NFU crazy, or am I missing something?

[gustgd]

Notice John Clement calls under $100k gross, small farmers

My point all along is that the Urban "farmers"
don't count and if the NFU wants to diminish what we all do by calling every backyard gardener a farmer. Don't be surprised if every time you tell someone that you belong to the the NFU, people snicker.

[grassfarmer]

Why the tantrum Gustgd?

The NFU are only changing who qualifies to be a member of the NFU not who qualifies as a farmer. Don't know why that gets your knickers in a knot when you hate the organisation anyway.

I didn't steer the topic anywhere - it went organic v conventional at the point some of your friends started shouting abuse about Stewart Well's election.

Next time you are looking to recruit members for the western wheat growers maybe you could post it under that rather than an NFU heading?

[parsley]

My point is that by far, the majority of farmers are actually small farmers, for whatever reason.

There are some "small" farmers I know who can hardly feed themselves; conversley, there are some "small" farmers who can afford to buy anything.

Having ALL kinds of farmers is good for the country because it provides food security. It provides diversity. It provides population for small communities.

The NFU, I will say, have opened their arms to ALL kinds of farmers.

I don't belong to the NFU gusty, but I do have some commonality with them as I also do with the WCWG. I think farmers all over the world have commonality.

Nor are the NFU arrogant.


"Don't be surprised if every time you tell someone that you belong to the the NFU, people snicker."

You might want to ask yourself: When seed growers/farmers voted in the last election for Stu Wells, who is the epitomy of Mr. NFU himself, how many snickered? And at whom? Pars

[parsley]

An addendum especially for you, gusty:

The NFU have traditionally viewed agriculture through socialist eyes.

Closet socialists have been making ag policy for too long.

Look at the flax councils who hoisted the cost of flax testing on Joe Farmer, (who hadn't even heard of Triffid). wasn't that a kneejerk socialist action by seed growers, with a dose of fraud. "Spread the cost."

Watch what people do as opposed to what they SAY.

Most seed growers on the prairies are closet socialists and most likely actually vote for NFU policy, and would approve extending it to other grains. "Are they crazy", are you asking? I'll let you answer that one.

So the answer to your heading question is, 'Yes you are missing something gusty; in fact the whole issue must have sailed right over your head'

Unless of course, you are hiding in the germination closet. Pars

ps wd: Maybe the same 'scientists' (aka paymelots soibringyou whateveransweryouwant lab mutts) who told us to NOT eat eggs because they would kill us also did the o-report.

[parsley]

"Joe netted $5,900"

"Snicker. snicker," says gusty?

Numbers can also be what they are not:

Blue Bottle Fly Farms has a mother, a father and a son, Joe. All of them work on the farm and percentage the income to three people. Joe gets 20% because he also works off farm part time, in the basement, as an accountant. GGFfarms also 'hires' him to do their books year round, which is not included in his net farm income.

Income is divided into "partnerships"

Joe wants to farm in the worst way, but Mom and Dad are not ready to move off the farm yet, and Joe is still recuperating from a bad accident.

Is Joe a farmer or a snicker-farmer?

Is the farm a viable operation or a snicker-operation? Pars

[shaney]

Lets just call this decision by the NFU what it is.
Fundraising being masked by the BS of trying to
seem progressive.

Like I want an backyard chicken farmer who has two
head having an impact on ag policy. Urban farming
has a place and all this decision does is make the
NFU less relevant.

[parsley]

Your derision impacts upon your logic, shaney.

Ag committee in Ottawa meets with an organization listing 2,081 current, paid, members who grow agricultural products, abeit some with 2 items and some with 200,000 items.

Ag Committee also meet with an organization representing 21 paid barley growers, whose brochure for the coming annual meeting indicates their two day convention is sponsored by corporate dollars.

Ag Committee also meet with an organization representing 330 wheat producers who claim they represent the industry because they represent the most acres.

Ag Committee meets with One Herd Farm representing twentyfive thousand farmers and a herd of 2 million cows.

ONe organic garlic grower with 200 acres, pocketing 300K/yr net because he value adds on the farm, tells the lot of them, "Don't touch my junk."


Let's call it for what it is. LOL
Have you learned nothing? Or are you quite content with the status quo? Pars

[parsley]

hint hint, shaney:

1. Count possible votes
2. Measure probable fury. Pars

[jensend]

looks like some people don't want food producers having a say in agriculture. hmmm. maybe present day conventional farming isn't so much about food production any more.

[parsley]

Both large farmers and small farmers have a stake in policy.

Agriculture OWES them a say.

And any policy that doesn't consider the countless variations in kinds of farming, is not good policy.

Government is not there to favor a few, it is there to keep the playing field equal. Neither should government be there to hand out neverending tax dollars to biotech firms who's main interest in farmers is compiling farmer numbers to justify and government grants along with neverending and increasing checkoffs, and increasing marketing consolidation.

Shareholders want profit...they should put their money on the table.

Which reminds me of the Flax Commission. Why does firm...Viterra... have a SOLE seat of privilege on the Council...swaying policy? Are there no other companies in Canada who would like to sell flax? (I'll get back to it, though.)

Small farmers become large....Klause will, won't he. Large farmers become small...they decide to retire or let the kids take over, or sell or can't make a go of it.

The point is...governments listen to numbers, and rebel rousers. If the NFU are simply padding their numbers with stand-up GM petunia growers, who market 'flowered-vitamins', then give them ten points.

If they legitimately are considering startup farmers and small entities and make a home for them, give them ten points. I've read some of your comments about Klause and have concluded there are a lot of mean spirited roosters resentfull of the chicks breathing down your ruffled feathers; hardly a welcoming hand.

You really can't knock the NFU for doing their homework. They UNDERSTAND governement listens closely to numbers/votes. With regards to the CWB and NDP, they're both on the same page, aren't they?

The NFU also realize that they could suggest to their membership and followers, to ask for all checkoff refunds, which would leave a real hole in biotech funding. 10 points for that one? LOL Pars

[wd9]

The only ag policy we need is the certainty that food is safe for food feed and the environment.

The rest is just good old marketing.

BTW, a brilliant move on the part of the NFU. For pars, politcus connectus maximus. Sorry gusty, i agree with pars on this one even tho pars thinks i'm not.

[parsley]

My comment to you wd was regarding your offtopic reference to the video slamming organics. I reminded you, offtopic,that today's scientists will produce any science for cash.

I wasn't confused and neither were you. So quit trying to stir confusion in.

Being coldly clinical on both your best and worst days, you could hardly disagree with me on the central issue, now could you? LOL LOLOLOL Pars