So what happens?

[charliep]

will note that Western Barley Growers have been actively involved in a number of other projects than the CWB issue.

Cash clearinghouse project.

Barley biofuel project.

Optimal marketing structur for barley.

No lack of challenges for a crop like like barley to regain competitiveness with other crops like canola. You use the grassfarmer but barley has not kept up with other crops in terms of profitability. A challenge/concern I hear from the livestock side is a more competitive market for feed grains and barley in particular. Prices for domestic feed are likely to go up in general. Supply security will be the other issue livestock have to deal with - more forward contracting to secure feed supply commitments.

[katoe]

I suspect that cash sponsorship from grain co,s will greatly diminish since they dont need these organizions like WBGAor wcwga anymore to do their dirty work for them.

[bucket]

Interesting comments katoe,
but why is their a canola council, a flax agency, a pulse growers, etc?

They have organizations to help promote their specific commodity.

[Jeff Nielsen]

as past President of WBGA, I take offense to the suggestions that WBGA has been getting slush funds from either provincial or federal governments. As Charlie pointed out, WBGA has work on several significant projects regarding barley marketing, research and development.
The commodity clearing house project showed clear options that can work more now that we have marketing freedom and ease many of the concerns of bonding and grain security.
As to funding, yes WBGA received funding for these projects. Anyone who has tried to get funding from any level of government knows the multiple of conditions involved in getting any funding. First, the organization must be non profit, all funds applied for are accounted for as being paid out for the services rendered. No member of the WBGA received in any way any of the funds. Nor did WBGA its self retain any of these funds.
These funds are of public record too.
As to WBGA's convention, as any organizations conventions, most rely heavily on donations from a wide spectrum of industries. This goes towards the convention speakers, meals and meeting rooms. WBGA asks for donations and support from the agribusiness sector naturally.

[Fransisco]

http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/12/16/bob-rae-lacks-a-grain-of-sense

Bob Rae lacks a grain of sense

Instead of realizing there was more chaff than wheat in supporting the Canadian Wheat Board, interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae tried grasping at straws to keep it alive.

It made him look foolish, and the Liberal Party look like a spent force with little hope of recovery.

And this, of course, is no secret.

Rae's most recent journey into fantasy land was his wide-eyed proposal to have Governor General David Johnston refuse to give royal assent to the Harper government's bill, passed by the Senate Thursday, to dismantle the wheat board and end its monopoly on grain marketing.

The precedent for allowing government to legislate its own laws dates back to 1849 when Lord Elgin, then Governor General, put his signature to a bill that he absolutely hated for the very reason stated.

It was an elected government's right to make the law, Elgin decided, regardless of whether the Crown's representative thought the laws were wrong.

Lord Elgin's signing of a bill to compensate French Canadians for losses inflicted during the 1837 rebellion, however, did not go down well.

An angry Tory mob burned the Parliament buildings to the ground, and there were days of rioting in the streets of Montreal.

But the precedent was set.

The fledgling Province of Canada, as it was then known, had the right to make its own decisions without the Queen's representative stepping in to veto its collective wishes.

What had Rae grasping at this straw is a Federal Court judge's opinion, now being appealed, that the bill to disband the wheat board is outside the law because there was no true plebiscite offered to farmers as there was when the board was founded.

And that, to Rae's thinking, was enough to have David Johnston dismiss a 162-year precedent, and stay the passage of the legislation.

But that's not how it works. Governments make the laws, and courts only interpret them.

The end to the wheat board's control over Canadian farmers was long overdue, and the Harper government had every right to bring it to an end.

Our Governor General, being outside political meddling, couldn't tell Rae that, of course.

But we think he would've if he could've.

[blackpowder]

Yes Jeff all industries have these types of organizations. Our barley and wheat org.s must now step up. We have a lot of work to do.
Grassfarmer has no idea what his Cattlemans Assoc. etc have done for him. He should get out more.

[TOM4CWB]

Grassfarmer,

"dummy organisations"

How much perdiem or wages do you think the officers of WCWGA or WBGA got?

