Western Canadian Farms in 2005- Live Chat

[dsheehan-millang]

You're invited to participate in an upcoming Live Chat in the Agri-ville Coffee Shop titled the Western Canadian Farms in 2005 on Wed, December 8 starting at 8:00 p.m. MST (Alberta Time)Join Bruce Hill, Cornerstone Educational Services and Ken Hursh, Hursh Consulting & Communications Inc.and others. Read the article related to this chat in the Agri-ville Times.

[jwright]

This was fun, my first attempt at 'chat, and easier than I thought, but I was a little disappointed that the chat revolved mostly around the same old issues. Whereas I was hoping it would be a little more futuristic, imagining how things will be in 2005 or beyond, for better or worse. I think the concensus was that there are too many big ugly concrete silos around. ;-)

[cdmars]

I am preparing an article based on the transcript. The transcript will be posted soon in the Library. Thank you for your comments. Do you have some futuristic thoughts you can share in this forum? Is there a particular subject that we should narrow the topic down to like 'Biotech & Organics Year 2005'? Kevin started a 'Top Ten uses for Concrete Elevators Year 2005' if bulk grain production in Western Canada declines. 'Bungee jumping' rated high especially after 'Barb' observed farming feels like bungee jumping. I will include the complete list in my article hopefully complete early next week. In the meantime if other people have ideas for uses for them add them to the list through this forum. Bruce

[jwright]

Some predictions for 2005? 1. More livestock. 2. More intensive grazing. Large areas distant from ports converted to cow-calf, lambs, forestry. Much more grazing of higher productivity crops like alfalfa. 3. More corporate ownership of production, and possibly land. 4. More organics. 5. More genetically engineered crops. 5. MOre pharm-ing (producing drugs etc. using genetically engineered plants, animals) But it won't be ordinary farmers doing it. It'll be even more highly capitalised farmers doing it, tied in with stringent contracts. 6. Death of even more farm communities. (They are already dying from the influences of urbanisation and social fragmentation anyway). 7. Capital will be increasingly important and those without capital for machinery will turn even more to livestock and hiring custom operators. 8. Creation of new grass roots institutions for cooperation when people accept that the old ones, pools, farm orgs., have outlived their usefulness. Okay, that wasn't very imaginative, but that's how *I* see it going right now. JIm

[cdmars]

Eastern Canadian decision makers drove the change away from trade distorting subsidies. Thus we have seen western grain growers diversify at a tremendous rate. There has been a huge increase in non-cereal grains grown. But now even those limited markets cannot sustain the bulk grain producer. The decision, right or wrong, to move Western Canada out of bulk grain production has been made. But the consequences of moving into higher valued commodities like livestock and specialized crops has not been entirely thought out or has it? An interesting thought for Ontario....I would not want to be a shareholder in anything to do with bulk grain shipments out of the Seaway. Processed beef take up far less room. And yes we could process it here. It is far cheaper to ship a cow as hamburger patties than when she still has a belly. But it takes planning. It is not hard to see short term political thinking distorting other industries, like cattle and hay production. We have some very talented people in Canadian Agriculture who if thrown the challenge could look forward and avoid consequences of that short term thinking. Are we going to be better off without bulk grain production on a large scale? Is Canada going to be a better country with a stronger economy and social fabric? It is a sad time especially for those many Western people that made the trek to Quebec to give them a collective hug. Some of the strongest nationists come from the West. But maybe that is part of the plan to move them off the farm to the East to compete for jobs there ;-) A terrible loss for the West but a tremendous gain for the East...for they are true Canadians.

[jwright]

I agree with much of what you say, but I'm not sure how you see easterners to blame. It's been mostly westerners that have promoted economic rationalisation--Fraser Institute, Western Canadian Wheat Growers, etc. All these lobbied for years to get rid of the existing system of agriculture. Remember when 'getting rid of the Crow' was going to promote diversification? What no one said loudly was that it would promote diversification by removing export subsidies to grain farmers, so that cattle producers would get cheap feed at home. Someone forgot to tell the grain companies who have been overbuilding massive silos, when what we really need is facilities for marketing niche crops is smaller quantities. Jim

[cdmars]

Which reminds me, Jim, you didn't expand on the Ten Uses for Concrete Elevators in 2005. But good point, I guess somehow I feel we have a void in leadership in Canada. The power of leadership is Eastern. We do not seem to have people with a strong vision for the country. Look after the fringes of our economy, our country...the rest will follow. The true leaders of the past century who built this country did not think of the centre first. If that sounds political I guesss it is but I feel quite strongly nationalistic in the traditional way rather than revolutionary ;-)

[jwright]

Actually I did, but it didn't register for some reason. I suggested they could be filled with water to raise trout. They would be deep enough that one could likely raise coelacanths at the bottom. ;-) I can't disagree with your thoughts on leadership.