Dairy Farmer Breaks Down ... This is how we all feel.

[GDR]

It's pretty easy to understand the feelings this guy has. The positive side of family farms is that we put our heart and soul into our farms, it's in your blood, you work because a job needs done not because you are getting paid. The negative side of family farms is the same thing. Maybe the mentality comes from the days of subsistence farming. It's no way to run a business, the cold reality for this young fellow is that he does need to find a job and do something else even if he doesn't want to. Yes its heartbreaking. I think all of us have had the feelings of "what am I doing this for", tough times of poor prices, sick animals, poor weather, breakdowns are all too common.

I agree that the world could and should pay more for their food but farmers cannot blame consumers or retailers. They are looking out for their best interests as is needed. Just because you want to produce something doesnt mean the other side of the business equation wants to buy it. The root cause of ag unprofitability is plain and simple we have gotten too good at production and we need fewer producers. The desire to be a farmer is strong and makes farmers make poor business decisions which eventually affects all farmers not just the individuals. Land rent and land prices being the biggest and most notable poor decisions in lots of cases. All the time guys expand because they want to, not because it makes economic sense (to anyone other than theselves).

Doesnt matter which side of the SM debate you are on but the visible advantage is a quota system limits guys from making poor business descions of over production.

Be aware and supportive of mental stress on yourself and friends and neighbors, all we can do as individuals.

[bucket]

""""I agree that the world could and should pay more for their food but farmers cannot blame consumers or retailers. They are looking out for their best interests as is needed. """"

Hold on here ...the Weston family cleared 800 million last year , the year before they admitted to price fixing on bread products for over 10 years....and just the other day received 12 million for a fridge update....


Meanwhile my local store is charging 7 bucks for a 4 litre jug of milk ...while in the city its under five...

[AlbertaFarmer5]

While the China canola dispute wasn't caused directly by Harper it does prove the fallacy of throwing SM under the bus to secure "better access" to pacific rim countries under CTPP. Hurting Canadian dairy farmers in exchange for no guarantee of any market access for any product to the likes of China. We were duped again.

Just like the fallacy of social license was going to get pipelines built and allow the energy industry to function.

[jazz]

The Loblaws thing and prices under COP are a big problem, but if farmers want the consumer dollar they have to get in front of them and not let the middleman do it. There are now farms big enough to buy retail outlets. Sunterra is one of them who did that. Why does a 100,000 acre farm keep adding land when they could go buy 10 grocery stores. Maybe we aren't the capitalists we think we are.

Years ago my accountant pointed something out to me. If a farmer invested the same amount he did in his farm but instead in the companies supplying his farm he would be further ahead.

[pourfarmer]

....

Years ago my accountant pointed something out to me. If a farmer invested the same amount he did in his farm but instead in the companies supplying his farm he would be further ahead.

Except bayer shares, stay away from them

[bucket]

The Loblaws thing and prices under COP are a big problem, but if farmers want the consumer dollar they have to get in front of them and not let the middleman do it. There are now farms big enough to buy retail outlets. Sunterra is one of them who did that. Why does a 100,000 acre farm keep adding land when they could go buy 10 grocery stores. Maybe we aren't the capitalists we think we are.

Years ago my accountant pointed something out to me. If a farmer invested the same amount he did in his farm but instead in the companies supplying his farm he would be further ahead.

So retail grocers have the ability in an open market to guarantee profits....

But the primary producer is told to accept the price based on the US government injected funded open market....except that the injection goes to the primary producer in the
US not the middleman..

I remind you that the Canadian dairy industry is getting 3.9 billion.

[farmaholic]

Years ago my accountant pointed something out to me. If a farmer invested the same amount he did in his farm but instead in the companies supplying his farm he would be further ahead.

Geez, I don't know if I completely buy that. Shares have risen and fallen too, and if you are just relying on dividends that's not always that lucrative either. Now being a 50% owner or something like that might be a different story but to own a micro sliver of a gigantic pie...I don't know if it could beat the long term investment in a farm....BUT TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

[sumdumguy]

Farmers have tunnel-vision. As I see it, primary production hasn’t changed all that much. We are just repeating the same processes, producing the same crops our patents grew in much the same way. That is why we see same or diminishing returns. While we are over-producing to stay viable, various opportunists are standing prey to get their peice of the pie. (As in new taxes, new tech costs, parts costs, new regulations, transportation, maybe no transportation, green crop advisors). BUT some resourceful guys make it and they always will - this is the carrot on the string. 👍

Thick skin helps and that’s why farmers make great politicians.