0, ZERO. Many times we paid our own way to meetings and functions the government asked us to attend... ON TOP.

Personal gain was not ever in the cards for these folks.

Bitter comments like this show just how close minded you are... and about the CWB 'single desk' astonishes me... when it supposedly did nothing for you personally!

[grassfarmer]

The problem comes not from accepting Government funding to conduct research into things relative to barley the problem manifests itself when the organisation takes a political stance - on anything because you have already sold out your principles in return for the Governments trinkets.

Here is an example for you blackpowder from the beef sector where I am already heavily involved. Alberta Beef Producers consistently backed the Government during the BSE crisis to the detriment of the producers it was supposed to represent. They backed every pay out to packers and refused to support any producer packing plant proposal.
And it goes on - at last weeks AGM despite passing a brave resolution “Be it resolved that ABP set policy and lobby government even if such policy conflicts with the current government’s position.”
Unfortunately the words were hollow as you can see from the treatment of the following resolutions on the controversial Land Bills:

“Be it resolved that ABP lobby the Alberta government to repeal the ‘Alberta Water Act’, ‘Alberta Land Assembly Project Area Act’, ‘Alberta Electric Statutes Amendment Act’ and the ‘Alberta Land Stewardship Act’ to restore the test of ‘public interest’ and the requirements for appeal and compensation as provided by the former appropriation act.”

Defeated

“Be it resolved that ABP lobby to repeal, rescind or extinguish Bills 19, 24, 36 and 50 until such a time as a property rights bill is in place.”
Zone 7

Defeated

“Be it resolved that ABP undertake a legal analysis of the positive and negative effects of Bills 10, 19, 24, 36 and 50 prior to the next provincial election.”
Zone 7

Defeated

Typical of an organisation that has sold out to Government. A dummy organisation - and by that I mean a puppet organisation TOM. Big woopee TOM you actually paid out of your own pocket to attend some meetings? So what that's what most of us do. Certainly with the NFU - a true producer organisation where the entire organisation is funded by member donations and subscriptions - not a puppet organisation like your Government funded ones.

[TOM4CWB]

Grassfarmer,

You are upset with ABP and the Alberta government... fine. Your choice your industry. Attacking Barley and Wheat Growers who are voluntary funded... the NFU and Wildrose have had CFA/CWB funding... and are no less a part of agenda's of labour unions and left leaning politicians... yet they are perfect in your eyes?

We are all on the same ship together grassy... lets work together and build a stronger Alberta and Canada!!

Cheers,

Merry Christmas and have a prosperous 2012!

[grassfarmer]

TOM, I was using the beef industry as an example as someone else brought it up. Bullshit WBGA is voluntary funded - they get in excess of $300,000 a year Government funding for an organisation with what - 120 members?
The NFU gets no such money, and doesn't want it because it doesn't want to be constrained by what they say potentially costing them funding.
Yeah, lets all build a stronger Canada and Alberta. Does that mean you've changed your tune on supporting the AB Government land grab? are you for it , against it or just willing to turn a blind eye like the other Government subsidised organisations do?

[silverback]

Why are you so angry and bitter ALL the time grassy? Cattle prices are up. Good rains and feed this year. Yet you continually keep creeping around here to get your digs in on the wheat board debate. It's very odd to say the least.

Why does the cwb going voluntary drive you around the bend so far? Did you feel in control of your grain farming neighbors by sending your money to the nfu? Did that make you feel like a big man?

Most people like freedom. Some people don't. Some people feel they are owed something in life.

I choose freedom for my family. You can stuff your desire to control others up somewhere dark.

[grassfarmer]

The Alberta Government is the one trying to control people - really control people with a central planning system that has never been tried anywhere in the western world. You could have all your property titles, water rights, marriage certificates etc etc rescinded under this law tomorrow with no compensation and no right to legal appeal. And you are not afraid or opposed to this Governments actions? Instead you cheer them on in their efforts - how dumb is that?