Shall we turn up the Heat??

[grassfarmer]

Joe-2 - please don't take these posters out on the road with messages that scare the consumer - that would be the final act of suicide for our industry.

True, the consumers stocked up on beef last summer because it was cheaper than usual but they also do want to help the farmers out. We are currently taking orders for beef we are selling direct and they are all wanting to help us out because they perceive a great wrong has been done to us by the packers - let's foster this support and try and develop it into a better understanding of our industry not frighten them off our very safe product.

[jensend]

i agree with grassfarmer. 100% testing won't be as effective in restoring our markets if the consumers are panicked into demanding it. if they see it as win-win deal where they have greater assurance of food safety and canadian beef exports are restored to the benefit of the canadian economy the support for testing will be deeper and more solid.

[jensend]

i should have added that i think the more noise you make the better but make sure its a message we want to get out there.

[cakadu]

Joe, I don't think that there is a livestock producer out there - at least of the ruminant persuasion - that doesn't understand your frustration at the situation and the feeling that we are left at the mercy of governments waging their political battles.

I think we do need to get the media onside and do it from a positive perspective. The media has neglected those ruminant species that aren't cattle - I know because I'm a sheep producer. Now, the sheep industry is no where near what the cattle industry is in this country, but a fairly large portion of sheep producers' income has been cut off with the continued border situation. Personally, I feel that the media could be doing a much better job of letting everyone know just how many species have been affected. Granted, the leaders involved with these other species could be saying more, but that is a whole other thread.

I think we would want to look long and hard at giving a message to the public with any sort of negative connotation. These days people are quite easily lead astray by false messaging, even though the intent of the message may be something entirely different. There are people out there now who will not eat beef until this whole mess is cleared up, so to send a message that could be misconstrued may not be the road that should be taken.

Also think of the ramifications of an organization like R-CALF getting ahold of such a message here in Canada. Don't think for a moment that they wouldn't use that against us in some manner to further their own cause.

I certainly admire someone with a lot of passion and a willingness to try something new to get a point across. A positive message is always better than a negative one.

[magpie]

Since the consumer was supportive of our industy this past year and still are, would not a sign that asked them to ask their canditate in their riding how they intend to solve the plight of the cattle industry be warranted.Even if the local people running could take it to their leaders maybe we might get it into some parties platform.

[Joe-2]

Cakadu ,If you have a "positive" message that is going to garner any kind of meaningfull media attention,lay it on me!!!! I'd like to hear it!!
Headlines like "EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT" and "LIFE IS GREAT" do NOT sell newspapers and therefor are not printed.
Exactly what part of "play their game" is it that you do not understand???
Why is everyone so damned worried about damaging consumer demand by 100% testing??? We can speculate all we want about what a false positive might do,history shows us beyond a doubt what a true positive does.Piss all!!!
The only damage I have ever seen caused by negative media reports is to the price of LIVE CATTLE not retail beef prices!!!WAKE UP!!!!
The only thing that will reduce consumer demand for beef is if the price of it gets too far out of line with that of pork or chicken.PERIOD!!!
Stop ignoring the obvious!!!THINK!!!!

[Joe-2]

OK,How about this for my truck signs;
"SOUND SCIENCE SAYS THAT IF YOU CONTRACT vCJD YOU WILL GO CRAZY AND DIE"
"HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR STEAK,TESTED OR UNTESTED"??
Is that over the top?? Too much maybe??
How about this;"IT IS REALLY STUPID TO DEMAND 100% TESTING AS 85% of the BEEF SUPPLY COMES FROM CATTLE UNDER 30 MONTHS OF AGE, BUT PLEASE DEMAND IT OF YOUR GOVERNMENT ANYWAY.THE 2% OF THE POPULATION THAT ARE FARMERS WILL BE FOREVER IN YOUR DEBT".
Which will have the most impact????

[CattleAnnie]

I understand what you're saying, Joe2, about sensationalism selling, however we do have to keep in mind that if you scare the consumers, it will inevitably hinder more than help our cause.
I tend to lean towards a "No More Bull, Ranchers Demand BSE Test" type of slogan. Or "Save A Rancher, Demand BSE Testing".
A rally in Winnipeg would be grand. I wish I had the cash to haul a couple hundred head of cattle up there to pen in front of the meeting site. Two pens. One cows. The other with their calves in it. Bet the bawling would at least get their attention.
Better yet, some cull cows unloaded on Paul Martin's lawn.
Ah, to dream!

