marketing cattle

[JD6320]

willowcreek,
Keeping the world free has nothing to do with U.S policy, it about keeping access to vital natural resources. Democratic countries allow better access to their industries than ones behind walls. These actions are not based on moral principles but rather economic gain.

[Willowcreek]

JD6320-- And I suppose Canada, France, Germany, Japan, etc., don't take advantage of all the results of this economic gain, nor of the free world system the US taxpayers pay a huge debt to keep free- eh...

[WilIow-Kreek]

Just remember...we don't have to be friends to Y'all.We could just take what we want and you couldn't stop us.We were the ones to save y'all in WW1 and WW2 and stop the communists from ruling the world after that.How long do you think the U.S. taxpayer will keep paying for all your freedom?

[grassfarmer]

Yeah Willowkreek it's a good job you rescued us all in WW2. Good job the Japanese decided to catch you with your pants down or you might never have joined in - what was the problem? waiting to see which side was going to win before committing? What about protecting the freedom of all the countries overrun in '39 and '40??

[JD6320]

willowcreek,
you are not paying to save my freedom,your paying to be at the front of the line. You buy the line that every action taken by the government is in name of furthering democratic institutions,which in reality is a smokescreen for business interests.

[ddniak]

To Willow Kreek. If you know your history Willow Kreek. It wasn't the Americans that won WW11. First of all The Commonwealth countries were envolved 2 years before the Americans finally decided to join after the attack on Pearl Harbour. Secondly it was Hitlers descision to move his main focus away from Britain to Russia that cost him the war. It was the sacrifice of the Russian people that cost Hitler the war not the envolvement of tha Americans

[Willowcreek]

ddniak-- I think most Historians now agree that it was neither Britains or Russia's or the US armies that won WWII--that it was actually the US great industrial and agricultural might that armed and supplied all the Allies that eventually won the war...

And this is the industrial and agricultural might that we are now selling out to whichever country is the lowest bidder...

[cowman]

Willowcreek: Not sure if it is helpful to get into a big discussion of who did the most or that sort of thing? The fact was in both America and Canada there was a total war effort in WWII? I suspect on a per capita basis we were pretty close to equal in fighting men and the war effort at home. Of course you are ten times bigger than us, so you would do more? But the fact was both countries lost men, both suffered at home from shortages to supply the war effort?
I will readily agree that Canada has not done its share for the last several decades! We've had these Liberal governments, you see? However the present government is trying to turn that around...although who knows how long they will last! Our boys are doing a lot of the heavey slogging in Afghanistan right now...freeing up US troops for Iraq.
I would also point out to you that Alberta has never supported the Liberal governments, but always has sent MPs from the Conservative camp?
It just might surprize you how the average Albertan views the USA? The people who come on here are not very representative of the average Albertan! Most of us have no fear of "big bad corporate America"? Because quite frankly "Big US oil" has made this province one of the richest places on earth!
Now because this is the "beef forum" of course there will be some resentment? America has really treated us quite shabbily in this regard. I understand your point of view...and if I was an American would probably be right there with you! And I hope the day comes when Canada gets its cattle numbers to a point where the supply is more in line with the domestic demand!
But you can't blame farmers up here for being resentful when they are losing their farms, due to US trade games.

[nicolaas]

wrgs to getting canadas cow numbers more in line with domestic demand cowman,this is going to begin in earnest this year coming up. I believe the pendlum has swung in the favor of the grain farmer. I do not see much upside in the cattle business, with our finishing system so dependent on grain. You will see hayland ripped up to grow more expensive grain, therefore potentially less hay for the cattlemen to buy - and more expensive. Our family is dropping our herd down to about 200 head this year, and plan to cut back resources going into our cattle. We made very little money on our calves this year (on paper as we have not sold them yet) and are not sure if we should feed them or dump them. I feel sorry for the pure ranchers, who cannot take advantage of the rising grain market and who will feel the brunt of escalating costs and low prices. I feel there are dark days ahead for the cattle industry, and there is not much that can be done.

Merry Christmas and god bless you all on this day!

[Willowcreek]

cowman-And thats about the same way many down here saw the Canadians when they jumped on board the US market with an ever increasing herd...

A lot of resent was built up when you watched truckload after truckload of Trans-X trucks heading south carrying swinging beef- and everytime the price of fats or culls started rising, you'd see pots of cows or fats coming south- all this while US producers were being foreclosed on and moving off the ranch because prices were in the dumps...

Then when the border closed because of BSE and the US producers saw record prices and even the Secretary of Agriculture and the AMI admitted these record prices were from not being able to access the Canadian beef, the US producer really reallized the true negative effect the Canadian imports shirttailed on our market have...

I guess its all in the perspective of where you are looking at it from...

Any way cowman-- Merry Christmas to you all the Canucks-- don't drink all that good Canadian Rye, as that is one good product Canada has!!! At least its labeled to the country of origin!!!

[coppertop]

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the NEW YEAR could commence with Peace, Love and Harmony between US and Canadian beef producers, and folks on this site ?
I could add a lot more but there is no need, much of it has already been said by cowman, grassfarmer and others. Willowcreek I hope you and your family enjoy all the Blessings of the Season, and when you look north you see farm families like yours, trying to make a living, educate their kids and put a few bucks away for their retirement. We are proud of our heritage, our beef industry, and yes, of our military that are even on this day, off in a foreign land fighting so opressed people can be free.

[cowman]

Willowcreek: I think you are probably a bit mistaken about the impact Canadian imports had on your prices, but that is okay. Like Nicollas says I suspect we are seeing a shift in our Canadian cattle herd to a more balanced approach.
When the CROW rate was killed the western Canadian grainfarmer had few options other than to go into livestock production? I don't think you entirely understand the system we work under up here? For decades the Canadian Wheat Board had stifled most options for value adding to our cereals. You should remember that before European and American export subsidies destroyed Canadas export grain markets, we were a net importer of BEEF!
Now it seems there is a real market for grain, not as food but for energy, and I think that is a good thing? Like you said...send us something we need!
It is very frustrating to see a government come in that finally starts doing somethings right....only to realize the majority of Canada want to slip back to the inept bunglers of the past! And the sad part is very few in western Canada will vote for these clowns...but we will get them anyway!
My own personal view is, and always has been, the western provinces need to seperate, but that doesn't seem to go over too well with the flag wavers!