Zone Meeting

[farmers_son]

Good news grassfarmer. If you lived near Vancouver, would you still choose that code name??????? I hear there are a lot of GRASS farmers in secluded locations in B.C.

You are exactly right about showing up to ABP meetings with concerns, and hopefully prepared resolutions.

We had our last meeting last night in Okotoks, and I was pleased to see at least half a dozen rather contoversial resolutions passed by the grassroots producers who turned up to vote at these four meetings.

This is your chance folks. If you have a point to make, come out and make it.
I've been involved in a bit of coordination of resolutions as well which will definately help if the democratic process is given a chance.

For instance. Two seperate meetings passed two resolutions regarding packers (existing or new) being allowed by CFIA (government) to test for BSE should a market (like Japan) insist on tested beef. Both times reps from ABP reminded us of consumer confidence issues, etc. etc. Both times the motion was passed unanimously, in fact with only one or two votes against.
When I sit as a delegate and this topic is brought up again at the next level, I will be there to remind the directors that this is democracy in action, and discussion needs to be very limited before the motion passes final approval.

This is, as I said, one example. My campaign is over, but my phone will not stop until the final ABP meeting.

Every issue that is important to the folks here on Agriville can and could be brought forward as a resolution. The people at these meetings are looking for new ideas, something other than the current direction. You will surprise yourselves with the support you will find for common sense practical ideas from different prospectives.

" The world will not evolve past it's current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation". A. Einstein I think he was anothe Grass Farmer.

Good luck
Randy

[grassfarmer]

Then I guess you will have to raise the question yourself at either a Fall producer meeting or at an ABP delegates meeting. I did the best I could with the sketchy information you have provided me.

[grassfarmer]

That reply was intended for farmers_son not you Randy, you must type quicker than me! Good luck with the election result!
p.s. we had the pleasure of driving your old Galloway buddy from south of town to the meeting.

[farmers_son]

grassfarmer: Yes the information on "Industry Council" is sketchy and that is the whole point. Producers should be informed of what amounts to the most significant change in their organization's structure since it began. They are not informed. The ABP spent $406,485 in 2002/2003, $520,890 in 2003/2004 and a budgeted $491,500 2004/2005 on Producer Liaison with the express purpose of informing producers of ABP activities yet no one knows what is actually happening.
How can producers express their views on their organization if they are not informed of what that organization is doing?
Like I said, nice try on the resolution but I think it is going to take a major outcry from producers to keep the packers off of the ABP and there will be no outcry if producers are not aware of what is happening. They should be informed.
According to the 2004 ABP Annual Report page 16 the Producer Liaison Committee is responsible for communicating ABP news to the members, increasing producer awareness of the ABP and encouraging feedback and direction from them. Yet the proposed changes to the ABP to allow "Industry Council" (packers) to have 2 seats on the ABP Board is invisible in the 2004 Annual Report, the ABP website or issues of Grass Routes. And that is simply very wrong.

[grassfarmer]

farmers_son, if you read the second last paragraph of Doerksen's report headed "structure" on page 2 of the Annual report the move to appoint 2 industry council delegates to the ABP board is outlined. This is repeated in the Audio-visual presentation shown at the Fall Producer meetings.

[crossfield_beef]

rsomer (alias farmers_son) Those of who serve the ABP and are as involved in the beef industry as much or more than you are resent the suspicion and conflict you continually cause. We resent being called liars and stupid sheep. We are cattle producers who are deeply concerned about our Alberta industry.
For your information here is a copy of the 2004 Annual report ***
Following changes implemented last
year to establish an elected cattle feeder council and direction from our annual general meeting last December, the board has developed the details of an industry council.
Membership in the council will include
representatives from the Alberta Auction Markets’ Association, Alberta Livestock Dealers’ Association and other provincial industry associations. The ABP annual
general meeting will then elect two industry
council delegates to the ABP board.
The development of an industry council
should serve to more effectively bring the
industry together around the current crisis
and other challenges in the future.


You continually stir the pot, twisting events and information to make yourself look like a white knight. Your fellow ABP delegates know better and know who you are. What a jackass.

[crossfield_beef]

crossfield_beef. Any interest on your part in exposing yourself?

I live right across the road from Crossfield so I am suspecting we are neighbors.
Randy Kaiser
rpkaiser@telusplanet.net

Is there room for discussion on this industry council thing?

We have heard from almost every Canadian involved in the Cattle Industry that the USA has shown us what kind of friend they are in the past year and a half. Most would agree, that they have not been a very close friend.
Why? Because they have cost producers of this country money. We can argue every angle from politics to science, but in the end it all boils down to dollars.

I wonder why the same statement has not been raised concerning our FRIENDS the packers. Have they not shown their true colors as well. Have they not shown that everything they do is about money?
Have they not cost the producers money?

I agree that the industry council does not stipulate a position avaiable to the packers, but can we question the motives of Cargil and Tyson to become involved with our producer group while showing no interest in the past two years to work with producers to solve this crisis.

I will not entertain the thought that the packers have helped by slaughtering great numbers etc. etc. This was a no brainer, and had nothing to do with helping, other than helping themselves to slop trough full of profit. There were three option avilable. Shut the doors....Ya right. Grab every cent they could while they could. Or prove that they are part of the Beef Cattle Industry in Canada and show some respect for their associates. We all know which choice they made.

On top of this we continue to pour millions into advertising through B.I.C. and CBEF to help these very packers sell their beef.

I do not want to come out and be labeled anti packer, we obviously need a packing industry in Canada. However if the past 20 months have not opened our eyes to the need for change within our industry concerning multinational packers, we are pretty damn blind.

Personally concerning Feeder council and Industry council, I am told that all delegates must be checkoff paying producers, but I do not agree that these special interest groups should sit on any board without first coming up through the ranks like any other delegate. For crying out loud, we only had about 200 people vote at four meetings in our whole zone. If a feedlot fellow cannot garner enough support from a group that size, what business does he have sitting on the board of PRODUCER GROUP. Feeders are producers are they not?

This little tweek to the democratic process has now led to this Industry council request. What next?

Why not build committes once the elected people are in place.

Democracy has been altered, and credibility is being questioned by more and more folks all the time.

[farmers_son]

I think you owe me an apology sir. I never called anyone a liar or stupid sheep. The only information I have on the ABP comes from attending ABP meetings, reading their Annual Reports and Grassroots, talking to ABP directors and sometimes that information is quite sketchy. I am no ones white knight, just a feedlot producer who pays quite a bit of checkoff. I do not want to be anyones white knight either. I am not a member of ABP, Big C, WSGA or any beef organization. I do realize the importance of the ABP to my industry and maintain my interest because of that. Can I infer that you are on the ABP? Maybe you could care to discuss ABP issues here? I am sure that would be welcome. The only delegate or candidate I see in my zone that is from Crossfield is Randy Kaiser. Don't know what ticked you off, crossfield_beef, or what you are afraid of but I have no intention of calling you a jackass. I have reread my posts and the only thing I have said is there has not been a lot of discussion of Industry Council and that is the truth. Thanks for pointing out the small reference to Industry Council in the 2004 Annual Report but I would point out that definitely the 2003 Report says packers and the ABP directors I have talked to tell me packers too. If you have information on Industry Council that you wish to share please do so. I would welcome it. And if you are on the ABP or a candidate for ABP and call a fellow producer jackass then you should not be there. That is not what this producer is paying checkoff dollars for, to be called names.
Geez, all I asked for was information and I pointed out there has not been enough. Get real.