At the National Farmers Union Convention, our National Network Director Wyanne Sandler hosted a keynote conversation in New Brunswick with Charlie Angus and Britt Griffin that brought together farmers, organizers, and community members from across the country.
Wyanne opened the session by welcoming everyone to the conference as a chance for people to come together beyond daily work, policy details, or commodities, and instead talk about the bigger issues shaping farming and rural life today
Talking about rural life and farming today
One of the first topics Wyanne raised was the loss of small and mid-sized farms. Canada has been losing about three farms a day since 2001. Her question to the speakers focused on what this loss means for rural communities and what needs to change to reverse it.
The conversation highlighted that rural communities are not just places to extract resources. They are places where people support one another, build relationships, and share responsibility.
Why local control matters
The conversation then turned to what happens when power becomes too concentrated. Concrete examples were shared from the mining and forestry sectors. When companies become massive, when ownership is embedded in a few hands, communities lose their ability to negotiate.
There was discussion of large multinational companies taking over mills and resource operations across Canada. In these cases, decisions are no longer made locally. They are made far away, with little concern for workers, families, or the future of mill towns. When one company controls millions of acres of forest or multiple mills, the “net benefit” to communities becomes deeply questionable.
Food, land, and local systems
Wyanne also guided the discussion toward food and land. The speakers talked about growing food, caring for land that has been damaged, and learning how to live with nature rather than trying to control it. Local food systems matter. They connect people to places. They help communities survive uncertainty. They remind us that food is not just a product. It is part of culture, health, and care.
However, climate chance was another key part of the conversation. Fire seasons are longer and communities are facing more extreme conditions. One speaker shared that even in a crisis, people must believe there is still a future worth building. The responsibility of older generations, they said, is to protect the ground we still have and to support younger people in shaping what comes next. “The planet is going to burn. And it's burning now. We used to have summer, but now we have fire season - what's it going to be like in 20 years? People are saying Canada's all got to stick together. I agree. I'm more elbows up than anybody right now. But building a nation doesn't mean burning a planet.”
Indigenous knowledge and respect
Wyanne also helped bring the conversation toward Indigenous relationships and learning. Speakers talked about working alongside First Nations communities, and respecting Indigenous knowledge as real history, not metaphor or symbolism.
They shared lessons about paying attention, slowing down, and understanding land as something you are in relationship with, not something you own. Respect, patience, and accountability were named as essential when working together.
Organizing and taking action
Toward the end of the conversation, the focus shifted to organizing. The speakers talked about how change does not come from sitting back or waiting for leaders to act. It comes from people showing up, talking to their neighbours, and taking action together.
They stressed the importance of grassroots organizing. Not online only but working with communities to build real relationships and conversations. Change happens when people are willing to stand together and take responsibility for their communities, food systems, and future.
We are grateful to the National Farmers Union for creating space for this conversation, and to everyone who showed up ready to listen, reflect, and act.
