The Wheat Board Aristocracy

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by dustyanddaflames

This is what the farmer's have always wanted - freedom of choice. I don't know, I just get a gut feeling, that you should be careful what you wish for. I can't speak much to the CWB, as I only ranch, so my only commodities are hay and cattle, but there is a huge part of me that wishes the hay industry was more regulated and that we had someone willing to export our commodity to the world.

20-30 years ago I would agree with you on the CWB, but when you have factory farms pushing 5000+ acres - those types of businesses no longer need government support and should be allowed to live or die based on market prices IMO. The day of the family farm being able to survive with the price of machinery and fuel costs is just too much for the 200-500 acre farmer.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

20-30 years ago I would agree with you on the CWB, but when you have factory farms pushing 5000+ acres - those types of businesses no longer need government support and should be allowed to live or die based on market prices IMO.

5000 acres is nothing. 150,000 is more like it.

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by Azure

5000 acres is nothing. 150,000 is more like it.

Hutterite Power!!

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Coys1882

Hutterite Power!!

Funny enough, but both the farmers that I know in southern Alberta that farm over 100,000 acres are ex-Hutterites.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Coys1882

Hutterite Power!!

LOL. It's surprising that people think that just because they are living on a colony that they are completely technologically backwards. I went out there with my company on a tour once and was really surprised that they were buying the latest in our company's GPS guided tractors and sprayers to do their farming work. Needless to say it was an eye opener.

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

LOL. It's surprising that people think that just because they are living on a colony that they are completely technologically backwards. I went out there with my company on a tour once and was really surprised that they were buying the latest in our company's GPS guided tractors and sprayers to do their farming work. Needless to say it was an eye opener.

No - I wasn't thinking that at all. I was saying that they have the people power to be able to pull off huge farming operations like that.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

LOL. It's surprising that people think that just because they are living on a colony that they are completely technologically backwards. I went out there with my company on a tour once and was really surprised that they were buying the latest in our company's GPS guided tractors and sprayers to do their farming work. Needless to say it was an eye opener.

Yep.

Alberta/Sask Hutterites are like that with farming equipment. Manitoba Hutterites are like that with manufacturing. Touring some of the factories in Manitoba is pretty amazing. State of the art everything.

[dustyanddaflames]

Where I live, I am surrounded by Hutterites and needless to say - their farming operations are top notch. If it wasn't for a lack of main water lines for them to grow their colonies, most of us would have already sold out for a pretty penny. They are very well off, and I am often jealous when I drive by their machinery and jump into mine.

And to mykalberta, you are right, the days of the small farmer are almost over, as the costs far outweigh the income involved with "small" farms. It just isn't viable anymore for most who aren't over 2000 to 5000 acres with a significant portion of it handed down from their fathers. I work off the farm, just to support my "habbit". You basically pay for the lifestyle that you were raised in - no different than paying to buy a house in the city that you love to reside.

[para transit fellow]

I see lower returns for the farmers on this. right now a few farmers can sell to get a higher price outside of the wheatboard. That situation will change when a thousand farmers want to sell their wheat to the same buyer.

There were a few farmers that took their grain to the USA a decade ago. They got a lot of publicity about violating the wheatboard monopoly. But I also recall the protests by Americana farmers who did not like the competition from Canadian farmers.

The american government will get protectionist ( softwood lumber) and the Canadian farmer are going to spend more to market and deliver their own product. I fear it will eat into their profits/ livelihood.

time will tell.... ( or not)

(does anyone know just how much wheat (percentage) is actually grown in ontario? I recall that 200 acres in southern ontario was considered a big operation. In the prairies, 200 acres is an acreage)

[mykalberta]

You are correct, there will be lower market rates at certain times of the year.

Those farmers who dont have the capital to save their crop until prices are high will have to sell when inventory is high and prices are low. But in when prices rise in February etc the prices will rise and farmers who can weather the storm will cash in.

The simple fact is when you drive down a dirt road you see alot of less normal bins and alot more hopper bins, hopper bins is a great guage of how much money a farmer has because they are very expensive for the extra volume they produce and the only benefit is making the farmers life easier.

[mikey_the_redneck]

BUMP

"Mr. Harper, who was in Burlington, Ont. on Friday to open an arts centre, said there are two issues on the joint security and economic agenda of the two countries. One, he said, is the border and perimeter initiative, and the other is Canada-U.S. Regulatory Co-operation Council."

