SDA - Saskatchewan Deputy-minister of Agriculture.
Unfortunately I can't give you the money to go with the title.

For those that don't know, the CRESTON-WYNNDEL region is a grain growing region in southern B.C. and until 1998, was always fully included in the "designated area" of the Canadian Wheat Board Act.

What is most interesting is that at some point in the 1980s, the CWB started to grant export licences to farmers for all grain grown in that region, thereby allowing designated area farmers out of the monopoly the same as priviledged eastern farmers.

This is some of the strongest proof that the monopoly is imposed simply by the policy of self-serving bureaucrats in Winnipeg.

This is a tactic that opponents of the CWB should start using. Campaign to force all wheat growers throughout Canada to sell through the CWB and its single desk. The stink raised would be spectacular. Also quite hard to defend.
enough

That, I believe, is called ad hominem.

I have been saying this all along, FORCE the farmers in Ontario and Quebec to be under the communistic system that the CWB is. The LIEberals want to keep the CWB, knowing this only applies to MAN. Sask. and Alberta, to get Ont. and Que votes.

Let ALL farmers either be under the CWB or give ALL farmers a choice as to be members of the CWB or have the freedon of Ont. and Que. farmers presently have. In two weeks [if Ont. and Que. were FORCED to join] the CWB would not exist. All the grain in Canada would belong to them and if the farmer tries to sell or give it away without their permission the farmer will be jailed as Western farmers have being treated.

The Conservative government want to correct this organizations monopoly on Western Farmers, and give the farmers a choice. The LIEberals and others who want to keep the CWB are safe from the influence of their [CWB] reach and see no problem with. As for the $1,000.00 Christmas bonus - give it back to the farmers - they are under more stress than they [CWB workers] will ever be.

From Holmes'site on professional objectivity:

"CODE OF ETHICS:
The profession of Agrology demands integrity, competence and objectivity in the conduct of its Members while fulfilling their professional responsibilities ..."

This is the level of objectivity in her headline:

"HELP STOP THE MURDER OF THE CANADIAN WHEAT BOARD"
~~~
But what seems more curious is her invitation for farmers to join her in Cuba this year.

And why, one might ask? Turns out it is to encourage the spirit of ****developing value added business for small farmers**** in Cuba.

This is exactly what many of those Western Canadian farmers are seeking to do on their own, away from the CWB.

"A Letter of Invitation to Come to Cuba in 2007
from Wendy Holm, Leader
Canada Cuba Farmer to Farmer Project

As a Canadian Agrologist, I very much welcome your interest in this very special Program!

Since 1999, Canada-Cuba Farmer to Farmer Project has been bringing farmers together to share knowledge and experience in the areas of sustainable agriculture. The Project objectives are to create cooperative capacity building in support of sustainable agriculture in both countries and, potentially, to open the door to ethical, cooperative, farmer-led joint venture opportunities to improve small farmer capacity to capture value added in the market place."

From Holmes'site on professional objectivity:

"CODE OF ETHICS:
The profession of Agrology demands integrity, competence and objectivity in the conduct of its Members while fulfilling their professional responsibilities ..."

This is the level of objectivity in her headline:

"HELP STOP THE MURDER OF THE CANADIAN WHEAT BOARD"
~~~
But what seems more curious is her invitation for farmers to join her in Cuba this year.

And why, one might ask? Turns out it is to encourage the spirit of ****developing value added business for small farmers**** in Cuba.

This is exactly what many of those Western Canadian farmers are seeking to do on their own, away from the CWB.

"A Letter of Invitation to Come to Cuba in 2007
from Wendy Holm, Leader
Canada Cuba Farmer to Farmer Project

As a Canadian Agrologist, I very much welcome your interest in this very special Program!

Since 1999, Canada-Cuba Farmer to Farmer Project has been bringing farmers together to share knowledge and experience in the areas of sustainable agriculture. The Project objectives are to create cooperative capacity building in support of sustainable agriculture in both countries and, potentially, to open the door to ethical, cooperative, farmer-led joint venture opportunities to improve small farmer capacity to capture value added in the market place."

While forcing eastern farmer into the CWB monopoly seems only fair, it is contrary to the CWB Act. The CWB Act is commposed of distinct "PARTS", some which apply to all Canada and some only to the designated area.

The CWB buying, pooling and control of grain handling and transportation is in PARTs II and III and the Act clearly states that they only apply to the designated area.

On the other hand, the export licencing is in Part IV and it applies equally to ALL CANADA.

In 1980, the CWB tried to stop eastern farmers from exporting barley into the U.S. and then replacing it with cheap western barley that couldn't be exported because the CWB won't grant export liceces to prairie farmers. However, the federal government ordered the CWB to grant licences to the eastern farmers.

