Do you vote in director elections?

[sumdumguy]

I agree about the cost of administration.
Bureaucracies just grow to swallow all available
funding. If they have a blank chque where no one
gets their levy back and governments throw loads
of money at them, they turn into a pretty cushy
fifedom. Remind you of anything thats going on in
the news right now?

My point is that the Pulse Board grew at the
outset because of a few new breeds of Lentils
and Peas. A lot of us benefitted, and we
appreciate. My life and that of my family would
be very different if not for the lowly lentil. Ask
Havepulse.

[gustgd]

A common theme from Crop production show was
watch overlap and admin costs. And yes this will
help me make decisions going forward.

As I understand to have cross provincial
associations it's tough because of the way the law
is written. Oats has done a good job with
POGA with the three Prairie oat groups trying to
save on exec directors and staff. Still have to
have farmer directors in charge of the dollars and
making decisions.

Ontario has gone to their Grain Farmers Ontario
(GFO), which is the corn soy and wheat groups
under one tent. I would imagine that it's a little
easier geographically, than say Saskatchewan
with almost 50% of seeded acres in Canada.

Anther look behind the curtain would reveal that
many farmers are concerned about staff expense.
Absolutely agree! Determining what programs
are wanted and needed is tough. Try getting more
than one farmer to agree on anything.....

I got my ass chewed out at my Ag grad reunion
because one fellow who farms "big" acres says
he's paying "to much". Not sure what he wants to
cut, that's up to people like me. But he's pulling
his check off.

IMO Smaller acre crops like canary for instance
have trouble consolidating because they see
themselves getting swamped by the wheats and
canola... I would argue that in WGRF that the
smaller acre crops have gotten disproportionately
more dollars.....

I agree that there should be consolidation of
groups but I'm one farmer. Others have to let
people know also.

[Rareearth]

There are fewer and fewer good and willing
people to sit on all the community, church,
producer, town, prov., national boards.

There is a dilution of the pool, those willing, able
etc. there are only so many hours, days
available.

Families are under a lot of pressure to keep up
to the new standards of family, business,
demografics, etc and are making difficult personal
choices, determining what are the priorities are.

There are just too many positions to be filled now.
They are all import, seems to be more each year.
Seems to be more demand for those in 40s who
are few and far between.

No easy solutions, except fewer boards working
to a common goal. Some thing like donors
choice?

[wd9]

Gust, why have both a wheat and barley
commission in SK? Why 2 boards?

Set goals, policies and frameworks that
allow the staff, the people who do all
the work anyways, achieve those goals.
From my experience having more and more
farmers in the same rooms actually end up
doing less and less.

[mbratrud]

$short nailed it...

[Hopperbin]

Agree that combining directors and crops is better. Cannot farm without rotation. Fusarium and other diseases all have different strains affecting other crops. And why not put the best men in the right postition for the job.
Monies can still be alloted to their respective crops. I am for all mandatory crop check off.