President's Report of recent activites and issues
Launched: December 2009
Starting in December 2009, President Greg Marshall will be providing a weekly report regarding his activities and meetings.
If you wish to contact the President of APAS, please email him [HERE]
Jan 2010 Full Report
The first month of 2010 has come and gone with the same speed as a positive balance in a chequing account. Travel and meetings have allowed very little time in the office. Wild Rose Ag. Producers held their annual meeting in Edmonton. The focus was on the future of agriculture, where are we at, and where are we going. Farmers and their general organizations generally think in longer time frames than do governments which tend to think in short term expenditures of money with no policy vision for the future. I was proud to represent APAS in this discussion along with CFA president Laurent Pellerin.
I attended a very productive meeting with Ministry of Environment staff involving the Results Based Environmental Reforms and the need for a Wetland Conservation Policy for Saskatchewan. Producer’s rights and responsibilities are of the utmost importance to the APAS team. I look forward to working with the Department in the future.
Our inclusion of the delisting of railway sidings in a level of service complaint to the CTA has rewarded APAS with a lot of positive news coverage. The CTA rejected our claim on the grounds that we couldn’t provide user names and usage amounts for all of the affected sidings. We may never save these sites but we must preserve the legislated rite to have access to them.
Norm Hall and I travelled to the RM’s of Hazel Dell, Sasman, and Insinger. We had very positive discussions revolving around the need for a general farm organization. I think that at least one of these RM’s will join APAS.
APAS participated in the Crop Production Show. We are currently in year two of a three year agreement for sponsorship. I feel it is beneficial for the organization to have this level of visibility. While there I had many conversations with industry people, commodity group executive members, government officials, producers and media interviews.
A Beef Industry Symposium was held in Saskatoon which brought all industry groups together to work towards common goals. Consumers are ultimately the drivers of the industry and producers need to take this into consideration. The feasibility of Cattle Price Insurance was discussed. It is encouraging to see that industry is as far advanced as it is on this front. Producers were told: There is still a future ahead of us, to accept that change is inevitable, to become involved in organizations and be supportive of the leaders, and to be proud of what we do.
Keystone Ag. Producers held its annual meeting in Winnipeg and Don Connick and Doug Faller attended on our behalf. KAP saw one change in their executive with the election of Doug Chorney as Vice President.
Jan 18 - Jan. 22 2010
The APAS board met for a full day. As is the case with all board meetings the agenda was full to the brim with policy discussions as well as important strategic planning for the organization.
I spent some time at the office, was interviewed by the Western Producer and by Reuters News, and later attended a meeting with the Ministry of Environment staff. It was a very productive meeting attended by Lyle Saigeon, Kevin Murphy, Nial Kuyek, Doug Faller, Norm Hall, and myself. Discussion involved the Results Based Environmental Reforms and the need for a Wetland Conservation Policy for Saskatchewan. Land owners rights and responsibilities, today and in the future are of the utmost importance for the APAS team.
I then was off to the Beef Industry Symposium in Saskatoon for the rest of the week. This was an encouraging conference because it brought all the livestock groups together to work towards common goals. There were presentations that focused primarily on the need to work together and facing the challenges that very concept presents, and the rewards that can be harvested. Consumers are ultimately the drivers of the industry and we heard a presentation from the Food Marketing Institute on consumer considerations for producers. Cattle Price Insurance and the feasibility of such a program was discussed.
The most important messages for producers that I heard were this:
There is still a future ahead of us
Accept that change is inevitable
Become involved in organizations and support the leaders
Be proud of what you do
January 04, 2010
Happy New Year and welcome to the year 2010. I hope you had a restfull and reflective holiday season.
The days leading up to and following the winter midterm were very productive. The holidays provided a welcome time to unplug and recharge.
Follow up on the resolutions have begun with a discussion with Asst. Deputy Minister of the Environment. Plans are underway to meet early January 19th.
