Cattle story suggestions

[SheriMonk]

As some of you may be aware, the Maple Creek News-Times has been trying to increase the depth of cattle industry coverage available in our region.

I would respectfully ask everyone and anyone to submit tips, ideas and suggestions to maplecreeknews@gmail.com

Your support of this kind of coverage is appreciated and shown by your ongoing letters to the editor and valued feedback.

Thank you!
Sheri

[rkaiser]

Here's a little story for your editorial section Sheri.....


Tragedy and Comedy not far apart.

I cannot help comparing the state of our beef industry these days to an old Monty Python movie about the Holy Grail. There was a segment of the movie concerning a man whose job it was to protect a bridge and not let those with undo intentions cross. The fellow in the movie was dedicated. So much so that after a fight with his foe, that he was handily losing, his lips kept flapping. In fact even after his arm was severed, he stood his ground and kept talking about his intent to protect the bridge. In the usual Monty Python manner, the scene became hilarious as the bridge keeper fought on until both of his arms and both of his legs were removed from his body by the sword of his enemy. BUT he never stopped defending his position with his words. Just before the scene ended the man was reduced to a head rolling around on the ground as his enemy crossed the bridge, and the words from his mouth continued. “Come on” he kept saying, “is that all you’ve got”.

In the comparison I make to our industry, I see more than on man standing at the bridge. I see many men (and women, excuse my exclusion) joining in on the fight. I see those that can’t take it move off the bridge when the fight with BSE becomes too much for them to take. When the American dollar plunged and grain prices surged, I saw the first arm cut off of all of those left defending the bridge. And that is now where our industry stands.

This is another point in which we can stop and move off the bridge, or like some have chosen, stand and wait for the next limb to be severed. Some have chosen to not only fight on with one arm, but continue to keep their lips flapping ,like the man from the Monty Python film, while searching for ways to make their stand with one arm floating down the river. These people know that they will not be able to defend the bridge for all time, and their sons and daughter still have two arms waiting in the next generation.

The “arm” is what made me think of this whole little story in the first place. It is not only an arm that is needed for the fight at the bridge, but an arm that is needed for our industry to survive. There has been lots of talk among industry groups these days about branding Canadian Beef as a way to defend our bridge and save our industry. Lots of talk about how we could have our government, and in the case of the CFIA help us rather than hinder our efforts. Help us with this branding process and let us have one more kick at the proverbial cat. I personally think that we are on the right track with this kind of a solution, but we need a marketing “arm” to finish the job. An “arm” on the defenders to not only defend the bridge, but form a perimeter around it so that we do not find ourselves in the same defensive situation for a long time to come.

There are a group of men and women who may have had one arm severed, but have this idea to create this marketing “arm”. There gums have been flapping for years now and will not stop. Some have invested in processing facilities that have struggled or failed. Some have found ways to reach the consumer with marketing arms of their own. And some have decided to join forces and present this plan to the rest for their approval. Some of those who defended the position for years the same way may chose to wait for their next arm to be severed. I choose to listen to those with an alternative…….


Randy Kaiser
Beef Initiative Group Canada