Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

EASTER CALLS OUT FARM LEADERS

Finally someone says it out loud in public! Wayne Easter says to the
press at last week's "Farmers Matter" meeting in Stratford Ontario, that
farm leaders need to grow a set of cajones (paraphrased a bit).

It seems like even at last week's "Farmers Matter" gathering in Stratford, we are content to sit around like a bunch of 19th century school girls at a pleasant afternoon tea party, politely discussing the benefits of a woodstove while the house is burning down.

I do not see ONE farm organization that is tackling the income crisis in livestock head on. For all the dues we've paid over the years to the OFA, OCA, CFFO, Corn Producers, we are getting further behind all the time. I sold butcher cattle in the '70s for the same money as we are seeing today.

What have the organizations done for us? And when I asked the OCA why they are not supporting us on our BSE suit mediation request, they duck out for the very reason that Easter gives in the link below - they are scared to ask for real help because they don't want to jeopardize their "working relationship" with the government.

Well guess what - the"help" they are working on is going to be too little too late for many of us. We do not need a RMP nearly as much as we need a big cash infusion NOW and then finds ways to extract more money from the marketplace.
 
The link is from today's Farm News on CKNX radio. Scroll down and click on the audio link. 
 
http://www.am920.ca/news.php?cat_id=6

Views: 112

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on December 2, 2010 at 5:10am
Hi John:
It's a terrible situation....
Keep working at this....I agree that everyone should try a little harder and show more urgency.
Joe

Here is the link to the Audio clip.

http://media.cknxradio.com/atk/uploads/farm/10-11-Nov/FM-Easter_1.mp3
Permalink Reply by That Guy on December 2, 2010 at 11:11am
Grant Robertson who was there representing the NDP sure ripped into the OCA, although not by name when he repeated 3 times captive supply. The past OCA president you might remember called Robertson a communist from the podim during the OCA convention when he was not there to defend himself for daring to suggest that maybe we don't actally have a free market in Canadain beef when just two players control 90% of the processing industry. Robertson might be a lot of things, but communist ain't one of them. S**t disturber, entrapenuer, hockey nut (talk to him sometime) and hopefully the next MP for Huron-Bruce, but the OCA attacks on him were ridiculous.

Easter is right that we are being failed by our farm organizations, but we are also being failed by the people we send to Ottawa who sit there and do nothing. Personally I think a few more s**t disturbers is exactly what we need so I will be voting for Robertson if we do have an election in the spring. Not NDP, but for Grant personally (and for the first time) to go do some s kicking in Ottawa.

I aslo heard that Ontario Pork and the OCA threatened to walk if Bill Jefferie, former Perth Beef Producer President was allowed to be on the panel. There's another s**t disturber we could do with hearing from more. Seems to me folks like Easter and Robertson are right when they say we should stop being so afraid of standing up for ourselves.
Permalink Reply by Colin Lundy on December 3, 2010 at 4:01pm
A friend of mine raises certified organic 100% grass fed beef - red poll, a rare breed. She just made over $1200 on one steer when me and three other friends split it four ways. And guess what, me and my friends got a deal because we bought the whole damn cow. That's right, when people just want some steaks or roasts, they pay a lot more (per pound). She sells everything she can produce. So do a lot of other beef producers I know. They sell it direct to the consumer. It is true for the few pastured pork producers I know too - getting about $5/pound when they sell the whole pig. I know direct marketing is not for everyone, but obviously something is wrong with the value chain as it currently exists. It is time for more livestock producers to think outside the box, not give their animals away to Tyson or Cargill or whoever. And dump OCA and OFA. People in Canada love eating beef and pork! Most probably eat some almost every day. Create a new channel to get it to them and maybe beef and pork production will stabilize somewhere profitable. Sure I am oversimplifying but the status quo is not doing anyone much good.
Permalink Reply by Bristow on December 15, 2010 at 7:05pm

Yes boards are very help to the people they serve, the government love them because they don't pay for them and all they are made up of are gentleman farmers with political or big commercial interests.  We all know the out come, because the agenda is aready set, some words and busness as usual.  If the Industry wants change first thing is to get rid of the whole board, that have political ties with government. Government departments can't run without produce or justify their existance without farmers. If the provence won't talk turkey by pass them, go to fedral legisation deal with them, refuse to pay any and obey their taxes on mass. Get the changes needed to operate a farm, no hinder it and any changes must go through with a majority vote not a back door one. Because if you don't one by one you will fall. Like the meat works.

Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on December 17, 2010 at 1:26pm

Good points everyone.

I have been on a couple of boards and it is a real challenge for part time participants to do much more than try to be positive and ask for help from the politicians.  You can play the mad guy and demand assistance for your farmers but in the end, the politicians have all the power.

I like the idea of selling directly to the consumer, but it just won't work for the large percentage of our agriculture production...we need large domestic and export markets.

 

I also agree with Easter, we all need to grow tougher cajones and get the job done.

 

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Keith Kreps Appointed President of 21st Century Equipment

Scottsbluff, Neb. — 21st Century Equipment is proud to announce the appointment of Keith Kreps as President, effective July 1, 2025. Kreps steps into the role following five years as chief operating officer and brings more than two decades of executive leadership experience in the agriculture equipment industry.

Crop Outlook Improves Across Alberta, But Peace Region Remains Parched

Timely rains in June have brought some much-needed relief to Alberta’s crop producers, particularly in the Central, parts of the Southern, and North West regions. While conditions have improved significantly in recent weeks, it’s a mixed bag across the province — and farmers in the Peace Region are still waiting for a true turnaround. As of June 30, provincial crop conditions are sitting at 61% good to excellent. That’s a full 11-point jump from mid-June, though still trailing the 5- and 10-year averages by 8 and 6 points, respectively. Spring cereals are ahead of schedule, with most regions reporting progress that surpasses typical benchmarks. In the South, cereals are already heading out, while Central and North West areas are mostly at the boot stage. Broadleaf crops like canola, dry peas, lentils, and mustard are flowering earlier than normal across the board — a positive sign, but one that hinges on moisture availability through the critical reproductive stages. Surface moisture

Five Manitoba students awarded with scholarships from MCGA

Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 high school scholarship program, awarding five $1,000 scholarships to graduating students in Manitoba.  This year’s recipients are heading into a variety of academic paths, from nursing to engineering, but all share a strong connection to rural life and caring for the land. Whether headed to large universities or faith-based institutions, each student expressed a passion for contributing to their communities and pride in their agricultural roots.  The 2025 MCGA scholarship recipients are: Addison Bruce, Miami, MB: Bachelor of Science  Sarah Krahn, Rivers, MB: Pre-Nursing, Bachelor of Science  Addison Schmidt, Elm Creek, MB: Briercrest College and Seminary Makenna Sumner, Neepawa, MB: Bachelor of Science Trent Tomoniko, Franklin, MB: Bachelor of Science in Engineering “The talent and dedication we saw in this year’s applications were truly inspiring,” says Warren Ellis, Chair of MCGA. “These st

Crop Report for the Period July 1 to July 7, 2025

Growing conditions throughout Saskatchewan continue to vary. Rainfall and warm temperatures in some areas are allowing crops to progress nicely, while other areas continue to experience dry conditions which is stressing crops and leading to rapid development. There was less rainfall last week than the week prior, with the Hanley area receiving the most in the province with 44 millmetres (mm). The Serath area received the second highest rainfall with 33 mm, followed closely by the Lampman and Semans areas with 32 mm and 28 mm, respectively. Other areas received much needed rainfall, but producers are hoping for more in the coming weeks. Limited rainfall in many areas has caused soil moisture levels to drop since last week. Currently, provincial cropland topsoil moisture is 55 per cent adequate, 33 per cent short and 12 per cent very short. For hayland, topsoil moisture is 43 per cent adequate, 38 per cent short and 19 per cent very short. Finally, moisture levels in pasture topsoil is

Advancing monitoring and decision-making tools for wireworm in Alberta

Why is this research important for Alberta ag? Wireworm is a serious pest for many growers, particularly in the Prairies, where there are 3-4 dominant species. The damaging larvae live for several years in the soil, feed on multiple crops, and have patchy distributions. For these reasons, wireworm is difficult to monitor, and no economic thresholds are currently available. As new chemical seed treatments enter the marketplace, there is an obvious need for a decision-making framework for wireworm management to help producers with questions like if and when to invest in chemical seed treatments. Since wireworm is the primary reason that cereal seeds are treated with insecticides on the Prairies, the information gathered from this research can potentially reduce unnecessary pesticide use. This research will explore the possibility of using overhead imagery to detect wireworm damage patches, how damaged patches differ from undamaged areas, and methods and intensity of sampling needed to

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service