Farmer written contracts

[GOODRUM]

Delivery of canola that was scheduled for this week at the end of December is now postponed until march sometime. CP strike is what there saying , could be, or a easy scapegoat not sure.
Now I'm wishing I had written a contract and had the grain co sign it. I would be charging them for late delivery and wouldn't be coming off my bottom line. Hell, I'd even allow a "act of God",
Like if there was a avalanche on Rogers Pass , ok . Why are we signing there contracts?
Anyone with some legal background on here that would know what it would take to have a "Farmer friendly" contract written up?

[bucket]

I once wrote on a graincos contract to keep the freight rate the same as when I signed it.

They cancelled it.

[ward.toma]

A Practical Guide to Grain Contracts by the Canadian Canola Growers Association is here:

http://www.ccga.ca/PolicyDevelopment/Pages/Marketing.aspx

A draft farmer friendly contract can be found in the document Grain and Seed Contracts for Farmers on the SaskCanola website here:

http://www.saskcanola.com/quadrant/media/canola/pdfs/grain_and_seed_contracts.pdf

Ward Toma
Alberta Canola

[wmoebis]

But grain Co's don't have to sign them do they? They can make us sign their's or nothing.

[wmoebis]

Great idea. CGC has full time legal counsel, maybe we could get them to be involved with designing one "In the interest of producers" " to regulate grain handling in Canada to ensure that grain handling is a dependable commodity for domestic and export markets. Like their mandate says.

Or start a Grain Farmers Advocate Office on behalf of and for grain farmers.

[blackpowder]

I know it's frustrating but think of the basis level iif they had to offset that risk as well. We're already paying all demurrage and every other inefficiency in that trumped up wheat basis. Wish I had the answer.

[wmoebis]

Me to but what is more frustrating is that no one is trying to figure it out and make it fair.
We need leadership and advocates that work for farmers and I don't see that right now.

Example: In 2012 Ontario farmers identified a big problem and asked for it to be mandatory for grain elev and mill operators to take universal grading training. Then again in 2013 Grain growers of Canada and Alberta Fed of Ag asked. But this gov't doesn't listen or do anything about it.

So why would anyone in the industry listen to each of us farmers as individuals.

[GOODRUM]

Your likely right black powder , farmers would end up paying for the extra risk that they would take.
Why don't farmers have any loopholes that favor us?? I'm gettin pretty pissed at the whole damm system, Maybe Merchant law can do some digging on the railways level of service for us.

[tweety]

Append a reasonable storage value 60 days after contract deadline. Hand write right on the contract, scan and email noting addition as per CGC guidelines.

Have yet to have it denied.

[GOODRUM]

This is good, thanks for the info guys, the more I think about this the more I like it. Wouldn't it be great to have our requirements in writing.