The December issue of this paper contained an article titled “Learning to Grow Dinner”, with my name attached as the writer. The article that was published was not the article that I submitted.
Unfortunately, editorial decisions were made to change much of the content and meaning of my original article, without my knowledge or consent.
Comments were ascribed to me that I have never said, nor would I ever say. I have never referred to myself as a “backyard organic farmer”- whatever that is. My agricultural training and experience has been on legitimate farms of various sizes, from 55 acres to over 600 acres, but never in someone’s “backyard”.
The years I spent on the sheep ranch in B.C. working 600 sheep, were not in a backyard. More years spent managing a dairy goat operation and working a market garden were not in a backyard. Working a mixed fruit orchard and running fruit stand sales were not in a backyard.
As for calling a backyard an “organic farm”; that never happened either. The term organic is regulated in Canada. You cannot call your backyard and its products organic if it is not Certified Organic. Organic Certification is complex and expensive, requiring annual re-application and inspection. It is a measure of assurance for paying customers that what is sold is what it is supposed to be.
I have never claimed to have started the Community Garden because I did not. It wasn’t even my idea. I joined an existing committee after it was already formed.
It disturbs me that so much misinformation was written about me without being checked first. Sadly, there were numerous other errors that are too many to list here.
I regret that readers may have been misled by this article, as I did not write much of what was attributed to me.
Jude Major