Cheap Food

[margrace]

Interesting listening and reading farmers comments about this. They are all for this bill to produce bio fuels and those that can are going to get rid of their amimals and switch to growing produce to produce it.

Canada has had cheap food for a long time now its the farmers turn to make some money.

[jdobbin]

Canada has had cheap food for a long time now its the farmers turn to make some money.

Bio-fuels are supposed to be an environmental program, not a farm support program. Growing food for fuel was never the original intent nor should it be. If you use one year's food supply of corn for one person to fill a SUV tank, you are on the wrong track.

Edited June 4, 2008 by jdobbin

[M.Dancer]

Interesting listening and reading farmers comments about this. They are all for this bill to produce bio fuels and those that can are going to get rid of their amimals and switch to growing produce to produce it.

Canada has had cheap food for a long time now its the farmers turn to make some money.

Does Margrace want pensioners on fixed incomes to pay more and more for food?

Well, as long as the frozen dinners can be cooked in the toaster oven...

[margrace]

Bio-fuels are supposed to be an environmental program, not a farm support program. Growing food for fuel was never the original intent nor should it be. If you use one year's food supply of corn for one person to fill a SUV tank, you are on the wrong track.

Farmers who raise animals and who can afford to quit are really looking at raising corn and such for biofuels.

One of the top Farmer organizations president in Ontario was saying in an article in the Western Ontario Farmer that it is about time farmers got paid a living wage.

[jdobbin]

Farmers who raise animals and who can afford to quit are really looking at raising corn and such for biofuels.

One of the top Farmer organizations president in Ontario was saying in an article in the Western Ontario Farmer that it is about time farmers got paid a living wage.

I don't disagree they should get paid a fair wage. Food for fuel though is the wrong way. It should be waste turned into fuel. Corn is not waste.

[Economic]

If you subsides farmers and effective increase their income, wont more people enter farming due to the higher wages until which point there are is so much competition in farming that the average farmer wage returns to what it was at the pre-subsidized levels?

Conversely, If farmers wages are to low, wont farmers continue to leave farming and therefore increase the wage for the remaining farmers until farmers reach the fair and equilibrium amount of income for the goods they produce?

[Alta4ever]

If you subsides farmers and effective increase their income, wont more people enter farming due to the higher wages until which point there are is so much competition in farming that the average farmer wage returns to what it was at the pre-subsidized levels?

Conversely, If farmers wages are to low, wont farmers continue to leave farming and therefore increase the wage for the remaining farmers until farmers reach the fair and equilibrium amount of income for the goods they produce?

Do you know how exspensive farm land is?

[Wild Bill]

Do you know how exspensive farm land is?

Depends on where you live! Here in the Niagara Peninsula it's dirt cheap, if you'll pardon the pun!

That's because the "system" is such that you can't sell farmland except to someone who will keep farming it. No other use is allowed. Meanwhile the last fruit processor has closed down so there's no where to sell your fruit crop except in dribs and drabs at roadside stands.

So the farmers have been ripping out virtually all the trees. It's cheaper just to rake off the hay from empty fields.

The land is cheap 'cuz you no longer can make a profit from farming it and you're not allowed to sell it for any other purpose.

Just another Dilbert approach that makes city folk in Toronto all warm and fuzzy about "saving farmland".

[margrace]

So according to some posters on here we just buy our fruit and vegetables from elsewhere. Aren't we setting ourselves up for some real problems. The Mad cow disease for instance that is not really acknowledged by our neighbour to the south.

[Borg]

So according to some posters on here we just buy our fruit and vegetables from elsewhere. Aren't we setting ourselves up for some real problems. The Mad cow disease for instance that is not really acknowledged by our neighbour to the south.

Margrace

One of our businesses is raising beef cattle. Or should I say "was".

We lost more than 300K in real dollars and have gone from several hundred animals to 10 - just for the family.

Our government(s) lib and con - fed and prov - ALL talked a great story about subsidies for survival - we personally benefitted to the tune of almost 300 bucks total over the past few years and have withdrawn completely from the process - it costs more to prepare the statements than we could ever have hoped to receive.

In fact accountants get very rich on some schemes. CAIS is widely known as the "Chartered Accountant Income Supplement".

Our land is growing in value and we will use it to create an income.

If that means using food to make oil - we will.

As for the cost of food - as far as I am concerned - tough.

We paid top dollar for our land and it will make a return sooner or later - and we will reap the benefit.

Cheap food has always been an unwritten policy of canadian governments.

As such the consumer has benefitted and the farmer - all types - has struggled.

