Hmm maybe its time we had our own farm aid show here.The farmers have been getting the shaft for too long and too deep.Sad when you see 8th generation farms going down <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/frown.gif" width=15 height=15>.
Heard one guy today saying almost 20 years back he got $180 for ton of corn,today he just gets over $100.I,ve never heard of the price of human or animal feed going down?!?!?!?!.And you can pretty much buy a house with the amount they pay for just one of many pieces of equipment they require.
http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060405/farmers_ottawa_060405

CBC.CA News - Full Story :
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Thousands of farmers rally on Parliament Hill
Last Updated: Apr 5 2006 01:39 PM EDT
Thousands of farmers gathered on Parliament Hill Wednesday to seek help in competing against subsidized agricultural producers from abroad.

PHOTO GALLERY: Farmers rally on Parliament Hill
"If farmers could afford to come to Ottawa, we would have hundreds of thousands of farmers out here today," said Bob Friesen, the president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

"We're losing money," oilseed farmer Colleen Ross told CBC News. "We're selling below the cost of production."

The all-day rally tied up traffic throughout Ottawa's downtown, starting during the morning rush hour. By late morning, Wellington Street in front of the Hill had become a parking lot for hundreds of buses, tractors and other pieces of farm equipment.


Canadian farmers say they cannot compete with their heavily subsidized counterparts from the U.S. and Europe.(Jason Ramsay/CBC)

The farmers want the federal government to help them compete with heavily subsidized farmers in the United States and Europe.

INDEPTH: Agriculture
Those subsidies make it cheaper for food processors in Canada to buy raw materials like grains and oilseeds from abroad, shutting out Canadian farmers in many food sectors.

Federal-provincial aid program target of criticism


Tractors turned the street in front of Parliament Hill into a parking lot. (Jason Ramsay/CBC)

The current Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program, which offers compensation to farms suffering drops in income in unusual years, "just isn't doing it for farmers," said Ross.

Farmers have criticized the multibillion-dollar aid program for its complexity and delays in receiving payment.

Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl zeroed in on the aid plan when he spoke to the demonstrators after he and Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with protest organizers.

"We are working to replace the CAIS program," Strahl promised. "We are going to replace that program with separate income-support in a separate disaster-relief fund."

However, he warned farmers that they'll need to put pressure on provincial governments in order to have the program replaced, since it's a federal-provincial effort.

"Without exception, all 10 of the provincial [agriculture] ministers support the CAIS program right now," Strahl said.

'Efficient farms' suffering too: OFA leader

The Ontario government recently provided farmers with $125 million in emergency funding, but many of the protesters said that's just a drop in the bucket, given the magnitude of the problem.

"Some of the most efficient farms that we have are the ones that are suffering the worst," said Ron Bonnett, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

He said more cash for farmers "has to be viewed as an investment" aimed at keeping rural communities alive and vibrant.

"If you don't react to the farm crisis … you've got a way bigger hole to fill than you'd have to fill by supporting the farm-income sector," said Bonnett.

Meeting reporters after the Conservative caucus met, Harper said he finds it strange that the Liberal agriculture critic, Wayne Easter, used the rally as a chance to call on the government to do more for farmers.

"They had their chance and they left farmers with the mess we do have today," Harper said.

"If you don't react to the farm crisis … you've got a way bigger hole to fill than you'd have to fill by supporting the farm-income sector," said Bonnett.

Meeting reporters after the Conservative caucus met, Harper said he finds it strange that the Liberal agriculture critic, Wayne Easter, used the rally as a chance to call on the government to do more for farmers.

"They had their chance and they left farmers with the mess we do have today," Harper said.

It's so sad what's happening to the Canadian Farmers as it sounds like what's happening to our farmers. Neil Young is from Canada & involved in Farm Aid so maybe he could get something going on over there... <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/peace.gif" width=16 height=16>

Yeah, Spark! Your post reminded me of how things have changed, regarding the land, on 'this' side of the pond!!!

20 -25 yrs.(Even as little as 10 - 15 yrs.) ago farming was infinate, in terms of cash. I was lucky, and me Dad didn't have a dairy farm. It was strickly beef. Dairy farming is not a 9-5 job. It's a 24X 7..... I would quit drinking milk, before I operated such a business.

what helped ruin farming, is the fur business.... People trap now, but there is NO $$$$ in it, same as milk...

farmers are getting what they got for they're milk, same as they did 20 yrs. ago. (back then great $$$) fur is down less than 1/2, and your lucky if you get that....

Muskrats, and beaver are far from the endangered species list... Back in the early 70's I learned to trap, and I had a good mentor... He let me set my first trap, myself, with the idea we'd check it in the am.... all psched out, we got to the trap, and all I had was a chewed off foot... ( I felt terrible inside ) My trapper friend, explained, NOW, your going to learn how to make a drown set.....( tye enough wire. not too lose, not too tight , they panic and jump, and it's drowning time again)

I quit trapping when the $$ went outta it.

AND hindsight is 20/20..... ntm: I had this super FLASHBACK this am remembering 25 yrs ago, what I couldn't remember yesterday.

In 1973, I had trapped over 100 muskrat, and two Mink...and 5 racoons...( I never trapped fox or raccoon, but would harvest fresh road kill----- Killing rocky isn't my idea of a good time....)

But I walked outta the trapper shed, with around 600$$$$$. And before I went in, I was feeling great about it being sat. and getting paid $20.00 and a full tank of gas, for feeding the bovine, and shoveling cow shit...

Wk ends were great in the 70's. As still being in school, my mother wouldn't let me work... wk ends were for home work...

I actually enjoyed trapping for over a decade. shortly after my mentor, and I went differant ways, I seemed to have learned it all..... ntm: Kill traps went on the market. they were not only more humane, but very effective.

Yeah 600$ was allot of $$$ in 1972

<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15> I have a pond behind my house, that has two muskrat houses. I enjoy watching them more now, than I would cashing them in for profit.... Prices would have to quadruple, to even take an interest...Besides, they blend in well with the turtles and ducks....