Mega farms

[cowman]

Well I don't know why people don't join up and change the focus then? The ABP could be considered a fairly powerful group? And they are mandatory...you belong whether you want to or not. Every animal sold you have to pay $3. And how effective have they been? When they have a plebicite on raising the checkoff only 12% of eligible producers bothered to vote. How many producers bother to vote in the ABP elections?
The fact is farmers don't want to belong to these things. So there you have your answer...it's not going to happen! And I guess what that means is we will continue down the road to extinction and I guess we deserve to?
Quite a few years back I got elected as the representative for my local recreation board. The apathy was appalling and I soon found out the only one going to be doing any work was the dumbie who got elected! And then everyone bitched about everything I did! So I had my one small shot at politics and packed it in after my one year term. Who needs that sort of garbage? I suspect most farm organizations are just like that rec board.

[raymondb]

Cowman-I wander if you would have still been supported to be on the rec board if you tried? My guesses are that yes you would have been successful and that yes you would have done alot more good. I think all politics have a bunch of "bitchers" on the sideline. I look at Ralph. There are a whole bunch of complainers who are not doers complaining about what Ralph does and yet he wins a majority government every time. Its always easy to complain but it takes perserverance to succeed.

[cakadu]

A wise man once told me that you can't just come to the table with what is wrong, you have to be prepared to come with solutions as well. It doesn't take much to point out what is wrong, but it sure takes a lot to persevere for change.

Change is never easy and it is oftentimes hard to stay the course, which is probably why we don't have much in the way of effective leadership around.

It seems to me it isn't hard to get elected if you throw money in the right direction at the right time. Take the last Alberta election - before it took place money went to doctors and nurses - after the election the pot suddenly ran dry and everyone else had to do without. I'm not saying everyone should get all that they ask for, it's just that it seems as though different things happen at different times. Maybe some things needed to happen when they did in order to bring spending under control, but here in Alberta it seems as though some of the spending is done pretty freely now and with too much abandon and logic.

I am one that wishes we had a real choice in this province. I think we are long overdue for a change. I heard a fellow once say that if you put "Tory" on the back of a chair, it would likely get elected in this province. I'm not sure if that is 100% true, but sometimes I go hmmm.

[raymondb]

cakadu-A good alternative would be excellent and yet we never seem to get any in Alberta. Perhaps the alternatives just do not have enough imagination to appeal to the voters. I strongly believe that the voters in Alberta a really intelligent and seem to know what makes the province prosper at this time. The Tory Blue Machine in Alberta seems to know what the people want and therefore continue to be re-elected. If the few handouts prior to the election is all that guaranteed being re-elected, why didn't the alternatives come up with some promises that exceeded these few handouts and thus sway the popular vote?

[cakadu]

raymond - that's very true and I wonder how we can get the alternatives to appeal to more folks. The alternative parties don't have the access to the coffers - the doctors got a fairly substantial increase that wouldn't have been possible without a deep pocket, which many of the alternative parties don't have.

I don't think it matters where you go or what organization you're in or affiliated with, those that are at the top stay there, while the rest of us get pushed further down the ladder.

Cowman is right - these groups do exist and we need to get more people interested in true change into the organizations. I look at the Wild Rose Agricultural Producers here in Alberta as one group - and the other provinces have similar groups. Surely to goodness they aren't just there to complain about what we are not getting versus what we could be doing? Quite often when some help does get announced, these groups are out there condemning it right away - is it any wonder that the public does not look favorably upon that?

I really would like to see change effected in these groups - I think Cowman is right - we need to get people into them that can and do what to effect real change. Having said that though, it won't be an easy task because they are no different than anyone else in that change is not readily accepted or taken to. Oftentimes people who do want to do some good quit because their efforts are (a) unwanted if the change is too much or perceived to be too much (b) unappreciated because you want to change the status quo.

The one thing I know for sure is that there are going to have to be people willing to take up the leadership reins in a few years because many of the current leaders will be retiring. What will leadership look like then?

[ValueChainFX]

Here here! The one thing I hear most often is that the groups are linked to politics! Also that politics is not going to help us out of this mess! Many of the groups feel they need to do the "Dog and Pony shows"! Well they may be fun but they really are not helping in this mess! Linda pointed out some good reasons why we have a had time getting leaders, but at the end of the day someone just has to go beyond getting recognized for doing something and has to preserver even though there are folks that don't see the vision!

Cooperation will eventually be extended to those that want to make a change and see someone changing things. Very few producers were willing to be the first ones to put up money on a business plan without some tangible touchable things in place (such as a building), but when we built a fabrication shop and showed even a small "proof of delivery system" there all of the sudden became investors wanting to buy in!

Perseverance is probably the best word, secondly cooperation (knowing no one person can do it on their own) and being unwilling to make excuses (or point fingers beyond yourself).

So I will preserver along with others that are working towards the goals!

I will cooperate, since we all know that it will take people throughout the supply chain to challenge the status quo!

And I will not make excuses for not trying to make something happen. (Although I will continue to point out some fairly obvious challenges in the industry in hopes that someone, somewhere will come on board with other like minded people!

