, echoed eastern Canadian urban sentiments of unease with subsidizing agricultural production. Karen Armstrong-Cummings of the USDA commission on small farms, displayed examples of alliances among unlikely partners which worked to achieve mutual goals not previously recognized. And Tom Frantzen of the Practical Farmers of Iowa, humorously inspired participants to grass-roots action. Through a series of workshops, participants created a vision statement:

“Farmers drive an agricultural renewal which supports communities, works in close
relationship with consumers and sustains a healthy environment.”

The pillars of community and environment formed the basis for the vision and it was clear that although the vision started on the farm it broadened to the community level and beyond to form a link to consumers, and to protect the environment. This vision statement challenged the conference organizers to broaden their consideration in the 2001 event.

2001 Conference

In 2001 participants and speakers picked up on the attitude of inclusion expressed in the vision statement from 2000 and were challenged to consider the alliances as a means for achieving the vision. Tom Isern, a Great Plains rural historian from North Dakota State University was the keynote speaker at the 2001 conference and he reminded participants that the situation of those people living in rural communities reflected choices not dictums and he expressed a “hopeful and realistic” view of Great plains life rather than a “promotional or cynical” view. In doing so he challenged participants to consider their goals, their situation and their values and he reminded them that they, in alliance with their neighbours, would make change happen. His intention was to encourage participants by keeping the projected journey comfortably on the ground for the majority of us who remain wingless. And he ended with hope by expressing his own belief that there could be a “greater Great Plains.” Bill Patrie, the rural development director of the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, questioned the common ability for citizenship in North America and reiterated the primary need for cooperation. He stressed that one of the cores of good citizenship was acceptance. He went on to explain that rural community development which will require significant immigration from outside developed countries and he made the point that “economies follow people.” He also challenged farmers to encourage younger people to farm by finding creative ways to farm, and he warned of turning young people away from farming because current models seem unprofitable. Hugh Maynard, editor of the Quebec Farmer’s Advocate, spoke of the strength of having the UPA (l’Union des Producteurs Agricoles) in Quebec and the value in “forced” cooperation. He also spoke of agroenvironmental clubs which are partially supported by federal and provincial budgets and which amount to farming-based knowledge cooperatives focusing on the judicious use of agronomic inputs (including fertilizers, tillage and pesticides) and the conservation of on- and off-farm resources and environments. Stuart Laidlaw from the editorial board of the Toronto Star newspaper warned of the political danger of farmers distancing themselves from urban consumers and of farmers not listening to what urban consumers were asking for. He suggested that farmers assume that urban consumers want only safe cheap food, but that this assumption may reflect food industries desires more than consumers desires. Other speakers including Rod McRae (World Wildlife Fund), Erik Eising (Canadian Organic Livestock Association), Brian Kelly (Kelly Associates), and Jeff Lawson (Clark’s Poultry Farms), provided examples of alliances designed to build opportunities for farming and farm related enterprises.

Participants supported the idea that to recapture wealth on the Canadian prairies people must work together and the conference outcome was summarized in the following statement:

“Under the new context of limited institutional supports for local rural enterprise in western Canada the strength in independence which has been a hallmark of those who live and work on the Canadian prairies must be balanced with cooperation via alliances which are focused on supporting local rural enterprises.”

Key ideas within this statement included: a recognition that there may not necessarily be institutionally based leadership or support for initiatives within rural communities on the Canadian prairies; cooperation may act as a substitute for this support and as a balance for independent attitudes (the latter of which can limit rural community enterprise development); beyond farming, a diversity of rural enterprises should be supported and encouraged.

In 2002 the conference focus broadened beyond the farm to a consideration of rural community revitalization via rural enterprise development. Dr. John Ikerd returned bringing new ideas which addressed our theme. Dr. Ikerd’s thesis was that rural community revitalization would not flourish if it was directed by ideas based in a mechanistic world view. He explained that a commitment to rural community revitalization had to be based upon a sense of community among individuals. This sense of community encompassed economic, community and environmental considerations but was reliant upon a people-centered world view. He argued that encompassing economic, community and environmental considerations within a mechanistic development model has not been successful to-date because emotion and altruism may be required to sustain the model at some point. These qualities cannot be commanded. Fred Kirschenmann (director of the Leopold Center, Iowa State University), echoed some of Dr. Ikerd’s ideas by presenting an omni-directional flow triangle for development which stressed the inter-dependency of economy, community and ecology. The majority of other presenters offered details for establishing rural enterprises and examples of established rural enterprises. Mark Ritchie, president of the Institute for Agricultural Trade Policy in Minneapolis, showed us how they have documented both in detail and for broad distribution, success stories or revitalization in rural Minnesota. The stories, diverse and inspirational, encouraged the conference attendees to “be the change they wanted to see,” and the friendly format made the stories a powerful tool for change. A highlight of the conference was the story of Murielle Bugera, a farmer and economic development officer from St. Pierre Joly, who, in partnership with her husband and two other farming couples, set to creating two new enterprise ventures for their cash crop farms. These included timothy hay production for cash sale, and the initiation of a new small cow-calf operation on new rotational pasture land. Murielle’s story was real, inspiring and it represented in practice the ideas presented within the three conferences. She and her husband, took leadership and created an alliance with their neighbours to embark on new renewal enterprises. In doing so she and her husband reaffirmed their commitment to their rural community. Murielle emphasized that the new ventures gave some hope to their children who were now re-including farming as a career option and she demonstrated her sense of community by wanting her children to remain part of it.

