PASTURE PATRONS MEETING SASKATOON

[grassfarmer]

Good man you've elected president of your
Association Sadie! Got a chuckle out a bunch of
western ranchers electing a "friend of the CWB" to
lead their campaign. I guess you've just got to elect
the best people to get the job done.

[smcgrath76]

Glad to see this going Sadie. I still
cannot see why a government would get rid
of the PFRA pastures when they were a
breakeven proposition, created rural jobs,
and protected millions of acres of fragile
ecosystems and native rangelands. It
boggles the mind how any government could
not find a way to spin that in a positive
direction.

[SADIE]

smgrath--I agree with you totally. This is a very complex and difficult situation to fully understand. Going forward as pasture patrons meet and exchange knowledge we keep learning more and more of "WHY".

Species at risk I have heard now that there is over 300 species at risk. These were being protected under SARA Species at Risk Act which meant federal funding. It really comes home to play in this province when you look at the grass land components that need the native prairie to survive.

The public I believe is really coming on board with this in regard to the provinces Flower---The Prairie Lily. Some have already dubbed it the SAVE THE PRAIRIE LILY CAMPAIGN.

Grassfarmer--you are very correct. Our new president who I never met before until we started reaching out and bringing other pasture patrons together is very good. Really this new group that is forming has many producers that are the mixed farmer. Many are not the big corporate giants but a mixed farmer with cows. They need PFRA pasture for the summer months with professional management and then the cows come home and graze on their fenced stubble land. Many of us like the path of diversification because we know there will be a year of poor quality grains or years ahead of lower grain price and the cow-herd what many of us have will help market those grains.

At the SCA general meeting on Thursday I enjoyed being able to "sit back" and watch a new and very talented group of this newly formed association tackle the "tight knitted group" of the "Old Boys Club" that really showed a "tight Governance" of this SCA association.

I will enjoy and support this movement whole-heartedly going forward because it means survival for many of our farm/ranch operations but the jobs that the Management and riders provide in the communities across Saskatchewan (Map above) is overwhelming.

Looking back now this "downloading" process of the PFRA pastures have been in the process for some time. Hopefully a new grass roots movement groundswell can keep gaining momentum and keep receiving the publics support to push it back to a level something, some structure is created to keep something in place. It had to come from the Pasture patrons.

Eg: Some pasture patron chairman have their own agendas. Possible some of them are part of the SCA governance level. Some of this information of the pasture patrons organizational meeting did not get down through those channels to the patrons in those pastures. I do believe that now through social media, the supports like the Practicing Veterinary clinics and those 250 patrons in that hall on Wednesday the word will get out to all the patrons and create huge discussions at each pastrue level now.

Will keep agriville posted --going forward. Thankyou for the support.

[Roscoe]

Sadie: The leadership of this new
association are convinced that patrons
need to pay them 180,000 dollars to
negotiate on there behalf because they
are not smart enough to negotiate for
themselves. This divide and conquer
theory is ridiculous. I am going to
suggest to every patron that I meet that
they not pay that 100 dollar fee and
they make it clear to government that
this group does not speak for them.

[SADIE]

Roscoe--each to his own.

Goverment does not listen to an individual but only to an association.

This movement of pasture patrons into an association already is going to help ot everyone involved just by sharing of Knowledge.

If there can be a "stay" or slow down on the first 10 named already I know that has made 4 of the pastures very relieved.

If you were in that room on Wednesday it was great hearing what Manitoba group is looking at for a per day leasing arrangement. That rattled the cage of the lands group that was present from SASK.

Those comments were over the air at noon the next day with Neil Belinger.

Sharing of knowledge to help others is the key to any association.

Segregation of the cattle industry is becoming more and more apparent in this fine province isn't it?

Maybe just maybe with the whole complexity of this and now the media attention this might keep getting going forward alot of different things just might happen????

Have fun and see what the democratic decision is within each PFRA pasture group.

Associate membership is already gaining interest in this. In our area other producers have asked how can they help? Now with the exact knowledge of how their mandatory check off $2.00 PER HEAD can be got back that has created some excitement as well. Several veterinary clinics I already talked to today want to post that information on their walls of the clinic.

[Roscoe]

Sadie: Its been my experience that if
you use common sense, offer constructive
criticism, and positive solutions you
will have no trouble getting people to
listen to you. The fact is a committee
of two,negotiating with 100% support of
fifty patrons will have more credibility
with government than this association
will have, when government knows there
are patrons out there who do not want
these people speaking for them.

[SADIE]

Roscoe---You are back.

