I think we need a vote on China purchasing farm land!

[newguy]

The Chinese buying land is a global thing. Just so happens Sask came out of it's shell as far as oil and out of province land ownership to take advantage of bringing investment money into the province. Money brings people People bring money. Alot better than people taking money they earned in Sask and spending it in Arizona..

[Choice2U]

There are more millionaires in China than in the US. That doesn't sound like Communism (socialism without democracy). I think China saw what happened to the USSR and realized that they better open up their world to entrepreneurship which is what they did. They used capitalism for wealth creation but kept control of their rights. Something tells me that in due time, people that have more wealth will also want more freedom and start questioning their lack of democracy...All hell will break loose then.

[phoenix64]

Don't forget choice that there are 1.3 billion in
china vs 340 million in the u.s. the fact that they
have millionaires over there is an example of
corruption and a few having power over many I
think their stance on human rights issues proves
this, don't really want that mentality on my back
doorstep, don't care how much friggin money they
have

[parsley]

Do you have any concern about Saudi's financing
land purchases? Pars

[phoenix64]

Who are they financing?

[ado089]

It sure is obvious who has a large asset
base, or perhaps a huge debt on one, and
no kids and those care about the world
they are leaving for their children.

It's really quite sad when ,presumably,
successful people are willing to defend
the country and conditions that allowed
them to get that way.

Newguy,
Can you please share with the group how
all these people and their money has
made your lifestyle better? 3 examples
please.

[ado089]

Aren't willing to defend, that should
read.

[bucket]

ado89 - good point

I was going to mention that guys that are ready to sell have forgot how they built their farms.

Most picked up a quarter here and there from the neighbor who remembered a favour or seen that he had a son coming up. So he sold, maybe at a discount, to keep the community vibrant with young guys.

Its sad, now these guys have to sell all or nothing, no splitting it up. It makes it harder for the neighbor to buy a couple quarters that fit in or to give a young guy a start.

[newguy]

Agriculture is only one part of the picture. The atmosphere in Saskatchewan has taken a turn of no future here to the up and coming next Alberta. Small towns can not only sell houses but people are building also. On our 4 mile road there was only 3 farms. Now there is 7 yards with people living in them. The 4 added were young families moving on farms I thought would be abandoned forever. We do not live close enough to any big center for people to commute and do not have any oil industry here either.

[ado089]

Did it ever occur to you that people are moving here not because the economy or prospects are better but because they are trying to escape the overwhelming cost of living in places like the Alberta you idolize so much? So now you have four new neighbors with an ass load of debt and no idea the cost and inconvenience of rural life such as keeping a well and septic tank running, clearing your own snow and having to travel through countless varieties of bad weather on rural roads to get anywhere. There are a group of acreages out side of Saskatoon I drive by to get to the farm 4/5 of them have turned over at least twice in the last three years.

Like agriculture is only one part of the economy real estate is only one asset class. Unfortunately it is the only "asset" most people have now. I know the type of young families that are building and buying. Some were lucky enough to own a house before 2006 and have rolled the equity, but most and even some of those are in debt so far they have a net worth equivalent to the change lost under my couch cushions. Debt on primary housing and toys is corrosive since they generally aren't cash flow producing, usually the opposite.

Figure it out true wealth is resilient, this thing we have going now will tumble like domino's. And since your so eager to sell off our country to the likes of the Chinese I'm sure once they start wending people to work all their newly acquired resource investment they will gladly work for a 1/5 of what your new neighbors will.