National Farm Radio Forum

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On air from 1941-01-28 to 1965-03-29

It was radio that got farmers talking. From 1941 to 1965, National Farm Radio Forum brought together groups of neighbours across rural Canada to listen to a weekly half-hour program on a single farm issue. Using accompanying printed study guides, the groups then discussed the broadcast and sent in a summary for follow-up on a subsequent show. Launched as an educational experiment by the CBC, along with the Canadian Association for Adult Education and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the show's motto was: "Read. Listen. Discuss. Act."

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I don't think we give farmers the credit their due and I beleive that Capitalism exploits farmers and their families.

Submitted by: Mr. Blair M. Phillips

Too many farmers?

Broadcast Date: Jan. 28, 1941

For farm families in Eastern Canada, there's a new reason to tune into CBC Radio on Monday evenings. Farm Radio Forum, or Farm Forum for short, is an experiment in agricultural broadcasting. In this 1941 episode – the second ever – a dramatized debate among farm folk in the fictional community of Sunnyridge considers whether there are too many farmers. The drama is followed by news on the public response to the Farm Forum concept.

Too many farmers?

• Farm Radio Forum debuted on Jan. 21, 1941 and was heard only in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. The following autumn, the program was extended to Western Canada and was renamed National Farm Radio Forum.
• Men of the Soil, the Farm Forum theme song, was based on a Danish folk song. Some listeners interpreted its crusading lyrics as overly socialistic, and later in the show's run the producers changed it so that certain lines were only hummed, not sung.
• The lyrics to Men of the Soil are, in part:
Men of the soil we have laboured unending
We have fed the world with the grain we have sown
Now with the dawn of a new day ascending
Giants of the earth at last we rise to claim our own!

Farm Forum: Too many farmers?

Medium: Radio

Program: National Farm Radio Forum

Broadcast Date: Jan. 28, 1941

Duration: 29:32

Photo: CBC Still Photo Collection

Last updated:
April 3, 2008

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13 results available

Media	Title and date	Description
Radio 29:32	March 29, 1965 Farm Forum: The final forum (1965)	Farm Forum comes to an end, but the forums say they'll keep on learning.
Radio 29:00	Nov. 2, 1964 Farm Forum: A national health plan	Justice Emmett Hall makes the case for national health care to Farm Forum listeners.
Radio 1:06	Nov. 2, 1964 The Royal Commission on Health Services	Supreme Court Justice Emmett Hall describes the reasons why Canada needs universal health care.
Radio 28:53	Jan. 13, 1964 Farm Forum: Careers for rural teens	Rural youth respond to last week's show by discussing what they need from schools and parents to plan their careers.
Radio 29:14	Jan. 6, 1964 Farm Forum: The future of farm youth	As more young people leave the farm, a panel probes their prospects for future employment.
Radio 28:18	Nov. 25, 1963 Farm Forum: A woman's place, 1963	An extra income can buy modern conveniences, but is it proper for women to work off the farm to get them?
Radio 28:50	Nov. 4, 1963 Farm Forum: The country church in the '60s	Farm Forum participants debate whether small rural churches should amalgamate.
Radio 28:52	Dec. 17, 1962 Farm Forum: The dairy industry in 1962	Dairy industry experts address farmers' questions about high-quality cheese production, protein content in milk and dairy co-ops.
Radio 29:19	March 1, 1943 Farm Forum: Is rationing rational?	A Farm Forum panel tackles the problem of food shortages and high prices during the war.
Radio 29:35	Nov. 9, 1942 Farm Forum: Feeding an army	As overseas demand grows, the federal Minister of Agriculture tells Farm Forum listeners what they should produce for the war effort.
Radio 29:53	Nov. 2, 1942 Farm Forum: Fighting fascism overseas	A son on leave from the war explains fascism to his father back on the homestead.
Radio 24:42	Nov. 24, 1941 Farm Forum: Farm incomes in flux	A radio play dramatizes the trend of people leaving the farm for the city and changes in farm income during the war.
Radio 29:32	Jan. 28, 1941 Farm Forum: Too many farmers?	A new radio program aiming to stimulate discussion in farm groups asks: "Are there too many farmers?"

13 results available

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