"The Border Will Open SOON"

[Joe-2]

So how is that assumption working out for everyone??? Enjoying those fabulous 65 cent fat prices are we????
How much savings or credit does everyone have left to play this silly game just a little longer????
Just curious!!! Shall we hold more meetings????? Shall we TALK some more???
My calculator tells me that I am money ahead to just shoot my cows this fall after the calves are weaned and sell my feed.Wall-mart has a good price on 30-30 shells.
I was at a farm auction not far from the US border last week.There were 3 pickups there with ND plates.'SOMEBODY' cut the valve stems off of 2 tires on each of them and stuck them under the windshield wipers.NASTY!!!!

[whiteface]

I only heard about this, I asked the sender to send a photo which I didn't get but even if it was only thought of, I think its farily reflective of what we all feel. A Japaneese car dealership in Ontario woke up one morning to several cars spray painted very close to the highway with "you don't want our beef, we don't want your cars!" I'm not sure that I'm for that kind of retaliation, but I sure feel that level of frustration. I'm more for the kind of "retaliation" that helps ourselves, I want what rpkaiser wants, in any order and in any combination of packing plants with at least some kind of funding assistance, permission to test to give us market options and like any purebred breeder does, market our product to potential customers - US or otherwise. Lets make that decision for ourselves to not do just what they do but have a unique product (just like we are unique in many areas of our lives) and if they choose to buy it they're welcome too...any extra costs we have incurred will be passed down. If they can get "road kill" grass beef ( sorry grassfarmer and cswilson...it probably does taste like that down there) from Argentina that's their choice. We have the best genetics and the best beef right here. Now let's make the money we deserve on it. More noise for our cause is necessary for sure. Thanks for staying with this cause so far Joe, I agree wholeheartlely, that the feed I'm growing here is worth more to sell than to feed to my cattle. If I had to buy my feed this year, I may already have buried the cows.

[cowman]

Well, I hope we haven't quite sunk so low that we become criminals? I mean what did the two North dakota farmers do? Did they make US government policy? All that sort of thing does is make two more Americans think we are jerks.
Who gets hurt by vandalizing the cars? The local dealer...oops just made another enemy!
This sort of thing is not helpful, in fact it turns people against us.
Oh and by the way 30-30 shells are way to costly...just shoot them in the head with a .22! Take a line from the left horn to the right eye and from the right horn to the left eye, Note where the lines cross and go up one inch...kills them dead everytime!

[cowman]

I don't even know how you can keep showing up on threads like this cowman. Don't you realize that your hopelesness and synicism of any form of progression feeds this horrible type of action.
Go piss in your blueberry bushes.
Do you really care about those folks out in Coronation that you opened another thread talking about, or do you just simply want to proove your theories correct. Sometimes there is good in seeing the downside, but people like yourself take it to the limit.
I'm not saying that Joe2 or anybody else reading these notes is ultimately influenced by your negativity cowman, but keep it up; somebody will.

[jensend]

cowman - sell the frickin' cows and get on with your life. if it's so bad do something about it and leave the future to people who want to be in the industry. you're pissing and moaning about everything from rural depression to the old families disappearing is just a way of saying you want things to stay the way they are but the old days are gone. i moved off a farm my family had held for 80 years and guess what - my life got better. yours will too when you get rid of the cattle you don't want and you move on.

[cowman]

How was I pissing and moaning, when I take a stand about not going out and committing crimes???
Vandalism never solves anything. How would you like it if it was your truck or car? Do you actually condone this sort of thing?

