Calling all Canadians !!!!!!!! Please read

[hillsdown]

Bez, if we start demanding more domestic food as consumers will production not have to increase ? Will people maybe get back into the business because there is indeed a market for them ? Or are we helpless now to the Urban areas that are demanding more land to build skyscrapers. When the cities or counties need land they just annex yours and you have no say, sure they pay you, but they have not looked at the big picture and the long term effects of us losing that precious land so we can feed ourselves.

I fear we are at the mercy of people who just do not give sh#t.

 

[Bez+]

Bez, if we start demanding more domestic food as consumers will production not have to increase ? Will people maybe get back into the business because there is indeed a market for them ? Or are we helpless now to the Urban areas that are demanding more land to build skyscrapers. When the cities or counties need land they just annex yours and you have no say, sure they pay you, but they have not looked at the big picture and the long term effects of us losing that precious land so we can feed ourselves.

I fear we are at the mercy of people who just do not give sh#t.

Yeah we probably will see an increase in production - prices would have to increase - but at todays pricing and with national cheap food policies strongly entrenched I do not see any of this additional production happening without federal help and I believe the international communities will howl with protest AND quite likely take us on legally.

In the end the vast number of people buy on price NOT quality and location grown - otherwise imports would disappear and domestic production would not be at risk.

Heck you know milk and feathers are supply managed - by the way - never marry for love - marry for quota!

There is a big international move afoot to have Canada remove protections for milk and feathers - it would ruin most of those industries as they cannot make it without a guaranteed income. Actually I would at times like to see a few of them go through what the canuck beef producer has gone through - but then I hit myself in the head with a shovel and realize that would just give us more imported food.

As for people giving a schitte - we are in the biz and therefore we are sensitive to it. Once again the vast majority are not - or food imports (of food basics - not Kiwi Fruit) would not be purchased by the average citizen. This is a simple fact and cannot be denied except by those with rose coloured glasses.

Canada imported 41% of its sugar and confectionary products, 31% of its processed fruit and vegetables, and 31% of its milled grain and oilseed products. Information from Stats Canada - latest info available is from 2001. It is quite likely higher today.

Canadian food imports increased from $8.1 billion in 1995 to $12.6 billion in 2002, a 57% increase. This from Stats Canada as well. Our population did not increase anywhere near that much.

Politicians would not be able to keep their seats if food prices went up to about 30-40% of average incomes. At present I believe Canada and the US of A are spending about 10% of their disposable income on food - imagine the political fallout if it doubled or tripled.

Bez+

 

[MO_cows]

"Your home grown organics are such a small part of the overall food requirement program in Canada and the US of A that it is insignificant in the overall scheme."

Sorry, but I disagree. This market has grown, tremendously, and continues to grow. It is mainstream now, big busine$$, big food brands. The new organic is "sustainable agriculture", it's up and coming. Well, part of being sustainable is being locally produced, not shipped halfway around the world.

The point I am trying to make, North American agriculture isn't ready for last rites just yet. We likely won't get back all that has been lost to cheaper production in less-developed countries, but there are still gains that can be made.

"I participated in a bit of civil unrest a while back - the only reason i did not go to jail was the police were kind enough to not arrest me or I would have lost my job - we were polite and determined and I think some of them actually supported us - we blockaded three major food distribution outlets to drive home a couple of points about BSE and beef losses

All major food stores within 150 miles went to empty within three to five days in the Cornwall and Ottawa areas"

Now that is being true to your convictions!! Hopefully this was well covered by the newspapers and tv, and you got your message out to the public.

 

[dun]

Sorry, but I disagree. This market has grown, tremendously, and continues to grow. It is mainstream now, big busine$$, big food brands.

These figures are from 2005 but I hardly think that they've grown "tremendously" since then:

The organic market is changing rapidly. From 1997 to 2005 organic sales grew between 14 and 21 percent each year, and growth is expected to remain in the double digits for the foreseeable future. Despite this rapid growth, organic sales in 2005 only accounted for about 2.5% of total US food sales.

 

[rockridgecattle]

The best jam I ever had in my life I bought in Canada. It was raspberry and it came in a can. I can't remember the name but if I could I would import that stuff into the US......great stuff :clap:

The only jam that I know of that came in a can is Empress Jams. They are good

 

[2/B or not 2/B]

I live in the foothills of the San Joaquin Valley, rich beautiful farmland where just about anything you can imagine is grown. Yet this land is constantly being paved over to make room for the growing population of our towns - which are starting to run together. I support property tax breaks for agricultural land and open spaces as well as restrictions on how much can be developed and where - but that means nothing because money talks and politicians scramble to please their richest constituents who aren't family farmers. I'm thrilled that organics have come so far in the last 10 years, but it's hard to get clear perspective of a situation when you're sitting inside it. When looking at the big picture I agree with Bez.

