Barley County AB Barely Commission Sept 2011

[Burbert]

New Checkoff Announcement - BBB,
representing some barely farmers here in
Albertie, big oil, big gas, huge
investment in bio-diversity. It appears
that industry is poised to cash in on
the huge bullsh*t market here.
Sequestering the carbon footprints,
firin the entire Gag Dept is just the
beginning. Stats relative the new BBB
are available upon request, only a small
admin fee will be charge fer S &
Handling. Big, big, huge changes comin
to the barely market here, via the BBB.
Mandatory checkoff will be collected by
purchasers of barely, audits
forthcoming!

[parsley]

Any kind of mandatory or automatic checkoffs is
just plain wrong wd4, even if they are refundable,
or even if they are purported to supply wet
nurses to starving newborns in Stettler.

Unless of course, you are committed to the
common good, as designed by the central
planners self-feeding on the cream teat.

Great morning. Biked a mile, half of it against the
wind, so got a good workout. Thought you could
use a mental exercise on property rights called
money. Checkoff money. Just so you don't forget
and get that wandering $eye roaming whilst you
are checking out the countryside. lol. Pars

[wd9]

Is that why the organic industry remains in the dark ages, no funding?

[Braveheart]

Is the organic industry in the dark ages? I think it is alive and well. Shelf space has been secured in major supermarket chains. Customers ask, growers deliver. Sounds like how it should work to me.

[Burbert]

Berbert's Barley Bureau, will likely
solve all of the current industry
problems fer ya. $1 a T checkoff,
mandatory, sorry no refunds, butt ya
gets what ya pays fer. Current policy
dictates that we will really, really,
really, show a hate fer the cwb.
Checkoffs will be collect from seed
dealers that sells barely, based on at
least 70 Bu. barley crops. Yup its the
only way ta go, whats good ger Burb is
godd fer barley in Albertie!!!

[parsley]

We are in the dark ages. Set up own standards
set up own organizations developed own
markets Farms have their own research
programs on the go. And share info. And mentor
entrants. Think globally while growing locally.
Believe in the farmers' ability to both grow and
market

And pay for it ourselves. Economic sustAinability
for the farmer through WILLING CONSUMERS

Not surprised you think were backward. Pars

[parsley]

Organics didn't Ask for funding to set up
certification systems. Nor audit systems. Nor
Marketing systems. All we wanted was to stand
on our own two feet and pay our own way.

I guess one could complain that Michelle Obama
set up an organic garden behind the white house
on taxpayer dollars. Pars

[wd9]

How do you do research? How is it paid for?

[wilagro]

We don't need no stinkin' research...just plant the seeds and they grow. If you see a weed hoe it, or pull it, or till it.
Save some seed back from the harvest for next years crop. Trade with your neighbour for another variety if required.

That's how my pappy did it and he was an organic farmer. Fertilizer came from the animals. No stinkin' chemical company to steal the profits from the farm. Pa and ma raised a pile of kids and put 'em all through school...probably some taught your kids.

Organic...only way to go. Tell Monsanto to stick their GMO crap up their nose...we don't need it...EVER.

[charliep]

Just curious if diseases like fursarium in the case of barley are not issues
that farm managers should be concerned about. You will have to correct
my memory but the move from Harrington to Metcalf was driven by the
need for better disease resistance and therefore better yields.

Your customer base also changes. New beers require malt with different
characturistics at the brewery and therefore different varieties (read this
last week's Western Producer).

I assume there is a need for a basic level of plant breeding priority just to
keep ahead of Mother Nature and make sure you are meeting customer's
needs.

Canada has a long history of cereal plant breeding and other agronomic
research including many successes. The world has changed. The question
is now what happens going ahead.

[wd9]

Wilagro, good luck growing canola without R blackleg resistance, your mammy and pappy got away with it, today your westar would yield about 1 bushel an acre.

Let alone clubroot, alternaria, sclerotinia and on and on.

[charliep]

A quote and article from today's emalt that relate to the topic.

Quote: “Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.”
Jamie Paolinetti

Article from emalt.

World: Barley acreage falls to lowest level in more than 50 years

The global harvested acreage for barley has fallen to its lowest level in more than 50 years and now only amounts to 50 mln ha, Toepfer International said in a report last month.

In 2003, it was still 59 mln ha, in 1990 it was 73 mln ha and the record high was in 1979 at 84 mln ha. The reasons for this development are complex. However, some of the reasons are certainly lower gross margins and less robustness in comparison to wheat, the discontinuation of intervention purchases in the EU and the increasing importance of corn. It is true that, in 2011/12, global barley production, at 132 mln tonnes, is expected to be higher than the previous year’s figure of 124 mln tonnes. However, this is not expected to cover this year’s demand.

The supply situation remains relatively tight. According to the USDA, stocks are expected to fall to 22 (previous year: 26) mln tonnes. This would be equivalent to an ending stocks-to-use ratio of 16.1 (18.9)%, a figure which is significantly below average.

[parsley]

Charliep, Those who feel strongly about feeding
the poor of world should sell their SUV's,
cottages and shares; buy a wood stove,a tent, a
hoe and a coal oil lamp,and send the remaining
money and AeroPlan points to Save the Starving
do-gooders. Pars

[checking]

Some folks are not so much as worried about feeding the poor people of the world as keeping them liqoured up with new malts. A swilled combatant tends to either fall asleep at his post, or aims poorly.

[charliep]

Parsley

Never read that into the report. The idea I see is that barley is loosing its competitiveness relative to other cropping alternatives - impact lower acres. Price can take care of lower productivity to some extent but in most markets, doesn't matter. Feed is feed. Energy and protein are energy and protein.

Relative to other crops alternatives in western Canada, is barley gaining or loosing in terms of profitability? Is that something farmers in western Canada should be concerned about?