Stu Wells

[vvalk]

Unbelievable that he can represent the CWB yet
he doesn't even use it. Talk about irony. Now the
CWBs premium according to Stu has gone from
$500 million to $1-2 billion. Why not a trillion.
They get more and more desperate every day.

[craig]

Interesting that the CWB was forced on organic growers when the majority didn't want it. Did they have a vote or a plebiscite. Guess it didn't matter what the majority wanted.

[parsley]

Bucket i dont like what he preaches, but he can
sure teach me some things about' how to preach'

Pars

[bduke]

Parsley.. I agree there should be more feet on the ground, especially younger
feet.

I became engaged in farm policy about 40 years ago.

Started with local Ag and Pool meetings, then WIT feasibility and original
membership.

Wheatgrower AGM's... then BoD etc., Co Chaired the Canadian Grain Marketing
Summit with the Hon Otto Lang, memberships in Canola & Barley groups.

I served on the 1990 CWB Internal Review, Sectoral Advisory Group on
International Trade, Western Grain Stabilization BoD, Producer Payment Panel,
Western Grain Marketing Panel, and I was a Special Advisor to the Auditor
General of Canada.

I have chaired constituency campaigns and have nominated politicians, and I
was chair of the Sask Coalition for Free Trade.

In all my years of farm policy, I can tell you the NFU have never been shameful
in spinning their dogma with half truths and exaggerations.

I do not respect their tactics because IMHO they are not honourable.

Your plea for a "ground strategy" is valid. In my mind the trick is to
convince the MSM that Choice farmers are not the anomaly, not spoilers of the
Earth, that we are proud to pay our bills,and that we are engaged.

More importantly, how do we convince the superficial media that marketing
grain is a business, and should not be deemed political.

Business principles weight voting to stake holding,but not for Wheat or Barley.

The irony for me is that I have no farm succession.

So if I am not passionate, then I am irreversibly unstable!

Cheers... Bill

[parsley]

Bucket, you just told us a p***k can avoid using
the cwb or pay a small buyback fee while forcing
everyone  else to conform.

Name calling and turkey ruffling isnt working
really well for you, is it

Ready to plan yet? Pars  
 

[parsley]

Vvalk

But there is no visible counter argument to his
numbers, is there.

That is what I am trying to address

And change. Pars

[bduke]

Parsley.. The verification comes with dual
marketing, because the CWB closes its books.

IMHO dual marketing is not a huge leap of faith, but
change is scary for most.

Yet the results of change are normally embraced.

Life's conundrums.

Cheers... Bill

[bduke]

Parsley Should have been... "change is scary for
many" .... Bill

[parsley]

Jdgreen

He has quite a few ears in the public even with a
farm you don't approve of. His message is out
there. Everywhere

Where's the counter argument. Or is one
Important. Shall we leave it to chance? Shouldnt
we be letting the public know about dead people
getting ballots? Anybody got a deceased
relative who recieved a ballot in the mail? Pars

[freewheat]

JD, tell us what you mean about stu's farm. Are we missing something here?

[grassfarmer]

Good post Parsley, very true and astute observations. Unfortunately the intent is over the heads of many of the cwb bashers.

[Braveheart]

Parsley, messaging is tricky business. Very few in an audience hear the actual message. They make their connection with the messenger. Do they like the messenger? Is the messenger well spoken, energizing, optimistic, funny, knowledgeable, or perhaps sexy?

Stewart Wells, like Nettie Wiebe or Wilf "Butch" Harder, just doesn't connect. Too negative, bores people with numbers, and did I say negative and boring.

On the issue of being out in the public though, full marks. NFU'ers are great at it. They possess the same gene as the occupy movement people.

It's true. Us marketeers are a different personality type that is more independent in nature. Independent types are less likely to join associations start movements, etc. No less passion.

Stewie doesn't sell. Kevin Bender sells. Oberg falls flat. Brian Otto hits it out of the park.

Don't shoot the messenger.

[parsley]

Not shooting messenger. Not enough voices
accomanying the legislation. Too few doing the
doing. Need more boots on the ground. Not
enough messengers. Writers. Twitters. Interviews

Should not be at the spot we're at

[Braveheart]

I agree. I email Ritz. the PM, and my MP every 10 days or so. Can't write letters to editor for reasons I can only tell you in private.

But, take care. In the 90's when we were duelling over the last wheat board reform, op ed vs. op ed became just entertainment for sme of the public and many policy makers. There is a fine line.

[bucket]

Sorry parsley. I assumed you were well into your 5th bottle of wine and wouldn't notice my comments.

I listened to wells comments in front of the senate and really wasn't that impressed. But then if the conservative senators had been doing their job they would have nailed stewie down on the buybacks he enjoys and his special deal bypassing the cwb to sell his grain.