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
Read Also
Advance payment changes still mostly in waiting
APP cash advances for 2025 included a credit-worthiness change for farmers, but another three recommended updates for the federal farm lending program are still in limbo.
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!