[Cedar]

Joe-2:

Fighting fire with fire...just makes more fire! But, Maybe just a few "smoldering embers" would suffice! Perhaps we can aim at trying to beat them at their own game without destroying our Kings, Queens, Castles, Knights, and Bishops....let’s try to keep the pawns intact too! After all, the goal of the game is to "destroy" as many of theirs as possible...but leave as many of ours as possible standing!

May I suggest, something like "We believe our beef is safe (because we know what we feed them), however, the GOVERNMENT and the (“AMERICAN” - ??) MEGA-PACKERS refuse to allow us the chance to prove it! Demand BSE testing for your beef." Using the word "government" in there should get the government's attention?...maybe even give them a reason to chase this thing as an election issue?

I think this sounds a little more positive, however, if you did manage to get media coverage, even with this message, it could do some damage to our industry, as people may simply refuse to eat beef until testing starts....and we all know the price in the store, and everywhere in between us and the store, will once again not be affected, but OURS will! All the middlemen simply adjust their pricing to accommodate....unfortunately we can't do that....for some strange reason!

Joe, I do agree with much of what you say, however, Please be careful of the "angle" you approach these things from, as, if you succeed in getting the media coverage (which would be super, given the right message), ...well, it will affect all of us!!!

If this message could get out there, and then follow up with a "COOL" campaign of our own......????!!!??? Let's face it, with all the shoot, shovel and shutup tactics south of the border, why shouldn't we also have the right to know where our beef is coming from? I really, really, would rather not feed my kids stuff from the states, and I don't say this solely for economic reasons, but for health reasons.

What kind of a reputation do " r-calf, Quebec,Monsanto,CWB" have?????? Given time, they'll fry their own butts!... as long as there are people who know the truth and are willing to share it! Your observations about the consumer are very valid....we need a way to communicate with them more freely and directly. I know a lot of them just don’t care, but for those few who do, a chance to communicate with us could start something that could “mushroom” to the others. I have long wondered about a big (would have to be very popular....somehow) website where anyone concerned about their food could go and ask questions and get answers directly from the people supplying it...sound, honest answers! I think it would be a real eye-opener for a lot of these city-slickers!

I'm not worried about damaging consumer demand by 100% testing...it's the other part of your sign that worries me. You simply cannot go around saying things like "vCJD" kills, that theory is unproven and just too detrimental to the industry as a whole. What would be damaging, however, is if another positive were found with the current small amount of testing. It would create too much uncertainty about the remainder of the beef supply.

By the way, while I certainly do understand your frustration, as I'm sure we all do, and not to say that you should have to spend your "off-farm nestegg" for something like this, that is totally out of your control, I believe you are fortunate to have had those funds available for use at this trying time...some of us are just going further and further in the hole.....that's even worse! There will always be those less fortunate and more fortunate than ourselves.

[PureCountry]

Joe-2 I like your sense of humor. I think you have some great ideas, and nobody should be criticizing you for being so passionate about this mess we're all in. I'm not sure how to word signs and fight fire with fire, but I will say this...my cousin in Moncton, New Brunswick told us that if we really want to be heard, forget the rule book, drop the friggin gloves and blow up a car in front of the county office, provincial buildings, and Parliament Hill. Like he said, if the First Nations or other minority groups want results in Eastern Canada, they damn well get them. They make enough ruckus to get the government making offers to 'quell the rebellion', and then the CBC smoothes out the wrinkles.

When he told me that, I took a little time to think about it. The Run to the Border campaign was nice and poetic and all legal. But when all the supporters had gone home, and the trucks with all the signatures were gone from TVs across the nation, things GOT WORSE.

I don't know what course of action to take, but phoning our local politicians is a dead end road. You get back your letter saying,"Thank you for your questions and concerns...BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BULLSHIT!"

Does anything come out of it? NO.

Does anything come out of trying to coordinate farmers and ranchers to rally to a cause? NO!

So I don't know what else to do, but Joe-2, if you're gonna try something different, all the power to ya.