Shoot my cows, please: Alberta farmer

[Woody Williams]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national ... 41116.html

C B C . C A N e w s

Shoot my cows, please: Alberta farmer

Last Updated Tue, 16 Nov 2004 16:26:13 EST

LEDUC, ALTA. - It's looking like a showdown at an Alberta corral between
a farmer who is offering hunters the opportunity to shoot one of his
cows for $500 and the provincial government.

"For the price of a hot dog a day, you can feed a family of four for a
year," Ed Wedman told CBC Newsworld Tuesday.

Wedman has placed a newspaper ad enticing hunters to take a shot at his
Holstein steers and then lug the beef home. The farmer says he's been
losing money for 18 months because of the mad cow crisis, and he's tired
of it.

Dozens of countries, including the United States, closed their borders
to live cattle from Canada after a case of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy was discovered in May 2003.

"I, as a farmer, am selling beef. [Consumers] don't have to go to a
store. You can go to a farmer and have it hauled to a slaughterhouse,"
said Wedman.

Wedman says media attention has drawn many responses to his $100
newspaper ad so much that his answering machine is full.

Wedman's ad has also piqued the interest of Alberta Agriculture, though.
Officials there say the farmer isn't allowed to invite hunters to kill
cows on his property because he doesn't have a licence to run a
slaughterhouse.

Floyd Mullaney of the department's food safety division says a farmer
can sell a live animal to a customer but can't have people killing
animals on the property.

Mullaney says it's a food safety issue, pointing out that meat packers
spend about $1 million on their operations to meet provincial
cleanliness and humane standards while killing and processing animals.

Wedman faces a maximum fine of $10,000 and a year in jail if he goes
through with his scheme.

The farmer says he doesn't care, though.

"I'm all for government inspections and more meat packers but the truth
is, it's not getting rid of the cattle," he said.

Written by CBC News Online staff

[Woodsman]

For all the suffering I hear from western beef farmers, we easterners haven't seen any prices coming down on beef in our stores. Someone's making a darn killing somewhere and it's not us consumers!!!!

[kendo kid]

Woodsman,
They have been running specials to beat the band in Toronto for months. Marinating or Grilling steaks have been a great buy and great tasting. Hop in the car and come to T.O.
kendo kid

[Farmer]

Beef prices at the farm gate are in the toilet, Wheat prices are down, I can buy dry corn for about 2.70/bushel Canadian ( This is about 35cents over what the farmer was paid for it. The elevator also charged the farmer who delivered it for drying, elevation ,dockage , and storage.) The middle men are making a killing.

Just had 500 gallons of dyed diesel dropped off $1680.80 I've had enough farming, it tears me up inside but this is my final season. ( Over a 100 years of heritage/ I am the last farmer in my family ) No future in it for me or my kids.