If the consumer has to start paying - so be it.

If the farmer plans to rip up trees to grow something that benefits his wallet - good on him. Bad for canada but tough tittie - the farmer will do what he must to survive.

Let the consumer eat from foreign countries - so be it.

I may not agree with all of the above, as I believe the products grown in canada are safer and even better than many products grown elsewhere - but - and it is a big but - the canadian people as a whole are going to reap what they have sown.

Life and reality are coming together - and I want to be on the winning side.

Despite the little pockets of "eat local" and a few informed people - very few are even aware of or care about what is happening.

Heck, agriculture is the second largest employer in Ontario and possibly the same in Alberta and many other provinces - yet it sucks the hind tit due to lack of interest by the public as a whole.

Mrs. "I live in a chicken coop on the 12'th floor" (read voter) does not really care where the food comes from - it just needs to be affordable. So I no longer worry about it.

Once the competition and the food source is controlled by off shore interests you can be sure the cost will grow - and that cost growth will likely be dramatic.

Our land is now paid for and we do very well with the new system we have in place - we will simply make oil instead of food.

When the consumer decides eating is more important we will adapt again. I do not see that happening for a long time.

Profit drives our program - not social concious - the difference being one allows us to survive and one puts us on the street.

We do well by looking long term and adapting to the situation - whereas the public - as a rule - does not and is not willing to do this.

Finally - to answer your question about setting ourselves up - you are correct - but it does not matter - people are short sighted and only care about today. That is why so many of them will always remain in their situation - using reaction as their main standard. Proactive thinking is a thing of the past - it is more important to nuke that box of frozen stuff and watch the simpsons make asses of themselves on the boob tube.

Borg

[margrace]

Margrace

One of our businesses is raising beef cattle. Or should I say "was".

We lost more than 300K in real dollars and have gone from several hundred animals to 10 - just for the family.

Our government(s) lib and con - fed and prov - ALL talked a great story about subsidies for survival - we personally benefitted to the tune of almost 300 bucks total over the past few years and have withdrawn completely from the process - it costs more to prepare the statements than we could ever have hoped to receive.

In fact accountants get very rich on some schemes. CAIS is widely known as the "Chartered Accountant Income Supplement".

Our land is growing in value and we will use it to create an income.

If that means using food to make oil - we will.

As for the cost of food - as far as I am concerned - tough.

We paid top dollar for our land and it will make a return sooner or later - and we will reap the benefit.

Cheap food has always been an unwritten policy of canadian governments.

As such the consumer has benefitted and the farmer - all types - has struggled.

If the consumer has to start paying - so be it.

If the farmer plans to rip up trees to grow something that benefits his wallet - good on him. Bad for canada but tough tittie - the farmer will do what he must to survive.

Let the consumer eat from foreign countries - so be it.

I may not agree with all of the above, as I believe the products grown in canada are safer and even better than many products grown elsewhere - but - and it is a big but - the canadian people as a whole are going to reap what they have sown.

Life and reality are coming together - and I want to be on the winning side.

Despite the little pockets of "eat local" and a few informed people - very few are even aware of or care about what is happening.

Heck, agriculture is the second largest employer in Ontario and possibly the same in Alberta and many other provinces - yet it sucks the hind tit due to lack of interest by the public as a whole.

Mrs. "I live in a chicken coop on the 12'th floor" (read voter) does not really care where the food comes from - it just needs to be affordable. So I no longer worry about it.

Once the competition and the food source is controlled by off shore interests you can be sure the cost will grow - and that cost growth will likely be dramatic.

Our land is now paid for and we do very well with the new system we have in place - we will simply make oil instead of food.

When the consumer decides eating is more important we will adapt again. I do not see that happening for a long time.

Profit drives our program - not social concious - the difference being one allows us to survive and one puts us on the street.

We do well by looking long term and adapting to the situation - whereas the public - as a rule - does not and is not willing to do this.

Finally - to answer your question about setting ourselves up - you are correct - but it does not matter - people are short sighted and only care about today. That is why so many of them will always remain in their situation - using reaction as their main standard. Proactive thinking is a thing of the past - it is more important to nuke that box of frozen stuff and watch the simpsons make asses of themselves on the boob tube.

Borg

Borg what a good post, most people do not even care where their food comes from as long as it is cheap. And yes we will reap what we sow. We have quite a few farmers in the family but most of them are lucky to benefit from the only good program around. They are dairy farmers, but that too for most of them is a 24 seven job. My son in law got out because he thought it was just a matter of time before the nay sayers had the milk boards done away with.