Enough, well thats it there is no single desk do ontario farmers go to jail? It isn't the Canadian Wheat board it's 3 provinces.

We should force PEI to sell potatoes through it as well. Think of the economies of scale as CWB employees get 2000 for christmas because they economize potatoes too. arg,

DrWright, No doubt many in the East deserve what they do to the west, but even if we wanted to, we don't have the clout.

Better solution: free prairie farmers. That can be done by a government order to the Winnipeg CWB bureaucrats. No vote, no change to the Act. Basically like the CWB chose to do in Creston-Wynndel. Grant us export licences. Thats all the Eastern farmers have ever had.

I wonder how many Canadians know anything about the wheat board monopoly and the fact that it applies only to designated areas?

I suspect about .5%.

And the majority of them are SDA readers.

I tried to click on their "contact us" link on the common ground web site to post a few comments and the link doesn't work!!!!! heh, good job they must have beeen bombarded with emails. The Western Producer doesn't do a lot of things right but firing her was one they got right.

I found it interesting that Wendy would be involved with Cuban farmers.

Last time I checked, Cuban farmers owned the sum total of nada in terms of meaningful farm property; they're all employees of the state on cooperative farms.

I'd be interested to compare their cooperative grain-growing capability with the output of a single prairie farmer.

It would be most revealing.

Wendy Holmes - Cuba - sustainable farming. I smell a rat here.

get ready for the largest onslaught on western canada since the NEP.
-kyoto
-CWB
-a ban on feeding cows methane producing gas

remember - ontario already got an exemption from kyoto for its car plants.
remember -ontario and quebec do not sell to the CWB

When oats were under the wheat board monopoly very few producers grew oats for sale to the Board.
Sinnce removal form the board monopoly oat processing plants sprung up in the prairies and it became a money making option.
The qestion of removing barley from the monopoly will result in the same processing and hurt the eastern plants. Right now a feedlot purchasing barley from the board has to charge freight to Vancouver or Thunder Bay even though it could be grown across the road. That is why farmers sell feed barley directly to the feedlot for immediate payment rather than pay the freight and wait for his final payment.
Very little feed barley is marketed by the Board, however they do control the Malt barley market and protect Eastern maltsters.
Monopolies breed compacency!
A recent hiree of the CWB said he appreciated the $1000 bonus but felt no stess over losing his new job. Is this hush money to keep empoyees quiet about the problems within the board.
2 of the free choice elected board members have switched their stand since being elected. Were they bought off as well. How much are they paid?

Bowen Island is a commuter suburb of Vancouver . . great place for an agronomist to ply her trade . . helping suburbanites with the greenness of their lawns or maybe the local grow ops to get a higher yield of BC bud. There sure & hell ain't any agriculture on Bowen.

I think its $500/day plus expenses. The one thing the CWB can't hide from farmers is the price the farmers get paid and before the two free choice board members were elected, they were disatisfied, but now that they have been "shown the money" inside the CWB, they are in love with the monopoly.

does the trip to Cuba include Dr.Dave?

sustainable agriculture and moving "nightsoil" by donkey cart.

Wendy Holm and Dr. Dave spew so much nightsoil they could revive the agriculture sector of cuba.

It's hard to believe that today in Canada, the Government is still using a war measure to procure property from a specific group of Canadians at a price of the Government"s choosing. Not only does this policy disregard any notion of democratic rights and freedom, it is plain prejudicial (regardless of which side of the fence you're on)! Throw in the facts that the CWB makes a sham of individual property rights for western farmers and the war that brought about a monopolistic CWB has been over 61 years and counting, it makes you wonder what country we're living in...(the former USSR ?) It seems that is exactly where Ms. Holm would like to keep western grain farmer

Starting wage for an elected wheat board director is $25 grand for going to a few meetings and conference calls and goes all the way up to over $100,000 for the grand poobah Ken Ritter.

An easy, extra $25 G goes a long way for someone who makes their living farming.

Wendy Holm reviews “Dancing With Fidel”, March 2002 Country Life in BC

“Many nations have come to realize Cuba’s commitment to social justice and defense of sovereignty in the face of globalization is a dance that we must all learn if we are to arrive at solutions properly respective of our collective future”

“Common Ground Magazine is:
- Read by 1/4 million each month
- Distributed FREE at more than 1,200 locations in B.C., Ontario and Alberta’

Wonder why they just didn’t go with calling it Communist Ground?

It’s one of the numerous can’t give it away publications that litter the lobbies of libraries and recreation centres in Vancouver. The great sage Dr. David Suzuki is a regular contributor.
Personally I don’t see how he can live with himself. Does he not weep over the slaughtering of trees and the green house gases that are produced as a direct result of this straight to the land fill product?

