Class Action Rally

[burnt]

Well kato, getting support for this industry has never really been about affordability but rather a lack of will to make it happen.

As a small-time supplier of a hardware product mainly into the farming business, I have seen first hand what happens when agriculture's primary producers get a bit extra cash flow from a better crop or marketing year.

Also, finding the proper mechanism to trigger the funds into the producer's hands is a bit of a trick with the pressure to have the program remain in the green category.

It is routinely made clear that we have a group of mouth-breathers south of us who have nothing better to do than ooogle their Canadian counterparts to watch for any opportunity to deliver another kick in the crotch if they think they can get away with it. For some reason oldtimer/willowcreek/toiletpaper (take your pick of his nom de jour)comes to mind.

What thoughts have others had on the construct of a program to deliver the funds required in the short term to stay afloat in the absence of a true marketplace? Or is this question a misdirected concern?

[rkaiser]

Transcending tradition. The second part to this story --- after we get the money... Okay I'll back up for just a moment. Getting the money. Kato's agristability thing has a lot of merit but what about how we have subsidized the consumer of this country for years with negative cash flow at almost every level.

The $300.00 a piece that GF speaks of if we take 10 billion out of government (the people's) pocket is cheap if we tell them the rest of the story.

We are going to use this money to listen to the consumer and give them what they are asking for. We are going to help them and be conscious of their needs.

If any of you have not watched the movie "Food Inc." yet watch it. It is in the top five in North America for most watched movies in 2009. These people are our customers and we need to listen them.

This lawsuit is not about blame --- it is about responsibility... The governments responsibility, the consumers responsibility and most of all --- our responsibility to transcend a tradition to focus on profit and money in the food (beef)industry rather than our grassroots purpose to feed people with consciousness and respect.

[kato]

The main message consumers need to get is that the independent family farm is the one thing standing between a future where all their food is either imported or produced in those factory farms they are so disturbed by.

Do they want their beef produced by salaried employees hired by corporations who want to produce cheap at any cost, using whatever means necessary with no regard for anything past the next quarter's profit statement? By corporations who take the profits out of the rural economy, or even out of the country?

Or do they want their beef produced by people who live on the same land their cattle live on, and have a personal stake in the future of that land, and those cows? People who take the money from their operations and spend it locally, and keep it in the country?

It's their choice. It's our job to let them know that they have a choice.

[Happytrails]

Amen kato. The biggest challenge I see society facing is bridging the disconnect between food producers and the urban masses. About 19 out of 20 people are not involved in food production. We must try to get them interested in where their food comes from. Otherwise their priorities are not going to be farming friendly.

[kato]

From what I hear from people at the farmer's market, they are interested in where their food comes from right now. What they don't know is what else they can do about it, other than come and buy tomatoes from me. Lots would like to take that next step, but aren't sure what that would be.

The local food movement is gaining momentum, and has some very committed people promoting it. I think that if people like all of those who visit this forum really got out there and made an effort to connect with those people, we could make some changes.

We don't all have to start hauling beef off to the farmers market, but we can do lots to help fuel a demand for local sustainable beef that would help all of us. If people begin to realize just how spectacular that beef we all eat is, that has been processed the old fashioned way in the local abbatoir, they will start to ask for it at the store.

Those requests are what will drive the whole thing. It all follows the money, and if retail was to realize the potential market, it might help to start to turn things around.

Local beef needs the "cool" factor, and I don't mean the kind of cool that we've been dealing with.

[kato]

I should add the fact that in my mind, local can include anything from the farmer down the road, to beef from the whole of Canada.

[TheBadger]

If anyone is seriously organizing some kind of rally,
providing it's not on a Monday or a Tuesday, I will
certainly do my best to attend.
I have interviewed Mr. Pallett and have the utmost
confidence in his research and perhaps his most
intriguing quality – his passion for this case and the
issue at its heart.
In fact, if he's willing, I hope to do an update in the
near future as I have started my own newspaper
with a wider audience and believe the topic
warrants frequent attention.
I can be reached at sheri@thebadger.ca or at 306-
628-4349.
Good luck!

[dluther]

I wonder if McDONALDS is seving CANADIAN BEEF BURGER at the OLYMPICS!

[kato]

Welcome to Agri-ville, Sheri!

dluther, ya, I'm pretty sure it's Canadian beef. Their marketing manager was at the MCPA annual meeting, and says it is so. He was quite insistent on it.

But does it have big maple leaf signs on it? I sure hope so!

[Kathy]

If you accept the "Prion theory" as cause, you
endanger the future of the cattle industry and the
ability of landowners to raise animals on their land.

My hubby and I are probably the only producers to
have already opted out of the class action law suit.
Not that I don't agree with the idea that the suit
might win based on a balancing of evidence, and
the legal opinion of a judge (who knows zip about
this). Basing his judgement on the information
presented to him.

The researchers pushing for the prion theory, fail to
admit that this is a end-product of disease - not
the cause.

Going with their well pushed theory, they will have
a future impact which will state, that should they
find evidence of prions in the soil - than no animals
will be allowed to be raised on that land. AKA -
your "Premise ID" will be flagged and you will be
shut down - placed in either an animal health
"surveillance zone, control zone, or quarantine
zone"; or worse yet, the land will be deemed unfit
for meat/food production.

Once you take a payment from this class action
settlement/judgement.... you will forever be unable
to file suit against the Canadian government on this
subject. You accept the prion theory.... you are not
able to change your "legal" stand in the future...
when the truth is finally revealed.

You will not be able to argue that your land IS ok
for raising animals, when the CFIA finds the so-
called infectious agent in your soil. You can't have
your cake and eat it too!

[cpallett]

Kathy,

I raelly hope that you don't truly believe that BS, because I do respect your decision to opt-out on a principled basis. Some others prefer to fire shots while remaining class members on the chance they may collect a cheque at the end of the day. At least you have shown the courage of your convictions.

However, having said that, I have to tell you that you could not be more incorrect, misinformed and inaccurate concerning the legal implications of being a class member following a decision at trial or reaching a settlement.

It is true that class members will be bound by the result in the BSE class action. Hopefully that means they will have the right to cash their cheques. It also means that they will not be able to sue the Feds again for negligence or misfeasance in allowing BSE from imported British cattle into the Canadian herd thereby causing or contributing to the closure of international borders to Canadian cattle and beef on May, 20 2003. Period.

Neither can you, for that matter, on whatever causation theory you like (depleted uranium from Cold Lake was the last one I recall), as the six year limitation period under the Crown Liability and Proceedings Act has passed (it being more than six years ago now that the border closed).

With respect to anything else you or the class members can come up with regarding BSE to sue the Feds over, including your latest contamination theory, you can all go right ahead.

[rkaiser]

Glad I never pinned down the date yet. Will be chatting with the "man" at Red Deer westerner grounds tomorrow and will shoot for Wednesday March 31st. Everyone I have talked with so far has been good to go any time that week but we would not want to "not" have the presence of Miss Sherry Monk who for what ever reason has chosen to predict her own future for us here on Agriville.

2 marriages here Ms. Sherry and working on getting into number 3. Everything good happens in three's after all. And besides that --- I have learned to shut my mouth and bite my lip and -- of course--- trust the universe and the fact that we are all exactly where we are all supposed to be ---- all of the time. Our purpose will eventually be shown to us all.

I know mine..... or not --- LOL