WESTERN CANADIAN WHEAT GROWERS!

[SASKFARMER3]

I will be the first to say that the CWB should be Changed or replaced but what really bugs me is how a USELESS organization with a handfull of memberships is bushing their version of wheat market. HEck their spokeswoman from southern sask was on the radio spouting off how good the worbiton contract was! as an example of how she is an expert at grain marketing well she must have not done her homework since when you factor in Certified seed costs and the premium you are 3 cents a bushel ahead but then you have to truck it to a certain terminal which will eat into your big 3 cents profit.
IVE done the math on this one and went head to head with neighbors and for 3 cents it doesnt pay.
What I am trying to get at is why are we just looking at what her organization is saying and not have others show their side(no not ken ridder and the CWB)

[wd9]

Maybe the media could ask the Canadian Wheat Council, or the Canadian Cereals Council?

Or maybe the media could ask the provincial wheat commissions that are focussed on market development, research and extension work?

[TOM4CWB]

Saskfarmer3;

Developing relationships and providing intrinsic value often has other side benefits that aren't easily measured.

If we all just grow commodities... we will see them worth less.

If we segment the production into IP segments... we make bigger more robust markets... and fill needs customers have that might otherwise go to other grains or food products.

We need a bigger pie... and IP's will, with investment and work... grow our demand... just like ethanol.

Laugh if you like... but hard work and care for our consumer will pay off in the end!

Being on the cutting edge is like being in a bed of roses at times... it is sharp, prickly, and one must take care not to be pricked too much...

But it can be rewarding to see the results when the roses are in full bloom!

[AdamSmith]

SASKFARMER3

Maybe you should phone that woman up and tell her how she is suppose to market her grain. I hear she really appreciates it when others insist they know whats best for HER farming operation, as clearly you must have better knowledge of what she likes and what individual choices are best for her.

Yikes!

[SASKFARMER3]

What I was trying to get across is that here is a organization that closed its doors just three years ago because they were so out of touch with reality that no one wanted to be one.
THen all of a sudden they are the voice of farmers. Hell in Sask we use to laugh at members as the BBC (Billionare BOYS CLUB) DADDY LEFT THEM THE FARM OR THEY WERE OLD SEED GROWERS.
HELL Dont think Ethanol etc will give me bigger returns but her example is a joke the local Elevator for years has offered this program the only winner in a big way is the company selling the seed they make the big dollars then the Elevator company then finally the farmer with pennies not dollars.
The big profit for farmers will be in ethanol or Bio Diesel since the freight we pay CP and CN will be gone and thats big dollars. Finally also the ONes who have used our products as cheap food HRS Durum Barley for malt Canola will have to start paying for a product and god help them if we have a failure somewhere in the world.

[wedino]

Skfarmer3, Wheatgrowers are funded solely by farmers, unlike the likes of SARM & APAS who get their funding from rural municipal taxpayers.

[AdamSmith]

If I were in government or the industry and I wanted to take the pulse of farmers who are optomistic and whose operations usually reflect that optomisim, I'd would be talking to the WCWGA. I'll admit I'm biased because I'm a VOLUNTARY member of the WCWGA. In fact I once was a director.

The thing that always struck me was that almost all other members seemed to share that optomisim.

I spent about four years with KAP and was a district rep for a couple of those years and every time I came home from Wpg after a two day board meeting I was more down and depressed than I was before the meeting. The opposite occure whenever I went to a wheatgrowers meeting.

Optomisim is a wonderful thing but I soon realized when I was with the wheatgrowers that many farmers resented that level of optomisim. They believe true farmers were helpless victims. Wheatgrowers believe as individuals our destinies are held in our own hands. Just get out of our way.

At KAP everything was a crisis, I'd walk away from a meeting wondering if there was any point in continuing on.

So when KAP looked like they were going to have to shut their doors because of low membership, they just pushed the MB government to give them a check-off via the grain companies.

The wheatgrowers directors at the time chose to shut down (they didn't need to by the way)But the membership felt the WG's voice was still needed and we built it back up again. By the way I'll take 1000 voluntary, progressive thinking, optomistic, $150/yr, members anyday.

