Rules of engagement in ongoing discussions

[charliep]

Just a special request as a moderator that everyone go a little easier on the rhetoric around some of the issues we have been dealing with. I realize that many of the participants believe passionately in these topics but it is important that we put our arguments forward in a clear manner that doesn't offend people. We're not going to make the policy changes you want in Agri-ville. What we can do is get a debate going around the issues and present ideas/alternatives. Ideas, alternatives and testing of them are the first steps to change (if needed).

I would also encourage more discussion around market outlook and alternatives. Policy stuff is nice because it creates debate but it takes a long time to enact (not everyone will be happy either). In what for many farm families is going to be a tough year (tight cashflow, low commodity prices, drought, etc.), it would be nice to have a balance of marketing actions a farm manager can take - be they forward contracting, different crops to crop for specific markets, options strategies. What we are trying to do here is give people positive steps they can take to improve profitability and keep risk to acceptable levels.

A final comment is to keep answers short if possible. After 25 years of writing experience, I will suggest to you that peoples attention span is about 3 to 4 paragraphs. I am the worst offender so someone will have to keep on my case on this as well.

[rockpile]

Here, here, well stated Charlie. It is far easy to be distracted by simple issues and be tricked into overlooking the big ones. It seems that farmers from all producing areas of the world are facing the same problems - low prices, high inputs, weather, you name it, regardless of what hybrid marketing system they come from. The only differing factor is the level of government support. Tom4 raises some excellent points and lines of thought, but focuses only on the activities of the CWB. But, his observations also encompass problems and issues with non-board grains and specialty crops as well. He is in the right direction, but not necessarily on the rails. So, how do we solve this dilemma - to get a bigger share of the food consummer's dollar?
Rockpile

[TOM4CWB]

Rockpile,

I hope you know that the CWB has my undivided attention, because they damaged my being in such a way that until some kind of a resolution of this abuse allows me freedom, I am imprisoned and am fighting to get relief! Thankyou for allowing me the opportunity to share with you guys, it really does help to get it out in the open!

I do not intend to be mean spirited, and would meet with the CWB any day, if they would want to resolve the issues we have been harping on for the last month!

[ianben]

Hi everyone
I would like to apologise if I have caused offence or insult by anything I have written on this site.
I want us to co-operate in the market place and trust one another so this was not my intention. Sorry.

I believe the future of the family farm worldwide depends on this co-operation as in my opinion this is the only way we will survive in the global market.

When Ford New Holland and Case, The chemical companies, Banks etc. feel they must merge to to form these mega companies to survive now. I fail to see how any individual farmer thinks he can compete alone. They may not break us all but GOOD young farmers are like hens teeth or rocking horse s**t over here in a generation we will be all gone.
If you wish me to leave the discusion just send me an Email.
Ian

[charliep]

No need to apologize. It is good to have a new view from a different part of the world. You are highlighting the fact the issues you face are not much different than here. My suspicions/experience would tell a US farm family is going through exactly the same isses. A common purpose/policy approach among the major exporting countries would go along way to contributing to profitibility for farm businesses and world food security on the other hand.

I hope you don't mind my requesting you give an update on weather in England. My understanding is that you had an extremely wet fall with less winter crops going in. That will mean more spring crops. The other question revolves around oilseed acreage. My understanding is that canola/****seed has found a fit in your crop rotations but that in the new UK/EU farm support will mean a lot less flaxseed acres. Any feedback on your weather/crop conditions, acreage shifts and markets would be appreciated.

Charlie

[burnt]

Remember this?

I don't either.

[jazz]

Remember this?

I don't either.

Looks like the previous agriville crowd was pretty uncivil as well. Wondering what the topic of the day was back then. cough..cwb.

[Blaithin]

Remember this?

I don't either.

It was a lifetime ago!

You were probably only as old as I am now.

















😆

[burnt]

It was a lifetime ago!

You were probably only as old as I am now.

















😆

If so, you are then much older than you have led us to believe.

[Blaithin]

If so, you are then much older than you have led us to believe.

[ATTACH]7302[/ATTACH]

Don’t think I’m at cougar level. Just spinster.

[malleefarmer]

All of a sudden im more ancient

[TOM4CWB]

All of a sudden im more ancient

If you are still around Charlie... Happy Birthday, Many Blessings and hoping you are healthy, prosperous, and have a wonderful 2021!!!

[malleefarmer]

If you are still around Charlie... Happy Birthday, Many Blessings and hoping you are healthy, prosperous, and have a wonderful 2021!!!

I’m not a original but part of the furniture

[oneoff]

Murray Mandryk (from once respected Regina Leader Post) would no doubt say that the "history of the modern world; since WW2 can be distilled into one sentence; at most"

The problem being everyone's imagination has to fill in all the details unless the belief is that any thought on such matters isn't productive anyways. Make it into a mystery story in your own mind?

For commodity marketing topics how about summarizing

.
Farmers get screwed; everytime, because it can be done. OR


Every topic is interrelated.

[Old Cowzilla]

Hell that was just the calm before the storm on this site. Bigger cattle herds and steel purchases on the rise
. What could possibly go wrong and then well... There was a time if someone got offended during conversation the chairs got pushed back and everybody else grabbed their drinks off the table. People chose there words more wisely.