Unifarm: A Story of Conflict and Change (Legacies Shared Book Series)

Unifarm, the most enduring agricultural organisations of its kind, is chronicled from its development in the 1970s to its reorganisation as Wild Rose Agricultural Producers in 1995. This book provides in-depth discussions of co-operative philosophy, marketing boards, surface rights, commodity groups, and the importance of education and training for members of the rural community. Illustrated with over 60 black and white illustrations that bring to life the rich history of Unifarm and the agricultural past of Alberta. While this book focuses on Alberta, it also sheds new light on agricultural and farming communities across the country. Alberta farmers and ranchers know that, in the frustrating business of agriculture, years of bounty inexplicably turn into years of despair. Looking back over the past half century, Jaques recounts the tumultuous history of the Alberta farm organization Unifarm. Unifarm: A Story of Conflict and Change documents Alberta farmers'quest to increase control over the forces that have had such an impact on their lives and describes how it led them to form organizations that have afforded them measures of stability and security throughout the past century. Unifarm, one of the most enduring of these organizations, is chronicled from its development in the 1970s to its reorganization as the Wild Rose Agricultural Producers in 1995. In discussing the relationship of Unifarm to the business of agriculture, Jaques addresses issues of co-operative philosophy, marketing boards, surface rights, commodity groups, and the importance of education and training for members of the rural community. Unifarm is an important book that sheds new light on the many facets of Alberta's rich agricultural history. Cover......Page 1 Unifarm: A Story of Conflict and Change......Page 2 ISBN 1552380513......Page 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS......Page 6 4 Time for Decision......Page 7 Henry Wise Wood, Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Canada (NA-2715-4)......Page 9 DEDICATION......Page 10 INTRODUCTION......Page 11 FARM ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES......Page 15 1 The Early Years......Page 18 2 Farmers’ Union of Alberta......Page 34 3 Steps to Amalgamation......Page 50 5 “All Those Peppermints”......Page 78 6 “Ten Miles Each Way”......Page 100 7 “Boy,You Really Have to Work to Make Democracy Function”......Page 116 8 Following a Grand Tradition......Page 134 9 Surface Rights, Land Use, and All That......Page 154 10 Women of Unifarm: Half the Sky......Page 176 11 “We Have Got to Get Organized”......Page 192 12 Under the Umbrella--Or Not......Page 224 13 “A Great Degree of Misunderstanding”......Page 240 14 Showdown......Page 264 15 Changing Times......Page 288 16 What To Do?......Page 306 EPILOGUE—Wild Rose Agricultural Producers......Page 330 SOURCES......Page 336 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 338 INDEX......Page 344 Chronicles Unifarm, one of the most enduring agricultural organisations of its kind, from its development in the 1970s to its reorganisation as Wild Rose Agricultural Producers in 1995. This book provides discussions of co-operative philosophy, marketing boards, and the importance of education and training for members of the rural community.