Pros and Cons of the CWB Sale!

[Braveheart]

Grass, might be a close comparison after all. On a lot of impoverished reserves "the Chief" still takes the vacations.

[SASKFARMER3]

Grass your out to lunch. Brave that was funny ha ha

[tweety]

Many chiefs are 'worth' millions.

[parsley]

Each farmer reading this thread, sat back and watched passively, for three years, the CWB in transition.

You acted like an observers not a participant. You wanted someone else to create the new vision for you. You could have joined together, and built a CWB free and independent, with your cash and loans, and a vision, but you chose to do nothing.

I don't understand farm mentality.

You let Weyburn Terminal slide into private hands, when a group of co-operating farmers could have bought it.

I don't understand farm mentality.

Cott saw possibilities to make the CWB into an entity that was farmer run, not government run. No one stepped up to the plate. Or considered the enormous possibities.

Tthere would be NO organic industry today unless farmers themselves stood up to the plate.

DId you know that in 2014, Mike and Mike's Organics, out of Toronto, was named of the winners of the best managed companies by Deloitte/CIBC/NationalPost/ Queens School of Business//MackayCEO Forum sponsors?

They had over $10M in revenue, sustained growth, good management and EFFORTS of the entire organization.

Organics is strong because each farmer makes a common commitment.

How did a rag tag bunch of dumb-assed farmers build a thriving, growing industry without Saudi oil money? It's an important question.

Each one of you runs a million dollar business but most conventional farmers don't pocket enough of that wealth. Too many have worrisome debt. Having a vision is crucial. Sharing a vision is the secret.

I encourage you, again, to form an alliance amongst you, to first of all, design a working grain contract by your eager alliance. And divide your group into expertise groups. Transportation. Marketing. Etc. It takes work. Design two plans of where you want to go and then how you will get there.

It takes time. And money.
As long as you depend upon other people to do your planning FOR you, you will be stick with following and fulfilling their vision.

Sorry for belabouring this, but isn't it essential for profit? Isn't it time?

I realize you may be annoyed with my meddling... again. ... but I want the best for you. There is a strength in numbers, folks. ... . Parsley.

[grassfarmer]

Good post Parsley, I agree with a lot of your sentiments. For all the talk of socialists and communists relying on the Government it seems there are a lot of guys that pride themselves on being right wing that also want to rely on the Government to do everything for them.

Seems to me that for so long people have been brainwashed against co-operating with their neighbours lest it be seen as some kind of "leftist cooperative", in large part influenced by negative impressions of the CWB.
I don't understand that thinking as this country was built on farmers co-operating - and not that long ago in relative terms. It's like that has slipped from the collective memory.

Many in agriculture seem not to be business minded, or they are naive. To expect that you could just drop your grain in a big companies pit and suddenly get close to final retail price for it.

Same as the beef sector where guys want the benefits of a value chain and a bigger percentage of the consumers dollar but still want to just drop the calves off at the auction and collect this bonus without changing their ways or putting any time, effort or $ in.

With the aging demographic I think it's time we encouraged more immigrant farmers here - the ones that are prepared to relocate bring a level of drive, ambition and new ideas that are often lacking in the resident population (either here or in the immigrant's own country)

[Kodiak]

Parsley. You seem to be a visionary. At least that's what you proclaim. So, inspire others and gather a team who share your vision and want to work along side you. Show the leadership you say we are all lacking and get out in front instead of berating and lecturing.

[Kodiak]

And grassfarmer, the same for you. Inspire and lead. Telling us we are all too dumb to understand isn't going to work.

[parsley]

You're not dumb. Most of you can run a million dollar farm That's what puzzles me.

But there is such strength in numbers, one has to ask why farmers don't band together. The main farm organizations cannot seem to attract large numbers of active participants. NFU. WBGA GGC. WCWGA

A few active people attend. And work. But the main body of farmers don't act or support.

