Schadenfreude thread about holidays

[AlbertaFarmer5]

To quote the illustrious Ron burgundy:
" well, that escalated quickly."
I see the thread about Urban versus rural has disappeared. Probably for the better.
Whenever I start feeling sorry for myself and thinking how much easier life looks from my 9:00 to 5:00 neighbors, I remind myself that I volunteered for this career. I chose to expand to this scale, to take on ever-increasing workload. I have turned down lucrative careers to pursue this instead.
I chose this against the advice of my parents, especially my late father, my teachers my employers my coworkers etc. no one held a gun to my head and forced me to work days on end without sleep.

There are times when the job in town might be more rewarding, profitable and easier on my health. Then there are times like the past 4 years when farmers never had it so good compared to their working stiff counterparts. While anyone on a fixed income was suffering with inflation, job losses, harsh covid restrictions and forced vaccinations, farmers were reaping the benefits of inflation, if we didn't watch the news, we wouldn't even be aware of the covid restrictions, no farmer was forced to take a vaccine. There's been an exodus to the countryside as a result of that.

The aforementioned rained out holiday goers only have a few weekends a year when they can get out in nature and have some quality of life. That's an everyday occurrence for most of us, whether we appreciate it or not. And we're not limited to a few long weekends or holidays booked far in advance if we do want to take a day off.
I look at the cost of living, I don't know how the average wage earner can make ends meet, let alone a single mother or recent immigrant.

Farming certainly isn't the only weather dependent industry. If bad weather causes us economic hardship, there are government programs which may be useful. What other business has that option? Do you think road construction or pipeline construction or lawn maintenance or ski hills etc have that back stop? And what about the employees who might sit for a month through bad weather not making any money.

The average wage earner doesn't have any liquid assets or sources of additional income if something goes wrong such as medical problems or vehicle breakdowns home maintenance. The average farmer has assets that can be sold, has access to generous lending programs including the interest free cash advance. When we were kids and would require dental work, I remember my mom telling the dentist that she would have to sell a cow to pay for it. She wasn't serious but that was literally an option. An option not available to most wage earners. We had a farming neighbor who used to do exactly that whenever they needed money for something.
I've tried a desk job. I've lived in the city. You couldn't pay me enough to give up this lifestyle for that.

I should let them enjoy their holiday.

[blackpowder]

I wish more farmers had your perspective. Humility profitable.
I've always felt similarly.
We are not the same however and comparisons should be made carefully.
Farms are independent businesses in a long term world wide game requiring some stabilization forces during cycles.
Construction bills a margin and liquidates assets (iron)and liabilities (labor) with fluidity. The welder moves on.

[Stormin]

I wish more farmers had your perspective. Humility profitable.
I've always felt similarly.
We are not the same however and comparisons should be made carefully.
Farms are independent businesses in a long term world wide game requiring some stabilization forces during cycles.
Construction bills a margin and liquidates assets (iron)and liabilities (labor) with fluidity. The welder moves on.

Good perspective and perceptiveness. I think the farms managed by families or individually are so important if there is to be stability in this industry.

[blackpowder]

How so?

[Stormin]

How so?

Well, a few reasons, not in any order.

1. Smaller operators can be more nimble switch plans more quickly.
2. Risk is spread out, less chance of everyone failing.
3. Strengthen communities, stable services and support
4. Lower cost of production with hands on skin in the game.
5. Maybe more diverse crops or niche markets.
6. Reducing monopolies, can be good for the consumer.
7. More producers equal more voice in government.
8. Easier for new farmers to get in the business.

These are some thoughts that come to mind. Farming is not a business for the faint of heart but has it's rewards and can strengthen families and communities and seems like it is a fairly vital industry that isn't given enough importance. I farm but when I go to a grocery store I'm always amazed at all the different foods from around the world and how they are all brought together and I think of all the growers who make that happen and the work involved.

[chuckChuck]

Exactly why we shouldn't be subsidizing large farms who don't need subsidies.

Target subsidies to small and medium sized farms so that we keep them a large part of rural communities.

Subsidies to large farms ends up fueling the larger farms domination and control over more and more land pushing smaller family farms out.

[blackpowder]

Okay but. What size farm should we decide on. If $8.50 a gal for milk is designed to support a 50 cow family in year x, what happens when you need $11.00? If the world price is $4.00?
Applying the question to small grains where we export the majority.
Market forces in and beyond our borders will always dictate how many dollars the rest of the economy will have to contribute to maintain that system.
Policy writers decades ago agreed that farm consolidation was inevitable. Policies were then designed to only slow the process down to ease the pain.
I encourage family run enterprise.
Niche products step out of a commodity definition. Nearly all our acres produce commodities. Soon the BRIC nations will decide at what price. The rest of our economy will increasingly have to provide the difference to maintain your ideal.
I am merely stating fact.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Define large, small and medium sized farms?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Define large, small and medium sized farms?

If you need a starting point, compared to Chuck's imaginary 6,000 acre farm, what qualifies as a small medium or large size farm?
Acres? Production? Gross sales? Profit? Number of employees? Number of pickup trucks? If a farm requires several pickup trucks does that make them too large?

There are some farms in the Fraser valley who may have a different opinion of what a large farm is compared to a ranch in the special areas.

[chuckChuck]

Develop a policy on farm size in the various sectors and regions and put a cap on subsidies to favour the smaller and medium sized family run farms.

Agrinvest is already capped at $10,000 per year maximum contribution. You can do the same with crop insurance and other farm safety net programs.

Of course the large and successful farms will whine about having to pay their own way.

But there is no need to bail out or support Monette farms while a much larger number of small and medium sized farms are struggling.

The cow calf beef sector for example, needs more support or we are going to shrink the herd even further and see even more give up and quit.

[cropgrower]

Mr agrisilly you are really getting silly today , cow calf sector wont be supported, because as you well know the cows are farting too much , and the plan is for people to be eating far less meat , i thought you of all people would be calling for less livestock to save the planet , did you forget about that this morning ?

[chuckChuck]

Beef has a fit on marginal land and pasture and grazing captures a lot of carbon so yes we can support a beef sector and still be sustainable if we cut emissions from fossil fuels.

[cropgrower]

That is not what your experts are saying in Europe ,the plan is to put the marginal land out of production , you will soon be eating bugs instead , you need to get up to date on the science mr agrisilly

[chuckChuck]

So we are going to stop producing beef in Canada?

Better get used to eating more beans and lentils, Crop!

[cropgrower]

Thats what will happen yes if clueless people like you mr agrisilly don't wake up and say no like the farmers in europe , they are backing down a bit now in europe because of the huge push back