The 2002 conference made plain that the issue of rural development is a people issue. As such it is a difficult issue to tackle because it often may need to be driven by emotional support. It is impossible to mechanize emotional support. The conferences we have hosted in Brandon have supplied emotional support to people who are dedicated to developing rural communities. At the end of the 2002 conference our goal has evolved into fostering leadership and greater sense of community in rural communities, and renewed rural community development sustaining individuals, an economy and the community’s environment.

The Agriculture Renewal Alliance has tried to play a role in facilitating open discussion on new approaches to old problems. Participants in the ARA see the need for a greater effort to challenge people to think outside of traditional approaches in order to find opportunities. The ARA will work to meet the challenge set at the end of the 2002 conference by embarking on a number of activities in 2003 including:

We also encourage government leaders at all levels to recognize the evolution we have documented through our conferences and to look for opportunities to engage in internal and external discussions of what challenges governments face and eventually what role they can play in people-centered rural community development.

The Canadian Prairies have been home to countless generations of inhabitants, providing each with a livelihood as well as fulfilment and freedom.

In the face of heightened risk due to climatic change, tightening margins, increasingly intense competition in the global marketplace, concentration and consolidation in both the input and output sectors, can today’s generation of farmers and rural residents continue to aspire to a rewarding life on the Prairies? What vision of rural Canada can best insure that rural enterprises including farming continue to be viable on the Canadian prairies?

In an effort to spark a debate over this fundamental issue, a group of industry players worked together to organize a conference held in Brandon, MB on October 26 and 27, 2000. The Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA), the Manitoba Co-operator, Manitoba Agriculture and Food (MAF) and representatives from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba collaborated on the development of a forum where a diverse array of perspectives were brought to bear on the viability and sustainability of agriculture in Western Canada.

Called “Recapturing Wealth on the Canadian Prairies”, the conference was a chance to bring together thoughtful and provocative speakers who were able to challenge each other as well as conference participants - both rural and urban - to come up with an inclusive vision of the future of agriculture.

The conference in 2000 was a success attracting over 230 participants and sparking vibrant discussion and a sense of hope following the conference. Upon this success two more conferences were organized, in Brandon, in 2001 and 2002. Conference organizers brought in highly respected and provocative speakers both international and local. The conferences were designed to allow for a constructive exchange of ideas between participants and they included workshops allowed participants to debate critical issues facing agriculture.

Participants in the ARA firmly believe that the vibrancy of rural communities on the Canadian Prairies is highly dependent on the well-being, on the wealth of community inhabitants 5 and their commitment to community and rural-based enterprises. Identifying ways in which wealth in its broadest possible sense can be created, maintained and recaptured in these communities is a first step. Events organized by the ARA will serve as opportunities for participants to network and create, or join in current efforts within their own communities.

The Agriculture Renewal Alliance is composed of representatives from Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), The Government of Manitoba Roundtable on Sustainable Development, the Manitoba Co-operator, Manitoba Agriculture and Food (MAF), Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation, Mennonite Central Committee, Producers and representatives from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba. The group first met in January 2000 and determined its mandate should be to serve as a facilitation group which would create opportunities for individuals and groups concerned about the future of agriculture and rural prairie communities to share and develop ideas for rejuvenating the rural prairie economy.

Rene Van Acker, Associate Professor, Crop Management and Weed Science, Dept. of Plant Science,
University of Manitoba.
Laura Rance, Associate Editor, Farmer’s Independent Weekly, Scott Stothers, Manager, Farm Management Section, Manitoba Agriculture and Food,
Shane Tornblom, Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation Lenore Smaldon, Communications Officer, Keystone Agricultural Producers,
an Caron, Agriculture Representative, Starbuck, Manitoba Agriculture and Food.
Gary Martens, Agronomy Lecturer and Research Farm Manager, Dept. of Plant Science, University of Manitoba. David Jopling, Department of Intergovernmental Affairs, Government of Manitoba,
Jane Froese, Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba, Dept. of Plant Science.
Dwayne Hamilton, Farmer and Chair of Human Settlements Committee, Sub-Committee of Manitoba Roundtable on Sustainable Development.
Tony Szumigalski, Graduate Student, University of Manitoba
Orla Nazarko, Graduate Student, University of Manitoba
Merv Pritchard, Director of the School of Agriculture, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba.
Cam Brown, Manitoba Institute of Agrologists

Sponsors
This conference was made possible by a grant supplied by the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council. Additional support for the conference was also received from:

