Candidate in District 6

[gustgd]

Gerrid Gust ready to change CWB from within

Gerrid Gust of Davidson, SK announced today he is running to be the Canadian Wheat Board director in district 6 Director in this fall’s CWB director elections.

“It’s time to end the CWB monopoly and build a strong voluntary CWB,” says Gust. “The Federal Conservatives, and the provincial governments of three of the four designated area provinces all support marketing choice. The CWB’s own survey results show that most farmers want marketing choice for both wheat and barley. The 2007 barley plebiscite demonstrated that 62% of farmers wanted to end the CWB monopoly powers. It’s time for new leadership around the CWB board table.”

Gust and his wife Monica and their three children farm, with Gerrid’s family in the Davidson district. They grow a variety of crops including Board crops red lentils, yellow peas, and IP canola. They also have a cow/calf operation.

Gerrid, age 32 graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Diploma in Agriculture in 1998 with a focus on crop production and marketing.

Gerrid is active in his community. He was the Vice President of Prairie Diamond Credit Union, before a merger with Affinity Credit Union. He is the current delegate for Davidson to Affinity C.U. As a Member of the Davidson Kinsmen Club, he served on the Telemiracle 32 corporate committee. For the past 3 years, he has also been a Director of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association and currently serves as its Secretary / Treasurer.

Gust is clear when asked what his vision is for the Canadian Wheat Board.

“I want a CWB that will become the marketing arm of choice for all farmers, yet not have farmers be compelled by law to do business with us if they don’t wish “I feel strongly about building a voluntary CWB that can earn the business of farmers in a competitive marketplace.


Gust has a keen interest in improving board governance, and believes his board experience will serve him well as a director of the CWB. His experiences of lobbying both federally and provincially as well as presenting to various farm audiences have given Gerrid the knowledge and back ground to stay on course, and not change his position once around the board table.

“Gerrid Gust – your choice for marketing freedom in district 6”

For comment, please contact Gerrid Gust: gustgd@live.ca

[gustgd]

The most commonly asked question has been.
"If the conservatives get a majority will you still need to Run?"

reply
" Yes Although this is a govt agency with it's own act of parliament the conservatives have been afraid of looking like bullies, to make it a confidence motion. and although I believe If a majority is reached they will give us freedom, we will still need strong leadership at the board table to make CWB II a viable option for those who want to use our services

[TOM4CWB]

Gerrid,

All the best in your quest to save the Titanic... sorry I meant the CWB!

If you can actually fire 95% of CWB Dept. heads... replace the CEO with someone with motivated principal... then perhaps CWB 2 could work.

So Much has been lost... for such a long time... frustration with these folks is at a boiling point for any "designated area" grain grower that actually must do business and deal with these folks.

I hope your family is ready to put up with threats of; law suites... you getting fired for doing due diligence... and total ignorance of what is required to do business in the real world not protected by a soother with a club and hand cuffs attached!

All the best... blessings on you for making the effort to make agriculture better for 'designated area' slaves... sorry, I meant 'designated area' grain growers!

Don't be surprised when a bunch of the slave drivers (Supply managed and livestock folks)... rebel... and want to go back to the 'old ways' of counting on Gov. to bail the livestock industry out with the CWB hammer (Export prohibition)!

[cottonpicken]

Have you ever been in a fist fight?

[agstar77]

The recent credit woes may give a number of farmers , who might wish to destroy the CWB , pause to consider the consequences of throwing their fate to the open market. Maybe the stability of a marketing agency , with it's flaws might be better than charting a course into the arms of corporations which might or might not survive. Therefore Mr. Gust I would ask you to give careful consideration to what you are proposing.

[jensend]

agstar has a point. we've all seen small grain co's go belly up in good times. this is going to be bad. tom should maybe check the oecd numbers to see the level of subsidization of wheat production in canada compared to beef cattle.

[gustgd]

Tom thanks for the wishes, and warnings.

Cotton keep drinking it's a long drive. Maybe you'll do business with us maybe you won't, but it will be your choice

Agstar-jensend If the CWB does not get paid, it still means we all don't get paid!! My proposition is someone to manage your marketing help with brokering and deal with some of the complications and hurdles of marketing and then ensuring that farmers get delivery and get paid for the contracts they signed.

[agstar77]

The risk is that you are wrong and all our guaratees are gone. We add to the existing risk of all the other commodities that rely on smaller companies for payment. Just like in Harper's ads Is it worth the risk?

[charliep]

gustgd

Actually in your example, the tax payer wouldn't
get paid. Government guarantees are still in place.

Just curious what a CWB would look like in an
open market. The answer may be in term of
transaction security (both for grain companies and
farmers) and financing inventory in elevators.

Where the CWB may not be involved as much is in
the pooling processes and direct pricing. What will
be the cost of these programs to the CWB as
farmers/grain companies move into a higher risk situation? The cost of these programs today
(particularly the producer pricing options) is horrendous and perhaps not overly effective.
Farmers are paying this.

[Jeff Nielsen]

Good to see you running Gerrid, with a team of dedicated choice candidates out there this year, the CWB can I believe, truly a marketing choice for all producers.
Perhaps the Titanic can remain afloat tom4cwb ! yet it might as you mention need to lose some excess ballast!
Still harvesting here in the Olds area, decent crops yet the odd shower keeps interupting combining.
Jeff