Farmers defend John Vanderspank

LANARK COUNTY — The wheat producers from New Liskeard to the Quebec border have an uncanny ability to raise eyebrows and drop jaws.

These feisty farmers in district 10 are proving their loyalty to their director, Lanark’s John Vanderpank, by deciding to quit the wheat board.

About 25 producers met and agreed to unanimously quit the board. An August 10 email to the Ontario Wheat Producer’s Marketing Board was to the point: "The producers of district 10 require no less than to secede from the board effective immediately," the email stated in part.

Vanderspank was ousted from board committees for speaking publicly about what board members say are confidential matters. Vanderspank wrote an article in Farmers Forum’s May issue, saying that the grains and oilseeds safety net committee "were paying a lot of money to the Daisy Group, a lobby outfit run by hard core Liberal Warren Kinsella."

Vanderspank argued that he did not breach confidentiality because farmers knew about the lobby group. He insists board members took issue with him personally because he wanted to address serious issues, like getting true cost of production figures.

But as legislation goes, district 10 must pay their check-off fee to the board but can appeal to OMAFRA to get it back.

"We want our fees back on the grounds that we don’t have representation," said Apple Hill farmer Paul Vogel. "Our director has been shunned.

"This sets a precedent," added Vogel, arguing that the wheat board, with a history of acting from the top-down, will now see that producers cannot be ignored. "The board has to listen from the bottom-up."

Added Cornwall area crop farmer Darrin Laplante: "We don’t accept this kind of action, stripping our director from committees. We agreed with what John was doing."

Vanderspank is delighted with support from the grassroots. "I’m really excited about the way the producers are sticking up for me," he said.

The protest will not re-instate Vanderspank, however, as the wheat board will be amalgamating with the corn and soybean boards later this year to become the Grain Farmers of Ontario. The 15 interim directors will be appointed by the province and will not include Vanderspank.