Reflections on Food Security – A Tribute to Canada’s Family Farms

The Life of a Servant

Season 2, Episode 7

Food prices are something all of us are intimately aware of these days. So we thought we’d reach into the vaults and pull out a radio interview from 24 years ago that shows you’re not alone in your concerns about food security and making ends meet.

This episode features an unedited conversation between Dennis Mills, internationally celebrated musical performer, Sylvia Tyson, and legendary radio broadcaster, Michael Enright. The audio is from a December 1999 broadcast of Michael’s program, “This Morning”, which was originally aired on CBC Radio One.

Dennis describes the crisis faced by family farms at that time, and how upwards of 60,000 farms across Canada hung precariously on a week-by-week lifeline. He then talks about the Family Farm Tribute, which was hosted a month later at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena), as an effort to raise awareness of the importance of food security and the farm crisis in Canada.

Sylvia Tyson joins the conversation and explains to Michael and his CBC listeners how she immediately agreed to participate in a cause that was not only dear to her, but fundamental to Canada's social and economic fabric.

Learn more information about the Family Farm Tribute at DennisMills.com. You can also read more in-depth stories about the family farm crisis, and how the Family Farm Tribute evolved into multiple awareness-raising events, in Dennis’ newest book, “From the Wood Chair to the Green Chair: A Memoir”.

Tags: Dennis Mills, Family Farm Tribute, Michael Enright, CBC Radio One “This Morning”, Sylvia Tyson, Ronnie Hawkins, family farms, Prairie Oyster, Canada’s food production system, food prices, food security, advocacy, public policy, awareness-raising special events, servant leadership, From the Wood Chair to the Green Chair.