Here's our options

[Klause]

The way I see it there's two paths, streamline infrastructure make all our suppliers take a big haircut down costs and compete on volume and producing cheap food for the masses.


Option two,


Chain our practices to make them align with the wealthy yuppies, grow way less but higher value, forget about competing on cost and sell into niche high value markets only. High gross/value supports high costs and high land prices with lower yields requiring less infrastructure to move.


Sell out to Salic or one of the other multinational farms if we can convince them to operate in Canada...


Other options????


If one actually sits down and does a business plan, a large scale green house growing fresh vegetables 4ac under glass) in an area close to natural gas in the southern part of the prairies, and a large scale 2000ha grains operation in Brazil or argue would diversify ones income and make for an interesting profitable operation in only ag

Just my Monday thought

[farmaholic]

Or have a reasonable amount of debt to weather commodity or yeild hiccups. We all know that isn't as easily done than said! A no or zero debt farm is kind of an anomaly.

But those low or zero debt farms need to decide how much of their equity they might want to, or need to, farm away for the benefit of the Industry if they want to continue to farm at below the cost of production.

[bucket]

Or have a reasonable amount of debt to weather commodity or yeild hiccups. We all know that isn't as easily said than done! A no or zero debt farm is kind of an anomaly.

But those low or zero debt farms need to decide how much of their equity they might want to, or need to, farm away for the benefit of the Industry if they want continue to farm at below the cost of production.

Just explain why supply management is promised 3.9 billion because of trade deals and western canadian farmers are expected to go it alone??????

Why did Evraz need 40 million?????

Why did Bombardier need billions???

Why did AGT need 100 million???? Does any farmer get money to repair their used equipment purchases?????

Why is the Auto sector on a steady drip????

When you figure the value of those industries think about agriculture that is larger than all of them put together....

Then explain why the railways make about $1.50 a bushel to move our grain with guaranteed increases....thats a **** of a lot of money off the backs of farmers....75 bucks an acre to move grain from the elevator to the port....and then be told we don't help the economy?????

[jimmy]

The way I see it there's two paths, streamline infrastructure make all our suppliers take a big haircut down costs and compete on volume and producing cheap food for the masses.


Option two,


Chain our practices to make them align with the wealthy yuppies, grow way less but higher value, forget about competing on cost and sell into niche high value markets only. High gross/value supports high costs and high land prices with lower yields requiring less infrastructure to move.


Sell out to Salic or one of the other multinational farms if we can convince them to operate in Canada...


Other options????


If one actually sits down and does a business plan, a large scale green house growing fresh vegetables 4ac under glass) in an area close to natural gas in the southern part of the prairies, and a large scale 2000ha grains operation in Brazil or argue would diversify ones income and make for an interesting profitable operation in only ag

Just my Monday thought

We already produce cheap food for the masses.

You will never make a yuppie happy.

Large scale greenhouse was planned near here with free gas from a oil company. Never happened.

[Guest]

This is pretty cool. Going to sees them letter this week or next.

http://www.wideopenagriculture.com.au/

[Tucker]

I guess my goal is just to not be the last out the door when the ag shit hits the fan. Still profitable. I'm able to purchase inputs with last years income and not FCC so I guess that puts me a bit ahead of the pack. We've seen what they will do with your new JD drill. RB auction few million there. Land? Maybe sell to some 100 000+ dreamer type maybe rent to the same. Buy a beachfront property maybe Belize, maybe next to Sask3 in Florida. Move back to Canada when health says it's time and buy a place in BC. Honestly as a farm boy who grew up in the arsehole of Canada with nothing but an old used dirt bike pulling calves in the snow that's a really awesome endgame. My sons will have a great education and be able to do whatever they want but I don't think there is going to be any income in a 5000 acre farm in the future.

[sumdumguy]

I want my boys to be doctors and lawyers and Indian chiefs. Yeh man!

[jazz]

Klause, most of our greenhouses grow flowers. The vegetable business is pretty small. Why heat when you can import overnight in a refrigerated truck.

Have you been to a farmers market. Sure they have nice stuff but its twice the price of the supermarket. It has to be to make a profit locally.

[Klause]

But those low or zero debt farms need to decide how much of their equity they might want to, or need to, farm away for the benefit of the Industry if they want to continue to farm at below the cost of production.

Exactly.


We are trying to compete producing food for less and less... while we have the highest costs amongst export nations.

The end result is you're burning your own equity to subsidize the world system and "keep up with the Jones's".

So how does that do anything for your own family/farm/life/livelihood?

Klause, most of our greenhouses grow flowers. The vegetable business is pretty small. Why heat when you can import overnight in a refrigerated truck.

Have you been to a farmers market. Sure they have nice stuff but its twice the price of the supermarket. It has to be to make a profit locally.

Actually, OGVG has 220 members and 2500 acres under glass growing vegetables for local consumption.


It's more profitable growing tomatoes peppers and cucumbers under glass than it is to grow pot, but you need to use modern technology like Jenbacher gas motors for combine power/heat/co2 dosing, at which point you're at 90% plus combined heat/power efficiency for natural gas.

[Guest]

There has been many debates on the definition of sustainability. Here's a view of what is not sustainable

https://www.resilience.org/stories/2017-03-27/chemical-industrial-farming-unsustainable-heres/