Government Should Not Be Running Agriculture

[BFW]

OH, THE IRONY OF IT ALL!!!!!

[per]

A couple of well written letters, Gf. It doesn't matter to me who fs is and he has every right as a rancher to express his opinion. As a director of the organization being defended though, full disclosure is a must. Otherwise it is a misrepresentation and reflects badly on said organization. As far a on Agriville goes, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who is who. The bottom line is it doesn't matter. All viewpoints are necessary. Now as suggested by farmers_son, make that call, send that email. Let's get this thing passed.

[smcgrath76]

As for the ALMA stealing money from the
entrepreneurs pocket.... Come now Sean.
We all know that big organisations
cannot move as fast as us. ABP is a
perfect example. Could not even make a
decision fast enough to get on board
with the B5 group and influence ALMA
rather than sit and whine about it.

Randy,
I am not concerned about stealing money
from the entrepreneur, as I am sure
both you and I are working fast a
furious to make ALMA look like ancient
history by the time it comes to
complete fruition. My concern stands
that the structure of the industry is
such that the processors will have a
captive (commodity) supply of value
added product and no need or reason to
return those premiums to the
marketplace. Currently, as
dysfunctional as things are, they at
least need to pay to secure these types
of offerings (whether they do or not is
another thread). If we are all
legislated top perform said "value
adding" for the good of the industry,
then they no longer need to pay.
For entrepreneurs outside of the
system, this is a non issue, for
producers taking the more historic
approach it is a huge one as it
increases costs and not returns.

[rkaiser]

Good point Sean and exactly why the average producer needs to look more at supporting something like the Canada Gold program where the value chain sees the profit rather than the packer. ALMA was set up with value chains like Canada Gold in mind. Or, by golly, a producer owned packing facility like Canadian Legacy Partners suggests .

Funny part about Rob's fear mongering that the big feedlot boys will dictate policy in the future is that a lot of these so called big boys are supporters of Canada Gold. Gee Whiz --- are these ACFA memebers also forward thinking marketers attaching themselves to groups like Western Stock Growers and trying to help the entire industry.... Me thinks so.

What about you batman?

[farmers_son]

Rkaiser: Perhaps I am going to refer to you as Dick from here on. I have read between the lines and have deduced you are really Dick from letters to the Editor a fellow named Dick wrote and it sure looked like you. It seems to me that Rkaiser is just a misnomer and the name is really Dick. And I think Grassfarmer is Jane, based on the same logic. Figure it out Dick and Jane...the name does not matter, just what is said.

Rkaiser: Some time back you tried to expose Cowman. Maybe you knew who Cowman was and maybe you were wrong, but we never got one more post from that contributor from that moment on. And Agriville has been the poorer for it.

I could call you Dick or I could call you Jane or I could call you Stephen Harper. I could call you black or I could call you white. However the best way to refer to you each would be rkaiser and grassfarmer because that is how you sign on here. I hope you understand that. You do not have a clue about me other than what I write in these threads (you may infer that I support the concept of ABP) and your imagination is working overtime and is way out in left field.

At some point it is about manners and politeness, anything else is pretty rude. I say I cannot put my name forward for professional reasons, that should be more than enough reason if a reason was even required... which it is not. Drop it. But know up front you are not chasing me away like you did Cowman.

Enough said about that.

I am not the least bit confident that ABP would win a plebiscite. I have no idea how that might go. The point is it would be the producers that decided the matter and not the Government. I think that is a crucial, underline crucial, difference. It should be producers deciding the plebiscite issue. If the people in favour of a refundable check off and Bill 43 had any faith in their convictions they would be in favour of a plebiscite too. Their reluctance to put their money where their mouth is speaks volumes to me.

Government should not be running agriculture and if you agree please phone you MLA and raise your voice against Bill 43. You should be deciding the check off issue by plebiscite vote not by Government decree.

