The Alberta Advantage?

[cowman]

Actually Europe and America have moved on...to more support for their farmers. I guess the question is does Canada want to grow grain or not? I don't think we can all grow saskatoons and organic chickens.

[ianben]

Cowman there you go again. Low prices hurt us all with or without subsidies.
Nobodies getting rich while consumers pay less and less for food. If they get a fraction of the organic food we all seemed urged to produce the premiums will vanish.Organic looks an easy solution to a politician.
Are you still dry?
Sad as it seems my best chance of a better year lies with you staying dry not help from EU.

[cowman]

ianben: In a large part of the prairies it is still very dry with little snow cover. Where I am it is not too bad as we have quite a bit of snow. The type of spring we have will tell the story. I think you overestimate Canadas' influence on world grain markets as we have become a fairly minor player in the export market. Just about all of our barley goes to the local feeding industry as well as a large portion of the wheat. High freight rates and elevation charges as well as a really bad marketing board have made export cereal production pretty shaky.

[bombay_43]

The unfortunate reality of this whole topic is, the only farmers really making money in farming, are the well established ones. Where are our beginning farmers? Who will take over the family farms that still exist? Our average age of the Canadian Farmer is somewhere around 60! We need to take a closer look at Quebec, who has an average age of 35 for their farmers, thanks to a program called ASURE. It guarantees them their "COST OF PRODUCTION". It is a voluntary program, but over 90% of the provinces farmers are in it, and it has been in existence for some 23 years! Why are our grain prices still the same as 25 years ago? Our expenses have certainly risen. Our Canadian Consumer, does not wish to pay higher prices for food, and we can not maintain this low cost food policy in Canada, unless we can keep our input cost down as well. The alternative? Government Subsidies.

[cowman]

bombay 43: You are exactly right when you ask where are the next generation of farmers going to come from? That is a good question!!! I look around my area and I see hardly anyone under 40...and damned few of those!! Just about all the established farmers are not encouraging their children to go farming.
Quite frankly why would a young person want to farm? Why go into an industry that has no future?

[jensco]

I think agriculture has a future in this country - but it is far different than what you guys have seen.

We fit the average age 35 category but with a large difference. One of us works off the farm as well. We don't farm a large section. We could never afford to farm like what you guys are doing for all the reasons you mentioned. The costs to get going are too high. The low commodity prices don't even come close to the costs, so, we have to stay small.

When the majority of farmers "retire" and there is no one or too few to take their place, Canadians may end up having to pay more for their food. However, how bad will it get before this happens?

Always interesting to read and comment!

[bombay_43]

So you enjoy the farm life and the tax benefits that this type of operation affords to you when you work out. Tell me, do you not believe that you work very hard on your farm, or invest probably most of the income that you make off the farm, into the farm, just to make it keep revolving?

Why should a farmer not have the same living standard as anyone else in this country? Because we are ONLY farmers?

Our family is starting to leave the nest, and let me tell you, our farm can not compete with the wages that our kids can make else where. My kids learned how to work growing up on the farm, and many places of employment prefer farm raised workers. So far only one of my four boys has expressed an interest in farming. He is wise enough to understand that it will be many years before he can quit his job and actually live off of farming. If ever. I find that sad.

Next time you are in a grocery store, take a hard look at what you are putting into your cart. Then add up only the actual agriculture products. Not the soaps, chips, fast foods, chocolate bars, you get the picture. Meat, vegetables, fruit, grain products, and dairy. It really does not add up to much, and it is time that the consumer be made aware of that fact! Until then, the family farm as we know it, will continue to struggle, and die.

[cakadu]

Lately I've been wondering about what we are truly competitive at in this province. Do we have any idea?

What about growing higher value cash crops such as peas, lentils, caroway etc.? I am wondering about micro-climates within Alberta and being able to grow some of these crops here. Does anyone have any ideas as to what prevents us from growing these crops?