I note that Wendy Holm compares the number of members in the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, which we may assume is made up primarly of major wheat growers forced to deal with the CWB, with the total number of grain farmers in Canada.

But how many of these grain farmers are forced to deal with the CWB for a signficant part of their income? Corn growers in Ontario and rice growers in New Brunswick are not relevant to the discussion.

Wendy is abusing the statistics.

"award-winning agrologist"

I think she mis-spelled "apologist".

I've visited the exclusive liberal Volvo-driving, mineral water-sipping enclave of Bowen Island a few times. I didn't notice that they grow any wheat there. Unless, of course, they grow it in basements. With grow-lights.

"Editor’s note: Holm, a popular monthly opinion columnist for the Western Producer, was dismissed following her participation in the July 27 pro-Wheat-Board farmer rally in Saskatoon."

A reporter isn't supposed to become part of the story if it can be avoided. It's an ethical violation.

Hey bear these people are LIBERANO's ethics is not part of there makeup.

I hope when she goes to cuba sge stays there. commie bitch.

Holm, a popular monthly opinion columnist for the Western Producer, was dismissed following her participation in the July 27 pro-Wheat-Board farmer rally in Saskatoon. Holm was there at her own expense as a concerned agrologist. She attended the minister’s 6 PM media conference as a freelance columnist for the Western Producer, and asked if he was prepared to move without a grower plebiscite.
The column she wrote and filed concerning the events of July 27 never appeared in the Producer. It was printed in Common Ground magazine September 2006. Ironically, her February 9 Western Producer column Dual Desk Is Code for Disaster won her a 2006 national journalism award from the Canadian Farm Writers and Broadcasters in September.
The Western Producer is wholly owned by Glacier Ventures, a VSE company initially formed to export bottled water. Glacier Ventures now owns the bulk of Western Canada’s farm and community newspapers. Agricore United’s CEO sits on the Glacier board. Agricore United stands to profit greatly from the demise of the Canadian Wheat Board. Archer Daniels Midland is Agricore United’s major shareholder. Former prime minister Brian Mulroney is a member of the Archer Daniels Midland board of directors. Monsanto just established a farmers advisory board to help growers capture increased value from the crops they produce. ( genetically modified crops ) The Monsanto Canada Grower Advisory Council is chaired by former Canadian Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Charlie Mayer ( under Brian Mulroney ) and is comprised of executives and farm leaders from five Canadian agricultural commodity organizations. The group held its introductory meeting November 26-27, 2006 in Winnipeg.

Homes's firing had nothing to do with the corporate conspiracy Les is spinning and more to do with the fact that she became completely unhinged at said media conference.

Anyone who reads the Western Seducer knows that it is solidly pro-monopoly, anti-choice and in love with the extremely left wing NFU (National Farmers Union.

The fact that Homes was too left wing and over the top for even this crowd says volume's.

The Western Producer was bought by GVIC Communications in 2002. Glacier Ventures International Corp. is an information communications company focused on expanding across North America through both internal growth and the strategic acquisition of information communications companies that provide essential information and related services through print, electronic and online media.
http://www.theholmteam.ca/farm.media.HoC.pdf

Les

cal....it is always do as I say, not as I do with the lefty moonbats....what I saw as a utility lineman alone would blow minds..the houses they are building in the rurals....and my neighbours in the 'yuppy' neighbourhood I live in.....one neighbour gives me the dirty every time I start my 6.5hp craftsmen, as she pushes her 'euro' mower....yet, when it is time to head to work, I leave in a honda, her a SUV...that's right, the idiot drives a monster, yet she thinks she is saving the planet with her jerk-off lawnmower.....MOONBAT IDIOTS!

My father-in-law is using retirment money to make ends meet on his Saskatchewan farm. He can't find buyers for his land because there's much better profitability investing money and effort in pretty much anything other than farming. Farmers just across the border in Montana are making significantly more money marketing their own grain to England (after shipping costs). But it's against the law for my father-in-law to market the grain produced on his own "worthless" land less than an hour's drive away from the Montana producers.

The situation has been very hard and his health has been negatively affected. He's now approaching 70 and won't be able to physically do farm work much longer but what's to be done when the farm won't sell?

HELP STOP THE MURDER OF THE CANADIAN FARMER BY THE CANADIAN WHEAT BOARD!!!

''Farmers just across the border in Montana are making significantly more money marketing their own grain to England (after shipping costs).''

What? English grain buyers are that dumb that they pay significantly more for Montana wheat when a significantly cheaper Canadian product is available? Please. I thought the right wingnut contention was that the CWB is dumping grain on the world market at the expense of the prairie farmer.

