What If We?

[countryguy]

Spring is here and I am growing sicker by the minute knowing we are going to seed any day and do another whole years work for nothing.

What if one year Canadian farmers decided not to plant a crop or ship any meat animals to market,while preventing any commodities that we produce from entering Canada?What effect would this have on the Canadian economy?Maybe if the gov't won't listen to the farmers about the crisis they will listen to the people who rely on our input purchases and our production!Maybe something like this would show our importance to this country?????

[dalek]

How would farmers prevent commodities from entering the country? We'd quickly be shot, not just by the government but by average people who by and large don't care where their food comes from as long as it comes.

[cakadu]

Sadly, Dalek, you have hit on something quite important. Producers are less than 3% of the voice in Canada, which makes it pretty hard to have an impact anywhere.

We've been hearing so much about preserving the small farm, but I wonder just how easy that will be to accomplish. As citizens, producers and our urban bretheren talk about wanting to keep the small farm going. But what does that mean? As consumers, we have all gotten used to being able to buy fresh fruits and vegetables year-round, ready to eat convenience foods etc. Wouldn't preserving the small farm mean buying locally and being able to buy only what could be grown here in Canada? How many people would be willing to give up what we are taking for granted?

I don't necessarily subscribe to the "get big or get out" notion that we have been hearing for some time now, but I wonder about helping to preserve the small guy. As consumers, what would we be willing to give up, or in the alternative, pay for goods grown here in Canada? What would a head of lettuce produced in Canada in the winter be worth? Would you be willing to pay that price?

[Steve]

Countryguy, you don’t have to go to extremes and stop production, because more can be accomplished by a farmers association, see, “ Farmers get united on this thread, ”and start promoting this concept.
Just think if farmers could get their heads screwed on right and within a week or so could be the best and largest organization in the world and set the primary producers product prices and rules for imports. You can start by promoting it in coffee shops, set up free meetings in local halls ( everybody buys their own coffee ) no real big cost. Use the enternet and promote this association concept, also to farmers worldwide and some day this could become a world farm organization to benefit all farmers.

Nothing good ever happens if you just sit there and howl at the Government, because that is all farmers have done and I sure don’t see any change.

[ianben]

Country guy
Like Steve I believe it would take about a week to get realistic prices for our production.
The modern world works on just in time deliveries panic buying also helps. We had a fuel tax revolt here about twelve months ago, didn,t take long for the pumps to run dry a few missed deliveries and everyone driving round with a full tank.

The US farm bill may look good EU subsidies also but we all would like and need higher prices.

Crops look quite good over here canola in full flower, awns just emerging on barley,and wheat a lovely dark green but when I think what a tonne will buy it seems pretty pointless.
Of course as an individual I must maximise production more tonnes still mean more money. Crazy when if we all produced 1or2% less there would be no surplus.
Less work and a lot less risk.

It is not just a Canadian problem

We are small in number in most countries now but the whole world has to eat and the supply chain cannot operate or make a profit without our products.

Lets co-operate and fix sensible prices.

Why cant it be that simple now we are in contact via the internet?

[carebear300]

I am quite interested in what you say Ianben where are you from? sorry I am likely the only one that hangs around here that doesn't know. If as you say all the farmers could work together instead of against one another we could make quite a difference I would bet!!!! would like to give it a try just once anyway.

[ianben]

Hi carebear
I farm in UK near Liverpool.
Started looking on the internet at ag sites round the world.
Find farmers all seem to have the same problems no matter where they farm.
All blaming and moaning and getting nowhere fast.

I see the internet as a means for us to comunicate and co-operate in fixing prices just like everyone else.

As yet I have not managed to convince too many people but I am sure it our best bet for survival.

Wish I could comunicate my idea better!!

There is more in the "farmers united" thread below. Nice to meet you

[countryguy]

Well boys and girls lets get our heads together here and think of a way to get back control of our products.I,as I am sure all of you are am sick of working for nothing.The new US farm bill is going to be the final nail in our coffins so we must hurry.

[ianben]

I must admit that is the hard part getting enough people to believe it would work.

Most of the influencial figures in our industry seem unwilling or unable to back such a radical scheme.

They have jobs and positions to think of after all!!!

[carebear300]

Yes ianben I agree with you they are too busy protecting their high paid jobs to worry much about us average farmers that try and extract our whole livelihood from the land.

[ValueChainFX]

Well folks, your idea has merit in words on a screen, but I have been at many many producer meetings and part of the make up of each producer is the need to be an independent. In fact when producers have got together many times they fail because the producer wants to grow the product and drop it off for his pay!

Those days are now over if you want to survive, adding value to your product and helping it through the supply chain is where you are going to find your extra income. You still need those guys that know what they are doing to make things work.

When your supply line is stopped then producers take note. Recently this happened in the Specialty meat industry. The supply chain lost a meat processor and essential gave a monoply to one player. This shut many producers down, as this player is unable or unwilling to kill and fabricate product.

Now the producer suddenly agrees on one thing! They have to take enough control of the market to survive. Putting the foundation together has been easier then I expected, as it not only opened the producers eyes, but the governments as well and we have had many people step forward to help champion the cause.

Pulling together is a good idea, but be prepared to have patience, lots of money and a strong leader (as he will be pulled a hundred ways) our united program is moving forward, our capitol is coming together and the producers have united at least to the point where they remain civil and focused to accomplish our initial goals. There is a long way to go but so far so good.

Oh and of course there have been many investors that have come in wanting a piece of the action with no role in the organization! But then that defeats the purpose dosen't it?

[Steve]

I can’t understand why farmers would go to Focus on Sabbatical meetings and pay $250.00 and agree to stop production; also invest billions of dollars to buy grain on the commodity market to create a shortage and try to resell the same for more money. ( also the fox would be watching the money)
This could bankrupt most participating farmers if this idea didn’t work.

Why would farmers be reluctant to join a association at no cost, voluntary honor participation, keep your independence, sell your product at a profit, look at the possible gain and nothing to loose?

Farmers keep howling at the Government because it is like banging you head against the wall and wonder if it is going to hurt and you may get a band-aid to stop the temporary bleeding.

I would start promoting a farmers association concept myself, but this old body has to many miles and the warranty may run out before I got started, so I will leave it to the younger believers.

ValueChainFX your idea for value added is okay for specialty products, but that is a very small market, maybe less than 1% of conventional meats. Processing that type of meat may be risky because of disease and animal activists that can disrupt your operation with no warning.
I can see you promoting value added co-operative processing because that is the only way you can market these specialty products, but don’t try competing with the big boys in the other 99% of the meats.

I have been at meetings where the organizers make money selling their book or charge admission to the seminars, but sure don’t practice what they preach.

Sorry but that is the way I see it.

[ValueChainFX]

Steve You are right on as far as going head to head with the big boys. I have
worked for those guys and built their programs with them. I know they have enough
behind them that head to head is a no win situation. But I also know that the markets
that are demanding trace back and soon to be the norm are very hard for them to
handle.

As we go more and more into modified foods and tracking those products the big
guys are going to have more and more challenges. But I also know that many
producers would market their own products if they had the choice. Since the size of
the Value Chain is small compared to the big guys, we can stay busy and still look
after the needs of producers. I sure see the caution out there as it should be. But, I
also see producers that are wishing they had options as well. All we are is an option
and choice is good.

There will always be the big guy and bless their souls. But there will always be
people that think they can help others out and provide choices. I rather like to be
someone that looks into the future with hope, then someone that looks at the present
with fear and despair.