 

[djinwa]

Neither country can feed itself now - should the borders be closed.

Actually, there is currently an epidemic of obesity.

There are millions of acres of lawns and golf courses and parks and flower gardens which could grow food.

At which time I will become rich giving seminars on lawn cattle raising.

 

[Bez+]

Neither country can feed itself now - should the borders be closed.

Actually, there is currently an epidemic of obesity.

Should the borders close - those people would be thin in a hurry - just because there are fat people does not mean a country can feed itself - all it means is there are either unhealthy people or people who eat wrong.

Bez+

 

[Bez+]

"Your home grown organics are such a small part of the overall food requirement program in Canada and the US of A that it is insignificant in the overall scheme."

Sorry, but I disagree. This market has grown, tremendously, and continues to grow. It is mainstream now, big busine$$, big food brands. The new organic is "sustainable agriculture", it's up and coming. Well, part of being sustainable is being locally produced, not shipped halfway around the world.

The point I am trying to make, North American agriculture isn't ready for last rites just yet. We likely won't get back all that has been lost to cheaper production in less-developed countries, but there are still gains that can be made.

"I participated in a bit of civil unrest a while back - the only reason i did not go to jail was the police were kind enough to not arrest me or I would have lost my job - we were polite and determined and I think some of them actually supported us - we blockaded three major food distribution outlets to drive home a couple of points about BSE and beef losses

All major food stores within 150 miles went to empty within three to five days in the Cornwall and Ottawa areas"

Now that is being true to your convictions!! Hopefully this was well covered by the newspapers and tv, and you got your message out to the public.

I am sure you are a nice person - but you are not getting it - and if you are you are not displaying it - I give a schitte about your organics - it is still not going to feed you if imports keep rising and overall domestic ag keeps falling - it is NOT big enough - it is very small overall. Organics is simply a side bar issue here.

Now - what do you miss here - close the borders - no more imported food - cities no more eatie. You and I have lost the ability to feed our people!

We rely upon imported food.

Have I not been clear on what I am saying?

As for convictions - I have a few - most of which have allowed me to keep my security clearance - most of the legals ones have been dismissed - wait until I leave the military - I will not have to worry about some things - I have a few plans - I not only like certain types of activism - I am good at it.

Actually when I read about lawns it reminds me of Grandad telling me about growing food on his lawn during WWII.

I want to see one of those lawn cows on top of a 20 or 50 story or even better a 90 story building in downtown city ABC or XYZ - THAT would be interesting. I wonder if any of the tens - yes - sometimes tens of thousands of people that live or work in ONE tall building would be able to divide it up among themselves?



Bez+

 

[Aaron]

The best jam I ever had in my life I bought in Canada. It was raspberry and it came in a can. I can't remember the name but if I could I would import that stuff into the US......great stuff :clap:

Sound's like Malkin's jams. Small 16 oz. tin cans with plastic lids to close them up with. Now referred to as 'Canada's Jams'. Our local grocery store is the distributor for these jams across the continent. 100% pure fruit. The only jam in our cupboards. :cowboy:

These look familiar:

http://www.canadasfood.com/popups/popup ... ONOMY+PACK

 

[CKC1586]

Well- you can not even start trying to promote your product- or market it- until you can identify it from the others... So without labeling (and mandatory labeling so Packers/retailers can't pass off cheaper imported products as domestic, like they have for years) you will never get consumers to buy domestic product...

Gotta agree with you on this!

 

[Workinonit Farm]

- it is far more important to realize what USED to be grown here and is now imported...
....what I am saying is that we can no longer feed ourselves without imports.

..Essentially the video is saying this - Ag is in danger because it is being paved over - built on and commodity pricing are driving people out of the business.

We are in danger of becoming at the mercy of those who control food.

Several examples in third world countries - Sudan, Etheopia and Somalia

controlling food production means power -

Any country that cannot feed itself cannot determine its own destiny without ASKING permission or paying the country that controls the food. This is the real point. And it is close to happening.

Imports of common food stuffs means we are not producing enough.

And THAT is what I took away from the video.

Bez+

To a certain extent these are points I have tried to make, to anyone who will participate in such conversation, in my daily life. Most of the time it falls on deaf ears. It scares me. I remember as a child what a large role agriculture played in the USA. Now.....not so much. I have watched farm after farm become housing developments, dairy after dairy close up shop.

In the meantime, yes, interest in 'organics' has increased but I do have to agree that the average shopper that I come across in my small town buys the "cheapest" food they can find whether it is imported or local stuff 'on sale'. Just this evening a friend of ours commented that he doesn't buy from local farm-stands or any other such places because he can get it cheaper at WalMart or the grocery store.

Katherine