Useless Alberta Barley Commission

[Burbert]

I think it is time that this useless organization cease to exist! It has been taking money from all barley producers for years, published a useless newsletter full of barley flour recipes and Alberta Gov't propoganda, and holding goofy meetings. Out with the old, lets slash and burn the old establishment. I can market from my home PC now, grain companies are my friends, lets rock and roll.

[SASKFARMER3]

I agree its time to look at all aspects of agriculture and start slashing and burning as you say.
SASK AG AND FOOD and their useless crop reporting.
Canola Growers and their we need 15,000,000 acres now we got their and watch what will happen to our price.
It will nose dive.
PMRA and all the staff that work their, give back the payoffs the chem companies have been sliding your way and lets the free market work. Glyfos extra in USA at 3.20 liter Canadian.
Stats Canada with today's technology do you think a crop report could be done in the last week before the 24 of April so the information is close to whats going to happen.
The CWB (enough said on this one) Just let us go on our own.
SASK CROP INSURANCE, Come on guys get us on the same field as Manitoba for christ sakes. (NDP No Development Policy)
The Railways, use to pride themselves on being on time, HA HA HA just send cars when you say their coming.
ETC. ETC ETC>

[wilagro]

Burbert: I share your opinion. From day one, I saw the commission as one-sided and strongly dominated by a cabal of growers who just happened to be anti-CWB and just happened to be "friends of the AB gov't" as well. They took our check-off money as well as money from the AB gov't and formed a propaganda organization IMO.

That's okay, I applied and got every cottonpickin' check-off dollar back as the years went by. They didn't need my bucks to promote their cause which was not mine.

[Incognito]

Wil: Turn it around:

From day one, I saw the CWB as one-sided and strongly dominated by a cabal of growers who just happened to be pro-CWB and just happened to be "friends of the Canadain gov't" as well. They took our pool money as well as money from the Canada gov't and formed a propaganda organization IMO.
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Now how do you suppose farmers who don't agree with you and the CWB propaganda, get their money back?

[TOM4CWB]

Incognito,

Well said.

Burbert;

Cooperation can work... without a mandatory "single desk"... by people with initiative and who will work hard.

It helps to be people of Integrety... who are honestly trying to create prosperity and a better community & for their family... to build a better future for the next generation!

A cup is half full people... who have faith tommorrow will bring a better future... if we work hard to build it...

Instead of left wing desperados who see stealing prosperity from the past as an easy way to tickle their brains... and make themselves feel powerful and pad their pockets with the sweat and tears of their neighbour...

A theif is a thief... no matter how you spell it!



I am glad ABC used my money in a cause that is honourable... helping hard working researchers in cooperation with barley growers and processors... try to build a healthy prosperous future for our Ag Community.

Sometimes ABC got the job done... at times it didn't work out as ABC planned...

But certainly not because of a lack of honest, hard work, positive attitude... Trying people in ABC's history who said "impossible" is only a little higher level of "difficult"!

Bless them all and every one... those who led... and are leading the charge... their work was not in vain... IMHO.

[wilagro]

Tom4CWB: " am glad ABC used my money in a cause that is honourable... helping hard working researchers in cooperation with barley growers and processors... try to build a healthy prosperous future for our Ag Community."

IF the ABC had stuck with research, promotion and goodwill, then I would have had no quarrel with their efforts. When 70% of their efforts and money went into lobbying against the CWB and other perceived "impediments", then I said, enough is enough.

[TOM4CWB]

Wilagro,

In the past 5 years, what % has been spent on the former... and the latter... Wilagro?

Please tell me, other than the "Dare" CWB Goodale gave... to take the CWB to Federal Court to acheive our property and civil rights as farmers in a free and democratic society...

CWB Minister Goodale Said that only a court of competent jurisdiction could remove the CWB from our farm fields and bins...

When even the consensus view of Goodales own hand picked western grain marketing panel (WGMPR)agreed barley needed to be removed from the grips of the CWB single desk...

Admit it Wilagro... there was no doubt an injustice with barley.. CWB Commissioner Ken Beswick clearly identified it. THE WGMPR recommended simple and competent solutions... and Goodale messed it up royally.

Please don't blame hard working good intentioned people for Goodale's Revenge!

[Burbert]

Wilagro, Yeah in with the new, out with the old, I agree with Saskfarm3, all of the crap has to go, grain and fert companies make enough off us as it is and are not our friends. Checkoffs, I always demand their return. The ABC out of Calgary, is a politico organization, jumping up and down at the whim of the current AB Gov't, hence are totally useless. Barley flour cookies and muffins, sold at the Co-op (mostly to tough to swallow), what a deluxe contribution to modern ag, or should I say gag!! Their marching orders come directly from Alberta Cabinet, Boooooo, boohoooo!