Edited June 5, 2008 by margrace

[Borg]

Borg what a good post, ...........

Remember this statement when I rip someone to get a reaction

Regards

Borg

[margrace]

Remember this statement when I rip someone to get a reaction

Regards

Borg

I'll remember Borg :

[Alta4ever]

Margrace

One of our businesses is raising beef cattle. Or should I say "was".

We lost more than 300K in real dollars and have gone from several hundred animals to 10 - just for the family.

Our government(s) lib and con - fed and prov - ALL talked a great story about subsidies for survival - we personally benefitted to the tune of almost 300 bucks total over the past few years and have withdrawn completely from the process - it costs more to prepare the statements than we could ever have hoped to receive.

In fact accountants get very rich on some schemes. CAIS is widely known as the "Chartered Accountant Income Supplement".

Our land is growing in value and we will use it to create an income.

If that means using food to make oil - we will.

As for the cost of food - as far as I am concerned - tough.

We paid top dollar for our land and it will make a return sooner or later - and we will reap the benefit.

Cheap food has always been an unwritten policy of canadian governments.

As such the consumer has benefitted and the farmer - all types - has struggled.

If the consumer has to start paying - so be it.

If the farmer plans to rip up trees to grow something that benefits his wallet - good on him. Bad for canada but tough tittie - the farmer will do what he must to survive.

Let the consumer eat from foreign countries - so be it.

I may not agree with all of the above, as I believe the products grown in canada are safer and even better than many products grown elsewhere - but - and it is a big but - the canadian people as a whole are going to reap what they have sown.

Life and reality are coming together - and I want to be on the winning side.

Despite the little pockets of "eat local" and a few informed people - very few are even aware of or care about what is happening.

Heck, agriculture is the second largest employer in Ontario and possibly the same in Alberta and many other provinces - yet it sucks the hind tit due to lack of interest by the public as a whole.

Mrs. "I live in a chicken coop on the 12'th floor" (read voter) does not really care where the food comes from - it just needs to be affordable. So I no longer worry about it.

Once the competition and the food source is controlled by off shore interests you can be sure the cost will grow - and that cost growth will likely be dramatic.

Our land is now paid for and we do very well with the new system we have in place - we will simply make oil instead of food.

When the consumer decides eating is more important we will adapt again. I do not see that happening for a long time.

Profit drives our program - not social concious - the difference being one allows us to survive and one puts us on the street.

We do well by looking long term and adapting to the situation - whereas the public - as a rule - does not and is not willing to do this.

Finally - to answer your question about setting ourselves up - you are correct - but it does not matter - people are short sighted and only care about today. That is why so many of them will always remain in their situation - using reaction as their main standard. Proactive thinking is a thing of the past - it is more important to nuke that box of frozen stuff and watch the simpsons make asses of themselves on the boob tube.

Borg

When we've been over producing food for so many years its nice to see the farmers now have a second market to sell to instead of having to scrape by on less then bare minimum.

[jdobbin]

When we've been over producing food for so many years its nice to see the farmers now have a second market to sell to instead of having to scrape by on less then bare minimum.

Ethanol is one of the worst mistakes Canada has made in the last several years. The CBC is running a full documentary tonight on how bad it is. Critics on the right and left are saying how bad it is. Bad for environment. Bad for the taxpayer. Bad policy.

[Alta4ever]

Ethanol is one of the worst mistakes Canada has made in the last several years. The CBC is running a full documentary tonight on how bad it is. Critics on the right and left are saying how bad it is. Bad for environment. Bad for the taxpayer. Bad policy.

Comming from you and the CBC the opposite must be true.

[jdobbin]

Comming from you and the CBC the opposite must be true.

If only it were just the CBC. Same story was CTV last night and Global reporting the same issue tonight.

Some on the right wing only care that the Tories have told them to support ethanol.

I am against it even though the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP at various levels have supported it.

[eyeball]

So according to some posters on here we just buy our fruit and vegetables from elsewhere. Aren't we setting ourselves up for some real problems. The Mad cow disease for instance that is not really acknowledged by our neighbour to the south.

We're supposed to eat cake and get with the program.

A story in the G&M the other day said the planet has two months worth of food on hand and the next harvest season is 3 months away. Things could get a lot more interesting than they already are.

Edited June 6, 2008 by eyeball

[M.Dancer]

We're supposed to eat cake and get with the program.

A story in the G&M the other day said the planet has two months worth of food on hand and the next harvest season is 3 months away. Things could get a lot more interesting than they already are.

I guess the writer forgot the planet has two hemipsheres....