When friends get together and start to chat sooner or later they will talk about gas being cheaper across the river. They don’t mention that the tax system is a little different there too. They also don’t mention that on a cold rainy day you must endure the rain and cold to serve yourself to save that few cents while at home a smiling face says, “Good morning, how much do you want?” and pumps the gas while you sit in a nice, warm, dry car. They also don’t mention that they may burn 10 litres driving to save a buck or two.
Maybe because I’m a retired dairyman, some grocery shoppers ask me “Why is milk cheaper in one province than another?” When I explain that in some provinces, stores are allowed to sell dairy (or any product) below cost as a loss leader to entice you into the store. But in others, this is not allowed because small corner stores could not afford to compete. If that big store sells milk below cost, then you can be sure that a few other products are marked up a little to compensate.
When the price of hydro rates come up during a chat, Quebecers soon realize that Ontario Hydro rates are a lot higher than in Quebec. If you want to get that Ontario cousin wound up just mention that in Quebec most hydro is produced by water-powered generators and in Quebec, water still runs downhill.
On one side of the river, income tax rates may be higher, but properties may be less expensive and hence less money is borrowed to purchase it and then mortgages and taxes are lower.
There are days when a farmer goes to do his morning chores and he discovers that his best cow has died. After chores, when he returns to a warm, dry house with a happy, healthy family, a smiling wife and the smell of breakfast, the positives suddenly outweigh the negatives.
When dairymen get together, someone complains that they only got bull calves this month. Bull calves don’t turn into milk cows. When beef farmers get together, someone brags, most of my calves are male. Beef steers grow better and are worth more than heifers for beef.
On our farm we record all births and the ratio of male to female calf births is exactly half and half.
When one of my farmer friends is having a bad week, he goes to visit another farmer friend who can relate more bad luck stories than the CBC News can. He tells me that after an hour or two listening to bad luck stories he returns home feeling not so bad.
One year when I was in 4-H, the calf I had for the fair that year was the youngest and smallest in the class and came last in a class of twelve. My friend told me when I left the show ring with my well-behaved, well- prepared calf; “You sure made the kid that placed 11th feel good!” I learned just as much preparing and showing that calf as the kid that came in first and that you cannot be a winner every time.
Every day we can find things to complain about, but it’s a lot more fun finding something to celebrate.
Chris Judd is a farmer in Clarendon
on land that has been in
his family for generations.
gladcrest@gmail.com