[TOM4CWB]

Burbert,

It was Very frustrating to have seen all that $barley growers money$ spent on the Barley Charter Challenge...

IMHO the only positive result from this legal challenge of CWB authority was to learn this:

It was and is the responsibility of the Canadian Parliament, the CWB Minister of the CWB... to decide what marketing powers the CWB should or should not have. Not the Courts... & Not the CWB Directors... the rightful authority of the Privy Council through its Regulations & orders to determine what the CWB should or should not do: and how to do this.

Expensive lesson... but we did learn it. If the Canadian Court system has any integrety... it will stand by these decisions.

How this flows back to an attack on the Alberta Government... I fail to understand...

I knew many an AB Ag minister...

All who in the end essentially said this... Don't waste a cent on lawyers fighting the CWB... because "Trade & Commerce Powers" are the responsibility of the CDN federal government and it alone.

I hope the CWB Directors stop wasting our hard earned pool account money... for the lesson is there for them to learn from... as well as it was for the ABC!

[charliep]

Burbert

You might add the issues around getting a health claim in Canada. Beta glucan can be sold in the US with a health claim but not in Canada. Why is this important? I suspect you may want to consider the health issues baby boomers are facing.

What should be done differently with research and development? Who should finance? If the farm community isn't at the table with money, do they have any right to ask for influence on reseach and development initiatives?

[Burbert]

charlip,tomrcwb, Listen, since the grain companies are now our best friends, they can do it. After all they have a vested interest, without us (farmers), they will cease to exist, what better motivation do they need. After all the Alberta Gov't gutted AB ag a few years ago. Why would they continue to fund the AB Commission? They know nothing, except how to spread the government word, while pretending to be a farmer org., marching the goosestep of the Alberta Gov't cabinet. Gluten smooten, they are working with about a handful of barley, most of the time. After all shouldn't we all be eating, lean mean ostrich meat and bison if we want good health. How about ginseng, wasn't that going to save us all. No, no it was emus, no it was elk antler, no it was deer farms, no it was herbs and spices, no it was horse racing the sport of kings, what a load of horse buns, minature donkeys, cute but useless, petting farms. No it is berry farms, make a pie, maybe the gov't boys will stop bye and buy a piece at coffee time, hell if I wanted to be a baker, I'd be a baker. Ag-tourism thats the way to go, after all don't the city cousins all want to stop in and help on the farm all the time, yeah thats the future we should study that for a while, probably make jillions, hosting. @#$$%$##@$%%%$

[wilagro]

Burbert: LOL...I copied your last message to print out for my neighbours. I know they will get a kick out of it. Your analysis of AB Agriculture and their objectives, policies and BS over the years hits the nail right on the head.

An excellent posting...thank you.

[BennyHin]

Good post Sask!

As for Tom4CWB: I'm starting to believe that you would support any stupid organiSation so long as it is based in Alberta... the ABC, what a joke.

[charliep]

Wilagro, Burbent

Help me understand your vision for the barley industry?

[wd9]

Re health claim. The US has regs much more conducive to receiving a a health claim. Canada's regs are a disaster when it comes to getting a Qualified Health Claim (QHC).

For example the same time canola started with the FDA in the US it took around 260 days to achieve. Soy started the QHC process in Canada and by the time it was granted in the US for canola, soy received a letter back saying that they had received the claim. No estimate on length of time. Must be 2 1/2 years by now and still no QHC for soy in Canada.

Saskfarmer3, you were probably the same guy jeering the same rant back in 2002 when canola had a goal of 7 MT in 2007.

Guess what, we now grow almost 10 million tonnes at over $3 billion in value with an ever increasing demand for food oil. Have gone to view several biodiesel plant sites in the last while where the demand over the next couple of years will ramp only upward. Listen to the news from Minister Strahl tommorrow on an announcement BTW from, ahem, "somewhere around Calgary"

Crush facilites over the next couple of years will expand double to what we have today, and yes there is buyers for that 6.5 million tonnes of domestic crush.

New uses and process for meal including protein extraction for fish meal replacements and non-allergenic proteins are just coming on-stream and look very promising.

Specialty canola oils in view of the ever increasing pressure of transfats especially with the transfat task force recommendations released open up for easily 25% of the oil produced to be specialty HOLL oils. There is great opportunity in this field.

The decision was made back in '02 either this industry grows, or it is over. Not many people knew that. Farmers, germplasm developers, exporters, crushers, and biodiesel producers decided to grow it, and have.

Grow it even more, have demand and production of 15 million tonnes by 2015. Key is demand and production and both have to be monitored carefully. I personally think farmers will have a hard time keeping up with the demand.

Anyway, back to barley, hate to post ho but just felt the need. What was that again, oh yeah, barley strategy?

T4, you should be able to do a good job of that.