[cowman]

Linda, the fact of the matter is in a good part of Alberta we have a good market for barley,feed wheat, and canola. Our freight costs are less than half of parts of Sask. When it costs $1.06/bu to ship barley to the port it doesn't make any sense to grow it. Which is why Sask. grows the higher priced crops. In Alberta we have an instant market for our feed wheat and barley...probably the highest prices in North America. We don't need to grow risky crops.
The whole idea of doing things differently is wonderful but you must understand the majority of farmers are older and are mainly interested in hanging in there for a few more years before they quit. Why would anyone growing grain, for example, want to go into something that would take a lot more time and effort? It is so much easier to work hard for 3 weeks in the spring and 3 in the fall. Is it any wonder they don't want to give up this life? I know all grain farmers aren't like this but for a lot, who use custom sprayers and trucking, this is basically the case. And why not? It is a great life if you can afford it!
And a lot of these older farmers have a lot of assets and are really just "recreation farming" even though they might make quite a bit of money.

[jensco]

I think I need to clarify some things. We chose to move into agriculture and changed provinces to do it! Unfortunately, we had to aquire land etc based on the very limited wealth at the time. We are putting in the long hours both on and off the farm and investing everything we can back into it and raising our family. We have no family support - we left them when we moved. Sound familiar?

We didn't choose this is for a tax break. Not many "city folk" that I know would choose the work load involved! We would love a larger operation and be able to commit to it full-time but cannot afford it. We have to pick at it. There are many families out there like us and we watch the many young people heading off to big paying jobs. It is not just the dollars but the perceived security, ammenities, excitement it offers.

The young that are staying will make the changes and change the direction of agriculture. As for the "old-timers", it doesn't make sense for them to change their operations. It is comparable to someone in a "white collar" position at around the same age. They don't want to change their jobs let alone occupations. Many are not hireable since "too close to retirement". I think a big question here is, how do we encourage young people to choose agriculture for their occupation/lifestyle?

[bombay_43]

Jensco, I understand that you love the farm life. So do we. Bottom line here is unless you did, you would not be doing what you are. You sound like an optimist to me, but try for a moment to be a realist. No young people will be encouraged to go farming, until a comparible living standard, can be achieved.

Farming involves not only a lot of odd ball hours, knowleadge beyond any other profession, and a profound love of gambling, as the dollar investment needed before your farm can produce one dollar of profit, is tremendous!

Most farmers don't know what RRSPs are, because all their money is reinvested into upgrading and maintaining, equipment, land, and livestock. The old saying that a farmer lives poor but dies rich, still holds true. Unfortunately I and many others like me would like to have a little income to live with while we are here. It won't do me any good when I'm dead! "Go ahead and laugh at my old truck and delapetated house! We'll see who laughs last when I die and everyone finds out how rich I am!"

Until the farmer is compensated fairly for his investment, farming does not have a future in our country! If we all have to have outside jobs in order to feed our farms, you must see there is a huge problem!

I believe, unless the country as a whole wakes up to the fact that "agriculture is the single most important industry in our country", and treats it accordingly, large corporate farms will prevail. Then just as you said, consumers will pay the price!

[cakadu]

How overcapitalized are we? In many cases I think we are asset rich and cash poor. Some of the developing countries do not have all the assets we have and in fact farm with a whole lot less. One fellow from Chile who was in this country for a number of years, said to me that while we have one or two combines, a host of grain trucks, bale busters etc., the producers in his country are lucky to have an old tractor and in many cases still farm with basic, rudimentary implements. Who is gaining?

Chile also understands about growing what is demanded out there and not growing what won't make them any money and help them to sustain themselves. They simply won't survive without it. How much better off are we than the Chilean producer? Many here won't survive unless they change their current (and age old) practices.

Instead of looking after the land, we are forcing it to produce far more than it ever was intended. I remember growing up and seeing all kinds of land in summer fallow. Now we can't afford to do that anymore and the rotation is barley-snow-barley or barley-snow-canola. What about looking at what the land wants to do instead of forcing it to do what we want?

Something is going to have to give and history shows us that mother nature usually wins out!