No other oganization has the depth of loyalty like the wheatgrowers. I'm damn proud to be a member.

[stubblejumper]

wedino SARM and APAS are funded by producers through their tax dollars. How much funding does WCWGA get from major ag corporations.

[magpie]

warburton wht contract enables one too get better cash flow as it is over and above quota provided your first quota is filled

[wedino]

Stubblejump, Major ag corporations make the decision to contribute to WCWGA on their own, no forced contribution through taxes. Some Major ag corporations do contribute to SARM, voluntarily. All ratepayers (not just prodcers) are forced to contribute to SARM & APAS.. Producers that rent land do not fund SARM or APAS. Less than 40% of RMs are members of APAS.

[AdamSmith]

Stubblejumper, so by your logic the policy positions of APAS and SARM are de-facto policy positions of all Sask. Farmers. How convenient!

Did APAS and SARM have a plebiscite amongst all farmers to develop their CWB policy? If not, aren't they a little ahead of themselves in demanding the federal government hold one as well?

The Wheat Growers establish policy positions at convention and farmers are free to join or not join based on their compatibility with those policies. That is something very unique among farm groups. Imagine that, saying this is who we are, this is what we believe and we welcome you if you share our vision. But don’t expect us to bend ourselves out of contortion to please the masses.

With respect to funding by major ag corporations, I don’t know what the amounts are today, but if it was like when I was there yes we had corporate sponsors for our conventions, and that is where the vast majority of funds from the corporate side originated from. I never had any moral dilemmas because of this, although I always wanted more from them. They weren’t buying influence, they were buying direct access and close contact to some of the most progressive and prosperous farmers in western Canada. One of my frustrations was that they always wanted us to shut up about the cwb. Well as I saw it, that was what set us apart, we would say the things that everyone was afraid to say, or was contrary to accepted protocol. We were supposed to be nice, and smile while the cwb continued to rob us of our rights and our grain. We were supposed to be cordial while the cwb spent our own money against us in a huge propaganda campaign that had never stopped ever since the Goodale Board was created back in 1999.

Stubblejumpper, you must understand that Wheat Grower members don’t consider themselves helpless victims of corporate greed, but as equal and respected partners within a dynamic industry. You may not agree with that philosophy, or outlook on farming but I ask you to respect that others do.

[stubblejumper]

adamsmith believe it or not other organizations also have conventions and discuss policy.

[SASKFARMER3]

THe funny thing about all this rhetoric about the WCWGA is that I am one of the furthest ahead farmers in my four RMS. THis was do to hard work and creative inovative farming, hell we try a different crop every year, yes I have grown Corn Soyabeans Pintos etc. But Becoming a member of that organization would be the last thing on my mind. Cash and Profit of My farm are my main objectives JUST LIKE MONSANT, Bayer ETC>
MY Main comment was why are we just hearing one side of this the WCWGA Side. Hell I want all sides and then I can make up my mind.

[AdamSmith]

You really have me confused SASKFARMER3.

There is the, I support the CWB single desk and want it to continue, side.

And there is the I want the freedom to sell my grain to who ever, when ever, where ever, side.

Only those two sides. It's pretty simple really. Should farmers be free to sell their wheat to whoever they want or should farmers only be allowed to sell to the cwb. That is the only debate going on.


Hmmm


Oh, you mean the wishy washy side!

The side that can't decide.

The side that sees value in having freedom as long as the cwb say's it's ok.

But if the cwb says it's not ok well gee that isn't very good either.

But They don't want to say anything bad about the cwb because well they do some good things for farmers, but gee why can't farmers process their own grain in a new gen co-op mill, that's not right.

But the cwb knows alot and we don't want to get rid of them, but gee wouldn't it be nice if this debate would just go away.

Yeah, I'd like to hear from that side myself.

[SASKFARMER3]

I know your one of those guys that knows it all but my comments on the WCWGA is why is a group of 100 or so making policy.
Let the CWB open the books to farmers and show us if they made money or it went strait to winnipeg jobs.
If its the jobs then gone and for good.