June 1, 2008 frost

Woke up this morning to frost again.  Beautiful day  but my tomato plants don't think so.

I made some quick feed bag covers on the tomato cages last night at midnight. So today I will be coming up with something  more permanent, I hope.

I will have to  built a green house as frost is to be expected here till the end of June.

Got to love living in northern Alberta.

Gary

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As food prices spiral, farmers, others profit

Wow. Must be nice.
Real headlines in Alberta
Farmers profit stays flat as food prices spiral.

Where do these guys get this information? Sure some farmers profited last season, grain prices went up before the cost of inputs jumped. What if you had already pre-sold your 2007 crop and maybe signed on for your 2008 crop as well. Now if you factor in the doubling of fertilizer costs, farm fuel up to $1.20 a litre, equipment maintenance and on and on. How much of the gross sales rolls over into into net profit.

If you purchased you inputs last year you might get one more good year. If not, after all is said and done in my area, you will be lucky to keep your farm income steady and your wife working only one job.

Just the fax
Gary

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Food vs Fuel

In the Chicago Tribune a sane voice was raised in the feed the poor story.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped0506fuelmay06,0,481881.story

With the commodity prices coming up to a fair price to farmers maybe now we will see the exodus of farmers slow. Maybe even reverse if these prices keep up with the price of inflation so a person could make a living without an off farm income.

Now if we could only do something about the livestock market.

Ya, I'm a dreamer.

"Climate Change Questioned" in school mailout

Climate change questioned in schools mailout!!!

How dare some one question the fundamental truth that Al Gore and the powers that be have set in stone.

Why should our children only be exposed to one side of the debate? Yes debate.

I am not convinced that global warming is an issue that is bringing the end of the world. Yes the climate is changing. It has always changed and will always change.

There have been warm periods and cool periods and down rite cold periods. Did Al Gore think that the world would stop for him?

This world has had many bigger things to deal with than an ex vice president spouting off about thing that he doesn't really understand. Sure it may be in the name of a good cause. Misguided but with good intent I'm sure.

Lets give our children some credit, all of the facts, all of the different positions in this debate and help then learn to reach their own conclusions.

I the long run learning to think this through on their own will help us all as they grow up and have to fix our many mistakes.

Gary

World food crisis

I might be looking at this wrong. If I am please correct me.

The world food crisis isn't about the price of food at the farm gate or the price of food in general. It is that people are still having to live on less than 5 dollars, 2 dollars or 1 dollar per day.

Lets say that I live in North Central Alberta Canada. ( I do ) In 1978 wheat sold for about $2.75 a bushel. Gas about $.20 a litre, 160 acres of land sold for $25,000. My first Truck GMC Sierra $7,000.

Then 25 years later - 2003 My truck $37,000, gas $.70, 160 acres of land $100,000. What was wheat $3.25 a bushel.

Today the truck is $50,000 gas id $1.21 that same piece of land is closer to $150,000.

You all think that the farmer should be selling the grain at a loss so that you can have cheap bread.

Every thing else went up by a factor of 5 why shouldn't the price of grains. The issue shouldn't be that the prices have jumped so much in the last year or two, it should be why has the government kept the price artificially low for so long at the expense of the farmer.

The problem is not that farmers are getting a price that now reflects inflation for the last 30 years, but the poorer countries are struggling to keep up for what ever reason. That is where we should be focusing our attention.

Help them develop income, grow their own, and try to convince our government to help their government to be more accountable. While we try to make ours more accountable.

Just my opinion
Gary


Discloser statement - I do not farm, my family doesn't farm. I don't make enough at my day job that I could afford to pay for that lifestyle.

Ontario's thought Police

Christian Horizons wants to be Ontario's thought police.

By making their employees sign an agreement that controls them at work and at play and the bedroom too.

The Human Right Commission made a good decision and upset a group of Christian control freaks.

Good on them


http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/04/28/lorne-gunter-on-christian-horizons-and-ontario-s-thought-police.aspx#comments

Ontario's thought Police

Christian Horizons wants to be Ontario's thought police.

By making their employees sign an agreement that controls them at work and at play and the bedroom too.

The Human Right Commission made a good decision and upset a group of Christian control freaks.

Good on them

April in Alberta

Wow, the snow might actually be gone soon.
I 'm looking forward to things starting to green
up.
Almost ready to order some chickens. I told my daughter that if she wanted more spending money she had to earn it. I suggested sellings eggs.
We will see how that works out in a few months.

April in Alberta

Wow, the snow might actually be gone soon.
I 'm looking forward to things starting to green
up.
Almost ready to order some chickens. I told my daughter that if she wanted more spending money she had to earn it. I suggested sellings eggs.
We will see how that works out in a few months.