Quebec cows?

[cowman]

Now while I might admire ,at a distance, how these Frenchmen have muscled their way into the government purse, I have a rather uneasy feeling about this whole thing?
Once you break the law and defy the government, how do you get that Genie back in the bottle? Why not just rule the damned world?
Now I may not like a lot of the things the government does but I'm not really up for anarchy! I believe these Quebec farmers are walking a very fine line?
I guess it obviously worked for them...but I also notice they are trying to exclude anyone else from getting in on the action?
I wonder if the same sort of thing happened at High River if the farmers would have been treated differently?

[grassfarmer]

ivbinconned, you are very quick to shoot down anyone that doesn't entirely agree with your small spectrum of political views - the comment that "not since the time of kings" has there been a fair return from the marketplace for our produce is garbage. I have many households sitting down to meals of my great grassfed Alberta beef at this moment who were happy to pay me a very fair return for my efforts.

[Horse]

Cowman where is this any different than the nurses or the teachers or the longshoremen going on strike and slowing up or stoping buisiness . God I wish some time before I die I see the farmers of this country get up off thier knees and show thier balls (if they have any).

[ivbinconned]

grassfarmer:Your objection misses completely, mine main point.Plus you put words in my mouth. Now that is small.

Is the pot calling the kettle black...me thinks so.

But please slowly reread my post anyhow with the throw away comment and take note of the quotation marks around the word "free"!!!

[Bez]

I was combining until 0200 - only skimmed the responses - these jumped out at me:

1. "Mine would be that our aim is to receive fair payment for our produce FROM THE MARKETPLACE"

That comment is such a pile of BS. You see, the marketplace cannot give YOU a fair price because it does not deal with you. It deals with the producer. For this to happen, the middleman - the distributor and the processor must be cut out - ain't gonna' happen.

I hate the way this forum is set up - I cannor review the responses as I answer.

Bez

[Bez]

Levinoff - (sp?) is Canadian owned - Montreal based - lots of dairy cull go through there.

Milked out bags of bones - not suitable for burger in my opinion - should NEVER enter the hman food chain.

Bez

[Bez]

Grassfarmer and ivbinconned - if you guys are going to start picking flyshit out of pepper over comments like "times of kings" well that illustrates our overall problem in our industry.

My question - who are the people willing to pay a great price to sit down to a beef dinner - and how come they paid you and not the middleman?

And I think we are gettying off topic - but remember this the consumer is the marketplace and they will NEVER pay the producer - unless it is a farm gate sale.

You the producer will never get your desired value for your product unless you deal direct with the consumer - or you can find a method of magically cutting out the middleman.

Even if you introduce your own middleman - evbentually that middleman will become a problem - so - WHOI has the solution - because I do not.

But maybe the UPA does.

Bez

[Bez]

cowman - a long time ago I was the prez of a political constituency - I learned there that disobedience is sometimes a good thing.

Very often it is the only way to get the attention of those who make decisions. There is a "let them eat cake" attitude in the halls of power and after all atempts at "talk" are done - often nothing is accomplished.

It takes something that makes those controlling the purse strings realize "those guys are serious".

Negotiation - when BOTH sides are serious - works. When only one side is serious - it does not work.

Those folks in Quebec have been at the table as often as anyone else in Canada. To no avail. THAT is why they went to the gates of the packers. Remember my earlier comments about this?

Bez

[Bez]

grassfarmer -

"I still believe we need to try something and peaceful blockading of a Cargill, IBP or XL plant may be the way. "

These comments are spot on - but not one - all three - at the same time! But one must be prepared to withstand the onslaught from the press, the neighbours who do not have the gonads to assist and in the end, the police. Enough people there will prevent the police from being too much of a problem - even they do not relish the thoughts of a scrap and they will usually leave you be provided the masses are well behaved. That is the responsibility of those who organize the blockade.

Besides that, it is tough to clear over 100 tractors and transport trucks from the doors of a building - especially if there are a few hundred round bales placed in strategic locations.

One week and all involved will be listening to the ag leaders.

It is all business, and those who run the bsiness care not about you or your product - they care about the bottom line. Nothing more and nothing less.

Business.

On the other hand we are not considered businessmen and women - we are considered "lifestyle folk" - simple and plain people who do not understand the intricacies of a business operation.

Sometimes I think the "business people" are correct in their thoughts.

Bez

[Bez]

Damn - I said something that even I disagree with!

"That comment is such a pile of BS. You see, the marketplace cannot give YOU a fair price because it does not deal with you. It deals with the producer. For this to happen, the middleman - the distributor and the processor must be cut out - ain't gonna' happen."

What I should have said was -

" That comment is such a pile of BS. You see, the marketplace cannot give YOU a fair price because it does not deal with you. It deals with the PROCESSOR. For this to happen, the middleman - the distributor and the processor must be cut out - ain't gonna' happen.

How does a person edit their post on this forum?

Gotta go - chores are calling.

Bez