Meeting with Cam Ostercamp

[ALICIA]

Any one in Central Alberta interested in a brainstorming meeting with Cam Ostercamp (Letter pushing for BSE testing) can join us tonight at Severtsons Bull sale barn at Innisfail AB.
Not only growing interest, but meetings this week with the AG minister and numerous media outlets have sent this movement to a spot most have not reached.
Help us with direction by being there, or give me some more feedback on this thread to take with me tonight.

Thanks
Randy Kaiser (403) 946 - 0228

[grassfarmer]

What time is the meeting at rpk?

If I'm not able to attend the only thing I would want to know is how we facilitate testing. We have the US packers that will not test and some smaller operators that might. Will the Canadian Government allow a Creekstone type outfit to sell tested beef overseas?

[grassfarmer]

Meeting is at 6:30p.m.
Conversation is revolving around mandatory testing. In other words, make
Cargil and Tyson test.

[kato]

Excellent! Wish I could be there! Can't make a 12 hour drive in an hour, though.

Mandatory testing for over 30 month cattle, and for those who fall in the "grey" zone of not mouthing young enough would sure help our cow market, and stop some of the stealing on those cattle that are questionable for age.

Suggestion.. if a producer wants to rail grade some cattle who are borderline for age, they should be able to request a test. That way, if they "grade" as young animals they could be certified BSE free, even though their teeth say they are older.

Force the test, those two packers won't do it voluntarily. They're making too much money now to give it up.

[kato]

Oh yea, and if an overseas customer wants BSE tests done, on any age of cattle, DO IT!

[kato]

Hope we get a little more response from Agri-ville once a name and final plan is put in place for this new group next week.
Testing will be our #1 push, but reducing Canadian dependence on the American market, and our controling moopolies is the ultimate goal.
Please read the essay again carefully.
This isn't something that is only about BSE.
Honest to God rsomer, we need people like you on board. Call Cam yourself and listen to his thoughts. He is just about wore thin from his efforts, and you can hardly believe the number and type of people who are supporting him.
Almost every large feedlot owner in Southern Alberta has offered support but have obvious reasons for not going public. This problem is beyond our producer groups, and our government and needs a grass roots movement to save the last remnants of a once proud Canadian Cattle Industry.

[pandiana]

Notice was a little short, Randy. I would have like to have talked to him. So, how did it go? How many showed up? Did you make any plans?

[blackjack]

rpkaiser... were there any cattle association delegates present and did they make any comments ?

[whiteface]

Sorry, I missed it too, Randy, wasn't on agri-ville yesterday, meeting with my accountant regarding our CAIS application. I'm dying to know how it went and what can I or should I do now to support less dependancy on Americans for our beef? Thanks for going and representing us that couldn't.

[whiteface]

This was a very priliminary meeting. Cam has gotten such a positive response from all aspects of the industry that he decided to look for help.
I only got the call yesterday morning as well.
The meeting was small and well received as is usual for people who read the whole article without reacting to some of the few negative comments. I guarantee that the letters I write are filled with far more sarcasm and jabs, and have learned from Cam that toning down is sometimes good.
The only thing that did happen last night was a consenses to start a named group, and start it very soon. We have less than one month to make this an election issue and we cannot waste another moment.
I will keep posting anything that I hear as well as meeting times and dates. The next meeting, like I said, will be to find a name (FYRcalf, and FYCargil didn't fly), and set a plan, based on the article written by Cam.

I found yet another challenge on another thread about CAIS which is pitting feedlot and cowcalf guys.
Here we have a position that is inclusive of all aspects of our Canadian Cattle Producing community.
Here we have a place to show solidarity without sounding like a bunch of commies.
Here we have some hope for all of the industry, except for maybe 2 American owned companies, who beleive it or not, could benefit from this as well.
Read the Article again, and tell me where it is wrong. If you like it, send it to as many people as you can, and look back here for other ways to help.
One great idea last night was to take this thing to the Banks. Show them that there may be hope for them to have some loans replaced.
Catch ya on the flip side!!

[grassfarmer]

Good to see you making progress Randy, Cam's essays certainly impressed me and contained many truths.
I'm still struggling with the realities of the way ahead. Is mandatory testing feasable? Supposing the Government could be persuaded to go for this motion how could they implement it? Presumably Cargill and Tyson would go to the courts to fight it citing "sound science" as their defence. Remember this is the same Government that couldn't get access to the Packers financial records. If they did succeed and by some miracle persuade the Packers to test why would the Packers pay 1 cent per pound more for fats than they are now?
I personally see the best opportunity for testing to be the Government getting behind a smaller company with substantial funding (they gave it to the multi-nationals afterall to attract them initially)and a guarantee of longterm protection from the cartel practices of the large packers. At least that way we would have more competition in the marketplace and a chance of moving the cattle prices upwards.
Despite these immediate problems I see great hope for a united push to improve our industries footing by following many of the things Cam Ostercamp advocates in his essays. Thanks for taking the time to represent grassroots producers!

[rusty1]

You might be interested to know that there is a movment to sue the USDA under chapter 11 of the NAFTA agreement. It states that if there is "no scientific issue (paraphrased) then the border cannot be kept closed, and that the ofending country is liable. but the ABP and CCA and govt's don't have a big enough will to do something. They havn't lost enough nor hurt enough.

[kato]

If Cargill and Tyson go to court citing sound science, then the same argument can be used regarding the closing of the border not being based on sound science.

Scientific truth is just that, plain and simple, not something to be pulled out and paraded around "only" when it's in your favour, and then disregarded when it's not.

As for the new group, GO FOR IT! It's about time our views were represented. Let's cover as many provinces as possible too. The wider the membership, the more credible.

Let me put my cynical cap on here...if we had a bunch of people down east working on the cause, we might get some political action. Let's not just be known as a Western group.

[kato]

Testing for BSE is only part of a much larger suggestion laid out by Cam Ostercamp. We ultimately need to reduce our dependency on the American comsumer for our beef. One step towards this is to test beef for BSE, and then to approach each new potential customer with a new attitude. We have a wonderful, nutritious, safe product that we know you would enjoy. IF WE MEET YOUR PROTOCOL, would you be interested in this product?

You had a question about pricing grassfarmer which I will try to answer. Testing will not change the price the packers offer for our beef imediately, but customers will. Right now we have a major lack of customers. This is not a plan to fix things overnight. This is a plan to fix things for our kids. Our industry was in trouble long before BSE and will stay that course if we simply look to opening the American border as our solution.

Right on kato, we need to make this a Canada wide thing, and real quick. Regional reps will be needed as Cam is simply a farmer like you and I and needs to keep his job. He's only been at this a few weeks and looks a bit burnt.

[cakadu]

RPK - I'm glad to hear that things are moving along with Cam - it can be a lot to lead something as challenging as this.

As producers, we need to be aware of being able to meet customers demands and still make a profit of some sort. It does us no good to meet their protocol if it ends up costing us too much to do it in the long run. Someone has to pay to allow for whatever extras may be required in going after new markets. The customer needs to be willing to pay or else it ends up coming out of someone's pocket and we know that it is usually the producers pocket.

I've always maintained that so many of the things that we as producers are being asked to do are fast becoming a social issue, hence must be paid for in order to ensure that it is done that particular way. If it means that the consumer pays, then so be it - if they want continue with safe, quality food, then maybe they need to be wiling to pay for it.