BIC-C policy

[whiteface]

I want to meet you too, cowman, Olds thursay night as well. How else will Randy or I recognize you without the hat? Orange pants? Just wondering.

[kato]

Cowboy and cowman are two different things! LOL

How about wearing an Angus hat and a Simmental jacket? You'd be the only one there wearing that outfit!

[kato]

As I See It
by Lee Gunderson

It is June 22, my father (publisher Harald Gunderson) just called to see if I had read Cam Ostercamp’s essay. Of course I had, and I said ‘a lot of politicians are upset with Cam’, my father said, “That’s because he’s telling the truth and telling it like it is.” He also said, “Cam should be the front page of every farm and ranch magazine and newspaper in Canada.” I agreed. I have hosted Cam’s paper on my website and was instrumental in his paper being carried on the web site of Dr. Willaim Leiss of the University of Ottawa.

I called Cam on his cell phone and passed on my father’s comments and told Cam if the border remains closed much longer that he is going to be leading a very strong movement and forming a consensus of producers with regard to testing and the ‘way forward’ to quote Dr. Bill Leiss. Unless we Canadians take the initiative we are going to be hewers of wood, drawers of water and graziers of cattle for American corporate interests who will dictate what we raise, when we sell, what we feed and the price they want to pay for our cattle. Sounds like hell doesn’t it?

And when our cattle industry is broke, lost 40% of its production and our feeders are owned by US interests ( as I’ve heard one of the Van Raay lots is US owned now) I thought if the US has its way we’ll all be broke and buying burger in plastic bags at Wal-Mart in ten years at $20.00 US a pound. Now I know why Graham Greene wrote his book called the UGLY AMERICAN. I’m not US bashing, but what they are doing (buying our live young cattle and boxing them, yet excluding them from the live US market for price discovery) is profoundly unjust. This demonstrates American economic Imperialism and their contempt for NAFTA.

The US is using politics to squeeze our producers out of a fair living and using politics to justify it. If our gutless politicians refuse to stand up to the Yanks we’ll all be broke in the next year. I see no one with the balls, vision or leadership to resolve this crisis. Hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see the border opening soon. Just imagine, all of this over two stinking cows. In my wildest dreams I never thought something so absurd and stupid could befall hard working Canadian Cattle Producers. I’ve analyzed this whole mess for the past year and I’ve come to the conclusion that we have absolutely no leadership in our cattle industry. This whole scene makes me sick to my stomach that no one can do what has to be done: turn off the oil and gas and power and tell BUSH that if he wants to play hard ball we’ll see how cold it gets in the eastern US this winter.

[blackjack]

sorry rsomer ... but this last thread about somes it up...

[nerves]

exactly right Kato some may try to argue but what you state is dead on.

[grassfarmer]

Cowman, I hope you get to the meeting in Olds on Thursday, it will be worth your while. I was at Camrose last night where another very successful meeting was held. If you can't get to Olds we are organising one at Ponoka on July 7th and one is also planned for Innisfail although I don't have a date for that yet. The producers that attended the meeting last night went home feeling that this movement may be able to achieve something worthwhile. Compare that to Government/CCA/ABP that have no ideas and no solutions - call your neighbours, friends get them to the meetings - they will be impressed!

[whiteface]

Thanks again kato for being a loud and clear voice for so many producers that really need leadership out of this. You're post was very well put and more protest against these very same things from taking us over is needed. Wish you were in Olds Thursday night!

[kato]

The credit for that post goes to Lee Gunderson, but I must say I agree completely. He said it so well, I had to post it.

It's now or never time for us all. If we don't have improvement by the time the calves come off pasture, we are in deep deep trouble.

Wish I could be at that BIG-C meeting, but will have to support from afar. Producers in Manitoba are already thinking like you guys out there, so don't worry, there's lots of backup here when you need it.

[InAHurry]

There are different opinions about the slaughter/packing plants on Canadian soil. My question does not side with any I just want to know:
Are they working at max. production; full staff, 24-7, supply of fats (or culls) are available, etc....?

[greybeard]

I have to applaud you guys who are getting out and trying to do something to get things happening. It always takes some real workers, not just talkers, to get results.
One thing that concerns me is when we say we need to sell to others like Japan because the Americans don’t want our beef. We forget Japan doesn’t buy beef, individuals do. Same goes for the USA. American consumers are buying our beef right now .The packers we have are shipping them all they can. American producers don’t want our beef .Never did. They aren’t our customers.
We have to take care of our customers as they have supported us in the past and are supporting us now {individuals, not governments}.
Japan is a different story. They never did buy large quantities from us. Not that some weren’t trying to sell to them. Thompson Meats at Melfort geared their whole business plan to Asia and neglected their well established domestic market and went broke doing it.
We always feared we were to dependant on the US consumer, but never seemed to be able to do anything about it.Cargill/Tyson may have indeed been relableling our beef and trans-shipping it. But they weren’t selling to” Japan” ,they were selling to people.
I expect whoever they were selling to wanted it that way.
Please don’t take this post as discouragement. Keep up the good work. I want markets to return to “pre BSE” levels, and said from the start politicians won’t save us, hard work by individuals will. But remember the first rule of buisnessis; Take care of your current customers first, then go looking for new ones.

[cowman]

Sure going to try to make Olds on thursday! Right now things are completely psycho around here! Too many darned things happening!
My son is definitely going and he told me, we need to do this! So I hope to be there.
Why wouldn't I wear a cowboy hat? Well they are darned inconvenient in a pickup or for that matter on a quad(I don't do horses anymore!)? I really prefer a good soft baseball cap...preferably a freebee from a machinery dealer(partial to John Deere) or a chemical company(Dow-Elanco)!
And also I don't wear cowboy boots...too darn uncomfortable! Like a quality workboot or a good pair of runners. But hey at least I wear Wranglers! And I have a good quality stockmans knife in the pocket!
I never felt the need to play the part!

[grassfarmer]

Pleased to hear you are planning to go Cowman, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. A good baseball cap is to your taste Cowman? shame you have to give some free advertising to another set of multi-national corporations !!Would you wear a Cargill or Tyson cap?