Agriville Vote on Producer Ownership

[rkaiser]

Don't forget to start tagging them calves for E.U. export folks. Have to be done before six months of age. We are going to need seed stock to get this marketing plan to be feasible.

[grassfarmer]

I don't know who you are or anything about your business wd40 but I resent that last comment. As a newcomer to this country (<7 years) I feel I've done my fair share of trying to knock walls down. I have developed and built my own small scale (for now)direct marketing beef retailing operation. I was a member of BIG-C and helped organise their biggest turnout rally on their "tour", I have attended many producer plant proposal meetings, I had money in one before withdrawing it due to what I considered poor decision making. I have been active and vocal at ABP meetings and although at times feel like I am one of around only 10 people in the province attempting to sink that misguided ship. I am proud to be an NFU member and as such have had face to face meetings with two successive agriculture ministers at the legislature. I am currently heading up a community group fighting a fresh water oilflood project in my area and as such have met with the current environment minister as well as presenting a dossier to a member of the Federal standing committee on the Environment recently.

I fight a lot of things, but the main thing I fight is apathy. The apathy of Canadians and Albertans in particular shocks me - that is our biggest problem as producers wanting to change the system. I am constantly trying to encourage sleepy, Conservative Alberta farmers/ranchers to attend meetings, get involved and speak up for themselves. I am ready and willing to invest substantially in any beef industry proposal that would better the lot of producers. However I will not jump blindly into "dream" projects that ignore business realities however unpleasant they may be. I am a realist and carefully guard the sustainability and financial integrity of my 8th generation farm operation so that it may be passed on to the next generation.

[kato]

Cedar, you made a bell go off when you mentioned co-ops. I'm not sure how Alberta compares to Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but our rural areas are blanketed by co-ops already. Maybe this is an avenue to explore in the marketing of local beef? Our local co-op has a lot of customers who are very loyal and have been for years.

mmmm ... could be a good fit. Producer owned packing facilities combined with the network and distribution and loyal customer base of the co-op grocery stores.

Randy, please elaborate on the EU tagging?

[wd40]

Talking about Co-Op's
Co-Op's annual meeting in Red Deer unanimously past a resolutgion back after May 03, to actively persure building a packing plant. They currently own a Lumber mill or more, a oil refrinery and had $100,000,000 in the bank. A grocery retail chain to market meat and the Co-Op's executive squashed the resolution. I talked to the CEO's etc. They are Sask NFU minded. Someone please help Canada.

[rkaiser]

E.U. ear tagging is one of many things that we can do to make this dream become a reality. Quite a bit of talk about dreams and reality on this thread. In reality we are all realist. We are all functioning and some of functioning quite well in a system which has been broken for years. If that does not make us all realist's, I don't know what does.

As for the dreams. Both the BIG C and the WD 40 plans have been well thought out and have even made it so far as feasibility studies by independent groups. These are dreams that not only we believe could become reality, but many others as well. CBEF has spent multi millions of our dollars every year to keep telling us that the potential for Asian and E.U markets are real. As are the lucrative American markets which Tyosn and Cargill have no trouble supplying and have no competition to make them work for.

Any true plan needs marketing - and maybe even marketing first. The way for producers to help the dream of producer ownership, is to start the process now, so the marketing teams have something to work with when the time comes.

6 months is the protocol for tagging cattle that are no implanted. I personally know of very very few ranches that use implants at home any more. E.U. certification is easy and relatively cheap. Ask any vet how to get it done. The potential eliminate the captive Canadian cattle market and open the door to some of the fastest moving economies in the world is in our hands first.

The personal human tendencies to use the frustration of dealing with this BSeconomic situation are too bash each other are far too tempting. BIG C members grew an extra layer of hide early on in the game, and each of us now has the ability to bounce back after personal assault. The best lesson we have learned is to stop running down those who we wish to attract. Calling producers pathetic or apathetic is going to get us no where. We need to be patient and positive, and never shut up.

Producer ownership is not a dream. It could very well be reality. IBP used to stand for Independent Beef Processors - USBP is a functioning and competitive group, and New Zealand has an "Alliance" that leads the countries packing industry.

If the BIG C plan is not perfect, then help tweek it. It's time was two years ago, it's time is now, and it's time is also tomorrow. All we have to choose is which one.

[rkaiser]

Just a bit about the dough. Who would not have a thousand bucks to support a proposal that even has a chance of making things better than the thousands spend by government and industry over the last 4 years.

This also goes for the checkoff. How much could it really break any of us to try.

I have mentioned the competition thing, or the choosing of favorites before, but the BIG C plan favored support for one plant --- or any plant that wanted to apply for funding. Ad this to the fact that a producer owned industry of this type would support rather than stomp on any and all competition.

Is the thread dead again?

[grassfarmer]

OK, so I maybe shouldn't refer to the average producer as apathetic. But the reality remains that you will struggle to get any sizable number of producers to form a group, commit money and work together. I agree $1000 is chicken feed on the average ranch that's worth $1 million. But there is the cash flow issue for some and the trust issue for others. Do they trust other people involved in a group effort or does it go against the Alberta ideal of the rugged, loner cowboy who gets through by his own efforts? Either way there were not that many people putting up $100 to join Cam's group in 03 never mind $1000. I don't see how that will have changed.

I do not think we can dramatically better our position without political(governmental) intervention on the packer cartel issue and producer intervention by mass involvement)at the ABP/CCA level to totally reform these organisations so that they actually represent producers.

What is the WD40 proposal I'm unaware of it?

[numbercaller]

There is still merit to these ideas, but not without proper leadership and business planning. There have been all to many plant initiatives that gathered up some money but were unable to put together enough capital to get their ideas off of the ground. Herein lies the problem who's idea for a co-operative processing model will appeal to the masses. And who will emerge as the champion of the project and business plan, will he or will he not have the support of the governments of the day or will it become an Atlantic Beef, or a Ranchers Beef I hope not ,and I hope that someone or some group of people can come up with the right plan before us old farts run out of fight. People we have to keep talking and beleiving we can make a difference