[jensend]

note that i said you're compaining about change. i don't like the vandalism either but maybe a point has to be made on a personal level to some of the americans; it's pretty easy to ignore canadians posting on american discussion forums but a couple of tires makes them personally responsible. if there's a better less confrontational way it should be followed but just like r-calf can lie about canadian beef canadians will pull some of this crap. if you want to look at the finanacial cost i've lost more than a couple of tires over the last thirteen months. my point is you criticize anybody who says we have to act to get out of this mess. rsomer has a lot of knowledge but in the end he always says it's out of our hands and leave it to somebody else to solve this. we've been there and done that and it hasn't worked and it isn't going to unless the people who are paying get involved. it's easy to sit back and criticize and tell the whole world how badi it is. some of the american ranchers are wondering why the canadians don't do something and they're right. unless we do something to trump the american's card they've won the hand and are quite content to keep winning the pot. if some strategy such as universal testing only forces them to live up to their deal it's worth it. if we do nothing they certainly aren't hurting. we look weak and ineffectual by saying there's nothing we can do and the weak get eaten.

[whiteface]

I think the whole point here was the liscence plates from North Dakota is the ultimate slap in the face for us in Canada in that the Americans are fully capitalising on our plight and that we have certainly had enough of the exploitation. Perhaps if the shoe were on the other foot we'd be doing the exact same thing but we've been patient waaaay beyond the call of duty with these Americans and their bullshit science and now if they can't hear us talk maybe they have to hear us in some other form...like THEIR pocketbooks since our have certainly suffered in ours. I like that some in Manitoba have decided to stop shopping in the North Dakota, I think for sure if the countries that are sending us the same products that they refuse to take something needs to be said, and some people don't hear words, they hear retaliation. We aren't criminals, yet, but some people are sure testing that limit as well. The North Dakotans comeing to pick apart a Canadian farmers downfall I think is typically arrogant of the Americans in general and while I don't necessarily agree with what went on, I sure don't agree with how we've been treated either. I read on some political news blurb this morning about how the Americans think their border is opening to Japan by August. Good for them. But what burned me is this same blurb said our border to the Americans would be "at least as long as it takes for the Japaneese to start accepting American beef again" There you go. And seriously, how long really will it take for Japan to accept American meat unless Americans threaten with missiles. We've known all along they only want our meat as long as they can re-sell it to Japan for a profit. The hell with that. We don't have any cover ups and Texas cow incidents to justify. We slaughtered thousands of cows unecessarily to maintain customer confidence. Why aren't WE the ones that deserve to appeal to the Japaneese or anyone else for that matter. LET'S GET THERE FIRST. Rather than the Americans getting there and shutting us out even after that. Bush is signig trade agreements all over the world. They could shut us out indefinatly, they've got cheap meat comeing in any time from Austrailia and South America that they will get to re-export to Japan. Only WE can help ourselves. Forget the US, lets make whatever noise is necessary to save our industry.

[cowman]

Well first of all I wasn't ever critisizing! I said very clearly to rpKaiser that he has to do what he has to do! Or in other words do what he thinks is best for him? I also stated I "hoped" Big C could make things happen...while at the same time I stated I doubted anything would happen. Now maybe I should have lied and said rah rah boys I think you have got it? Am I not entitled to an opinion? I was getting roasted, all around, when back in April I said I didn't think the border would open until after the American elections? I was getting roasted back in July of 2003 when I said we need to test everything? I get roasted everytime I say we need to cull out one third of the cow herd?
You'd better believe I feel for those Cornation guys....and all the other people who are getting destroyed in this bloody business. But what can I or you do about it? Well you see the solution as Big C and that is your right! I've talked to a few producers and I've given them encouragement...to hang in there...and also that there is a life after farming! And I will tell you some of them have been very receptive to my comments! In fact I've helped two young guys get into the oil field where there is a chance of a very good life! And it is my right to try to help however I see fit?
I didn't know that now this site has become the exclusive club for the "survivors" who intend to stay on the Titanic until the bitter end...because for a lot of guys this is the end...there is no tommorrow!
But be assured, soon I will sell my cows, when I choose and not when anyone else decides. And then perhaps I will leave this site, or perhaps I won't...and that will be my decision, once again. I still intend to buy grass steers and besides I like to hear all the different opinions about how people think...unlike some, obviously.

