The National Farm Radio Forum
How It Worked

The National Farm Radio Forum:
How it Worked

The National Farm Radio Forum was a program that took place in Canada from 1939-1965. It had been recognized that there was a need to extend education to the rural parts of the country. The ‘Farm Forum’, through the use of multimedia technology, was successful in overcoming the obstacle of distance and extending education to such areas. It brought together rural people from across Canada and helped them realize their common interests. By listening to a weekly radio broadcast, farming families across the country became part of a national community.

The initiative was jointly sponsored by the Canadian Association for Adult Education (CAAE), the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). It provided a way for these three agencies, with very different mandates, to cooperate in helping farmers develop an understanding of issues which affected their lives and the welfare of their communities. The broadcasts were aired every Monday night from 1942-1965. The weekly themes of the broadcast were developed by a national planning group made up of farmers from across the country. Topics ranged from agricultural policy and international trade to community and family life. Families would gather in each others’ homes, community halls, school houses or church basements to listen to the broadcast and discuss the issues presented. They were aided with a publication called the Farm Forum Guide which they received prior to the broadcast. The guide presented different sets of questions for both adults and youth to discuss. Following the discussion, the participants were encouraged to report to their Provincial Farm Forum Office the results of their discussion and these were tabulated and reported for five minutes of the following week’s broadcast. This allowed the listeners to take part in their education by sharing views and ideas across the country.

The benefits of the farm radio forum extended far beyond the obvious educational accomplishments. It united a culturally diverse population across a vast physical distance through the common interests and lifestyles of agriculturally-based communities. In this way, it contributed to the development of a sense of community, both at the local and national levels. As well, the educational aspects of the Forum led to other forms of political action and community development. The network formed provided a generation of leaders who made their ideas known in parliaments, in farm organizations and in international agriculture. The leadership skills that were acquired benefited participants and many went on to manage farm organizations, co-operatives, marketing boards, and municipal governments.

For more information on Farm Radio Forum please review THE FARM FORUM STORY: by R. Alex Sim