Amother Tid-bit

[cakadu]

I wouldn't doubt that right now producer apathy is at an all time high for a number of reasons. I wouldn't feel too badly about producers not turning out for you BIG-C meeting grassfarmer as it is pretty hard during haying season to get away, even if it is in your best interests. There is such a short window of opportunity sometimes that one has to make hay while the sun shines or as was the case this year before the next shower hit.

Here's a wild and crazy idea. What if the ABP took even a fraction of the money spent on thanking consumers for sticking with beef through all of this and used it to really try and get producers out to meetings. They could even go so far as to have a third party, absolutely hands off facilitator for the meetings so that ideas are all out on the table and nothing is shut down. How would producers feel then, if they knew that they would at least be heard and have their ideas put down on paper so that their various representatives would have a written record of what it is they wanted?

Has anything like this ever been tried before? Maybe now is the time so that the ABP and producers win. What have they got to loose?

[grassfarmer]

With due respect, haying was not a factor in the Ponoka BIG-C meeting - pure apathy was. For every person I knew that attended from my area I could name 4 or 5 others that have made time to go camping numerous times this summer. They are either not hurting that bad or are in denial.
Don't get me wrong 6-700 is still a fair turnout at an agricultural meeting but compared to the thousands affected in the area we were covering it was not as good a turnout as it could have been. If we really had the vast majority of producers attending these events the Government would have to listen to this new voice instead of to the ABP our "elected" voice.

[cakadu]

Well, look at it this way, better to have had the number that you did that were keen and interested than many more who were less than enthusiastic. It is always disappointing when you expect more, particularly when you know so many are affected.

You may very well be right - the stakes just haven't gotten high enough for some people. We've developed such a "next year will be better" mentality that I think some just hang on, tie yet another knot in the end of the rope and hope for the best. For some, maybe the camping is a release from all of this and certainly more than one contributor to these forums have stated that they see the wisdom in spending time with their families and not working quite so hard to get no where fast. I'm not making excuses for them, it's just that there may be other priorities right now.

As for how much effort one expends, that depends on how much you have to give. It seems that there are always a core group who are fired up to get things done and they do. Once the real work is done, then of course others come along when they start to see and believe that there just might be some success.

Maybe you can only do what you can do for yourself and let others do the same. If they don't get the results that they want, then they don't have anyone to blame but themselves. Its sort of like an election - if you don't vote, then you don't have any right to complain about how things are going.

[cowman]

Now I don't want to rain on anybodys parade but I suspect a whole lot of people are really considering bailing? Perhaps that might be the reason for poor turnouts? Is there actually one person in the cattle business who hasn't considered it?
Lets not forget the average age of our producers, and lets not forget the financial makeup of these same producers? The older guys usually have some money and they don't really see this thing turning around tommorrow? Why keep pounding sand down a gopher hole, sort of thing?
If the government sets up a tax scheme(as they've hinted they might do) that allows farmers to average out the money, look for a huge exodus from the cow/calf industry this fall! Or maybe even if they don't! Perhaps the banks will make that decision for a lot of people?
Which is probably a good thing as it will open the door to a lot of younger, more dedicated guys to expand and catch the next wave?

[grassfarmer]

As I said cowman, haying was NOT a factor in the Ponoka meeting - it rained very heavy everywhere in the two days beforehand and felt more like November than July - I think it was 11C that evening with a strong wind.
I still think it is apathy.

[rsomer]

Cowman: I can honestly say I haven't considered bailing, not even for a moment. So there is at least one.

[grassfarmer]

Oh you meant bailing not baling, cowman.
Oops!!
I'm with rsomer - why would you want to bail out? yeah we have problems but it's still the best job in the world - in my mind.

[rusty1]

Without reading the whole thread - I do have to disagree with something rsomer says near the top. Opening the border may not be a long range solution either. I have in my hand a document that comes right out of a US packing room board room meeting memo. It clearly states that the only US packers thatw ant the border open are the ones that hold most of their interst in the North West. It also states that "1,000,000 head of live fat cattle and 140,000 head of feeders (2001) only represent 2 to 3 weeks of slaughter capacity" for them.

They really don't need us for anything.

So lets close our border from the north side, fix our own problem at home!

[ALICIA]

Talk about bailing Well this is want happened to me today. I've been thinking of onloading soom extra mouths. So on Sunday the cows where all at the barn and I have this seamy wild heifer, because as a calf she got pink eye and I called the vet to give her a shot of pen. in the eye lid to fix it, well the vet shot her in the eye ball (blind in that eye now.) So last fall she wouldn't come back in the barn till it was very cold, never got back out till spring. So any way on Sunday I thought I'm going to try to get that heifer in the barn. Opened barn door, tryed to get behind that heifer, she let out of there like a shot. I just stoped, turned around and said to my self forget it she isn't coming 500 feet near the barn or me. So I went to the other side of the barn to do soomthing, then went back to shut the door, and theirs the heifer in the barn, I shut the door real quick. Got you. Well I penned her up and thought that was easy I think I'll get the others I want gone. All in the barn in less then 10.
Sales Tuesday night. They'll be ready to go. Phoned Tuesday morning for sale barn to come and get 9 head and 1 wild heifer. Would the afternoon be oka. Sure. My Mistake. At 1.30 the sky opened up so bad that when the truck and trailer arrived, he couldn't get any were near the barn for the mud. So 9 head back with the herd, but for one wild heifer, she stays in the barn so I can try again next Tuesday night. I tell you. I can't get my hay done for the rain, now I can't get rid of the extra mouths for the rain. Grass is water logged, not much good, they have to have the hay for soom fiber to keep the digestion working right.

[ALICIA]

Its too bad because the heifer isn't that wild when you work on her good side as I found out when I put the halter on her to put the tag in her ear. She isn't that bad, if I don't get at least 400.00 for her, I may just have to bring her back home.
If I do I wonder how long before she comes back in the barn this winter, after a trip to the sale barn.