OPINION: How farmers failed to get behind a one-voice general farm organization 50 years ago

It was 50 years ago this past June that Ontario farmers got to vote on whether or not they wanted a general farm organization (GFO). The referendum required a 60 per cent “yes” vote to have one organization be the official representative of all farmers in Ontario. Only 43 per cent of the farmers who voted were in favour and many didn’t bother voting.
I asked 10 elderly farmers, who were young farmers in the late 1960s, if they remembered the vote. And was it the right decision? And are they now pleased to have three accredited farm organizations in Ontario?
Well, the questions caught them by surprise and I had to enlighten them on this very important vote of June 24, 1969. Some of them are semi-retired and they “kinda recalled the vote.”

So a little history.

We’ll start with the successful Ottawa march on Parliament Hill in May of 1967 that included 15,000 to 20,000 farmers led by Ontario farm groups and those in Quebec. It led to a “groundswell of concern for creation of a single organization” at the 1967 Ontario Federation of Agriculture Convention.
As a result of direction from the OFA board, by early 1969, a 16-person committee of representatives from the OFA, Ontario Farmers’ Union, marketing boards and co-operatives, was established to draw up a basic plan for a single farm organization.

In a report by Minister of Agriculture and Food William A. Stewart (Progressive Conservative), submitted to the convention, he emphasized that it would have to be the farmers themselves who would decide whether and what kind of organization they wanted.

Said Stewart: “When the farmers of this province have indicated the kind of organization they desire, then the government will fulfil its part of the bargain. When a single voice evolves, and it is the kind of organization that is well financed and responsible, then this government will give that organization the recognition and status necessary to bargain in good faith on farm policy matters.”

The second of three committees was set up. This one, a six-man, one-farm-organization committee included the president of the Ontario Farmers’ Union Walter Miller. Miller worked to defeat the general farm organization as he had other interests, including running what some might see as a competing farm organization. The National Farmers Union (NFU) was born in Winnipeg in July of 1969 through an amalgamation of provincial farm unions in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and BC. The Farmers Union of Alberta (FUA) refrained from joining, but many FUA members did join. Roy Atkinson was elected NFU president, and Ontario Farmers’ Union president Miller became vice-president of the national group.

By voting day, there was a major move to opposing one voice, including agribusiness interests taking out advertisements, and the posting of NO posters, allegedly by agribusiness and some farm union representatives.
Voting day turned into a major disappointment. People stayed away in droves and the majority of those who voted were against the establishment of the proposed general farm organization. Only 91,653 ballots were cast, with 39,708 (43.3 per cent) voting “yes” and 50,662 (55.2 per cent) voting “no.” The remainder were spoiled ballots. The bottom line was that of those estimated as eligible to vote, many did not do so and those who were strongly opposed to the proposal did vote.

Gordon Hill, who became the OFA president shortly after, said apathy lost the vote, since half of the farmers didn’t bother voting. Hill said he felt that of the other 20,000 who voted NO, half were Walter Miller’s (Ontario Farmer Union) supporters. The other half were “rugged individualists” who resented any organization.

Results for Renfrew County (thanks to reporting by the Eganville Leader) as released by ag. rep. Frank Dench, the returning officer, revealed 798 farmers in favour of one general farm organization, 1,385 against and 25 spoiled ballots. There were 2,400 farmers in Renfrew County so the turnout was quite good, but only a small percentage of wives or eligible sons voted.
Only one of the 10 farmers I questioned remembered voting. What were their thoughts now on the rejection of one voice in 1969? Most agreed we’d be a lot better off with one general farm organization like they have in Quebec. But one farmer said each of the three accredited farm organization, plus The Landowners organization, have all done something good for Ontario farmers.