Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company

[dansam]

Anyone wanting more information on how to develop an Environmental Farm Plan in Alberta should visit www.albertaefp.com to get more details.

It's a free and voluntary process where a facilitator and a Technical Assistant(in a Workshop Setting) help you to complete a self assesment of your farm. You identify the risks present and develop a plan of action on how to lower your risk. You do this by filling out a specially designed binder which makes the whole process manageable. It's non-regulatory, educational and no one actually visits your farm to "inspect it" so to speak. Once you develop the plan, your facilitator verbally presents it to a Panel of Farmers (referred to as Peer Review) who "Deem it appropriate" and issue you a certificate. This certificate allows you to Apply for Government Grants through the Canada Alberta Farm Stewardship program for things like GPS systems, fencing supplies, Fertilizer Bins, Portable Calf Shelters and Portable Wind Breaks amoung other things. It should be noted that your facilitator is the only person who knows who the plan belongs to and they are not allowed to show the plan to anyone. They will issue a number to your plan and when he presents it to the panel they only know you by that number. Your confidentiality is protected. The Alberta Environmental Farm plan Company is a non-profit company funded by the Provincial and Federal Governments.

[dalek]

Linwood Barclay did a beautiful job in his piece yesterday that if banning handguns wins support for the Liberals, why don't they just ban everything that's already illegal from littering right up to murder? Then they should win by a landslide.

[cowman]

Although most farmers would not be affected by a "handgun ban", it has to get them a little nervous? When the Liberals were trying to push the national gun registry on us one of the concerns was this was the first step to confiscation of all guns? Top it off with statements like bright light Allan Rock that only the police should own guns...didn't help! Whats next?
Now I don't know about you but I'm not really into beating an animal to death with a club or something when they need to be put down? And since the earth friendly Liberals decided suddenly farmers were too stupid to be allowed strychnine, how do you keep the gophers down without the old .22?
But wait, who cares about the idiots outside Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa?
Well how about you farmers in Ontario? I guess you are expendable along with all the old farmers out west!
Let's face it the Liberals just aren't very "rural friendly" whether in Ontario, Alberta or the Maritimes! They seem to be more interested in the big cities and the ghetto gangsters who they brought into this country in the first place?

[dalek]

Cowman I was just talking to my Conservative MP this morning, who I've known most of my life. The "real" polls now show the Conservatives leading in almost every riding in Ontario outside of the 416 area code and give them 32% support overall compared with 30% for the Liberals and 24% for the NDP. Why do you think Buzz Hargrove is now pushing Liberal candidates? Because the NDP is picking up so many disgruntled Liberals that there's a real chance of Conservative wins even in lefty strongholds.

[dalek]

dalek, hope your information isn't wishful thinking on the part of the Conservatives and that they continue to take the high road and announce programs they will implement if elected. I think that the NDP are starting to look shaky, seems as though Layton is back peddling on issues on a daily basis this past week.

[cowman]

I think Martin is trying to "divide and conquer" with the best of them? I believe he made a mistake on this one, as it should be setting off alarm bells in every rural area in the country?
It doesn't look good when Pauls main man, Ralph Goodale, writes a letter to a constituent stating the whole thing is basically meaningless political posturing!
Now I have stated on this sight many times I believe wholeheartedly in seperation of western Canada, but the fact is if this darned country could be fixed so we aren't always catering to Quebec it might be able to work?
A Liberal government means one thing...more of the same old BS! A Conservative government, with strong support in Ontario, might have the guts to stand up to Quebec and call their bluff? I certainly don't see Ontario interests being served with the system we have in place right now? The fact is this country is being run for the "golden triangle" and not the rest of us.
I do believe the salt of the earth people in this country want a small c conservative government that treats us all fairly?

[cowman]

Oh, and hopefully someone in Edmonton has the duct tape handy before Ralph Klein can get his foot in his mouth!

[cowman]

Ralph is too busy urging his membership to give him unconditional support at the convention in April, and he isn't going to get that if he causes any more ripples in the federal election. He has offered to help Harper campaign in AB. and Harper has advised him that thanks. I guess Harper feels that its best not to have Ralph on the hustings in case he develops foot in mouth yet again !!!

[cowman]

Definitely smart on Harpers part to keep Ralph quiet! He has a knack for saying the dumbest things at the worst of times!
Personally I think Harper is handling himself very well? He is coming across as very level headed and I think he has Paul a wee bit worried? Martin was on the news bleating that Harper needs to tell Canada how he intends to solve the gay marriage thing yesterday? Sort of reminds me of a kid who is losing an argument resort to something that has nothing to do with today! Sort of "Yea that might be so, but what about what you said last year!"
Martin so far seems to be playing catch up everyday, trying to answer the Conservatives? The Conservatives propose something everyday and he has to respond. He definitely isn't setting the agenda in this campaign?
Every once in awhile he tries to bring in some negative garbage like the handgun thing and this new gay marriage thing, but it doesn't seem to be working all that well! Watch for the real dirty stuff to come out after the holidays!
Martin looks like a fool right now floundering around behind the Conservative bus!

[cowman]

not to mention the popcorn and beer fiasco that Martin's mouthpiece spewed !!!
I think that Harper is doing the right things, and hopefully Ralph will go away for a vacation somewhere nice and warm until after the election then he won't upset the apple cart like he did last time around.

[cowman]

Kind of funny, the other day some reporter asked Ralph how come he wasn't out helping the cause?
He replied he was afraid of getting duct taped! On thing about old Ralph, he's got a good sense of humor and doesn't think the sun rises and sets on himself.