Frustrated Farmers

[cakadu]

I have been reading some of the more recent postings with great interest and have spent much time thinking about how to ask a question without making anyone mad or offending anyone. I can certainly understand the mounting frustration with the current farming situation and the feeling of not much you can do. I can even understand the premise behind Farmers on Sabbatical and the growing support it is receiving. What I am having a harder time understanding and what I would like to know, is what is not growing a crop going to do for you in the long run? How will it help you in the short term? I can appreciate you won't have the costs associated with planting a crop, however, there are also costs associated with not planting. Again, I understand the frustration out there. What I am trying to understand is how something like this will make a difference for the individual. It may bring some notice to you for the short term, but it is not going to change some of the fundamental problems that exist out there. Just like old Nick Parsons, going in his combine - is that going to change much of anything. Sure it will have people take notice as he is going by, but we have very much become a nation of 'what's in it for me'. The average citizen is too far removed from this situation to give it much notice. It is easy to say what the problems are; it's a little harder to come up with effective solutions. I'm not trying to offend and I really hope not to get flamed here. I am one who just wants to be a little better informed about what this type of reaction is going to do to help the current situation. Perhaps I am missing something and someone out there can enlighten me.

[freemo]

As a promoter of Focus On Sabbatical, I can understand the misunderstanding of the concept of 'Not going to the field for a year'. Our greatest challenge in farming today is: To increase our price per bushel - not to increase our yield per acre. At present we are only in the initial stages of acquiring memberships to see if farmers will support the idea of taking a sabbatical - it may never have to come to this. We are looking for the support of 50% - 60% of the farmers on the prairies and the 7 major grain producing states. Once we obtain that goal we will have the ability to cut grain production by 8 billion bushels of grain!! The worst drought that has hit the US has only been able to cut production by 2 billion bushels. At that time wheat futures jumped to US $6.50 /bu.! Now you can see the potential that a unified farm group could have on the market place. If the urban citizen is not aware of our current farm crisis issues, he will soon be aware if there is a threat to his food supply! It's difficult to educate people of our situation when their bellies are always full. We are already receiving letters from American farmers thanking Ken Goudy for making this presentation to them and asking if they can help in any way. Ken has been in meetings with the National Farm Organization who have shown tremendous interest and would like him at their next delegate meeting this month. Unfortunately Ken is busy with meetings, but will be moving south in May to help set up the infrastructure for Focus on Sabbatical. The Americans are getting restless --they want to get involved and present this idea to their farmers asap!!! Please feel free to call me at 306-826-5411 if you have any more questions.

[bushed]

freemo I have posted before that I see merit in this concept .But do you not agree that if this is successful the chem. and fert. companies will just increase their prices and leave us with the same margins that we have had for 30 years? I think that your organization should check out the Farmers of North America . Maybe these two organizations could work together.They concentrate on lower input costs and market opportunities. What a force we farmers would have then!!!

[freemo]

Hi bushed You make a good point regarding the chem/fertilizer companies. Keep in mind however, that we will have the ability to stabilize the price of grain at a level above our cost of production-no matter how high our input costs may get. I am not too familiar with the Farmers of North America, but it sounds like they are trying very hard to make a difference. The only problem with inputs is we have no control over the price because it's not something we produce. Grain production on the other hand is something we have complete control of. If the goals of the 2 organizations were ever realized we would certainly have something to smile about!

[bushed]

Hi again freemo You say that we have no control over the price of fert. and chem. but that is not true. Did you know that chem. and fert. prices are based on 'What the market will bear'. In the States for example round up is around $12/ litre in Austrailia it is around $5/litre and here in Canada about $8/litre.WHY? Because each countries farmers have different levels of final product price. If monsanto can make a profit at $5/litre why are we and the americans paying more.Because it is what the market will bear.If we could achieve $10/bsl for HRSW we would only see chem. and fert. prices increase at the same rate.It is in my opinion that we have to control that first, only then will we have the control we need to achieve what we want .

[plowjockey]

HI Bushed and Freemo....I agree with freemo on this matter. In order to get Government to control a privite industry like Chem co. there would have to be something more serious than just farmers going broke.If the population masses had a sharp raise in pricing of food the gov may have to step in and one thing in a bargin with the opec of food ,(farmers) could be to control the companies at that time.You must have a viable farm first then all will fall into place.Farmers are a minority and to get control of inputs you will need a majority..just a farmer's thought!

[freemo]

Hi bushed. I agree that our prices are partially set by what the market will bear. It is also governed by farmer demand and competition from other companies. Here's a scenerio that I think would make it difficult for chem/fert companies to charge excessive amounts over their production cost. If you triple wheat prices, the price of your fertilizer/chem would have to increase nearly 5 times to end up with the same net as we are getting now. Wheat @ $3.50/bu x 30bu/ac = $105.00 Chem @ $25.00/Ac Fert @ $25.00/Ac Net before other exp $55.00 Wheat @ $10.00/bu x 30bu/ac = $300.00 Chem @ $122.50/ac Fert @ $122.50/ac Net before other exp $55.00 Chem/Fert companies would be hard pressed to justify increases by that much! Bushed..Do you think you will be able to make it to any of the Focus On Sabbatical Meetings? This would be a good question to present to Ken Goudy. Later..