It's important to preserve the farms, but they're not of much use without the farmers.
Last Saturday's rally at Ladner's Magee Park was attended by a couple hundred well-intentioned people. They gathered to oppose the growing industrialization of Delta's farmland, specifically as it relates to port expansion.
With land already lost to a new highway, treaty settlement, rail lines and more, the prospect of an additional 550 acres being consumed by warehouses and the like was enough to prompt many to take to the streets in protest.
They are to be commended for standing up for Delta's agricultural land, so in no way do I want to demean or diminish their efforts, but Saturday's gathering got me wondering: Where are all the rallies for farmers, not just for the farmland they cultivate?
Whether it's due to housing proposals, golf courses or industrial projects, there have been a lot of protests in these parts over the years in an effort to preserve farmland. However, I can't say I recall a single rally where preserving the farmer, or championing his cause, has been the focus.
I'm getting old so perhaps my memory is failing, but when heavy rain wiped out crops a couple of years ago, causing financial hardship for many of the area's farmers, I can't remember an outpouring of support from the public.
When farmers complained about costly water rates from Metro Vancouver, I didn't see any supportive placards. When they called for an overpass or lamented the loss of a processor, there weren't any rallies.
I'm sure there are a host of other issues where farmers could have used the might of a wider community to put pressure on decision makers, but for the most part we've left them to their own devices.
That's not to say we don't respect and value the job they do and what it means to the well being of our society, but it seems we're not terribly quick to jump on board when it's merely a farmer issue. Yet when the land they ply is in any type of danger, even if it's only the perceived kind, we've shown we're ready and willing to make our voices heard.
I don't mean to speak ill of the hearty souls that braved the rain last Saturday to advocate on behalf of Delta's farmland and all that it represents and sustains. If anything, they deserve our admiration for their willingness to stand up and be counted.
All I'm suggesting - and I admit it's far from a revolutionary thought - is farmers also need of our support.
