Denial, denial, denial

[oneoff]

Its so damn easy to do things 200 or 2000 miles from home. No one knows what you did; if anything. The really tough decisions are made amongst your neighbors. Thats where you get the chance to take a stand that isn't best for your personal interest; but it is after all the right thing to do. The right thing to do might easily be at odds with the current coffee shop concensus; where so many side with their circle of friends and take the easy way out.
You'll impress me more with an example of your local good deed; and one that might just have cost you more than time lost on a free trip and meals.
In fact if you could pick one where you deliberately cost yourself in a couple of different ways to prove you can have other than self centered motives.
Even you have yet to help all farmers; but both of us could try to do better.

[oneoff]

Oh; and I've tried to give guys like you a different point of view; even though knowing that it will not be well received. Thats on a global scale. Top that.

[oneoff]

"You unfairly 'gave' an advantage to a subclass of farmer to compete with the other farmers. "
About says it all. If you give a break to someone who might appreciate and even need one; its automatically hurting your competitive advantage. Do you really need help; because with that attitude I cdrtainly don't wish for you to ever speak on my behalf; at any level you may find yourself on.

[oneoff]

And finally; I fully realize that it is wrong to talk in terms of "all farmers" because that would obviously include people such as yourself. I'll try not to make that mistake around you again.

[wd9]

Oh how about another one. Spending many many days away from home presenting the renewable fuels legislation to MP's and senators and standing committees to be included in the act to ensure more processing and more use of grain and oilseed products ALL farmers grow. Expansion of a crushing industry that benefited communities like Yorkton.

What about changes to the transportation act ensuring MP's and senators knew how important rail and fairness was to agriculture. More trips away from home to benefit any farmer that ships by rail, Let's see, that would be all of them.

Or how about trips to Japan, again away from home for days, to put a face on how dedicated and committed farmers are to growing quality and food safe canola for our Japanese customers. answering their questions and building relationships. Over a billion bucks a year they spend on product grown by... Lots and lots of farmers.

Guess you lost the bet.

There are a lot of people dedicating ridiculous amounts of their own time making lives of farmers more profitable and better. Pushing Acts to farmers benefits, keeping checks on ridiculous legislation and pushing hard against it. Going to Geneva or where ever WTO is to fight against the ridiculous tarrif and non-tariff trade barriers representing all farmers.

The denial it seems is how few there are of those people and how hard they work, most times for little to no compensation. My hat off to those that continue to represent all farmers in industry, government, and to customers. I no longer do very much, but to those that do, from the bottom of my heart, thankyou. This one farmer knows the sacrifice it takes, appreciates it greatly.

[wd9]

Your original question BTW:

How many are working on a collective plan for more than the immediate future? What is even more draining is that there are too many (both in the desparate and financially secure categories) who would knowingly sabotage changes that might improve every farmers' lot.

[oneoff]

For those are extremely satisfied with the present system of inadequate farm returns from the marketplace (and the resultant farm government payments required to prop up farmers)
AND those that apparently were involved at the advisory and higher levels for the last decades.....
History will record that you were the ones that most contributed to the present state of affairs. You may look at yourselves as saviors; but if all is not as well as you say; then total failure might be more descriptive.

[wd9]

Oneoff, the typical farmer who does nothing and expects others to make his situation better and disses the ones who have. Loser.

Peace out.

[oneoff]

Still won't answer the question. Is it too tough to touch? Can't understand? No free trip? Did wife like the trip; or was it really such a burden?

[oneoff]

Parting words. There are many examples of being a poor loser; but it is multiple times worse being a poor winner. Did I say poor whiner.

[checking]

Oneoff asks the good question, wd9.

Did you do your self promotion on the public dime?

Be honest now.

[Choice2U]

I sure as hell hope WD9 got his flight/meals and a daily per diem paid for by either government or industry. Why should he have to pay out of his pocket? He left the farm in someone else's hand and probably paid them or if not, forewent some tasks that got done later than they should have. Lefties always yip about the advantage of money...well, if farmers lobbying the world have to pay it out of their pocket....guess who would go....RICH FARMERS ONLY and then you would be bitching about that as well. People that give time to the industry should be praised. There will have been allot of behind the scenes stuff that cost WD9 before and after his "trips" that would never have been covered. PS - I have no clue who WD9 is so there is no favoritism here.....if I remember correctly based on previous threads, I think he may even be a CWB supporter which you can see would pain me to say.

[charliep]

Know wd9 and can vouch for their industry leadership. One of the most strategic thinkers I have had the pleasure of working with based on a vision of what could be and what it will take to get there.

It is strange industry where being average is a goal, being above average should be penalized and being below average rewarded. Lots of discussion about aggregated data but what really gets interesting is when you break data down and compare what the top third of managers do/spend money on relative to the bottom third. Money spent isn't the driver. Attention to detail is the main factor in success.

As a comment, 120 plus postings is record for this website in my 12 years I have been here.

[oneoff]

What would be so wrong with dragging the bottom third up; instead of planning to absorb them by the top third.
Still not sure the top third is sustainable either; without the government payments; offfarm income; and encouragement and discounts that volume purchasing obviously receives.
You're right about the posting interest charliep; and the interest shows that there has to be some truth about the topic; and the deeply held views that some "self centered" farmers have shown. The big farmers aren't being victimized any worse (and maybe to not nearly the same extent) as the fellows they show little compassion for.

[charliep]

Actually am going to give you a lead. Foodnavigator is one of my favorite morning reads.

[URL="http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/US-farmers-must-look-beyond-low-cost-mass-production-to-meet-global-demand-report"]foodnavigator-usa[/URL]