TIME TO DROP THE GLOVES!

[grassfarmer]

furrowtickler - "Until we force our industry to stand behind us(fert/chem dealers, seed companies, fuel dealers ect.) we do not have enough clout to get anything done."
Who says "our idustry" as in the input dealers you name above are on our side or want to see us profit? As I see it they are one of the the main causes of our current problems. It is not consumers or Government that aren't paying enough for our produce its the other links in the production chain that are screwing primary producers. All these other sectors are of course dominated by a few transnational corporations versus all the thousands of farmers working independant of each other.

[Horse]

Your right grassfarmer trying to get farmers together is like hearding cats.

[Horse]

And there has to be a better message put out to the public about how it really is, none one really knows.

There was an interview on ctv news net the other day and ther reporter kept asking questions relating to how basically if you can't swim, sink! Totally side stepping the real issues and the urban vote doesn't get the message again ( useless air time ).

My inlaws live outside Toronto, and noboby knows anything about how it is, and nobody cares, they look at the protests , scratch there head and forget the next day.

Its my opinion the mesage of how the system is bleeding everyone dry has to be put out effectively, and hammered home over and over, and not once lose focus on doing that. Its no different than running an election campaign.

The ag industry ( all us private contractors ) have to run a profesional campaign to radically fix our business , and soon , or what we think will last forvever will evaporate without a REAL fight. And that saying of survival of the fatest, not fittest will be true.

[Horse]

The ag sector still isn't getting the message out well enough to help get some change.

An interview on ctv news net the other day , left mewith the opinion the ag industry has to sink or swim, no lasting impression of why things stink so bad these days.

And that is the problem, not effective enough in the media.

My city inlaws don't get it , and as long as the groceries are affordable , don't care.

There has to be more effective lobbying, and the real story why we are working for peanuts has to be hammered home. A proffesional campaign should be launched to win this battle or it will be over before a " shot " will be fired ( metaphorically speaking).

But we have to want it bad enough, and do enough of us really want to change this ineffective system.

Sad to day, but the time IS now. And are there enough of us left?

[rookie]

A more effective media campaign is needed.

The urban voter could care less as long as the groceries are cheap enough.

A protest on the highway gets 1 minute of meadia coverage, but things don't change from that.

And are ther enough of us left who want to make a change ( seriously ).

[rookie]

A protest along the highway with farmers driving expensive tractors, combines, pickups etc. only adds fuel to the urban folks idea that farmers are rich and don't need any help. They aren't aware that the machinery etc. is likely not paid for.

[furrowtickler]

re: grassfarmer
The point was the input dealers,line companies do not stand behind us now, so how do we force them too. Avoid them, buy from independents, buy through FNA, NuFarm, take 20-30% out of production, don't buy that iron this year. You don't think this would get there attention? Better yet maybe ban hauling grain/oilseeds to one multi-national. Let's come up with suggestions not apprehentions(sp).

[countryguy]

I think the best thing we can do is nothing!Literally.Just not seed a crop this year and let the leaches that suck us dry every year do the crying for once.Vigilantiism will get us no where.

[r.reid]

Thanks "dalek".

I had some summerfallow last year. Glad I did too. Dad's going to have some this year, plus we're turning a 1/2 section of "difficult" grain land into some quality pasture/green feed (more cows). I don't think we are the only ones doing this either.

I weld at Bourgault Ind. in the winter. I'll tell you what, we've made more seeding equiptment for over seas (Russia BIG TIME) then we have for western Canada this year (so far). Their are a bunch of farmers that work there. Some of those guys are now FULL time Bourgault employees...not farmers anymore. Kind of scary huh?

[r.reid]

countryguy..."Vigilantiism will get us no where."

What we are doing now...is getting us no where.

[Horse]

FOS was not a bad idea but it didnt take off and I doubt anything else will we will just set here and be picked off one by one.

[SASKFARMER3]

Just a note get tough with the Dealers, Yesterday I went to get spring Anhydrous prices and after the first two it looked as if I will have to pay between .42 and .38 well I told them, tell their head honchos its .35 or lower or Ill just seed the 8000 acres and collect crop insurance.
That's either sell $252,000.00 of anhydrous or sell $210,000.00 or less at my price or simply sell nothing.
Also the nothing has chemical instead of around $200,000.00 its 2-4D and roundup 1/2 FNA and go fishing.
They have 1/2 million in possible sales or nothing. Its up to them.
Their are other farmers in my area with more acres that are doing the same. May be this will get some attention. We just have to carry through with the treat to seed and do nothing.