Not one western MP or MLA standing up for farmers and the failed farm programs

[cropgrower]

yes farmers pay a huge amount of tax , and i hope all my tax dollars go to some other less fortunate farmer

[TSIPP]

If you don’t support farmers, don’t eat!

[bucket]

It's mind numbing the resources that Canada has that have been shuttered because of this government. Natural gas, all ag exports, oil , etc etc. Instead this government runs deficits with so called full employment . It is major incompetence . We should be running in the black.

[WiltonRanch]

Even mega corrupt Russia can get resources to market more effectively.

[fjlip]

And Ukraine while fighting a war! Record exports

[13stripe]

Government is the worst business partner you could have.

[foragefarmer]

Here's an unpopular opinion.
When we have a year or more of unfavorable weather, I always ask myself, what if this is the new normal? For how many years or decades should we expect the taxpayers to bail us out from bad weather or bad prices or failed business model? All that would do is postpone the inevitable adaptation to the new normal. Even if the new normal is extreme volatility. Eventually the taxpayer will run out of money or will to support a black hole, will we be prepared for that?
Have we just finished an era of unprecedented precipitation and favorable growing conditions and are now returning to a more average period in the semi-arid prairies?
is there a reason why previous generations thought they only had enough moisture to do half and half cropping in many parts of the prairies?
Have we adopted a high input business model during a period of relatively good prices and good weather?
What if poor growing conditions and poor prices are the rule and not the exception, and the high inputs, high rent continuous cropping model is not a viable business model?

How long would it take us to recognize that and adapt both with and without the crutch of taxpayer support?

Ab5, after mirror gazing at your own operation which has participated in every government program, you've finally realized your business model is dependent on the taxpayer's crutch, and are now admitting it isn't viable without it.

Thanks for sharing your sudden epiphany. Unlike you, many of us have adapted our business models in order to be viable and successful years ago without being fastened on to the government (taxpayer's) tit.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Forage, don't give up your day job to pursue a career in mind reading.

[blackpowder]

A great discussion with good points thankfully on the adult page.

My great grandfather had four sons farm. They had 8 sons farm. Soon I will be the last and have no farming heirs.
What do I blame? Nothing really.
Except perhaps 1 thing.
In all cases, failure to see it as a business with no outside world experience, vision, and most importantly education.

Cycles repeat and nothing immune.
In 20 years 10% of us will have heirs on here discussing the same issues.

Govt intervention only softens the blow. Although necessarily so. Their job is to keep the Monopoly game running perpetually. And eventually they will fail at that. And the whole thing starts over again.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I think one poster forgot this was the adult page and not Chuck's daycare. It was a constructive civil discussion until then.

[furrowtickler]

Government is the worst business partner you could have.

Absolutely agree

[blackpowder]

Absolutely agree

I too agree.
But let's not forget GRIP bought land for some around here.

[furrowtickler]

I too agree.
But let's not forget GRIP bought land for some around here.

Yup same here , especially west of here in 2001 and ‘02

we got zip out of GRIP basically
it only helped those who had good crops the years before
2000 we were wiped out with hail so 2001 drought we got SFA

[blackpowder]

And whatever we got went to cash flow. If you were already easily profitable, it bought land or new cars.
That's the way a subsidy works I guess. Doesn't look like Agristab will pay for this year.

[westernvicki]

AgriStability.
How many left in it.