grassfarmer?

[cowman]

What happened to you? I hope you haven't been wrestling those wild cows again and ended up in the hospital?
Or you are still miffed because somebody disagreed with you? If that is the case, you should get over it and come back online! I know a Scotchman can be ornery and get their feathers all ruffled up, but don't let a little harassment get to you...hell if I was like that I would have been gone a long time ago! Why just consider how much abuse I get on here? I've been called bull headed, a packer lover, a corporation flunky, an Alberta redneck, a Canadian traitor...and on and on!
Doesn't bother me a bit...in fact probably some truth in all of it!

[rkaiser]

Who would ever call you a packer lover cowman??????

I hope as well that grassfarmer hasn't ditched us. I may not reply to all that is said on here, but I do enjoy reading grassfarmers posts.

[cowman]

Hi Randy.
Oh I believe some wild old boy called me that on another website??? Apparently I am also a R-CALF lover, or actually ex-R-CALF lover according to Farmers son!...but whatever!
I have always found it is better to roll with the punches than get all worked up over a few little jabs?
Also I like to try to see both sides of every situation...and without a doubt I like to push some buttons now and then just to get a reaction! I really looked forward to pushing grassfarmers buttons, because it was so easy! That doesn't mean I didn't listen to his ideas, or gain some insights from them? In fact I told him that a time or two?
And I have told you a time or two that I think you have been doing a good job with the BIG C thing, in spite of the fact I like to pull your chain occasionally?...and you mine?
I do believe a lot of people can be overly rigid and set in their ways? I would hesitate to say bullheaded(by the way I've had that label applied here as well) but I doubt you could change their minds with a two by four!
Believe it or not this old man still learns new things everyday! And the only way you do that is to listen to other people and consider how they are thinking?

[cowman]

Anyone that can't take the odd 'punch' ought to spend a few years as a municipal councillor. It has a way of helping a person get a thick skin !!!!

[grassfarmer]

Cowman, pleased to report I'm fit and well, no more cow attacks. I'm not "miffed" because someone disagreed with me or not "tough enough" to take the punches as Emrald suggests. Rather I have choosen to no longer contribute time and energy to a discussion forum where ones input is condemned not on it's content but on ones right to participate. This site has been ruined, in my opinion, by a minority of users whose only contribution is to pop up from time to time and rubbish participants contributions, views, work ethics, politics and deny their very right to participate. Unfortunately many of the more regular participants choose to follow the "herd mentality" of quiet support by going along with these antagonists. These attitudes and actions reflect to me deeper underlying problems in Canadian's understanding of democracy. I hereby excercise my democratic right to withdraw from posting on this site and channel my energies down more productive avenues. I will still pop by once in a while to learn from some of the learned contributers on the site.

[farmers_son]

Every so often I give some thought as to why bother posting on this site. I came on to Agri-ville because of BSE. There was so much doom and gloom I actually thought there would be suicides and I tried to put up a more positive message and offer some hope to whoever was reading. What I got out of it was I ended up a lot better informed on cattle industry issues because someone would say something I found interesting and I would go check it out and find some web site that had some info on it. Definitely posting messages tends to make me think a little deeper about industry issues. I always appreciate others posts that cause me to think or rethink my ideas on a particular subject. I expect you do too. It takes some time to participate here but most of us tend to get up early in the morning anyway. I appreciated your posts and hope you give consideration to continuing. The reality is you bring a unique viewpoint to the discussions as well as provided new ideas, in other words you made a contribution. I would hope you choose to continue but respect your reasons if you decide not too. However you would be missed.

[farmers_son]

As I have said many time I appreciate reading the views of all participants on agriville and have gained valuable information from each and everyone. I really don't think of the folks on here as having a herd mentality, seems as though cowman and I disagree from time to time, and we seem to be regular participants. As for comments about not being tough enough to handle critics, I did not aim that comment at anyone, I include myself in any comments I make and my views have always been not to criticize others unless I am willing to receive the same.

I didn't leave the site when there were comments about my not caring for the environment because I drive a SUV,instead I respected the others viewpoint and kept on 'truckin' !!!

