Hypothetical Nightmare

[cottonpicken]

I talked about this awhile back about what would
really screw us farmers over and every other export
based industry in canada that being-

1-a giant leap in the dollar

and more problems

2-a jump in interest rates

3-continueing high production costs

4-a seize up in trade

5-soft prices

All of these problems could be easily manufactured
by larger aggressive financial entities that are
resource hungry.

They could buy us out for pennies on the dollar.

Call me paranoid,but if i was governor of the bank of
canada i would head elsewhere oops.........

Of course maybe its just the end of the world stuff
making me think these things.

[cottonpicken]

6-seize up in credit

[Wheatking]

One of the ways to stop this would be too print like
crazy, keep the dollar low, interest rates low, and credit
available. Problem with this though is that it may/will
lead to high inflation/hyperinflation.

Not sure what the answer is but I am glad that I am not
the Governor of the BOC, as I suspect there is no right or
easy answer.

[wd9]

7. Cotton moves into his underground
bunker!

[grrrr]

I don't think anything will "explode" out of nowhere. The world needs farmers. They need us to keep working like we do for a minimum wage. We are being "farmed" by the rest of the world. They control our lives. If we earn too much one year, steps are taken so it won't happen again. If we are suffering too much, steps are taken so we can feed and water ourselves and live for another year.

[hedgehog]

its just like the carrot dangled in front of the donkey

[checking]

You are polar... something. Now your sounding bear.

[TOM4CWB]

Shaney,

In the northern climes... we are discovering that
perfect innoculation may increase maturity.

It may be smart to reduce fungicides as they also
increase maturity.

A row crop planter WILL reduce emergence time... so
don't pass on that one either... good seed placement is
still KING for a good crop... in moist soil in a warm
seed bed... kind of different from no till tendencies.

Cheers!

[agstar77]

Increasing innoculant rates will speed up maturity. Pick daylength dependent varieties, seed only when soil temp stay above freezing at night. Use seed handling technique which do not damage seed, such as plasticaugers and low air speed.

[hobbyfrmr]

Agee with grrrr. It has always been, that the
market or government offers just enough to be
fed and watered. The minute a farmer makes too
much profit, industry is right there to claw it back.
People left the farms because there was a better
living with less effort and more comfort pretty
much anywhere else. Those people who really
had "gumption" were/are very successful.
Some older farmers try to spin this into a
government conspiracy, but its not. Rural
depopulation is just a product of people realizing
their earning potential.

[wd9]

Hobby, that does not explain why farmers
are mostly extremely well off.

[Burbert]

In other words, lay back and enjoy it,
cousin theys doin it ta ya time and time
again. Framers love challenges though.
Known ta be strange fellas, sell at
wholesale prices, buy at retail prices,
and pay the freight all the way to Chine.
Yup framers are funny fellows, aren't
they.

[hobbyfrmr]

Land value appreciation has been the good
fortune to many farmers. This could be why you
think farmers are "extremely"" well off. Myself
included.
I barely broke even through the first 16 years of
farming. I would work in the city or oil patch in the
winters. Only in the last 6 years my net worth has
doubled on paper. It had nothing to do with my
skills or ability to manage a farm. Shithouse luck.
Nothing more.

[hedgehog]

wd9, farmers are like icebergs, only a little bit can be seen. no one knows what is underneath, whether a pile of gold or a huge borrowing.
many farmers earn less than their employees, esp tenant farmers.

[vvalk]

Hobby and grrrr. Not sure what you mean. Since
when have you farmed for no income. I would say
in the last 5 years ( if you had a crop) there isn't
many industries as profitable. As for not making
money the year after doing well, its ourselves we
have to blame. No one else is running up the
price of land and rent. Sure fert and seed costs
more but every industry has those issues. Do you
think the oil industry doesn't have higher equip,
fuel, wages and higher lease costs etc?