I've read the Conservative gov'ts proposal on the CWB. I've also read both Canadian and American reports, studies and reports. I also listen to the Farmers in my community. It appears to me, that the wheat board will not exist without the single desk. It's not a question of whether you're with the board or against. They don't have the capital or infrastructure to compete against the multi-nationals so they will fail. I believe that the choice of whether they go down or not should be decided by the majority of the farmers that use them. Since the Conservatives don't want to have a vote or honor it, the only only thing that I can think of that would satisfy the free market farmers and the wheat board farmers is to have both groups sign a legally binding agreement. Farmers that support the wheat board sign a legally binding agreement that they will only sell to the wheat board for XX amount of years and those that want a free market sign a legally binding agreement that they can't go back to the wheat board for xx amount of years. That way, both groups get their way, and the wheat board has a fighting chance of survival since they'll know how many farmers they can rely on to sell their wheat and barley to international customers. Most of Ontario and Quebec wheat is sold domestically so you can't really compare the prairie wheat that is Internationally bound. They have transit and port issues that are unique. Any other way doesn't work. Even selling futures contracts don't work. The Ontario board can tell you that. They ended up buying wheat from India to meet their International demands when farmers reneged on their future contracts. It's human nature. If farmers can get more on the free market one year, they will. If they can't, they'll go running back to the wheat board. But the board can't operate that way. The alternative is that we, as taxpayers, subsidize our farmers as our American and European counterparts do.

Les

What an astute assumption maryjane, Canada produce's in the neighborhood of 15-20% of the wheat in the world yet we don't have 100% of the marketshare. Go figure.

Les: "It appears to me, that the wheat board will not exist without the single desk"

If that's the case then just how utterly poor of a marketer is the CWB if it's incapable of handling any real competition?

Western farmers are far more resourceful and intelligent than you give credit. They need to be unshackled from the CWB's communist monopoly controlling the fruits of their harvests. In a supposedly free democratic society the powers granted to the CWB oppresses independent spirit and ingenuity necessary for keeping the business of farming healthy with a "growing" future.

The answer must begin with fixing our broken family farms. Maintaining the status quo with a single dinosaur one size fits all marketer is leading the family farm quickly to total disaster. If you can't see or admit that, Les, then you're either blind or on the take.

maryjane, who says the CWB is dumping? No one in this thread that I can see. As John says @ 9:55AM (also see Rolf Penner, SDA Jan. 2), the CWB forces prairie farmers to sell to them at low prices, then turns around and sells at higher prices, me thinks to protect central Canadian farmers (and voters). 'Significantly cheaper Canadian product' is NOT available. It would or could be, however, if prairie farmers were allowed to bypass the CWB without going to jail.

Attacking CWB selling is a waste of time. The CWB clearly states (section 7) that the CWB can sell for whatever they want. They can even give it away if they "consider that reasonable", and they have no selling accountability to the farmers they have bought the grain from. If they sell for less than they paid, taxpayers pick up the deficit. ($85 million 2002 crop)

But regardless of the results, the CWB employees always get their full pay.

Regarding Montana sales to England, price is irrelevant because a Saskatchewan producer cannot sell at any price because the CWB will not grant an export licence because the grain is grown by a Prairie farmer instead of an eastern farmer. (same licencing legislation for all Canada)

John: "price is irrelevant..."

Only to the condemned. I want to see the family farm live on. Let's give them the chance to do so by giving western grain farmers the free market power to market what they grow.

Of course you're right, prairie farmers need the best world prices available. But our problem is that we cannot sell at any price, because of the CWB bureaucrats whose only concern is themselves.

I happened to note that under the CWB Act, a producer is:

“producer”

« producteur »

“producer” includes, as well as an actual producer, any person entitled, as landlord, vendor or mortgagee, to the grain grown by an actual producer or to any share therein;

I'm willing to become the mortgagee of a small mortgage granted by an 'actual producer', and become a voting producer under Act...Since it is alleged that some farmers are no longer 'actual producers' maybe there should be lots of 'actual producers' who need to borrow money, and are willing to give the lender a vote along the way....

Ten of the 15 directors are elected. The Board of Directors has the power to do a number of things, including the blanket granting of export permits and, in effect, blanket amnesty from prosecution...

A few more votes in the free direction would free the west of this tyranny.

The CWB does not protect Eastern Maltsters. The Brewers Association pay more for malt barley than farmers ever see. They would love to deal directly with farmers. This would ensure that they would have a supply of malt barley. The brewing industry in Canada is concerned that they will not have a supply of malt barley cause farmers don't get enough money from the CWB to bother growing it.