ABP meetings?

[grassfarmer]

What's up with the ABP fall producer meetings in Zone 6 this year? I note we have gone from 4 venues in 2004 to three in 3005 to two this year (Breton and Camrose),also the event runs from 9.30am-3pm instead of an evening meeting. Is this a further attempt to exclude producers that actually have cattle and work to do? Strange also that these changes are happening only in Zone 6 - is it a further attempt to stifle democracy in a zone that is known to have alternative ideas to those of the ABP gods.

[coppertop]

This zone is the only one not in the evening. I doubt if there are many farmers that will spend six hour plus travelling time to attend an ABP meeting, mind you the lunch may entice some. Pretty difficult for farm couples to spend the entire day if they have little ones.

[cowman]

I'm no expert on the ABP but I wonder if a daytime meeting might work out better for the ABP staff, and that is why it is being held at that time? The 9:30 to 3 fits into the work day fairly well?
I wonder how big of a deal this really is? I mean how many producers bother going to these things...whether at night or during the day? It almost seems the most important thing for many attending is what are they going to feed us!
I realize that a few producers think the ABP is important and get involved but in reality don't most producers just consider them another nuisance?

[coppertop]

cowman, there is only one zone that is holding daytime meetings. The rest of the meetings across the province are in the evening. ABP seems to have ample staff to traverse the globe so I doubt if attending evening meetings poses much of a problem.

[cowman]

Now I'm not sure how well these meetings are attended, as I've never been to one? How many producers actually go to them? Whats the percentage?
At my local auction mart they held an evening session on age verification, but unfortunately neither me or the boy could attend as we were out there chasing that almighty dollar!
We age verified the calves last year and have the tags in and the dates all written down, just need to put it on an excel spreadsheet and get it sent. I doubt we will ever see any monetary benifit from age verifying but I guess it is just another cost of doing business? I sure am getting tired of the time and expense of this sort of stuff...so everyone else can make money on my calves!

[coppertop]

Some of the meetings in this zone are well attended and there are numerous well thought out resolutions presented, and of course, some that aren't as well thought out.
If there is a contentious issue or crisis the attendance is higher.
I, for one, would like to see someone like Grassfarmer run in this zone. Perhaps others in zone 6 can help pursuade him.

[grassfarmer]

Good luck!In it's present form I wouldn't waste my time standing for ABP - my only interest in it is either to drastically reform or abolish it. Under the current set up some useful people have been elected in recent years but once there they can achieve nothing because of the structure. Most are given some small task or committe to go on to keep them quiet, busy and away from policy making. Even producer resolutions passed at local level are a waste of time as they are mocked or ignored at Provincial level if they aren't in agreement with the thoughts of the few key players in the organisation. The turning point for me was the press conference announcing the results of the packer profiteering inquiry. The fact that the AB ag minister was there announcing that their friends the packers had done no wrong wasn't surprising but the fact that the ABP chief was sitting beside her happily making the announcement did surprise me. Good God, these people are supposed to be on the producers side, standing up for our interests, how can they do that when they are clearly dictated to by the Alberta Government who in turn are dictated to by the Transnational Corporations.
The only man in the room that day who was willing to raise his voice against the outrageous findings in this case(in agreement with the majority of producers views)was removed by security at Shirley's request before he got to open his mouth. Their treatment of Cam Ostercamp has been equally appalling. A sickening indication of the lack of democracy in the province of Alberta, permitted by the apathy of voters both in ABP elections and in Government elections.
I don't think it is even worth attending Fall producer meetings. Rather than campaign for a good turnout at meetings perhaps we should campaign for a zero turnout - we are very close to getting that already and then the ABP would be seen for the sham it is.

[coppertop]

I agree with you grassfarmer but you have excellent ideas and if you and people like you were in the majority we would see change at ABP.

I would expect that Eric Butters will step into the chairmans shoes this fall,leaving Darcy Davis to run for the PC nomination or so the story goes.

I don't think that staying away from meetings is the way to do things grassfarmer, because if there are small turnouts ABP will feel that they are doing things so well that there are no concerns.

ABP does have some good people, Rich Smith for one, he heads up the environmental area and is an excellent person for the job.

[cowman]

Grassfarmer: I am so glad you are finally getting it! The ABP is a waste of time...always was...always will be!
Welcome to the real world
I've been around long enough, before the days of the ACC( before the ABP) and I sure as hell never got no vote on whether I wanted these "industry representatives" in my life!
Who do they represent? They sure as hell don't represent me...never have...never will.
Now I wonder grassfarmer, or coppertop, or whoever...do they represent you?

[grassfarmer]

So did you ever get a vote on whether you needed MLAs in your life Cowman? I assume you didn't but I'm guessing you still vote in elections? It's called a democracy - albeit in the case of ABP a malfunctioning one. There is nothing wrong with the concept of a producer representative group but this one appears to have been brought to it's knees by either producer apathy or high handed leadership.

I understand the concept of making a democracy work but unfortunately the majority of beef producers in Alberta are either too lazy or too comfortable to make the effort to participate. In a true democracy the 5% of producers that turn up to the ABP meetings would still be representative of the industry. If 3% of the producers back things proposed at the meetings that is the will of the people and the resolutions should be adopted by the next rung of the organisation. This clearly does not happen as resolutions are conveniently not discussed at the AGM or simply disappear somewhere along the line. This is a democracy that is corrupt and it will remain so until it is challenged and corrected. The challenge is how to correct it.

[blackjack]

...heck grassfarmer they call it democracy but 99 % of us let someone else run it if they want to...just like the warlords in other countries that put their friends in all the high positions and keep the enemy locked up or out of the picture...if you are not into being a part of the crowd i agree you would be wasting your time...we are sometimes a few years behind the states (for example groups like r-calf)but maybe there might be a day when ostercamp's ideas or someone like his might be in a position to make a change ... personally i wonder how much longer this margin based commodities system can last...

[cowman]

Grassfarmer: Well I've never been all that keen on democracy anyway(mob rule)! Just about all my voting is a protest vote anyway!
The fact is we have the ABP. A "majority" of slightly over 6% of producers entrenched them as the spokespeople for our industry? Now I was part of the slightly under 6% who opposed that, but too bad...that is democracy, right?
It doesn't matter now. Thats just the way it is and they tax you on every animal you sell! You either live with it or you quit?
When only 12% of producers bother to vote on whether the ABP exists or not, why would you expect that producers are going to come out for anything else?
It seems the most important thing at the meetings is how good the free beef dinner is!