Yes, that time again, it’s become a tradition


To editorialize in verse in the year’s first edition


We review the year past, then with great perspicacity


Predict the next year’s events with remarkable accuracy


Well, most of the time, because I have to confess


That the advice I gave last year was not quite the best


So far I’ve always been right when I’ve said you could do worse


Than when a politician gives you advice, to do the reverse


Last year around now, as I’m sure you’ll recall


Ritz said, “No more CWB monopoly; seed wheat wall to wall”


So based on past experiences, and you’ll agree there’ve been many


I said the best advice for wheat acres was not to plant any


The minister was right, though maybe not for the right reason


Wheat was a pretty good choice as it turned out last season


Because when things get a bit dry, as they do often enough


Wheat shows what it can do when times are a bit tough


While canola, without cool weather and regular showers


Lives up to its image of being a delicate flower


If you don’t baby it along with costly sprays what you sees is


That canola is like candy for various pests and diseases


Lygus, sclerotinia, diamondback and bertha can all cause a disaster


Then last year there were some kind of yellows named aster


Aphids, moths, aphids, flea beetles and weevils


Clubroot, maggots, cutworms, plus various more evils


To me the Guide to Canola Production reads like the plot


Of a Shakespearean play with some witches stirring a pot


If you don’t get your rotations in shape there’s more trouble in store


Maybe you should listen to the experts, who say one year in four


That’s easier now; once when you took an August drive out of town


The crops in Manitoba had pretty much all turned yellow or brown


But last year it seemed that every second field you were seein’


Had remained nice and lush, a brilliant colour of green


Who’d have thunk we’d have soybeans to add to our rotation


And it would become the third-largest crop in this part of the nation?


I seem to recall, and not back so many years


When we had a grain surplus; corn coming out of our ears


The way to keep prices out of the tank and farmers out of the red?


Just that — put the grain in the tank, and make alcohol instead


So they did; I’m not saying whether it’s for good or for harm


But whatever; the point is the idea worked like a charm


Now that it has and prices are back in the black


There’s much wringing of hands that things are off track


That depends; if you grow grain things are tracking quite nicely


But if you have to feed livestock then things are more dicey


Back when grain farmer and feeder were one and the same


These things came out in the wash without so much pain


Now that the two sectors have become quite distinct


One can only make money when the other drowns in red ink


This trickle of a dilemma has so far not become a Niagara


Because of government programs that all start with Agri-


No longer I fear; the provinces and feds with a certain agility


Have pretty much pulled out the plug on AgriStability


The message is clear, I think the governments are showin’


That from now on farmers will be pretty much on their own


So keep that in mind for your future protection


If you’re tempted to pay too much for that next quarter section


Though maybe this time it’s different, no end to high prices in store


Just like it was different this time five or six times before


If you’re one of those farmers who are runnin’ some dogies


You could celebrate last year, and light up a few stogies


After a long stretch starting with BSE there’s been so much grief


But the past couple of years have brought some relief


Except for a hiccup or two such as the one this past fall


Like the fiasco with the Brooks XL beef E. coli recall


To say who’s at fault I don’t have the abilities


But should almost all of our beef come through just two facilities?


Call me a dreamer, or maybe in the past I’m just stuck


Wanting to buy Manitoba beef that isn’t back from Alberta by truck


Enough of being stuck in the past, I’m sure the main reason


You’re still reading is to know what’s best to plant for next season 


Should cereals, oilseeds or pulses be part of this year’s crop picture?


Definitely — just be sure that you choose the right mixture


When to sell? My advice is, and you can be sure it’s unbiased


Is that the best time to sell is when the prices are highest


For similar advice market analysts always charge a big fee


But if you read the first Co-operator of the year we give it for free


That’s it for now, for better or worse


We’ve run out of space to squeeze in bad verse


So please accept our best wishes from all of us here


For good crops and good prices, and a Happy New Year!