News from BIG-C

[BFW]

Zone 3 also had 5 people running for 3 delegate positions.

[pandiana]

Thanks cowman. Appreciate your incouragement. Hope we can add a little different perspective to ABP.

[cakadu]

Congratulations to all the successfully elected people.

With this apparent apathy out there, I wonder if it is a matter of too many people trying to keep body and soul together therefore they don't have time for anything else right now, or is it election overload, too many issues to try and sort out or some other reason?

One thing it does seem to do is underscore the fact that change is very slow to come about in agriculture. That is just the reality and not a judgment of any sort. Is it a case of the devil that is known being better than the one that is unknown?

One would think that with all that has happened in the past 18 months that people would have come out in droves to see change.

[farmers_son]

And I would add a thank you to everyone who put their name in as candidate. Win or loose the industry needs more people like you and I would encourage you to try again next year.

Cakadu: In reply to you question on how delegates are chosen, terms etc. see: http://www.albertabeef.org/aboutus.asp#structure

[pandiana]

You are absolutely right, cakadu. I am stunned by the apparent apathy of farmers who, on speaking to them one to one, will share their anxiety over declining margins and fear for the future of farming, and yet...! I don't think there were many more that turned up at ABP meetings. This is their money ABP is spending. 13.4M budget for 2004. ABP needs, not just input but a large voice behind them in order for ABP to be heard. If 700 producers had packed the halls to standing room only instead of 50-150, the community, the media and the government would have heard their message. How do we get this kind of support?