Video: We all have seen many farming operations and other companies where the old guy keeps the thumb on the young entrants (usually sons and sos-in-law) for decades. We saw many, many set-ups where Dad never gave up the reigns until the kids were pension age. Young, strong, smart young farmers would come into our business depressed because they were unfulfilled, under appreciated and trapped, waiting for the old guy to head to the old-age home. The ‘young’ guy could not make one decision without the old man’s approval because the ‘kid’ couldn’t do anything right. Really! Really? Who needs it that bad? Not only are the kids depressed and live their entire life feeling uninspired, they never see what theycould have accomplished in the big bad world. JMH Observation of aome inter-generational transfers.

[GDR]

""""I agree that the world could and should pay more for their food but farmers cannot blame consumers or retailers. They are looking out for their best interests as is needed. """"

Hold on here ...the Weston family cleared 800 million last year , the year before they admitted to price fixing on bread products for over 10 years....and just the other day received 12 million for a fridge update....


Meanwhile my local store is charging 7 bucks for a 4 litre jug of milk ...while in the city its under five...

Bucket I get your frustration, I do but look at it from their side, would you do anything different (except maybe the illegal price fixing)

I'm going out on a limb here but would guess you've never delivered a load of grain or calves and told the purchaser,no what the other guys are paying is too much, I'd like to take less money than other buyers are willing to pay.

As for your $7 milk, how many times have you complained on here about SM. These fellow farmers do not control the retail price of milk as shown by your 2 milk prices, point your anger and frustration where it is deserved and send a message with your wallet if that's what you believe.

[Guest]

""""I agree that the world could and should pay more for their food but farmers cannot blame consumers or retailers. They are looking out for their best interests as is needed. """"

Hold on here ...the Weston family cleared 800 million last year , the year before they admitted to price fixing on bread products for over 10 years....and just the other day received 12 million for a fridge update....


Meanwhile my local store is charging 7 bucks for a 4 litre jug of milk ...while in the city its under five...

God damn right
Where the f#$k is the cheap food
Someone had on here a while ago groceries cost more here than europe ?
Its the companies lilke loblaws that are screwing up the cheap food and then they get rewarded for it

[Ache4Acres]

Loblaws raked in $220 million in profit last quarter...you can’t have cheap food if they’re raking that much off customers

[sumdumguy]

God damn right
Where the f#$k is the cheap food
Someone had on here a while ago groceries cost more here than europe ?
Its the companies lilke loblaws that are screwing up the cheap food and then they get rewarded for it

We travelled Dublin, London, France for two + weeks (by auto) last July. The restaurant meals were priced similar to ours here in the currency of the land. In France, we stopped at every Super Marche that we came across and checked out the local grocery. Super Marche chain seems to have bought out every little small town grocery in France similar to a Coop store in Weyburn and even more rural. The grocery prices seemed about 20-30% higher than ours. We were horrified at one meat counter at a beautiful new Super Marche. The open cut meat was crawling with black flies - Gross! Another interesting observance was that they do not refrigerate their fresh chicken eggs. The eggs just sit out in flats around the store. Course the creme filled baking everywhere were eye-popping. It was a most enjoyable experience, all Agrivillers should have sons who send them to Europe to wander around. 👍 Hotels in France are great fom Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Monaco. Sorry if I bored you - but hope maybe I inspired you to head out right after spraying.

[grassfarmer]

Quite common not to refrigerate eggs in Europe - and there is no need to unless the eggs have been washed. In addition however many hens in Europe are vaccinated against salmonella which they aren't in North America. Would never dream of washing or refrigerating the eggs from our hens on the farm, nature seals them just fine if you don't mess with the coating!

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Quite common not to refrigerate eggs in Europe - and there is no need to unless the eggs have been washed. In addition however many hens in Europe are vaccinated against salmonella which they aren't in North America. Would never dream of washing or refrigerating the eggs from our hens on the farm, nature seals them just fine if you don't mess with the coating!

Yes, in much of Europe, and definitely in Russia, eggs are sold loose non washed, non refrigerated, with a date stamped on. Just place a bunch in a bag and go.