Fred Tait Inducted into Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame
WINNIPEG, MB—In a ceremony yesterday at Red River Exhibition Park, Fred Tait was inducted into the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame. Fred and his wife Sandra farm and raise cattle near Rossendale.
In inducting Tait, the Hall of Fame recognized that he has “devoted his life to advocating for a healthy environment, thriving rural communities, and sustainable farming throughout Manitoba and across Canada.”
In his acceptance speech, Tait said:
“It hasn’t been easy. On our farm, we often took a course that was contrary. And we were lectured, from the time that we were first farming, that you must obey the signals of the marketplace; there is no room for sentiment—you must only follow the rules of the marketplace and deal in personal interest. But, of course, to care and to share is a human trait. And that was our path. We cared about our neighbours, we cared about the communities, we cared about the economic and environmental sustainability, and still we care about that until this day.
In this struggle that we’ve been involved in all these years, it always comes down to the same thing. It’s about farmers and agricultural communities being able to retain a suitable proportion of the wealth that they have produced. And, of course, it is always a contest. There are those on the other side that desire the wealth that we produce, and they are very capable of collecting it. Historically, farmers collected 34% of their production as net income. More recently, we get to 2 and 3%… I’ve never known agriculture to be more productive than it is today, and I’ve never known it with less capacity to retain the wealth it is producing…
I joined the Farmers Union in 1983… and I knew I’d found a home. In the Farmers Union the role you play… was determined by the commitment that you would make to help other farmers retain their farms, maintain our communities, and maintain the environmental sustainability that is so essential if agriculture is to survive… The work is not over. There are issues today, as there will always be issues; there is the issue of Crown land allocation; there is the issue of delivery contracts wherein if nature takes a farmer’s crop they are compelled to pay a grain company—the injustice of that overwhelms me; there is the issue of the constant attack on the Canadian Grain Commission; all these things will occupy my time. … This is a lifetime’s work, and after 82 years, I don’t see that I’m really prepared to call an end yet.”
In a letter of support for his nomination, the NFU wrote that “Fred Tait stands among the great leaders of the Canadian farm movement, and his induction to the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of fame will be timely and well deserved.”
Link to Fred’s page in the Hall of Fame: https://www.manitobaaghalloffame.com/ahofmember/fred-tait/
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Fred Tait Biography
Born in 1942 at the Portage La Prairie hospital, Fred grew up on a farm near Rossendale, MB. He took over responsibilities for that farm in his teenage years when his father became ill.
Fred and his wife Sandra have lived on their own farm near Rossendale since 1968 where they raised cattle. They also raised two sons.
In 1999, after retiring from his off-farm supplementary employment, Fred purchased additional land along the Assiniboine River and managed and harvested the trees there and processed them with his sawmill.
Over the past five decades, he has been active in advocating for agriculture, justice, and the environment—for stewardship rather than exploitation. In the 1970s, Fred was instrumental in having seven wildlife management areas created. He has served as a director for the Manitoba Wildlife Federation for two terms.
Fred joined the National Farmers Union (NFU) in 1983 and has held various positions including National Vice President (1997-2002) and also Coordinator for Manitoba. He has always worked to give voice to agricultural producers and to advocate for policies and economic measures that retain wealth at the community level. Fred worked to protect farmers’ interests in seed regulations; to stop the introduction of genetically modified (GMO) wheat; to defend the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB); and to advance the interests of cattle farmers and independent hog producers. He has served on many Boards and commissions including the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) and the Manitoba Agriculture’s Appeal Tribunal.
