Grain millers and fall applied roundup!

[TraderJoe]

Here is the email from Grain Millers...

Dear Suppliers,

After much deliberation, we feel it is necessary to put into force this fall a new policy regarding the pre-harvest application of glyphosate. See the attached document for the official release, which is being made broadly public today.

While we recognize that this may be a controversial step, and that it will impact the convenience of oat harvest for many of our suppliers, our research into functional quality issues demonstrates that it is a step we must take.
For those of you who already have contract business on the books with us for this fall, we cannot arbitrarily and after-the-fact alter the contract specifications. As such, production under those contracts will be exempted from this new policy. However, having said that, we would appreciate very much if contract holders would respect the new policy, and would avoid the use of pre-harvest glyphosate, wherever possible.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to give me a call to discuss.

Best regards,
Terry Tyson
306-786-4682

[pourfarmer]

I am happy to see things changing on this front, most city people I talk to don't believe me when I explain the desiccation process to them. They are disgusted and can't believe producers are willing to spray toxic chemicals immediately prior to harvest just to avoid the risk/cost that goes along with swathing/leaving stand. I can't wait to gauge their reaction when I tell them they've been labelled as "freaks" in the ag community for not wanting additional chemicals on their food.

[TraderJoe]

And here also is a reply from Grain Millers to an inquiry made about the release...

We can appreciate where you’re coming from, and we are aware that this move may eliminate some suppliers from wanting to continue to work with us. This decision was not taken lightly, and was about 3 years in the making. The timing of us arriving here around the same time as this recent E.U. “research” is unfortunate, but coincidental. We will do our best to publicly say that, so as not to vilify glyphosate or conventional farming practices in general – there is more than enough of that going on.

In the intervening years since we first identified the issue, we have spent what time we have at producer meetings, phone calls, etc trying to spread the message that the functional issues can be avoided if the application is done properly. However, we have continued to encounter the issues, and the really difficult factor in all of this is that the damage is subtle enough that we can’t identify / control it at the pit, but it greatly affects downstream product quality. This lack of ability to identify and control up front, coupled with the fact that it’s likely there will always be some amount of temptation, or an “itchy trigger finger”, if you will, on farm in the fall to apply too early, led us to determine that the only effective way we would have to mitigate the problem would be to take this step

[wmoebis]

So this is just Grain Millers INC. Not industry requirement/ request.

[TraderJoe]

At this point yes, it is just Grain Millers

[wmoebis]

THX Traderjoe and it will be contract spec only! Is there a residual test that can be done at time of delivery or how will bins be kept separated until testing is done?
I see this as being very hard to administer or enforce.

Not trying to be negative, A contract is a contract, but a lot of different companies start putting different restrictions into contracts, farmers will have to start binning by contract and quality and variety etc. Seems to be getting a little much.

[hobbyfrmr]

As described above. Spraying just a little too early and its like an early frost which fractionates the groat. Basically it falls apart when milled instead of holding together.
This memo came from Grain Millers only. They are only the third largest oat milling company in North America and they are only the largest organic oat milling company in North America.
Keep spraying .

[hobbyfrmr]

Please continue regarding the people who actually eat the oats as freaks. They really really like it when you call them names. That shows a western Canadian farmers' true colors.
I am always fascinated by farmers with millions of dollars invested in production machinery and inputs but they dont have enough mental capacity to stop insulting their customers. That is really awesome.

[cris]

before we sprayed and straight cut oats, we swathed. Since we have stopped swathing, our oats are much more marketable. Standing oats aren't subject to feces from waterfowl, or near as susceptible to mildew on the groats. Consumers may have to pick the lessor of the evils, or pay to play!

[saskcanfarmer]

Hobby - Stop being all high and mighty and get off your same high horse. Yes we know how you farm and your beliefs but stop acting like you're doing the right thing. Freaks maybe isn't the appropriate word but it isn't far off. You choose to cater to the very very tiny minority. The uniformed/misinformed. I will continue to cater to the huge massive 7 billion majority. If you are in the save a few and lose millions camp then good on you. We can effectively feed the 7 billion right now how are we going to feed even more? With the advances in chemistries, bio techs etc etc we are doing a better job now then we were before geopolitical issues aside. To think at this moment of time we can make every faction happy is laughable. To crumble and surrender to the few voices who correlate the advances in Ag to certain diseases etc without little to no evidence will only make things worse because they are the same people who will fight starvation and malnutrition and not realize that they took potentially billions of food stock out of production. You're entitled to your opinion that it baffles you how farmers treat their customers. Well you are dead wrong. My customer isn't the very few who vilify what I do who have zero knowledge and spout their non sensecle pseudo science fear mongering bull shit. She/he might be yours in your little niche market but I don't have to cater to not respect them.

[saskcanfarmer]

Should of read we can't effectively feed 7B. Man do we need an edit button on here haha

[sumdumguy]

Saskcanfarmer, who is high and mighty? And how do you know you are 'right'? I fear that one day the consumer will become informed and who'll be bawling about the 'freaks'. Calling people who do not want to eat chemical-laced food names is extremely harmful and pontifical.

[hobbyfrmr]

Saskcanfarmer!

I do not claim I am doing the right thing.
i did not intend to make this an organic vs. conventional farming debate. I view things in a more business model type of mentality. This is why I do not understand why farmers insult and chastise their customers. I hear farmers talk about their "stupid" customers more frequently than you think.
This is marketing fail 101. Have you ever heard of a McDonalds advertisement "hey you stupid people, this food is bad, but eat it anyway"
Or Apple saying , " you are too much of a freak to own the latest iPhone so don't come and buy one".
YOUR CONVENTIONAL BUYERS, NOT MY ORGANIC BUYERS are telling you not to spray pre harvest glyphosate. It is not a food safety issue. It is a milling yield issue. Yet, the farmers' rebuttal (on AV) is to automatically call the general consuming public freaks.
This has nothing to do with the public, it has to do with your customers, the end users of your grain.

You can keep spraying and not sell to Grain Millers. So, keep spraying. I think I said that already.

[pourfarmer]

saskcancarmer FEEDING THE WORLD!

millions of people go to bed hungry every night, meanwhile my neighbors have 160k bu of wheat sitting in the bin. You're not saving anyone by "over production", all you're doing is providing a rich nation with cheap over processed food so they can go out and buy a huge tv or a 3rd car. The real starving nations dont have any money, even if your grain was free they still couldnt afford it.

The rich nations are making a statement, they're starting to see that maybe they'd rather have healthy food instead of that extra car payment. What will you do when there is no demand for your grain in these rich nations? Will you still believe the seed/chem/fert companies when they tell you that you're FEEDING THE WORLD?

[saskcanfarmer]

Pourfarmer - That's why I said we can't effectively feed 7 billion. And production is a big part of that circle.