Why? That's the question that needs addressing, isn't it Kodiak? . twenty five thousand farmers showing up for a meeting would earn a headline... Pars.

[stonepicker]

Are half the people on here also on anti-depressants? Parsley and others consistantly put out well thought out intelligent posts and yet, instead of seeing the positive in it, many consistently immediately find a negative while also running the poster down. I think Tom is right ( a lot of hatred on here ) Goin seeding tommorow. PTL!

[BreadWinner]

Well said Parsley, I've always thought of you as a great leader. You should be leading one of these farm groups. I would join in a heartbeat. I was involved with the WCWG but it seemed to be becoming a reactive type of lobby after the dismantling of the CWB. I think they got to big for their britches when they started to make legal challenges against the CWB. They have lost focus on helping the grass roots grain producer.

[grassfarmer]

Breadwinner I think that's a bit of a false goal too. Lots of guys here looking for a "leader" to step forward and "lead" farmers. To me doing that through farm groups is not really what we need most. Most of the farm groups are "sit around, talk and lobby Government groups" by definition.
What we need are doers - people that build the markets, the infrastructure and to me these are the guys we need to gather around and co-operate with.

Parsley already is a doer, involved with the organic side , as I have been in my small way on the beef side.
Sometimes the worst thing you can do with these doers and entrepreneurs is put them on a board of an existing organisation as many of those are stifled with political bias and a "can't do" attitude.

[TOM4CWB]

Grassy,

You ignore history. Plenty of good honest folks tried.

Great leaders... FROM Alberta... worked tirelessly to change our Grain Industry.

Legends in Leadership:

JAMES Chateneay. Gave everything for the CWB.
Lost Dear Olive... the best years of his life with Olive were torture and unforgivable (but by the grace of God) and unspeakable mean spirited vengeful acts of GREED.

Both:

Henry Vos;
Jeff Nielsen:

Were wonderful leaders and visionaries...

Great Leaders who were thrown 'under the bus'
for the selfish Single Desk Religion.

To 'say' the 'old guard' didn't know better...

Is inaccurate and part of the attitude that in reality caused the downfall of the best the CWB SHOULD have become; honestly speaking.

Intimidate me; call me all the names you can muster... sadly this IS the TRUTH.

Ricky Strankman continues in the 'Truth'... as does Sam Magnus... colleagues who are working tirelseely to make our province and country a better place politically. Thanks Sam and Ricky.

Legends in Leadership:

JAMES Chateneay. Gave everything for the CWB.
Lost Dear Olive... the best years of his life with Olive were torture and unforgivable (but by the grace of God) and unspeakable mean spirited vengeful acts of GREED.

Grassfarmer... we wish your account of the past was correct... for if it were... we would not be where we are at today!

[BreadWinner]

You are right about the doers being too busy for these boards. They like things getting done not getting bogged down in ideas that never come to fruition. They have success in there own enterprises. I'm more the type to try work with the cards I'm dealt, some times you just have to play them a bit different to win the hand. Allot of successful people don't have time for politics or boards.

[sumdumguy]

Tom, you make great points about the leaders who gave their all for positive change. Yep, I believe that through their efforts and the efforts of many, we have been freed, but that is one step toward fulfillment. The grain industry needs many components working together to make it really tick. The producer does his part, he buys, rents, risks, toils and delivers, then he passed the puck. And there's the problem. He's a fine goose for plucking.

Parsley, can a group of growers take on huge grain conglomerates? No- Can they tell the railways what to do? No- Governments hold the power to regulate, that's why they are elected... and paid 'leaders'. They have the power to 'lead', make actual plans, design a course that all can live with and frickin 'lead' . But maybe I am asking too much, prolly.

[TOM4CWB]

SDG,

Since the most likely outcome of the Federal Oct 2015 election is a minority gov... it is likely who ever is in charge will be asked to change the CTA that govern the RR.

Being told by mid June backlogs will be gone... we are nearly cleared up here now.