CBEF, BIC, etc.

[Willowcreek]

Cowman-"Getting way too much ageement on here lately? I guess I'll have to come up with some really outrageous statement soon before this love fest gets out of hand? Maybe I'll just have to beat up old Willowcreek to get things going? LOL "

Cowman- The same thing regarding the cattle organizations happened down here.. We had a good organization with the NCA- then they decided to bring in all "phases" of the industry- and we ended up with NCBA which pretty well now only represents the large Feeders and the Big 4 Packers anymore...That is what brought about the formation of R-CALF- which love it or hate it, does represent the grassroots cattleman....

As far as people going into ranching- the same is occurring down here...Very few young ones going into it...Unless they inherit or marry into a large operation they can't compete with the land prices being paid by the corporate land investors or hunting and conservation groups...Most end up leaving the rural community for school and never come back......

[cowman]

Well Willowcreek, I think up here many of us think the ABP(Alberta Beef Producers) represents the big feedlots and to a certain extent the packers, rather than the cow/calf rancher? Sort of like how you see the NCBA?
Actually about ten years ago there was a movement to set up a cow/calf organization but it didn't fly because many of the big ranchers grazed cattle on public land and the ABP has always stood up for them in a really big way!
Now I'm not really sure of your situation down there in regards to a checkoff? Up here we have an enforced mandatory checkoff that goes to the ABP...supposedly for beef promotion, export enhancement, and lobbying the government. Probably also buys a few steaks and whisky for the boys in the know...but I'd better not go there! Does your NCBA have a mandatory checkoff?

[Willowcreek]

We have a mandatory Beef checkoff that was mandated by the USDA for beef promotion- good idea- but problem is that NCBA wrote the law to give them control of it, contracts the operation of, and pretty much controls it and the message it puts out...Altho they are not supposed to be making money, they benefit thru the contracting of office space, personnell, and also use it as an advertising source for themselves...

Pretty much the same down here as far as membership...Many of the members of the NCBA are the Big feeder operations and the big ranchs with large holdings of government lease... None of them want any type of government control or intervention to shake the boat....

[cowman]

So let me get this straight: Somehow or other you can join or not, but no matter what, you pay the checkoff?
Up here I think you are a member of the ABP whether you like it or not and you pay the checkoff on every animal sold. This was a "democratic" decision where anyone who sold cattle in Alberta got a vote on whether or not the checkoff would remain mandatory. It was a big deal up here. 12% of elegible producers bothered to vote and 51% of those 12% voted to keep the checkoff mandatory! In other words slightly less than 6% of producers decided the checkoff would be mandatory! This gave the ABP the right to do whatever in the hell they wanted...democracy in action...you see!
Now personally I was on the NO side! In fact I did a lot of campaigning and donated $200! Well so much for that...as my momma used to tell me...A fool and his money are soon parted!
The good old ABP is very efficient? Every month they sent out their little propoganda sheet, whether you wanted it or not? In fact they sent my old dead Dad one every month for ten years after he was dead, despite several letters, phone calls etc. telling them he was dead! In the final letter I told them he had changed his address and to please send the sheet to the Pine Lake grave yard! Not sure if they finally figured it out but the sheet stopped coming....don't know if there is a big stack out at the graveyard or not! LOL