Denial, denial, denial

[oneoff]

Here the government goes again. React to one crisis; but not another. Make it look like every farmer with a flooded or unseeded acre is going to get $30.00 of taxpayers money. Promote the idea that government is looking after all farmers; while no farmer will apparently admit this fact. Privacy laws will protect the identity of self sufficient; smug and smart who will grab it as their entitlement too. Never will they admit they are no different than the pan handlers they most likely dispise.
Oh! and the reaction (from interviews on tv) is that it isn't enough.

[wd9]

Oneoff, you will never as a whole (all farmer profitability) get this to happen. For you to think otherwise is truly denial.

2 farmers can't agree let alone tens of thousands. The best example i can recall was at a standing committee in ottawa with the NFU arguiung against biofuel because everyone else was for it. Laughable, certainly to the MP's excluding the easter bunny of course.

I don't care what stats say, take a stroll thru the parking lot at the next farmtech conference and tell me just how desperate farmers are. If it was full of 1978 rusted out fords, i would believe you and the stats.

[parsley]

1. Interest eating up farmers:
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2010/06/09/f-farm-income.html

2. Farm Debt by lender:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/21-014-x/2010001/ct001-eng.htm


3.Satistcs:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/21-014-x/21-014-x2010001-eng.pdf

4. If interest rates rise, farmers are dead like a mole in the trap:

http://www.canadianagrifood.ca/?p=527

Some of you have indicated if the yields are there, you're home free.

Nuh. Nuh. Your nightmare is interest rates hiking up.

And they will! Pars

[wd9]

Well, if interest rates go up and farmers borrowed beyond their means go broke, land rent comes down, machinery prices come down, lots of auctions with good buying opportunities and the circle of farming life starts all over.

Not sure why there can not be a separation between business and emotion in farming.

[oneoff]

wd9: All the ingredients are there for individual opportunity to seize the leftovers of another round of others misfortunes and mistakes. No denying that. Believe me.
The side you miss is that every business has some foundation and runs within some principals. Farmers can act like sharks and be the first in on the kill. You may be feast while the chum is plentiful. And you will easily become fat and big and more self centered; but little else.. But, I've even seen younger farmers voluntarily split rented land rental opportunities. Such examples involve a slight detachment from the tendency to look after number one (and only number one). It's the way of attempting to live with others; instead of living off others.

[oneoff]

Another possibility is for a limited number of sharks to divide their little local ocean into quadrants. The agreement would be to not compete with those involved in the conspiracy; but otherwise the natural tendency is to fish you your quadrant according to your desires.
Later what happens when the fat sharks have only themselves to feed on?

[oneoff]

I've been lectured in denial.
However when someone says rising interest rates would be serious....answer is no problem it will only make opportunities for different people.
If another said that 100% of some markets can unilaterally disappear and will dramatically impact agriculture; would the answer be; not to worry that isn't one of my crops anyway.
If the fact is that farm returns from actual production aren't sufficient for the average farmers to survive without off farm income and government subsidies..... then we already know the answer from within over 100 replies on this topic. The answer is DENIAL; DENIAL; DENIAL.
The farm industry and its supporters are chock full of powerful people who see there own situation very well.... and have absolutely no idea of how the other pieses fit together; also known as not seeing the big picture.

[wd9]

Oneoff, you seem to be blurring community and all farmers. Please pick one because the discussion is very different and you keep flipping. I'm not in the business to keep everyone (all farmers) afloat by limiting my own survival or ensuring my demise. That is just plain stupid.

[oneoff]

Its evident you have picked yourself; and there is no room for any others. As for picking between your other two choices; I see no reason why that choice has to be made.

[wd9]

Tell me oneoff, what are YOU actually doing about this 'farm crisis' for every farmer to make sure we all 'survive'? I bet squat.

[oneoff]

You would lose that bet.

[oneoff]

You would lose that bet.
What I have accomplished may well be diddly squat. There is a difference between what you attempt to do and what you can accomplish because of circumstances well beyond your control.

[wd9]

Well if i would lose that bet then you should have no trouble telling me. You first, be honest, and i will tell you mine.

[oneoff]

Ok One detail at a time. When I rented out a substancial amount of land; I didn't choose biggest farmers; and didn't ask maximum going rate (eg. $20/acre). Didn't choose well established old age pensioner type either.
Your turn now; but that should be enough

[wd9]

This doesn't help all farmers, which is what your post is about. You unfairly 'gave' an advantage to a subclass of farmer to compete with the other farmers.

I will still give you one. Being chair of the oilseeds grain standards subcommittee which feeds decisions to the western grain standards which i also was on. Pushing hard and with objective science proving that sprouted canola should not be considered dockage but retained all the oil and actually had an increase in vitamin E. Also changing the spec for damage and green for grade specs of 1 and 2 to not be inclusive but exclusive which was a major ripoff. Also for electronic measurement of chlorophyll which is inherently very inaccurate. Thanks Dr Jim for all your work in all this. He was our greatest advocate of fair, just needed a strong voice of representation to get the science into the specs for all farmers.

I gave time away from my farm to go to these meetings, chairing them and working hard, to benefit every farmer that sells canola missing opportune times to do work on my own crops.

Give me something that benefits all farmers that you have done. Internationally? Nationally? How about provincially at the least? Your own community and my own community has never been the issue, that's easy. We all do that. It makes farmers who we are.

But for all farmers?