Conference Agenda 2002

Tuesday, October 29

10:00	Opening
10:30	John Ikerd, Univ. of Missouri - Revitalizing Rural Communities
11:30	Ken Goudy, Inspiring local initiative
12:00	Lunch
1:00	Local examples of a commitment to rural communities
	- Carl Cunningham -Rural Development Institute
	- Peter Mah - Manitoba Pork Council
	- Ken Waddell, Neepawa Economic Developmen
2:15	Workshop - Barriers to revitalizing rural communities through farm and rural enterprises
3:15	Coffee
3:45	Debate: Cities are not sustainable: participants will include: Les Kletke, John Morris, Ryan Taylor.
5:00	Break (report results of first workshop)
5:30	Reception
6:30	Dinner
7:30	Entertainment - The Headliners@

Wednesday, October 30

7:30	Continental Breakfast
8:30	Mark Ritchie - Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis - The link between sustainable landscapes and sustainable rural communities.
9:15	Fred Kirschenmann - The Leopold Center, Iowa. Sustainable development.
10:00	Coffee
10:30	Bob Friesen (CFA) - Sustainable agriculture.
11:00	Barry Smith (CIBC) - opportunities for farm and rural enterprise.
11:30	Robert Meijer (Can. Federation of Independent Businesses) - features of successful enterprises.
12:00	Lunch
1:00	Workshop: Strategies (and Actions) for revitalizing rural communities through farm and rural enterprises (working on 1st chosen barrier)
1:45	Farm and Rural Enterprise - Manitoba Success Stories - Murielle Bugera - business alliance southeast. - Gary Davis - business alliance southwest.
2:30	Coffee
2:45	Workshop: Strategies (and Actions) for revitalizing rural communities through farm and rural enterprises (working on 2nd chosen barrier)
3:30	Summary and Closing

Communities Represented at the 2002 Conference

(numbers in parentheses represent numbers of individuals from each community if more than 1)

Organizations Represented at the 2002 Conference

Speakers at the 2002 Conference

John Ikerd - Professor emeritus of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri.

Ken Waddell – former mayor of Neepawa, MB, and owner and editor of a Neepawa community newspaper

Peter Mah – Director of community relations and sustainable development, Manitoba Pork Council.

Carl Cunningham – Rural development researcher and author of reports on rural development in Manitoba

Ryan Taylor – Independent newspaper columnist and Rancher from Towner, North Dakota.

Mark Ritchie – President of the Institute for Agricultural Trade Policy in Minneapolis.

Fred Kirschenmann – Farmer and Doctor of Philosophy who Directs the Leopold Centre for Alternative Agriculture at Iowa State University.

Barry Smith – Vice-President, Agricultural Lending, canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

Robert Meijer – National Agri-Business manager, Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

Murielle Bugera – Farmer, Economic Development Officer and new partner in a cow-calf operation with two neighbouring farming couples in the St. Pierre Joly area of Manitoba.

Gary Davis – farmer in the Boissevain area of Manitoba and proponent of the total resource management approach to rural enterprise development.

Workshop 1 Barriers To Revitalizing Rural Communities Priorized Barriers

1. attitude (NIMBY/ apathy/ lack of innovative spirits and risk takers / hopelessness / selfishness)
2. inadequate prices for farm production and increasing scale of farms
3. infrastructure and investment capital / water supply
3. lack of capable leadership
4. lack of employment opportunities / demographics / low critical mass
4. lack of long-term vision / lack of zoning
4. difference in values (conflict of interest)
5. complexity of issues and inadequate capacity to deal with them / lack of communication
6. government policy and imposed policy without information on long term effects, lack of economic control
7. polarization of residents over livestock development
8. acceptance and services for outsiders, resistance to new ideas
9. location with respect to cities
10. burnout of volunteers, and lack of volunteers
11. lack of marketing opportunities, competition from multi-nationals
12. negative media coverage

2000-2002 Conferences Executive Summary:
An Evolution of Ideas for Recapturing Wealth on the Canadian Prairies.

2002 Conference.

2000 Conference

2001 Conference

Conference Agenda 2002

Communities Represented at the 2002 Conference

Organizations Represented at the 2002 Conference

Speakers at the 2002 Conference

Workshop 1 Barriers To Revitalizing Rural Communities Priorized Barriers

Workshops 2 and 3 Strategies and Action Plans To Overcome Barriers and Revitalize Rural Communities

2000-2002 Conferences Executive Summary: An Evolution of Ideas for Recapturing Wealth on the Canadian Prairies.

2002 Conference.

2000 Conference

2001 Conference

Conference Agenda 2002

Communities Represented at the 2002 Conference

Organizations Represented at the 2002 Conference

Speakers at the 2002 Conference

Workshop 1 Barriers To Revitalizing Rural Communities Priorized Barriers

Workshops 2 and 3 Strategies and Action Plans To Overcome Barriers and Revitalize Rural Communities

2000-2002 Conferences Executive Summary:
An Evolution of Ideas for Recapturing Wealth on the Canadian Prairies.