[cowman]

Whiteface: You slipped that post in there and my last post wasn't in response to yours.
I think you realize there is a whole world of difference between choosing not to shop in a North Dakota mall and vandalizing someones vehicle? And I think you also know that, that sort of random violence is just not right, or fair?
Remember, right now, that it is not the American farmer who is not allowing us to test...in fact it is not even the American government? It is the Canadian government, the CFIA, with the full support of the ABP and the CCA?
Now should we go out and vandalize all the government vehicles? Well I think you realize how stupid that would be...after all who would pay to have them fixed??...you and I, right?
I do realize you feel very strongly that we need to take matters into our own hands and make some changes. And if Big C works for you then go for it...but please don't do the criminal frustration thing or support those that do. From what I understand, acts like vandalism, are signs of erratic behavior brought on by stress and hopelessness. Don't go there!

[cowman]

Then don't keep trying to send us there.
I don't think I need a whole paragraph of words to make my point to you cowman.

[whiteface]

I for one, appreciate your points, cowman and want you to keep surfacing your opinions so at least for myself, my feet stay on the ground and I don't get all head in the clouds thinking that just because I have an opinion as well, it isn't necessarily right. I'm all on your side rpkaiser, but since I blasted cswilson for what I thought was the edge of hypocritical I have to say here that this is the whole reason for this forum is for us to toss ideas, see who we bind together to get us out of the mud and at times simply vent our frusterations in a "safe" place where even though we don't all agree necessarily on "how" things should be done, I think we all know we need something done... and we need to do it together to be heard. Boy, hows that for getting all soft and sentimental with you guys? I'll end up being the odd man out with all this mush. take care.

[whiteface]

On a different note.
May I say that I am not Anti American, and don't beleive that the people of the US are not to blame for our troubles. On the other hand, like most of us have, I think that American farmers coming to Auction sales in southern Canada could just as easily stay home. The good old Rcalf boy who got his clock clicked at Balog Auction also had a choice. I never have had a problem with a little dust up once in a while. Kind of clears the head for that next beer, like we used to in the good old days.

When we turned Rick Pascal loose at the BIG C meeting it was fun at first, but his talk quickly became self serving and Anti American. The people he should be attacking are none other than the ones he depends on to buy his product. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.

As for me thinking that BIG C is best for myself cowman, I thought you already knew my story. I have looked after the homefront first. Our beef market is one of many, but also a small minority staying afloat without any connection to the mainstream. Culls are still a major concern, and bull sale dollars were off, but I will survive.

I beleive, and feel that you somewhat beleive too, that BIG C has a purpose, and could help those people that I DO KNOW you care about.

[ivbinconned]

I have said it before in these threads and after reading this thread it may be worth repeating.

No "Americans" would be buying at Canadian auctions, no "Americans" would own Western Canadian packing plants, feedlots or cattle. No "Americans would own food procesing plants in Saskatoon that where once built by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool IF it had not been for the eastern pleasing, Ottawa delivered policy, of a LOW valued Canadain dollar!! These past thirty years.

That policy has made industry here ripe for the picking.

No "American" owned packing plants in Canada would get away with what they have here, if CANADA had just as strict anticombines legislation and price fixing policy as the U.S. does!

So if we are going to lay blame for our state of affairs, lets direct it to where it is due and flatten the wheels of the eastern dominated politcal system that Western Canada is subservient to.

We cound't do worse!

[cakadu]

Whiteface - you've hit on many of the reasons for having this forum. I like the diversity of ideas and opinions and often learn many new things or new ways to look at an issue. What keeps me here is the people and it's always pleasing to see new people joining us and letting us know what they think. So long as we keep it from getting personal, then there is nothing wrong with a bit of venting or disagreeing, because that is what makes us all unique. Just think of how boring life would be if we were all the same.

We don't have to agree with all the opinions, thoughts and comments posted here, just understand where the other person is coming from.

Let's keep communicating with one another because in the long run, that is what is going to help us all get through this and see the sunshine again on the other side.