Nettie Wiebe: A Passonate Voice For The Farmer

Raised in a large Saskatchewan, Canada based Mennonite family, Nettie Wiebe was taught that women should be demure. But somewhere along the way, this soft spoken mother of four became an activist bent on holding back the powerful economic forces that threaten to destroy the traditional family farm in Canada and all over the world

Though her Mennonite upbringing discouraged young women from seeking leadership roles, Nettie had a streak of stubborn independence. In fact, she earned expulsion from high school after prompting a mini-uprising among her fellow students.

Nettie went on to pursue a doctorate in philosophy, and in 1980 settled down with her husband on the Saskatchewan prairie to begin a farm of her own just in time for the collapse of western Canadas family farm sector, as high interest rates and the pressure to industrialize began to push many small owners out of the business.

When the National Farmers Union (NFU), a Saskatchewan based organization representing the interests of farm families, came to Nettie's door seeking new members, she was quick to sign on and quickly became one of the NFUs most active members, elected in 1995 to a three year term as president, the first woman ever to hold this position.

Founding member of Via Campesina, an international organization that helps peasant farmers in some 40 countries, Nettie has run for both the Saskatchewan NDP leadership and for a seat in Parliament. Along the way, she has emerged as one of Canada's most articulate opponents of a globalization model that serves transnational agri-business corporations at the expense of small farmers.
Faith is at the heart of her activism. From the spiritual traditions of her family, she drew the understanding that belief must "express itself concretely in everyday life" to be meaningful. This is a message Nettie passes along now to her theology students at the University of Saskatchewan's St. Andrew's College, where she teaches the philosophy of church and society.


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• Farm
• voice
• canada
• Saskatchewan
• farming
• farmers
• kara
• Hinkle

[2celticgirl2]

I f you are mennonite then you live what you believe. Your humble and not material minded..it will all pass away anyway. Christ calls us to a certain standard and speaking as a mennonite myself I'd say you take those standards very seriously and they determine your decisions. We desire to literally live the word of God.

[SeverEnergia]

@lolering Nettie Wiebe :p

[lolering]

who do u want them to vote for then?

[SeverEnergia]

I'm trying hard to convince my parents not to vote for Block again.

[lolering]

you pople are crazy i have acculy met nettie webe and she is more than a wing nut ndp she is smart,funny, caring and she is really important to the union to which i belong so stuff that up ur ass

[SeverEnergia]

gogo militant farmers movements

[jpjayed]

Another wing nut NDP. Just what we need..

[sw3912]

Nettie! You people are m&m's.  Not smarties...