Okay you devils, its time to get cracking and start egging people on before they chicken out. We refuse to be henpecked by the marketing board as they crow about their over-easy supposed victory. Well, don't let them ruffle your feathers because they've got all their eggs in one basket and the yolk's on them! You can't make an omellette without breaking some eggs and its sunnyside up for the organic chicken and egg producers from now on. Rock on, Chicks!
Demonstration at Vancouver Supreme Court
To
Free Organic Farmers from Marketing Boards
Organic Friends of the Future have organized a demonstration in support of Brad and Karen Reid of Thomas Reid Farms right to be independent of the conventional marketing boards. This demonstration is expected to involve 50 people in peaceful protest against the legal actions taken by the BC Chicken Marketing Board (BCCMB) against the Reid’s. The protest is to take place in front of the Vancouver Supreme Court house on Smythe.
The demonstration will take place between 9 am and 10 am on Wednesday January 14th 2004. Organic consumers and farmers have united to support Brad And Karen.
There has been a continues battle between organic producers and the marketing boards since 1998. Brad and Karen have been at the forefront of this battle regarding certified organic chicken production. In August of 2002 Madame Justice Smith ruled the Reid’s must submit to the rules of the BCCMB with considerations given to certified organic chicken productions needs. Since this time the BCCMB has contended a Chicken is a Chicken in spite of all of the differences in organic chicken production. They have now moved to limit Thomas Reid Farms production and punitively back levy Brad and Karen for close to 50,000 dollars. The Reid’s have been denied the normal appeal process under the Natural Products Marketing Act.
Brad and Karen Reid will be in court on January 14th 2004 at 10:00 AM to defend themselves. They are acting without legal counsel because of the high costs caused by the continuous legal harassment by the BCCMB.
So we will all be meeting there, dressed in chicken costumes (do you have one?) and singing the soon-to-be-composed chicken song (I'm working on it!). I hope you'll be able to join us and please bring as many people as you can and pass this message on to other concerned citizens. This is a peaceful protest - no throwing eggs or anything! We're hoping to bring this situtation to the attention of more people by making our concerns public. Please make time in your day if you can for this, it is a very important part of long-term, large scale, determined activism with the goal to protect the rights of organic farmers and allow them to market their own products without marketing board restrictions.
If you need more information, give me a call or email me. Thanks for your support!
Alyson
glenvalley@direct.ca
(604) 857-0017