I spent three days at a strategic planning session for the endowment fund of the WGRF. A message arrived on New Year’s Eve. stating that CN rail has exceeded the revenue cap by $680,000. CN now has 30 days to forfeit that overage plus a penalty of $ 34,163.
Dec 18 the board of directors had a very successful meeting.
We received good news that the Standing Committee for Agriculture passed a motion recommending that the government take action to prevent the delisting of the 53 rail car loading sites. This fits well with our level of service submission we will be making to the Service Review panel so we launched a campaign asking the CTA to place an immediate moratorium on the delisting of the sites as well. The federal government is now prorogued so now all committees and actions by govt. are now suspended until March. Does this mean that CN can carry on with its plans? My discussions with CN public affairs seem to indicate that is just what they will do. So much for effective government.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) brings an executive meeting and then I will travel to Edmonton to the WRAP annual meeting and a prairie farm leaders meeting.
2010 promises to be another year of challenge and change.
Unless you choose otherwise -have a great week.
December 22
Last week began with a call from the Dale Carnegie Foundation in Calgary. They are recruiting for a course to be held in Regina starting in January of 2010. This call was especially timely as Nial and I have been discussing executive and board training development opportunities.
Early in the week, I participated in an interview with Shaun Pratt of the Western Producer. Prior to leaving for Saskatoon on Tuesday, I received a call from the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Environment, Lin Gallager, regarding our policy resolutions that impact on the the Environment Ministry.
I attended a strategic planning session of the Western Grains Research Foundation led by Terry Scott on Wednesday and Thursday. This was a very intense session to plan responsible ways to ensure the Endowment Fund is put to its best use for generations of farmers to come.
During the meetings I received a CFA report that stated that the Standing Committee for Agriculture passed a motion to recommend to the appropriate ministers that the Government of Canada take actions to prevent the delisting and subsequent closure of 53 producer car loading sites in the prairies, for such period of time that the Government of Canada in its opinion and in consultation with all stakeholders, determines advisable and in the best interest of all concerned. Read more in this issue here.
The Standing Committee is also considering a motion that states: that the Government immediately implements an assistance program for the cattle industry to help it cover the $31.70 cost per head, which represents the competitiveness gap between Canada and the US caused by Canada’s Specific Risk Material (SRM) standards.
On my return to Regina, I had discussions with staff members Nial, Doug and Aj to update them and discuss further action.
I then received a call from Kevin Franchuk of C.N. public affairs. He wanted to know if I could provide him with the names of any groups that might be interested in entering into a commercial arrangement with them on the proposed site closures. CN is obviously convinced that the delisted sites will be coming out in the New Year.
And I had an hour long, one-on-one, meeting with Cam Goff regarding intervener status to his level of service complaint.
This was all during and after the intense planning session that was followed up by a Board Christmas social. Little wonder that the days seem to run into one another.
The week closes with the APAS December Board meeting on Friday, December 18.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Greg
December 7, 2009
The week following the winter midterm mtg. went by quickly for me. Monday kicked off the week with planning for and making travel arrangements for upcoming meetings. Valuable time was spent with the staff team to assess the midterm meeting, its shortfalls and successes. It was pleasing to be able to share some positive written comments that we received.
I was a guest on the Listen Up radio program with Dave Morgan on Tuesday to speak about the issues that a general farm organization deals with that are of importance to the non farming public.
Norm Hall and I began District 4 RM visits with the RM’s of Emerald and Preeceville. A committed member such as Emerald appreciated the update and Preeceville although very positive still wants a ratepayer vote.
I was interviewed by the Wheat, Oats and Barley magazine and the Western Producer as well as had beginning discussions with the writer for the Western Living section of the Producer.
I finished the week with a personally rewarding day, hunting for, and cutting down, the perfect Christmas tree with my grandchildren.
For More....
For past President's Reports and reports from Executive , District Director's and staff for the period of December 2008 to the present, please click [HERE].