Here is my own personnel experience already. I am in two PFRA pastures with 30 head alotment in each. Last October I first heard from Government at the one pasture that has 49 patrons, two grazing sites and it is 42 miles away. 23/ 49 patrons were present. We were told buy or lease with scetchy nos and 0 nos for improvements. First we have to reach in our pockets and form an association or body with our own $$ up front for lawyers and accountants. Buying was already out and leasing option was already iffy with 49 patrons who live miles apart and very tough to get enough to a meeting. Without nos to work with who can consider playing or just quit. OH there is 75% funding on the backside of the deal for this business plan up to $120,000.00.

We were told OH each patron has to throw in $1000.00-$2000.00 seed money up front to start this process.

We asked if there has been a module yet to follow on copying the articles of encorporation of a membership corporation. No not yet.

First who wants to be part of that BULLSHIT negotiating team wasting time and $$ and gas trying to see where the scattered 49 patrons are and their thought???

Now fast forward to Jan 21 and we had a second meeting with lands from government in a second pasture that is 23 miles away and with 29 patrons. Again a lease and a buy option (???price) no value for improvements yet and we questioned didn't some of the patron $$$ go into some of these improvements over the years.

Same bullshit story that we have to reach in our pockets and form an association with upfront $$$. Again who wants to negotiate for the group. How many will be left in the group. Some new members got in with 15 pairs and some are at45 pairs and some with a recent extention of quota might be at 60.

That is the story. For $100.00 and bringing as many together of pastures willing to go this way why do we have to re-invent the corporation $$$ work and legal costs for each of the pastures that want to go this avenue.

Simple ROSCO--$100.00 learn alot and now compare to what Manitoba has achieved as they went together with all 24 pastures working in a group.


I can sit back this time. I will help where I can in reaching out to people. My connections in this province are very deep either through the veterinary clinics, the cattlemen Iknow through the cow-herd I operate and to so many people that benifited when SAPL organized along the Enbridge Pipeline corridor and worked collectively on so many issues of pipeline construction on property, Landowners got involved at the table to build a better pipeline on their lands. The compensation was just the footnote at the end which seems to be all that is important to some people. Roscoe the issues are also important.

That same deal on pipelines spread to Hardisty ALberta and Bingo the AAPL group on the Transcanada Keystone and yes the Keystone XL land rites followed the deal that an association and a negotiating team did that now the corridor through south west Saskatchewan through Maple Creek, Val Marie landowners all benifite from.

Roscoe--how is your experience with dealing with OIL AND GAS. How well do you know the methodology of Land agent tactics. Interesting Government Beaurocrats use the same tactics.

One more thing Roscoe. Make your phone calls to government. Talk to people and we will do the same. The more the phones right at the offices of the Bueaocrats and politicians provincially and federally then great things could happen. STALEMATE. All progress is stopped.

That would be a great thing for many of us from out position here.

Professionl management keeps their jobs on the PFRA pastures. Managers and Riders keep their jobs and they are able to stay in our communities and keep these small communities "WHOLE"

Roscoe --anothere LAND AGENT TERM.

[gaucho]

good on you... I know a bunch of southern Alberta Feedlot boys that were looking at these parcels as nice additions to their real-estate empires... Its not often you find big chunks of land blocked and ready to go... Hope you guys can pull it together

[Roscoe]

The governments position is now and always
has been to make available these pastures
for patrons to buy or lease, maybe you
could explain to me where the dividing and
conquering comes into that plan.

[SADIE]

gaucho--

There is another group at play as well on these lands. FSIN wants some action also with Treaty Land Entitlements. TLEs.

In the pastures up our way with all the confusion and uncertainty "going forward" until this province wide meeting and now association in the process there were numerous pasture patrons ready to just sell off their cow-herds and exit the business.

Roscoe in your pasture of 50 patrons. Are you going to keep all of them with you in this process. Two of you will go in a hammer out the big deal and then take it home to your 50 patrons. Now we form a new grazing group and away we go. Upfront $$ needed. Are all your 50patrons sitting with the same parity in this situation. All equal allotment shares per head. What about the new patrons that just got accepted. In a pasture next to us two young lads got in with 13 cow-calf allocation. Now they have to go the process with those that are 35 years in at 50 full cow allottments.

Form your association now. Dig in your pockets each of you and upfront $20,000.00 to $30,000.00. How many of your 50 will be left. How many maybe close to the end of their career. No lets just give them the push out of the industry.

Roscoe---both governments desire has been to sell or lease these pastures to the pasture patrons. Who was the advisors to he ag ministers on this whole process. I know several who sit directly under Mr. Ritz advisory committee. Some of these "GREATS" were heads of these cattle groups like the CCA, SCA. The movement looking back came from the lobbying within our great cattle industry with the mandate that there is only room for the cattle industry in this province. You have to e a big boy or you do not matter.