[rkaiser]

Okeedokkee batman... Seems to me that credibility works alongside transparency but not in your weird little world. Not trying to chase you off here buddy boy, just challenging your weird and wonderful dream world...LOL

I never thought I said anything bad enough to be called a dick.. LOL

[grassfarmer]

I completely accept your right to conceal your identity on here f_s but I think your comment about Randy and Cowman was well off base. Last I remember Cowman's son had attended Randy's bull sale and Randy came on here stating what a pleasure it was to meet the son, how he now knew Cowman's identity but wouldn't expose it.
Correct me if I'm wrong folks but I think F_S is trying to mislead us again as he likes to do.

[per]

All of this created the enthusiasm to pen a letter to the editor of our local paper. It's funny how ridiculous rhetoric reminds rivals to revisit writing rants to the regional rag.

[rkaiser]

Really trying to be empathetic tonight farmers_son.

I asked myself what it is that you feel is so wrong. You seem to feel that it is an issue of government taking a drastic undemocratic move. And the only way that it can be resolved in your mind is through a plebiscite. I thought that way about ABP for a long long time as well when I pushed the issue of BSE testing for market access. So I guess you and I are pretty much the same. Two guys using our egoic minds rather than surrender and acceptance that everything happens for a reason.

Like grassfarmer --- I accept that you have some need to conceal your identity. I'll stop calling you Rob.

But I still won't agree with you bud... LOL

Randall E Kaiser

[farmers_son]

Thanks for that. And Grassfarmers recollection is correct re Cowman. I sometimes question why I take the time to post here but I must think it does some good. Although who knows? I do enjoy being around people who are passionate about the cattle business, as I am, so maybe that keeps me coming back.

Hopefully there is some agreement that Government should not be running our business for us. I believe Government plays a role but Government oversteps their bounds when they make marketing issues mandatory. My opinion only guys.

Producers should have decided the plebiscite issue through a vote, again just my opinion. No matter which side of the plebiscite issue you are on, for or against, the matter should have been decided by producer vote not government decree. We have been getting far too many Government decrees since the ALMA announcement and too much mandatory. I hope enough producers agree with that to get out of their tractor seats long enough to let Government know they want to vote on the check off issue themselves.

[blackjack]

I hope you continue to post f_s but that being said...I have been very fusturated with ABP in that I think they have missed the boat on the issues of BSE testing and the lack of leadership to help support a producer driven packing plant.It is my opinion the ABP need a shakeup in its direction of the industry and just maybe the ranchers that actually make a living from cattle will be there to support them..When the fall elections come up this fall I would really like to see some fresh ideas that actually get debated instead of the same old set agendas that the ABP try to shove down our throats..

[per]

It seems to me that having a non refundable check off is on the mandatory side and a refundable check off is less interference. I guess it is where on the fence you are leaning and whether it is barbed wire or rail. Of all the interfering onerous things the government does, this time it is listening. Pretty hard to sell choice as the undemocratic way.

A one way conversation would not be much fun. Yes it is good to have a full spectrum of passionate folks that are aiming for the same end result.

[PureCountry]

All I am going to say after reading this drama, is we should all embrace change. The last 6 years have been dark days in the beef industry, so any change could be looked at as a positive thing, if you choose to look that way.

[farmers_son]

Do you think we should embrace change if that change is Government will be telling us what to do and making us do it through regulation and fines plus withholding needed safety net support? That is a pretty significant change.

Getting back to the opening post... when you hear the politicians speak on anything to do with agriculture they reveal their total ignorance. I ask the question again should these MLAs be telling us how we are going to market our cattle, how we are going to raise our cattle, how we move our cattle, our every move? Have we sunk so low that cattle producers would even consider that such a thing was OK?

Yes the Government is going to change things alright and they want ABP and the other producer livestock organizations out of the way so they can do it. Bill 43 will receive final reading next week...still time to contact your MLA and tell them to buzz off.

[perfecho]

Pure....having Nilson's and Cargill controlling 90 % of our kill market is a change, a positive change for Cargill and Nilson's, but not for producers. Having ALMA dictate to us that we have to age verify and premise ID is a positive change for Cargill and Nilson's, however it does not positively impact the producers.
We, producers, are totally missing the boat. As you can see by above thread, we spend our time on squabbling amongst ourselves and the real issues will go unchallenged.
Even sex change funding was modified in good ole red neck Alberta with just a few, well planned and proactive participants that worked together.
Divide and conquer!