Being a mature adult means hearing and respecting each others point of view, even if it differs from our own. The world would be a very boring place if we all agreed on everything from politics, to breeds of cattle to what sort of vehicle we want to drive.
The more viewpoints on this site the merrier as far as I am concerned.

[kpb]

Well as someone who has had just about everyone who writes on here tell him, from time to time, that he's out to lunch I would like to formally ask grassfarmer to reconsider his decision. I've agreed with grassfarmer sometimes and disagreed others but I miss his voice on here and miss his posts.

I'm not sure about the herd mentality but I do agree with grassfarmer that some posters just seem to come on here to trash and not make suggestions. No one has the right to make a post telling someone not to post, or questioning the time they take posting or any other aspect of their lives that they know nothing about. These posts should be about sharing opinions, gaining knowledge and promoting honest debate.

I agree with at least some of what grassfarmer said but I think that we are all poorer for not having his regular posts anymore. There are only about half a dozen of us who post on here regularly and we can't afford to lose even one of those posters.

kpb

[countryguy]

Boo Hoo Hoo. LOL. Grassfarmer,wipe them eyes dry and get back on the dang horse.The regulars here,once in a while posters like me,and probably mostly,people who never post and only come to read need to get their daily brain tickle by you everyday.I appreciate what you bring to the forum.Keep it comin'

[silverback]

I did apologize to grassfarmer, I guess that wasn't good enough. I did learn a lot from his posts, mostly that I wished we got as much rain as him.

I thought cowboys had developed thicker skin than that over the past few years.

[blackjack]

...grassfarmer...most of us that make a living from agriculture know the industry has major problems...but it needs people like yourself,cowman,f_s,and the rebels like Randy ...whether western Canadian ranchers develope a system like what Quebec has...or if we get some competing packers...I guess time is the only answer to that...like Randy says us ranchers are like herding cats

hell I sometimes have a hard time figuring out how you purebred guys that argue about whose got the best breed or not...as a commercial cow-calf guy and backgrounder I could care less what breed as long as the animal has the qualities I can resell to the BFW's or the other feedlots whose expertise is in finishing cattle...some people would say fatten your own cattle to get further up the chain...but to me thats what farming is all about being the best at a certain part of the industry as the individuals knowledge will allow...plus when I buy calves I have to keep my fellow backgrounders honest right kpb...I guess thats why I like to read the posts to learn from the other parts of the industry and as well the ranchers that give out hints to making my farm a better business...so I too hope you reconsider and keep us up to date with the knowledge that you possess...

[kpb]

blackjack are you going to go ahead and buy backgrounders this year? I'm still hemming and hawing but I don't know what I'll do with myself if I don't buy a few. I'm worried about our fuel costs but barley sure is cheap.

kpb

[cowman]

When you say barley is cheap, what kind of numbers are we talking? A farmer told me the other day a local feedlot is paying $1.46/bu.! Now I don't know if it is that cheap, but if it is I can assure you there won't be much barley grown next year!
Somehow there has to be a balance in these darned prices. Beef and barley always seem to be in a feast or famine situation? When one is up the other is down...and seems to be getting more extreme over the last few years?
I wonder how anyone is going to plant a crop next year with these high fuel prices and increased fertilizer prices? To top it off the bank of Canada seems to think interest rates have to rise!
I would think with the current price structure for grain and the poor growing conditions in parts of the country that the grain farmer could be approaching a meltdown?

[cowman]

not to mention the problems faced by farmers in getting crops, second cut etc. off in decent shape this fall.

[blackjack]

...kpb... I will buying some... even though we got hailed 80% the silage crop still ran 8 ton /acre plus we had a bumper hay crop... I've yet to figure the extra cost to silage but the fuel bill was definitely grose...

...last fall bought a mix of calves and young bred cows...I thought for the quality of the cows they were a good buy... as it turned out for us backgrounders was it not basically a 1 in 10 years to have the margins we had this past year...

...cowman...like our industry has been in the past two years...it is hard to fathom how long the farmers can produce below production costs whether it is grain or forage production...as you have said those with the deepest pockets survive but it does not lead to a better industry without the younger people unable to make a living...I could be wrong but I think the rest of society does not seem to understand without a strong agriculture base we are headed for disaster...