National (Urban) Farmers Union

Great news for urban farmers: The NFU is a critically important voice for farmers…and they’ve just decided that city growers ought to be part of the team.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday December 8th, 2010

NFU OPENS MEMBERSHIP TO URBAN FARMERS

Saskatoon, Sask – National Farmers Union (NFU) membership is now open to urban farmers, according to a resolution passed at the NFU’s 41st Annual Convention, held from December 2-4 in Saskatoon. The NFU constitution, states that, membership is open to any person that is engaged in farming in Canada.

Newly elected, NFU Youth Vice-President, Paul Slomp stated that “young and new farmers are supporting themselves and feeding their communities by producing fruits, vegetables, grains and some cases livestock on lands within city boundaries.” Paul, a livestock farmer from Eastern Ontario, went on to say, “These farmers tend to be well-educated and innovative in their efforts to reclaim unused acreage. The NFU is very inclusive and our members have diverse operations. It makes sense to include urban farmers in the organization. Membership in the NFU will give these farmers a forum to bring policy to all levels of government, and allow them to contribute both their expertise and their concerns to the betterment of all farm families.”

“These plots may be small but these skilled farmers use them quite extensively, returning from $5000 to $10,000/acre,” said NFU Women’s President, Joan Brady. Brady, who operates an intensive market garden on 3.5 acres in Huron County went on to say, “communities are increasingly concerned about planning for their food needs for the future. Food production in the cities will act as a buffer to the insecurity of a global food system, well beyond the control of the average Canadian.”

The NFU is a non-partisan, nation-wide democratic organization made up of thousands of farm families from across Canada who produce a wide variety of commodities, including grains, livestock, fruits and vegetables. The NFU was founded in 1969 and chartered in 1970 under a Special Act of Parliament. The mandate is to work for policies designed to:

1. raise net farm incomes from the marketplace;

2. promote a food system that is built on a foundation of financially-viable family farms which produce high-quality, healthy, safe food;

3. encourage environmentally-sensitive practices that will protect our precious soil, water and other natural resources; and

4. promote social and economic justice for food producers and all citizens.

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For more information, questions about NFU policies, or questions about membership, please contact:

Joan Brady, NFU Women’s President (519) 237-3139

Paul Slomp, NFU Youth Vice President (613) 230-0684

Kevin Wipf, NFU Executive Director (306) 652-9465