I whimpered, collapsing on a tiny, orange couch outside the Northlands halls in Edmonton last Wednesday. “I don’t think I’m going to make it.”
It was our second day at FarmTech, and I had made a fatal error…
“They’re hurting pretty bad, hey?” Tracy said, her motherly nature longing to comfort me, her human nature likely annoyed by my querulous cries for help.
My brand-new Ted Baker shoes had failed me. Though I probably looked like I walked out of a men’s catalogue at breakfast, by lunch, I looked more like an incapacitated penguin waddling out of the Edmonton Valley Zoo… In three decades of walking, my feet had never known such pain!
To my relief, this tiny orange couch, however, was not my final resting place. It was my rehabilitation center. For the next hour and a bit, I allowed myself to sit shoelessly entertained by two brothers from Fairview, Alberta.
Bernard and Geoff were not only good conversationalists, they were some of the funniest, most sincere farmers we have met! And whether they or Tracy noticed that my feet smelt, I never asked and never found out. #DontKnowDontCare
Only kidding of course. I do care! If there’s anything that FarmTech, olympian Clara Hughes and the Honourable Roméo Dallaire taught me last week, it’s to not judge anyone until I’ve walked a mile in their shoes. And believe me! If their shoes are anything like the pair I was wearing, I’d rather not take the chance!
Bernard, Tracy, Geoff – FarmTech 2017
(photo taken by Jared without shoes on)
Though my shoes didn’t have much of a lining, the silver one I received was when my wife Michelle showed up with my old, reliable Aldo shoes. They felt just like a pair of slippers!! My tale was becoming a Cinderella story, and I was even going to make it home before midnight!
Sharing our struggles isn’t always easy. And not everyone is open to walking alongside us in our times of need. But, had I not voiced my aches and pains to Michelle, I would have continued my feeble bout with the tireless Ted Baker Shoe Company for the remainder of the evening.
Thankfully, I was able to give my full attention to Clara Hughes that evening, who captivated the hearts and minds of two thousand agriculturalists. As the national spokesperson for Bell Canada’s Mental Health Initiative and the #LetsTalk campaign, Clara has been doing a tremendous job of deconstructing the stigma associated with mental illness.
#LetsFaceIt. We are living in uncertain times. And for many farmers, traumatic times! We at Agfinity can only imagine the grief that has been experienced over the past year.
While we are not registered psychologists, we hope that we may be a little, orange couch to any of the farmers that are experiencing grain harvesting and marketing agony this year.
Sometimes the solution is as simple as a new pair of shoes, and other times, it’s a chat with a good conversationalist that makes you laugh and brings new perspective.
While the Agfinity couch most certainly is orange, if I may pull on some of the wisdom I received as a child from Canadian legend, Red Green , let’s never forget: “we’re all in this together!”
Every one of us! So l et’s talk! We’re here all week.
Barley : I’m not going to lie to you… it’s a somewhat dismal outlook for the feed barley market. An abundance of feed wheat has been keeping demand and prices low with no upside seen into spring. Delivered Lethbridge prices now at $3.35 – 3.40/bu for Feb-March and $3.40-3.45/bu for April-May. Delivered Edmonton bids now at $3.00-3.10/bu. Buyers are covered through to the end of March and are buying easily for April at these prices.
Wheat: Feed wheat bids have dropped and threaten to come off again as more and more feed wheat comes to market. Still seeing lots of higher vomi feed wheat from Saskatchewan, providing good value for feeders, and lower prices for everyone else. Gradable wheat bids strengthened this week with help from the weaker CDN dollar. HRS bids pushing up to $7 bu delivered for spring movement. CPS wheat elevator bids are up as well with some fall opportunities heard well above $5/bu delivered Oct-Dec.
Oats: Oat prices still holding steady for good quality 2CW oats weighing 43.3 lbs with moisture 13-13.5%. Bids have a 5-10 cent per month carry into spring. 3CW/ feed bids remain much the same. 3CW bids about 30-40 cents per bushel under 2CW with feed bids hovering around $2/bu picked up, with some interest at $2.25-2.50/bushel, depending on the desperation of the buyer.
Canola: Canola bids eased off at the end of January but have come back up with support from the lower CDN dollar. We are hearing again that $12/bu delivered targets for spring could get picked up as well as $11/bu delivered targets for fall.
Peas: With India’s buying demand for peas lessening, bids have eased off this year. Both Greens and yellow bids still hovering around $9/bu delivered but threaten to come off into spring due to better production in India. New crop yellow bids heard at $6.50-7.50/bu with green bids at around $7.25/bu delivered.
Send us your samples!
Mail to: 3-5400 50 Street, Stony Plain, AB T7Z 1B7
The Buyer Brief – Jared Seitz filling in for Joseph Billett
Joseph is on holidays this week and buyers aren’t calling to hit higher priced offers, unless they include April-May movement. What more can I say? 😀 …For a more detailed briefing on the decreasing demand in the feed grain market, tweet Joseph at @JosephBillett!
*If you’re trying to reach us from outside of Canada this winter, our toll-free number unfortunately will not work, so please reach us at 780-968-1676. 😀
Whether you’re out running around in the cold, or paying bills by the fire…
Keep in touch with us on social media!
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
“Other buyers call me, and I always tell them that the best service I get is from Agfinity, and that you guys are who I market my grain through.”
– James Thompson, Millet, AB
“Most of our marketing decisions are based off of your newsletter! We really appreciate you sending it out!”
– Phillip & Glenda Collinge, Lloydminster, SK
“I really like the personal touch in the newsletter! Thanks for sending that out!” – Jim Majeski, Camrose, AB
“I really enjoy working with you guys and the transparent service you provide!”
– Kurt Boese, Neilburg, SK
“For the past five years I’ve been dealing with the Agfinity group and what a fantastic group of people they are. From number 1 to feed grain and canola. All the buyers at Agfinity can Make it happen. Fast turn around times on every thing. Movement, payment, and the inbetween that all of us farmers don’t see or care about. Good job to the Agfinity crew and keep on buying our grain.”
– Drann Hogg, Huxley, AB
“Thanks for continuing to send out a newsletter. I read right through it every time, and look forward to crop price updates.”
– Orest Hulowski, Perryvale, AB
“Enjoy reading your newsletter and price updates keep them coming, good job.”
– Peter L .Gross, Standard, AB
Have a testimonial we can share?
Just email us and say something nice about what we do. 🙂
