NFU crazy, or am I missing something?

[gustgd]

http://www.producer.com/News/Article.aspx?aid=30782

The National Farmers Union is opening its doors to what it describes as urban farmers.

The organization passed a resolution at its recent annual convention in Saskatoon.

Paul Stomp, the NFU’s youth president, said young and new farmers, often working on land within city boundaries, are supporting themselves and helping feed their communities through the production of fruit, vegetables, grain and livestock.

Such farmers were previously able to hold associate memberships, which precluded them from fully participating in NFU activities such as voting on policy or running for office.

That will now change.

Stomp said the new members will bring a new approach to issues and discussions and debate.

The NFU didn’t offer an estimate of how many new members may result from the new rules.


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[gustgd]

I realize that diversity in opinion is a good thing but when do you water yourself down to much?

As the Chair of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers I realize that numbers matter, to politicians.

But when we claim to speak for members who do we talk for?

Wheat Growers in my mind are commercial farmers who make their money off the land. They are in my mind Family first, business second(our business is the way we make money to feed our families), policy third. We talk policy because it's part of our business.

If real commercial farmers do not participate policy will be set by those that show up.
(Read the NFU)

So the question I ask you is. Whom do you want to represent you?

Is it the NFU's vision of everyone should feel like a farmer then, they will vote for governments that will shovel money to farmers.
www.nfu.ca/top10.html


or

The Wheatgrowers vision of farmers know what is best for their business. If we wanted taxpayers to subsidize our business we would have invested in the Canadian aerospace industry.

A quote from our Alberta VP and new President of the Grain Growers of Canada. “The government doesn’t owe farmers a living, but it does owe them a policy environment in
which they can make a living"

http://www.wheatgrowers.ca/news.htm

http://www.wheatgrowers.ca/policies.htm

[grassfarmer]

What's your problem with the NFU policy move gustgd? As NFU haters I thought most of you would welcome anything you can paint as diminishing of NFU credibility? Or was it just to get a plug in for your own organisation?

Paul Slomp is an excellent example of an urban producer with a start-up grass-fed beef production and retailing operation in Ottawa. I think this is a very forward looking move as it helps bridge the gap between urban consumers and traditional producers. I saw one of your colleagues Jolly-Nagel quoted as saying "Western farmers want to earn a greater share of their income from the marketplace" How better to do that than move from rural Alberta to the green spaces of Ottawa and direct market beef? I think the guy is a genius. At this stage this is not his only source of income but how many Canadian beef producers rely entirely on their cattle income for their livliehood? 5-10% maybe?
Do all your wheat growers members live off their grain production only?

I like your statement “The government doesn’t owe farmers a living, but it does owe them a policy environment in
which they can make a living" that is a sentiment that the majority of NFU members would heartily agree with. Unfortunately there is still a lot of work to do on many fronts to achieve that goal.

[dave4441]

I think the answer is they are crazy. How many meters does your tomato patch have to be to be declared a urban farmer? Is it a last chance grab to gain members before going completely defunct?? I suspect if it truely is commercial farmers, within city boundries it will be next to zero new members. How many beef operations are allowed in Saskatoon? Yesh. Would love to be a fly on the wall at one of these conventions. THis is the stuff that makes it to a resolution?

Suspect they read Jeff Rubin's Peak Oil book where food is going to come from rooftops in downtown Vancouver.

I bet it is a handfull of new members. If it is alot of new members, commercial agriculture has a new polciy issue.

[grassfarmer]

Have any of you guys even heard of CSAs? They are all the rage - consumers that want to share in the risks and rewards of food production - in some cases they finance the costs of the growing/rearing operation and get the product at the end at above market price. An entirely free market solution too!
What would you define as a "commercial" farmer? # of acres, # of animals, total dollar value realised, dollar per acre return, size of tractor?? Truth is it wouldn't be hard to beat prairie agriculture in terms of profitability. A small startup beef operation like Paul's on rented land could probably gross $40-50,000 in beef sales off 20 animals. I believe he already has orders for twice as much in year two.
The NFU are not claiming this will bring in huge numbers of new members and whether it does or not I don't see why it should be any concern of to non-NFU members.
I think what really threatens you guys is to see that NFU members can be entrepreneurial, forward thinking young producers as that doesn't fit your stereotype of the organisation. I am surrounded by a very strong local group of these entrepreneurial NFU members and it is a sheer joy to be part of compared to the boring old "commodity mindset" producers that make up the majority in this Province.

[ProFarmer]

NFU is just a arm of the NDP just look at their leaders and greenee policys. If the world had to live off their fruits and marketing of the CWB we would all starve to death...

