Eastern Ontario grassroots punish soybean director on unity issue

CHESTERVILLE — Grassroots farmers have punished their eastern Ontario soybean director. They refused to re-elect Arden Schneckenburger after the drive to unite the wheat, soybean and corn boards was derailed late last year.

Farmers blamed Schnekenburger for withholding information and for voting against the amalgamation of the boards at a directors’ meeting. When Lindsay’s Joe Hickson, who was in favour of amalgamation, had to leave an Ontario Soybean Growers director’s meeting late last year, a vote was quickly taken in his absence to put an end to amalgamation. That caused an uproar across the province and at the January 9 district 13 (Hastings County east to Quebec border) annual meeting in Chesterville.

"This will set the process back an entire year," John Vanderspank told Farmers Forum.

The process of uniting Ontario’s three grains and oilseeds groups into one organization began as a grass roots movement in hopes that this will give them a stronger voice when facing governments. Support for the concept is strong in some districts but not in others. 

Ontario Soybean Growers chairman, Leo Guilbeault, has been attending many county meetings to speak directly to as many growers as possible. He began his presentation at the Chesterville meeting by stating that the plan to amalgamate is a contentious issue. "My phone rang for four or five days straight (after we withdrew from the process). It was obvious that the growers were disappointed. The intent to go forward is the appetite of the growers."

 To reinforce their point over 100 soybean producers attended the December 19 committee members meeting in London, where they persuaded the OSG board to revisit their decision. Both the corn and wheat boards will consider in late January whether or not they should revisit the amalgamation question.

 Although the producers at the District 13 meeting listened respectfully to Guilbeault‘s presentation, he had to contend with many hard hitting issues during the question period. Vanderspank asked Guilbeault whether the OSG board had broken its agreement to work toward amalgamation. Guilbeault eventually agreed that was the case.

 Glengarry’s Martin Lang stated that while he understood that the OSG Board had a valid point,"you had two-and-a-half years to air them. Why did you wait ‘til the 11th hour? " Paul Vogel, also from Glengarry, stated that the responsibility of the frustration and anger shown towards the OSG board rests on the OSG board themselves. "They (the Board) had a chance to talk to the corn and wheat producers. They could have asked us at any time. The responsibility for this conflict rests on the OSG board alone."

  North Gower’s Dwight Foster, the chair of the meeting, said that Guilbeault wanted to be sure that there was support for amalgamation in Eastern Ontario. A show of hands was requested and every producer in the room raised a hand. "You have 100 per cent support in Eastern Ontario" declared Foster. "The same thing happened in Richmond last night."

 Although emotions ran high, Guilbeault earned applause from producers when he stated "the producers have given us a mandate to go forward no matter what the directors want. Personal issues are to be put aside because farmers have told them to go ahead with the process."

 Elected to sit on the District 13 committee for 2008 were Marcus Haerle, Alain Leduc, Martin Lang, Geoff Guy, and Paul Vogel.