The Early Bird Got a Rotten Worm

[Burbert]

craig, You sell your grain (Forward Price It), and I'll sell mine, HOWEVER, WHENEVER, WHEREEVER, TO WHOMEVER I DECIDE!
If you got suckered and sold cheap, this year, good on you, enjoy the accomplishment. But please don't attempt to get/force/persuade/demand/ that others do the same. Forward pricing is not always a good thing. There are no market concepts that work all the time. Go ahead, sell and make a tiny profit, you won't go broke, or will you? I know you marketeers hate it, but and its a big butt, LUCK also plays a role in framing. Do you disagree or not? Listen to the AB Gag people all the time, and guess what, you'll likely end up framing ostriches!!!!!!!

[charliep]

I am sorry that you lost money framing ostriches based on someone from Alberta Agricultures advice. Is this the advice in using ostriches for pictures frames and in framing houses?

[just_wondering]

Burburt are you arguing for monopoly sellers or against? I can't tell in the way you made that last post?

Take another hit and breath deeply it'll calm you down then post!
But then again I should take my own advice and not bother telling someone else how to run their own life. Maybe you should do the same

oops there I go again telling others what to do.

[TOM4CWB]

Burbert;

In my vocabulary... there is no such thing as "Luck".

Hard work, close attention to detail... care and respect for those around us... are all big and important ingredients in prosperity and success.

Ever know of one person... who could take one bushel of wheat... one gold brick... one car... any any other earthly object with them after they die?

How we live... respect others and let them live in peace... this is what is important! This is what built Canada!

What we get for our grain is important... but even more important ... is the blessings and prosperity it brings to our families, communities... and Country!

[craig]

Burbert
This is likely the only time we will agree. I also would like the opportunity to sell my grain whenever, wherever and to whom I choose. It is not my role to force or demand anyone to follow my marketing strategy. Oh yes because the weather was unstable in my area the whole year, I chose not to forward price the majority of my crop. I guess that was the lucky part.

[wilagro]

Forward pricing is GAMBLING and you are gambling against knowledgeable companies who are smarter than you in most cases.

You are the fly and they are the spider, so be quick as you run across their web.

[melvill]

Okay, wilagro, I'll rise to the bait, which I don't do very often here. What precisely about forward pricing is "gambling"? Is it gambling on production risk? Is it gambling on delivery risk? Is it gambling on quality risk? Is it gambling on transportation risk? Is it gambling on price risk?

I read your comment about "gambling against knowledgeable companies who are smarter than you in most cases." So what alternative do you recommend instead? Do nothing? Just sit and take whatever cash price the market offers when cash flow is needed?

Incidently one definition of "gambling" is to "to take a chance, where the mathematical odds are known or can be calculated". Forward pricing, at a profit, is giving a 100% chance that that price X volume will make the farm business profit. I can't, for the life of me, figure out what's wrong with that.

[wilagro]

Ah!! melvil...you are forgetting the obvious use of the CWB as another alternative to forward selling. The residual savings would more than make up for the "price gamble" involved in a good many cases. The best part is that it is OURS to direct and use.

MORE grains could also be added to the CWB roster as well in a non-compulsory manner to further compliment our choice of marketing.

[craig]

Wilagro
We have seen plenty of examples of the CWB forward selling our grain. They put us at as much risk as if we did it ourselves.They with their great wisdom and their market smarts, with worldwide weather surveillance and yet they are now scrambling to make enough sales at higher values to offset their sales at lower values. Sure bring on more crops for the board to sell but don't force us to sell our wheat and barley through the board. You are like Burbert. You don't want to forward sell but you are the first to complain when you are forced to sell at the market lows of harvest. That is your choice but don't blame someone else when your not happy with the price offered.

[mustardman]

I would sure like to "pool" my $.24 cent a pound y.mustard with todays .51 cent mustard. Good idea Willagro lets get more crops under the CWB.
I'll have to have a little chat with Mr. Anderson....