Premium Markets

[parsley]

It iananlearning experience to visit upscale
food stores. With a purpose and a notepad. I
have. Copenhagen, Toronto. New York City.
Dusseldorf. Amsterdam.

There are several things that stuck with me.

1. Rich people are prepared to pay for their food
budget rising from $20k to $40K per yr if it ia
tasty, fresh and safe. Food is a tiny tiny part of
their budget.

2. Upscale organic food markets are growing.
Supply is the problem.

3 I was a one bag seller Tucker, in my on-farm
market barn, for 12 years. Loved it. Still have
customers who want to order products or stop in.
Because they liked them. Met Sumdumguy! . The most important thing I learned from rumning
a market barn is people tell you what they want
and like, and are willing to order, willing to pay
for, andI LEARNED TO LISTEN. I had a list on
the wall where customers would sign their name
with an IOU note, if they forgot their tourist-
wallets. When I closed the barn, not one person
owed me money. Yes I know, no way to do
business. But it works. I did everythiing
wrong,nand everything worked out right. Pars






3.

[parsley]

wd, you will be able to find all kinds of
businesses, restaurants, processing plants both
conventional and specialty food ,who's doors are
closed. I recall people who died of food
poisoning at weddings. Or went blind from
drinking home brew in the bush at the wedding
dance. Lol It's part if life and business The good
thing is Canadians hear about the Maple Leaf
fiascos and changes are made. In China it's
shoot and shut up. Pars

[checking]

Wd9.

Saw that first article on Bloomberg. It stated that surprise package was also sold to 1200 BC, and Alta. buyers.

That is one hell of a lot different than wasting resources testing for trace triffid in a muffin.

[parsley]

Localized pathogens can be quarantined, wd
Good thing. Food poisoning is localized. And can
be cleaned up Local harrmfull processing can be
corrected. The damage is terrible, indeed, but
unplanned.

However, planned permanent genetic changes
can cause forever-damage when unintended
consequences unfold. And since no one was
willing to even l consider the consequences, it's
not only foolhardy, but irresponsible. Pars

[rkaiser]

So now you folks who support Monsanto et.al. think that those of us who do not are hypocrites hey? Hypocrite - human - egoic. Not much different.

Yes I like profit and thought I was on the top of the world when money flowed easily into the non commodity marketing game 15 years ago. Then the game caught on with the bigger players and as parse has pointed out, it has gotten to the multinational level.

Should that disappoint me or make me jealous? Hell no. As a human looking to feed my family, it might, as a food supplier to the people of the planet, it makes me feel good.

You can post all the fear you like about organic disasters wd, and there will be more. Not as much as there is from GE food however, but if I was to post a bunch of those articles here, you would not even look at them; let alone read them. And then you would label me a fear monger... LOL

The tables are turning boys and girls and as with any structure built without an altruistic foundation, instability will set in sooner or later.

If, as the food producers or farmasists of the world, choose profit above all else; prepare for another cycle.

Or keep supporting and defending the Chem boys until they tell you otherwise.

[charliep]

An interesting conversation but the two worlds are not that far apart. Putting organic products in Wal Mart/Super Star means that organic product will be turned into a commodity (lowest price is the law). Conventional farmers are going to have to keep more records as the same companies base their brands/reputation on things like sustainability and consumer requests for information. I find it interesting the number of big stores etc trumpeting their commitment to local.

Parsley - From a world I know, achieving the premium status you talk about is lot of work and not for everyone. Being able to identify a customer need/desire and working to meet these requirements for a premium price is good but not for everyone. It is also economics - every busy has to be profitable and the more that is produced even of an organic crop, the lower the price.

[parsley]

Two ways to view grain.

1. Commodity. Slam through as many bushels as
you can. Farmers get paid what they get paid.
Few farms. Make % on volume. The Viterra's
earn their %. Ships get their backhall. Govts take
their taxes. Input and machinery dealers get
their %. High debt. High risk.

2 Organic. Grow for the food market and the
demand. Lots of farms. Organics would be dead
in the water if it wasnt for shoppers. Taste. Fresh.
Nutrition. The Cargills earn their % . Premium
prices. Focus on Cndn processing. Govts take
their taxes. Low risk. Low debt. Lots of growers.
Affordable for new entrant Canadian wanna-be-
farmers.

These seem to be the two current views. Pars

[wd9]

GE disasters killing people Kaiser?
Really?

No point asking is there.

[ColevilleH2S]

Pars I have to disagree with your 2
pronged assessment of commodity vs
organic. These are not mutually
exclusive. Just look at organicly
certified apples and garlic from China.
They are both commodities and organic.

And once again you falsely imply that
organic foods are more nutritional than
modernly produced foods. I am saddened
that organic growers have to resort to
spreading fear and innuendo about food
produced using modern techniques, in
order to market their products.

[parsley]

Charliep, the problem with organics has been
volume. It's difficult for farmers to group together
to make enough product to fill a big order with
Cargill. So its also difficult for Cargill to make a
contract with Whole Foods to supply them with
say, spelt pasta.

The organic grower base expands because
market signals boost prices... As the consumer is
demanding more products. #tasteandtrust

The number of yummy organic products to be
developed large scale is truly astounding. An
opportunity of a lifetime. Supply not fast enough.

[wd9]

Parsely, its hard, well maybe not that
hard, to believe that your organic
marketing plan with the illusion of food
safe is ok with killing thousands in the
name of a premium market to profit from.
Sick.

[parsley]

Yes imports; I was thinking organics more iin
terms of the Canadian context. Some nuts and
coffee are also grown as organic commodities ..
Or Conventional.