The biggest issues facing farmers ?

[burnt]

I agree old age, is a big one
But there is not shortage of hutterite kids or people
Wanting to rent land.
I may sound like a broken record on the seed
Ownership thing. But it is huge.
A new middleman that costs as much as the land,
For the use of the seed.and that is when they only
Control canola. What happens in 10 years when they
Control every single seed? Not like, screw em I will just plant wheat.
The own all that too.
Like two landlords now to pay .
Not my problem I guess ,I will be done by then anyway.
Even Tom cwb can see the writing on the wall now.
A little late ,mind you .
And he was one of the biggest cheerleaders for handing
rights away.
Guess what they will succeed taking over secan.
And everything else. Because cost does not matter.
We will pay for it in the end anyway.
Farmers having anything to do with seed ownership
Is not part of the plan.
That is kinda the whole idea. They tell us how much we
Pay, because we have no other choice.

Sorry for the rant.
But what was John Lennon s line .
You sound like f ing peasants to me.
You even own the land, but they own the seed .
So basically they own you.

Interesting thoughts and quote.

Sounds like Lennon and Lenin are interchangeable...

[bucket]

That some supposedly intelligent person could make such a statement and yet overlook the obvious, bitter irony in it is simply staggering.

The real value of the human beings who produce food in Canada is now reduced to an insensate cog in the machinery, a commodity, or a currency the same as the price of the stuff we grow.

You would think an intelligent reporter would maybe pick up on it as well?????

[GALAXIE500]

Depends on the farmer I guess. Plenty wet here. Thankful for that. Not even close to dry.

To answer the question... a bit of a rant follows...

For many it seems to be the neighbors, and the perception that growing more at all costs is somehow the answer to what ails agriculture. Gotta keep up at all costs. That gun pointing at most farmers heads, forcing them to farm the way most do now a days is a pretty real thing.

Anyone I talk to cares less about govt policy, and mostly care about Jim down the road who looks to be retiring, and how can I ensure I get the land, so that John doesn’t. Stupid gun.

How many acres an hour will the 800 000 dollar combine, wait, make that three of them, harvest, and extrapolating, how much land can I handle, so that I ensure John doesn’t get Jim’s land. That bloody gun pointing at my head.

What newest varieties and snake oil can I put on my crops to ensure I grow more bushels, to sell at the whim of the buyers, with no control, so that I can say my canola went 70, so I can make payments on those three 800 000 dollar machines. Never mind a shrinking net return. Then I must complain about the price of inputs, rent, and grain... you know the gun held at my head and all.

What is the highest rent I can pay Tom for his land to whisk it away from Mike, the thousand acre farmer who seems to struggle? He only has a 9500 combine, a 30 foot Morris 1; it’s obvious he can’t handle it! Here Tom, how about 90 bucks an acre? That flipping gun is a big one. We don’t need thousand acres farms no more, I need the land more than mike you see. The combines you see. They need to look good on more acres.

That little bush where George used to live, raised his family on, at the corner of that field is useless. Useless I say! I own the land now. I NEED that land! I’m buying a cat and a hoe. I’m flattening George’s little piece of history. His house? That little thing? Hahaha, the hoe will take care of that, no problem! Those six acres will make my farm more efficient. In ten years, no one will even remember George! I mean, I need the land to produce more high value grain, right? Same goes for when I buy out Mike, the thousand acre guy who couldn’t make it because I ripped him off of a third of his land base for 90 bucks an acre, (the lazy nut never even counter offered, heh heh heh), his yard is even bigger at eight acres! And the 30 acre pasture with his new fences? Lots to gain there. It’s so great I bought the cat and hoe. I’m just so great. What planning, what efficiency!

Truly, farmers are more worried about getting more more more. The gun is forcing them.

By and large, this is how it seems to me. Few exceptions anymore.

More land, best machinery, highest inputs to out do the neighbor. Smash down all the Bush, all the old yards. Make full quarters. When I die, I want to be known as the guy who worked so hard, and attained so much. It helps me so much now in my death. It matters most to gain more stuff. Lotsa room in this 8 by 3 plot I’m in now!

It’s really quite stupid actually.

Who suffers? The thousand acre farmer just trying to make a proper living. The garlic farmer who wants 20 acres, but no one will give him a chance.

So to answer your question, I truly believe that the biggest issue that worries 90% of the farmers that are left, is doing all they can to get more. More land, more stuff to farm it, highest yields they can so they can afford it.

