Ralph Again!

[boone]

PureCountry: You don't need any peanuts, maybe just a larger dictionary.
grange;a) the Patrons of Husbandry, an association of farmers organized in the U.S. in 1867 for mutual welfare and advancement.b) any of its local lodges. granger 1. a farmer 2.a member of the Grange.

[cowman]

I think a few years ago there was an attempt to set up a cow/calf organization, but it was pretty well shot down by both the provincial government and the ACC. A lot of rhetoric about division of the industry etc. etc. And seeing how the guys trying to set it up were working with their own time and money it never got off the ground.
Here is another example of how it works: About 6 years ago(My memory is a bit shaky)when the ACC wanted to increase the checkoff from $1 to $2 there was a "slight" grassroots revolt! A fairly large feedlot owner/farmer in Central Alberta led the charge to get a plebicite on whether the ACC could have this increase or in fact if they had a right at all to collect a mandatory checkoff! He pulled it off somehow! He did his best to convince people to get on the bandwagon and I was one of them...it helped that he was a neighbor and I knew him well! So we all worked like beavers to get out the vote, phoning,visiting people, even donating some cash for ads(and this feedlot owner contributed a lot of cash!)! In the meantime the ACC was out in force(on a per diem basis of course!) giving speeches and rallying their old boys network and sending out brochures to all producers! Results: The ACC got their endorsement with 51% of votes cast! 12% of elegible voters, voted!!! So about 6% of cattle producers in Alberta decided that the ACC(ABP) would be the voice of the cattle industry and have the right to impose and collect the checkoff! Now they don't even bother asking to raise the checkoff they just go ahead and do it!
Later I would ask people how they voted...people who I had talked to and who seemed real incensed that the ACC was violating their rights! The answers...Oh, I forgot to vote. Oh the kids had a hockey game that day. Oh I didn't feel like it would do any good. Oh, my neighbor is the ACC rep and I didn't want to upset him!
I threw up my hands! Apathy! You see the same thing in politics! You don't vote, you deserve the garbage you get!