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Option 2 Advice to the Minister Continued

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    Option 2 Advice to the Minister Continued

    Because of the difficulty for some to open that long thread, I will repost it, in case Vader would like to reply:

    1. Ken Reischke, an organic farmer from GlenEwen, Saskatchewan, not I, has always managed the financial and membership records of OSPG since it's inception in 1996, so he deserves the credit for this dedicated work and purpose-committment.

    Both Ken and his wife spent time yesterday morning researching the archival records and bank statements in order to verify whether or not Rod Flaman is currently, or ever was a member, which is the only way to address Flaman's accusation that he was falsely-listed as a member.

    Flaman never was.

    Surely this will put to rest this kind of intimidation tactic

    2. Useful function? OSPG is a voluntary self-funded organization wanting marketing choice, with over 160 organic farmer-members from all the Designated Area region.

    Please read that again.

    It is an anti-CWB lobby vehicle! Each organic member paid a membership fee, signed their name on the application form , and joined OSPG.

    Each one of them understand a)the CWB do not want our unified voice being voiced and b)will try to alienate each one of us from the other.

    OSPG was formed in 1996, and has been active for 11 years. OSPG has appeared before the Standing Committee of Agriculture, met with the CWB Directors, made a presentation to the Western grain Marketing Panel etc. I am a member of OSPG, but I have not been the spokesperson or representative at any of these appearances, so once again, you are accusatory, but misinformed.

    3. Other than being contacted for one press release concerning buybacks, Mr. Flaman has had no other association with OSPG.

    As for credibility, I will leave it to Agri-villers to pass their own judgement about both the credibility and consistency of the positions Mr. Flaman adopts, as well as the professionlism with which he articulates his positions.

    The credibility of the CWB with regards to the handling of organics is bankrupt.

    4. The CWB should be interested in producer-association views and input, and instead of trying to discredit them,and trying to alienate them, and trying to intimidate them, the CWB should be encouraging producers to express improvements, and initate solutions via their groups.

    According to both Mr. Korneychuck and Mr, Flaman, both of them stated very clearly, that THE BUYBACKS ARE A PROBLEM.

    OSPG identified buybacks as the problem in 1996, and they remain as the CWB's most acute problem today, which reflects the problem-solving ability and effectiveness of the elected Directors during the past decade.

    5. What is the Result?

    Every producer has a family member,a friend, a neighbor, who inevitably observes three tactics the CWB always resorts to and employs:
    1)humiliation,
    2)alienation,
    3)intimidation,

    It only results in turning the CWB's long-standing support AWAY from the Board.

    The movement away from 'supporting the Board' to condemning the Board' will continue to landslide if the CWB does not respond to farmers.

    Directors elected to represent farmers would be wise to respect farmers.


    If you have any futher questions, Vader, I will be home tonight.

    Parsley

    #2
    Parsley
    How many organics groups are there in Sask./Designated area/national?
    Is OSPG the largest?
    Are different certifying bodies for all?
    Are some more marketing/policy/agronomics?
    I was asking my uncle aorganic farmer from NE sask and he did not really know,
    just wondering?

    Comment


      #3
      A certifying body is a company/association that verifies whether you are credible, following the audit trail, maintaining records and following organic practices. It charges farmers a hefty fee.

      For example, Procert, in Saskatchewan, is a privately owned Saskatchewan company who the farmers pay for this service.

      Other farmers pay for service with American companies. Probably a dozen or so different companies/associations certify Saskatchewan farmers.

      OSPG, on the other hand, is a farmer/producer group much like the Barley Growers, only this particular producer group was formed to get the CWB out of organics, a divorce from the CWB.

      Parsley

      Comment


        #4
        parsley:
        Thankyou for taking time to speak out about the need for the CWB to grant export licenses to western organic farmers the same as they do to easrtern farmers.
        I have done a bit of research about the barley plebiscite through Statscan, newspaper archives and the CWB web site. This is what I have discovered.
        There were nearly 80,000 ballots mailed out to eligible barley producers.
        There were 29067 ballots returned for a voter response rate of 36.25 %.
        I expect that anyone who felt strongly about this issue, one way or the other, probably voted. If they didn't , they have no right to bitch.
        Anyway, back to the numbers. Of the ballots returned 37.8% ( about 10,987 ) were marked in favor of retaining the single desk system,this is about 13.7 % of total eligible barley producers.
        That leaves about 86 % ( about 69,000 ) of eligible producers who are in favor of changing the way barley is marketed, or who didn't care enough to vote.
        I can't believe that any die-hard CWB supporters did not vote,question #1 gave them a clear way to voice that opinion.
        Again back to numbers, according to CWB annual report and backed up by Statscan, in the 2005/06 crop year prairie producers grew about 425,862,960 bu. of barley. The CWB took delivery of and sold 115,192,440 bu.That is about 27%.
        So all the fuss is being made by 13.7% of the producers over 27% of the barley!Which they no doubt grew less than 13.7% of.
        I have no doubt that the fuss has much less to do with money than it has to do with power and control and who is going to exercise it over who.
        Those 13.7% who are making all the fuss are used to doing things their way,and doing it with everyones money. They don't want to change,they have built an empire,a political entity that lobbies hard for self preservation,using every producers money to fund the campaign!
        Now with the bitter taste of defeat in thier mouths, Msrs. Measner and Korneychuk are off to eastern Canada to do some good old fashion CWB fear mongering,telling farmers out there that somehow the removal of barley from the CWB clutches will lead to the end of supply managed agriculture in Canada.I have no doubt that they spoke very persuasively, they are polished at that game, and no doubt some farmers were influenced.
        Some how the rest of us need to let the rest of Canada know our side of the story.

        Comment


          #5
          Your comment:

          "So all the fuss is being made by 13.7% of the producers over 27% of the barley", is quite the comment!

          In other words, squawking does bring results.(Don't comment on that one, Vader)

          Why is it, do you think, that farmers chose not to vote?

          Parsley

          Comment


            #6
            The only reason I can think of for voter apathy would be because they don't know any other way than through the CWB, and they have not been subjected to the stupidity of the PDS process. It's funny how having thousands of dollars taken from you can clear your mind on an issue. I farmed conventionally for 27 years and didn't give much thought to the CWB,they were just there doing what they do,telling us every year about what a great job they are doing for us and like most others I bought it.Then I got into organics in 2003 and it has been an eye opener having to deal with the constant colossal stupidity of CWB programs like the PDS.I don't know how many organic producers did not vote, but I think it can't be many.

            Comment


              #7
              Even outside of organic's I think a lot of farmers see the CWB as irrelevant and couldn't care less one way or another.

              Comment


                #8
                It really ia a disadvantage to Western Canadians trying to compete with Ontarians, when they cannot get an export license, and Ontarians can.

                Pricing then makes a difference.

                Parsley

                Comment

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