Sheepwheat , this post really resonates with what I have personally seen in my area. I used to think that it wasn't fun being the smallest farmer in the area. In the last 5-10 years my opinions have changed. Nowadays , I kind of like seeing the look on a few "neighbors " faces when I drag some old relic home ,because I got a deal on it , and because these BTO's wouldn't be caught dead using it on their land, even though they seem to have a bigger problem with land management despite having the best machinery that $ can buy. In my area We had a Hutt colony come in and buy 50 + 1/4s of land in the RM a while back. They paid a lot more than what land was currently trading for ( similar story for some of you guys I'm sure) and it raised the price of land in our area for everybody. Great idea if you are selling , not so much for expanding. I am getting tired of those kinds of groups who seem to have a lot better banking terms than the rest of us. It is unfair , and always has been.

However if you are thinking about selling , you are no longer a pawn in a big chess game. It changes the dynamic a bit when the neighbors that really want to buy/rent your land know that they cant snooker it out from you because they think no one else wants it. It's the best RRSP I didn't have to pay for.

Just my opinion everyone.

[farmaholic]

Farms have continued to grow and consolidate almost from the time Western Canada was settled by pioneers.
I'm sure the rate of consolidation ebbed and flowed over the decades.
Even at different rates in different areas of the Provinces.

It feels like we've been left "behind", but in some cases you have to wonder who is further "ahead".

Lots of very successful multi family farms.

Lots of wannabes that are ego driven

Nothing wrong with being "satisfied".

Seems 8-10,000 acre farms are the new 2-3000 acre farms.

I think it's all based on increments.... numbers of harvest, seeding and family units.

To each....their own.

Edit in. What sounds better? "We" farm 10,000 acres" or "my share of the 10,000 farm is 3333.3 acres".

....and then the hired men need to be paid too....

[bucket]

Farms have continued to grow and consolidate almost from the time Western Canada was settled by pioneers.
I'm sure the rate of consolidation ebbed and flowed over the decades.
Even at different rates in different areas of the Provinces.

It feels like we've been left "behind", but in some cases you have to wonder who is further "ahead".

Lots of very successful multi family farms.

Lots of wannabes that are ego driven

Nothing wrong with being "satisfied".

Seems 8-10,000 acre farms are the new 2-3000 acre farms.

I think it's all based on increments.... numbers of harvest, seeding and family units.

To each....their own.

Edit in. What sounds better? "We" farm 10,000 acres" or "my share of the 10,000 farm is 3333.3 acres".

....and then the hired men need to be paid too....

Exactly....

[jazz]

The biggest threat to this industry is right in front of your eyes example oil patch.

1. Marshall a public relation campaign against it, get useful idiots to carry the message, aka climate change.
2. Add layer of layer of regulation on to it.
3. Tie it up with court challenges with special interest groups UNDRIP
4. Give it zero support, recognition, smear it with outrageous claims.
5. Take profits from the regulation and share with everyone else but that industry
7. Let it age out, encourage no development, let it cannabalize itself, discourage new blood.

then watch it die, force people into cities and turn them orange or red.

[Rareearth]

If public perception is one agriculture’s problems, never post pictures of livestock feeding on grass under powerlines, or living under power lines. It just doesn’t look good and or it’s not a “romantic” perception that the consumers have. Organic?

[samhill]

K, agree with much of the opening post, but what I think is the banking industry makes the decisions. They have not much interest in a million dollar loan. Start at 2 million and you have their attention if it cash flows. There are people financing vehicle loans but for most people it’s the finance company at 5 or 6%. That all likely gets bundled up and borrowed from a bank at a low rate. Of course I actually know very little, just a guess.

[jazz]

If public perception is one agriculture’s problems, never post pictures of livestock feeding on grass under powerlines, or living under power lines. It just doesn’t look good and or it’s not a “romantic” perception that the consumers have. Organic?

Remember a few yrs ago when the patch just thought if they could tell their story, everyone would come on board. That didnt happen. In fact things got worse.

The best thing we can do is share nothing of this business with the general public including the ag more than ever crowd on twitter. Just going to attract unwanted attention.

Let people think this is all red barns and white silos and fences and hicks in overalls.

[burnt]

remember a few yrs ago when the patch just thought if they could tell their story, everyone would come on board. That didnt happen. In fact things got worse.

The best thing we can do is share nothing of this business with the general public including the ag more than ever crowd on twitter. Just going to attract unwanted attention.

Let people think this is all red barns and white silos and fences and hicks in overalls.

Bingo!

"Our" farm groups believe that they will receive a rational response from the rabid crowd that is pushing agriculture into oblivion.

All they do is provoke and further empower the nihilism fiends.

For first-hand evidence, look at how much progress has been achieved by debating with the socially and intellectually challenged bunch of left-wing extremists on this site.