Some headlines force you to ask questions.

[blackpowder]

I dunno. Recently I had a 2 year acquaintance with a 40 yr old single Mom from Ft Mac.
Her crowd had some commonalities.
They mistrusted govt and corporate bs. They had sympathy for the little guy. And they didn't tolerate whining.
They liked me in my Alberta Tuxedo. They listened.
She didn't last long working in the ag sector lol.
Todays interview just touched a nerve I guess. Nothing changes.
I remember a tv interview in early 80s of a local failing farmer. Standing in front of his swimming pool.

[LWeber]

Rambling.
Noon show had GC interview re rail strike. "Disastrous and catastrophic". "Battling the recent weather"
And I could hear my city friend ask with concern how much I'm suffering.
My whole career I've hated those poor farmer interviews. As bad as hearing it in person from individuals.
Surely a PR expert would have better ideas??
For once I'd like to hear or read an ag article or interview as if written by Kevin O'leary not some Green Acres stuff.

Worry about a rail strike when the greatest threat to farming is in fact: Government.
Vicki is right. No blow back and look what we get: “slapping backs” as Bucket calls it…
Whacked out climate policy is the greatest threat to farming.
66.4% elevator space or 5.537 MMT. Farm deliveries last week were 753,800 - so 7 weeks space at current deliveries. Catastrophic?

Every media school I attended an epoch ago stressed the same thing:
What is your message?
You'll get a 20 second sound bite - three quotes at best in print and if you're lucky 5 to 7 minutes of personal talk time in a 12 minute live interview.
The master interviewee will use those minutes to focus on "the message" and have the skills to bring the interview back to his/her message.
"Disastrous and catastrophic" - with 5 weeks of elevator space before it get's noteworthy?
"battling the recent weather" - geezus - that was the best rain coverage in 5 years over the past 7 days.
?
?Fitting that I leave you with this today.

Only met the guy once in the mid nineties when he was a guest speaker in Ottawa. He would eviscerate the Chuck types in a nano-second with words we mostly have never heard before.
Rex Murphy: 1947-2024 - Canada is a weaker place without him.

Canadian agriculture is a great success, a success built on generations of toil, love of the land, and expertise. Modern agriculture, for those who even have a glimpse of its complexity and sophistication, is a real wonder. Surely, this industry is one that will escape the oversight and interference of the climate priests. Alas no. The Netherlands is in turmoil because its government is bringing down stringent fertilizer curtailments, which have resulted in a countrywide protest by farmers. Agricultural workers are protesting similar policies in Sri Lanka, to say nothing of Ireland, where farmers are decrying a government plan calling for a 21 to 30 per cent cut in emissions from the agriculture sector. But surely this stumbling, aimless Liberal government of ours would not attempt something of the same here? Alas yes. Our federal government has given notice that farmers and ranchers have to cut back their emissions. The government has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer use by 30 per cent as part of its overall effort to reduce Canada’s emissions by 40 to 45 per cent by 2030. What kind of madness is this? With so few things (see above) functioning in this country, why is this otherwise indifferent or detached government wandering into a cardinal economic sector — the one that provides food — with its IPCC-driven mandates? Energy and food — the twin essentials of life and security. And this government cannot leave the industries which provide both alone. Neither can it seem to leave alone the lives and security of Western Canadians. (NATIONAL POST – July 25, 2022)
?

[blackpowder]

I will miss his usage of the English language. Absolute last of an era long gone.

[jazz]

And on a side note, where are the canola crushing plants they announced 3 yrs ago. Still waiting for that pasta plant too.

Its all garbage.

[westernvicki]

Great comment Weber.

As we watch markets plunge today, the lesson is: Statesmen know the politics of grain.

North America needs more statesmen. We are long politicians and paid media hacks.



Protectionism is not a tool of export nations.