[dave4441]

I am all for local production do not get me wrong, but it will be a drop in the bucket for the total food needed by a city. Maybe offset the reduction in actual gardens during the last 30 years, but that is about it. Probaly continue to see lower net production of food within city limits. 20 cows is one thing, but to live in Ottawa you probaly need to sell 100 beef a year. Where do you find pasture for that many animals? Will be interesting to see if this guy lasts or fades away. Neighbor gets a wiff of cow manure and they will not get the fuzzy feeling for buying locally grown, within city limits.

Food production takes land. There is no land within city limits generally.

[gustgd]

Paul Stomp, the NFU’s youth president, said young and new farmers, often working on land within city boundaries, are supporting themselves and helping feed their communities through the production of fruit, vegetables, grain and livestock.


I don't know Paul or his production practices. What makes me wonder is his inclusion of NON- farmers in a national farmers organization.
And grassfarmer since I've read you on the beef side of agri-ville I know, you know that gross numbers don't mean much. What would Paul's ( or someone similar)net numbers be once all costs are included.
All farms should be considered businesses, if their is no expectation of profit (sometime) it's a hobby.

If the NFU wants to include the backyard chicken crowd as farmers don't be surprised if focus is diluted and core values are thrown aside.

Why would these backyard gardeners be worried about profitability of export agriculture when they think their window boxes will keep them fed?

All of that aside internal NFU policies don't worry me. I'm not a member it's not my concern.

What is my concern is when government focus, and definitions of Agriculture is redefined as someones hobby.

And yes part of this thread is a Wheat Grower Plug. You see we are looking for members as well and part of membership growth is letting farmers know what's happening in the background.

If organizations like the WheatGrowers are not around, it's other groups that will be doing the speaking.

[dalek]

Interesting to see what they'll do with their Ontario branch, where they aren't allowed to offer voting memberships to anyone under $7000 gross sales.

[grassfarmer]

What do you define as a non-farmer gustgd? It only takes $10k of gross sales to qualify for the AB farm fuel rebate. $10k net would be achievable selling grass-fed into that kind of market on that scale (before allowing for labor time)

"All of that aside internal NFU policies don't worry me. I'm not a member it's not my concern."

Bingo!

[TOM4CWB]

Ahhh...

"Grass fed beef"...

$10K on Vancouver Island will be easily acheived since that is only a few plants.... sell the 'seeds'... feed a few leaves... Organic 'weed' fed beef...

I just can't wait till these folks apply for their CWB permit books... so they can vote in CWB elections.

Do NOT laugh. IT WILL HAPPEN... Mark my words.

A buyback on wheed for wheat....

[vvalk]

Grassfarmer. I find something interesting in one of your comments. You say that 20 cows could gross $40000 to $50000. Obviously then you are only dealing with people with lots of disposable income or "rich" people. The NFU is all about the small farmer and publicly scold large corporations or large commercial farms. The NFU is against any progress ( GMO, free trade, open markets, multi nationals, input suppliers etc). How do you explain this position when this niche business is obviously geared towards people you have distain for.

[burnt]

Not necessarily rich people. None of my customers are "rich people".

I recently sold 3 grain fed beefs as freezer orders, by the side or split side and even as light-weight animals they totaled around $5000.00

One was a very small framed heifer that finished too early and 2 were steers that dressed 610 and 650, thus around 1175 live weight. So a 1400 lb. steer would easily generate $2000. without asking any premium for grass-fed or any other reason.

So $2000/ hd. is not selling into a niche market. My customers just want hormone free black Angus and know where their beef is coming from. That's it.

Butchering costs on mine were around $350/hd., depending on weight so there's still only about $100/hd. advantage over selling them live. Not really enough to make up the extra handling and hassles.

Another chap close to here seems to be a much better salesman that I and sells his freezer orders for $3.25/lb cut and wrapped, by the side. That's closer to actually making money.

[burnt]

I should add that if these same animals were parceled out as cuts at meat counter prices, they would in all likelihood come to a heck of a lot more than $2000/hd.

Where's the niche market theory then?

[SASKFARMER3]

Grassfarmer here is a tip from one that lives in a City. Your dream of city folk paying you to grow top food maybe had legs before the depression that Ontario and Quebec and USA are in. See when urban residents think they have cash they look for every goofy thing out their that's trendy. Smart Car, Prius, Organic. Etc. But when your loosing the farm (expression) who gives a shit where your food comes from food bank or store.
See in the build up to the current disaster the supposed middle class in USA and Ontario etc were really just workers who thought they had big bucks and were living off the increased value of their homes.
So in a nut shell allot will change in next year as USA hits a worse yet house bust and interest rates go up.