New venture offers alternative to company store

Yesterday while driving west from Summerside, I pulled into the entrance to Slemon Park to photograph the new silo storage facility taking shape.

It is apparently to store peas, beans, seeds, mustard and other locally grown crops.

I don’t have many details on this new venture, but apparently the owner is originally from Charlottetown and has a successful and similar business out West. The idea as I understand it, is to buy up crops from local farmers including organic.

The final product will likely be animal feeds, but don’t hold me to that. Whatever the purpose, it has to be a good thing for the Island.

For far too long we have been at the mercy of the McCain/ Irving corporations. They control prices, products, quantities and quality.

They hold control over the farmers and those who depend on them for employment. These unfortunate people are afraid to complain or buck the system.

Indeed these same corporations have far too much say in our provincial governments.

Our present situation reminds me too much of the old mining town systems – a system where the owners of the mines also own the town, the homes, the people and the company store. Hopefully with more avenues open to farmers and more employment opportunities available, we can break the cycle of McCain/Irving owning the company store.

F. Ben Rodgers, Abram Village P.E.I.