Westernvicki some light reading be of interest

[malleefarmer]

All 300 plus pages of it. Re EPRs funding

https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/95230/3/02whole.pdf https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/95230/3/02whole.pdf

[westernvicki]

Thank you Mallee, just back from visiting retired relatives & others, lots of time for talk over beverages, getting stuck in the record braking snowstorm in a car allows for even more time, lots of time to discuss issues, tis the season.

I have an editorial in Grainews, which basically says what I posted earlier: this is coming, farmers need to negotiate a position. A beneficial position for farmers that adds value to the investment they will be soon forced to expend.

What is the deal? Who will negotiate: we have farm associations who in Saskatchewan alone collect over 30 million a year in farm check off, we have the hundred of million in funds in WGRF, the CGC, but do any groups have the vision to speak to the collective negotiation on behalf of producers. Who would could be the leader, if we agreed we should have a voice?


But alas our history offers little confidence about out collective abilities. And whether or not you support(ed) or oppose(d) the various collective assets of farmers, truth is our history of managing these assets is tragic, to say the least: with the exception of Federated Coops who today are quite successful, the majority of assets once attributed to the collective farm portfolio are gone. With the Crow rate likely the worse example of all, we fought this for so long that we finally received pittance of what was proposed by Otto Lang, and the promised better rail service has fundamentally failed as recently as last year.

With such a shitty history,we need to ask who negotiates on our behalf. And are we even collectively smart enough to have a list?

And so, this is my belief: farmers are going to pay for seed. What do we get in return? A better system at the very least, one would hope. Given that governments have made it clear they want out of plant breeding, and given that government have assets what should be done with these assets? Give them away again? Or should the negotiation consider the developement of a LIMAGRAIN type plant breeding institution we have the model. LIMA GRAIN is a global success story, and it is a farmer owned cooperative breeding house?

But who will negotiate.
Pray tell?

Do we even have the vision to try?

Bring out the dragon slayers! We have one more to kill!

[blackpowder]

Well said.
To loosely quote LBJ..
rather have'em inside the tent pissing out, than outside pissing in.

[walterm]

Very well put! I hate to keep hounding but wouldn't this have been a great time to have a "Grain Farmers Advocacy Office" in place. In the Interest of Producers.

[bucket]

The question farmers should maybe be asking is ....how much is the breeder system worth?


130 million of farmers money at CGC...

180 million of farmers money at WGRF...

50 million every year in checkoff funds out of farmers pockets....

Maybe others don't see where the money is going but the ROI doesn't seem to be making it back to my pockets...

[wmoebis]

Wasn't there something like 400 mil in CWB account?

[bucket]

Wasn't there something like 400 mil in CWB account?

Probably... but lucky for us the WCWGA and guys like TOM4SAUDIS and their infinite wisdom and vision just beyond their nose .....gave that money away

[walterm]

And we should still have well over 250 mil coming when Saudi's buy out our shares in G3. It should be way more than that now that we have elevators and ports.

[farmaholic]

....what is it? Billy Shakespeare's comic tragedy night tonight!

[westernvicki]

You could certainly write a few book of tragedies in our industry at our failures to manage opportunities as a sector.

[Rareearth]

I nominate Vicky to write the books, memoirs. Not just Vicky, but other contributors, etc

The stories, politics, shady deals, names and places, successes and failures, etc

Or keep the information close to the chest (heart), much of this intellectual knowledge will soon be lost, and the new kids on the block will likely have to make the same errors, omissions and mistakes over again.

[walterm]

I nominate Vicky to write the books, memoirs. Not just Vicky, but other contributors, etc

The stories, politics, shady deals, names and places, successes and failures, etc

Or keep the information close to the chest (heart), much of this intellectual knowledge will soon be lost, and the new kids on the block will likely have to make the same errors, omissions and mistakes over again.

There is a very good book out there called " A History of the Canadian Grain Commission" by J. Blanchard. I recommend reading. We are right back at where we started 100 years ago and things have been so twisted and turned around that we need to start all over again. Times have changed and we need to change with them.

[Rareearth]

And the book:
“Canada’s Great Grain Robbery”
By Don Baron
Copyright 1998


20 years old already

[malleefarmer]

Is there a link to grain news westernvicki?

[farmaholic]

Please describe the position of power we have to negotiate from.

We're treated like pissants. A group of people seen as a group you can foist what ever you like on without much resistance.

Negotiate? Honestly? Were we ever at the table? Even invited before the decisions were made?

Sacred "Crow" Rate
CWB "unwinding" debacle
Seed Tax Scam (UPOV91)
Toothless watered down CGC puppet of Industry
Industry collusion and consolidation with the facade/illusion/delusion of the "anti-competition" watchdog looking out for the customer's best interest....LOL.