"It will harmonize a plethora of regulations and safety standards in the automobile, food and other industries."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ontent=2258437

I thought it was interesting that Harper went and signed this "border security" deal with the U.S. the other day.

The deal encompasses a "Canada-U.S. Regulatory Co-operation Council" that harmonizes industry, like agriculture.

http://pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=3934

http://www.infowars.com/u-s-canadian...val-confirmed/

I find the timing of this rather interesting, now that the wheat board is gone, this new regulatory body will basically apply U.S. standards to our farming and food production sectors.

U.S. agriculture is dominated by large corporations like Monsanto. They basically have free reign with their GM crops. The wheat board was somewhat resistant to GM crops, so this works out well for big-ag doesn't it?

"Specifically, the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperative Council (under “free” trade) would establish a joint review process for pre-market GMO approval, establish a policy for the acceptance and export of LLPs (Low-Level Presence contamination of genetically modified foods bans in country of export) and recommends eliminating mandatory country of origin labeling, and more."

[Azure]

And you got all that from infowars, eh?

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by Azure

And you got all that from infowars, eh?

No. I posted 3 links there. I can't help that infowars goes into more detail than the simplistic "Harper is signing a border security deal" that I heard on the radio and other news stations. There's so much more to it than that. These are the baby steps to the NAU.

I'm just passing this along...enjoy your gmo's num num...

[Canuck-Hater]

Originally Posted by Azure

And you got all that from infowars, eh?

Wow the ignorance on CP is astounding sometimes. Read the damn article for a change.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Canuck-Hater

Wow the ignorance on CP is astounding sometimes. Read the damn article for a change.

Really?

Because its pretty ignorant to believe that abolishing the wheatboard and signing a 'deal' with the US will create an even higher influx of GMO and big food companies in Canada than already exist.

The real problem behind gmo and the power the big food companies hold has everything to do with the US Supreme Court ruling in regards to putting a patent on 'life'...and nothing to do with a border deal.

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by Azure

Really?

Because its pretty ignorant to believe that abolishing the wheatboard and signing a 'deal' with the US will create an even higher influx of GMO and big food companies in Canada than already exist.

The real problem behind gmo and the power the big food companies hold has everything to do with the US Supreme Court ruling in regards to putting a patent on 'life'...and nothing to do with a border deal.

Read up on the Wheatboard. Not all countries allow GM crops. It is highly controversial. France and other European nations have fought tooth and nail against GM crops, burning them down etc.

They were selective, and resistant on what GM crops were available in Canada.
In America they have approved a bunch of GM crops, including soy, corn, wheat, cotton etc.

[GP_Matt]

Are there any foods that we eat that haven't been genetically modified? I can think of seafood and some wild game/foraged food. The rest has been modified continuously since the first hunter gatherer decided to settle down. At first it was just selecting the most desirable ones to plant/breed, but they moved on to cross breeding everything possible before slamming seeds with radiation to see what would result. It is more targeted and specific now, but I don't see it as that different. If anything the new way is tested far more extensively than in the past.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

Read up on the Wheatboard. Not all countries allow GM crops. It is highly controversial. France and other European nations have fought tooth and nail against GM crops, burning them down etc.

They were selective, and resistant on what GM crops were available in Canada.
In America they have approved a bunch of GM crops, including soy, corn, wheat, cotton etc.

Canola is a highly genetically modified crop that many Canadian farmers plant because of the high yields in good years.

Soybeans and corn are also included in that category.

I don't agree with the policies of Monsanto either, but you're being a bit paranoid if you think the border deal will create an even bigger problem. The problem already exists. Only way to get away from it is to grow your own stuff.

[THE SCUD]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

No. I posted 3 links there. I can't help that infowars goes into more detail than the simplistic "Harper is signing a border security deal" that I heard on the radio and other news stations. There's so much more to it than that. These are the baby steps to the NAU.

I'm just passing this along...enjoy your gmo's num num...

I was sort of with you Mikey, I am not a huge GM crop guy and sure, I could be on the same page as you about working to limit their movement north.. but then you drop the insanity ball again...

The fall of the Wheatboard ... THE RISE OF THE NORTH AMERICAN UNION HEADED BY LIZARD MEN