[cowman]

Perserverance is just fine if a person can see light at the end of the tunnel. Perserverance with no hope is just being stupid. No sense knocking yourself out if no one else cares? Now I'm not talking about you valuechain...I actually believe you can see a glimmer!
How many people do we all know who don't bother to vote in any election because they know nothing will change? In my provincial riding we might as well not bother. Just send the Tory candidate and don't waste time on an election.
I guess we get the government we deserve...and we got Ralph! Never mind that he has pretty well screwed up everything. People somehow or other think he has done just fine! So much for intelligent voters!
In the last election my elderly aunt needed a ride to the polling booth...you know how these old people are...always have to vote, consider it their duty sort of thing. So I took her and when we came out I asked her how she voted. She said Klein and then added " What a sad state Alberta has come to when the best man available is nothing but a common drunk! I'm afraid he wouldn't have been fit to sweep the floor when Mr. Aberhart and Mr. Manning were around!"

[ValueChainFX]

Thank you for the vote of confidence, I think a lot of the apathy we see is due to a lack of knowledge as well. Some people tend to be intimidated by what they don't understand. They believe they can't accomplish anything based on the thought that their contributions have little or no value (or their contributions wouldn't change things) However, as people combine their ability with others, it's amazing to see how the knowledge base grows exponentially! The challenge than becomes an ego thing! A person must be able to put their own ego to the side and work as a team toward the goals.

Perseverance is something that does require goals and plans. To wonder aimlessly along doesn't do any of us any good. But clear plans with clear goals helps fuel the fire!

[StrawBoss]

I don’t believe many people really understand how the federal and provincial governments slice up the pie? What looks like a waste of money to some is a gain to others and it always appears like the rich get the pie and the poor end up with the crumbs.

I know it’s hard to understand why large corporations get grants and loan guarantees and the poor struggle to feed their children.
This is the way I see it ( but could be totally wrong) companies employ people and pay wages so poor people can support themselves and no longer need handouts. If you just give money to a poor person and not a job then nothing will ever change.

The NDP system of government is to rob the rich ( beat up on the corporation) and give to the poor, but the problem with that is eventually everybody becomes poor. To prove my point check out what they did to Sask. and BC, they also give it a try in Ontario.

I see farm subsidies as a band-aid solution too, and the industry has to start looking towards solving their own problems.

I know we have groups like CCA—ABP ---NFU and others but to get these organizations out of the old rut is like giving an old car a new paint job, but it still will not start. The solution, farmers like new trucks so maybe buy one--- the same scenario applies to a new organization you may attract farmers that feel that the old ones are beyond repair.

We all live in this animal world and the strong will always beat up on the weak and that is reality, but we are fortunate to live in this part of the world and are able to fight and solve problem with words and not guns.

[cakadu]

I'm kind of following your drift StrawBoss - the old adage of teach a man to fish sort of thing and there is some merit to that.

Sometimes it takes a long time for the message to be heard and you do have to have the strength and the conviction of your ideas to see things through. I see things happening today that others started a long time ago that didn't work back then because the conditions, timing, resources or what have you weren't "right" at that particular moment in time.

The one thing that I have learned is that things never happen as fast as we would like nor in the exact manner we would like. What you and whatever team you are working with have to celebrate is the small victories and keep moving forward.

The key is to find the values and beliefs that motivate others and help them to achieve what is right for them, which helps us all to achieve more than we would have if we had gone it alone.

[ValueChainFX]

Subsidies are not the answer and waiting for others to solve your challenges just won't work. The wealth we have is in the experiences we have all been through and our ability to work with others. Knowing we have started to take on our own issues is a start and working with others that have as much to gain as you have will take us to the next step, and the next step and so on!

[redcountry]

Three kinds of people !!!
one watches to see what happens.
one makes it happen.
one has no idea what is happening.
on the east coast there was a local meat plant (hogs and beef) it had been there for many years when along came MAPLE LEAF FOODS the bought out the owners shut down the beef side of the plant (not in their corp plans) and left the entire east coast of canada without a beef kill plant
send your to onario! 1200 miles away was our instructions and we did. the shrink was terrible , dead cattle on the trucks , dark cutters, and transportation costs and being at the mercy of the ont plants (we will take your animals after ours )
we on the east coast with only 3% of canadas herd did not get much attention from ottawa so!!!
We took the bull by the horns you could say
We now have under construction the Atlantic Beef producers Co-op plant at borden-carleton PEI
This plant will produce ATLANTIC TENDER BEEF CLASSIC a producer owned brand
The plant is to open in the fall of 2004 with most of the production contracted to the atlantic farmers
co-op grocery chain (no connection)
Most of the beef producers (not all) in the atlantic provinces bought shares in this new plant
With the provincial governments providing financial backing we are well under way to having our own plant
Wish us well, soon we will have either a solution or a $15m debt but as we had no other option
One other topic
The east is the "EAST' not central canada as many posts call OTTAWA
there is a lot of canada east of ottawa and we are "verrrry" proud of it!

[cakadu]

Redcountry- it sounds like you have a solid plan in place and I wish you every success. The branded product is the only way to go. Those of you on the east coast have stepped up to the plate with your branded products and I think they have done very well.

I heard Barry Cudmore speak about the branding of PEI and the successes it was achieving.

Differentiation in the marketplace is critical and it sounds like you're well on your way to ensuring that you have it. Best of luck in your endeavours.