Agriculture
Local filmmaker’s “Nut Milking EXPOSED” video generates well north of 45 million views and growing
You need to see this!
Nick Saik was born and raised in Central Alberta, surrounded on all sides by Agriculture. A filmmaker by trade, Nick and his father, Rob, a successful author, movie producer, and agriculture advocate have been working for many years to apply Nick’s filmmaking skills to advocacy in the agriculture sector.
One of Nick’s more recent productions, “Nut Milking EXPOSED” is a truly inspired piece of work, regardless of what side of the “…should Nut milk actually be called milk?” argument you may be on. It’s funny. And it’s really well-produced. And this world-class production from the mind of a gifted Central Albertan is being viewed all around the world.
The actor looks into the camera and says with a straight face:
“There’s so much confusion with city folks these days. They’re talking about ‘Nuts don’t lactate. Nuts don’t have a nipple.’ I’ll show you a nut nipple,” says the 3rd generation Nut Milker from the picturesque “Nut Milkery” he operates.
The video comes to an end with the following:
“There is a debate in the dairy industry: If nuts don’t lactate why is their juice called milk?” the video asks. “Definitions matter in the world of food. What defines milk for you?”
“Besides the proximity I’ve had to it, Agriculture has always been a major draw for me,” says Nick Saik. “While I’m quite confident that I’m not cut of the same cloth that farmers are cut from, there is something in that lifestyle, and in those values that I can’t escape. My Dad Robert Saik made his living as a consultant to farmers. He’d spend the majority of his time helping farmers do more with the resources available to them. I think my investigative relationship with Agriculture is thanks to my Dad’s relationship with Agriculture.”
ABOUT KNOW IDEAS MEDIA AND NICK SAIK
The KNOW IDEAS mission is to entertain and inform audiences by presenting rationally optimistic, trustworthy, scientifically-based solutions to highly controversial subjects.
The world has been crippled by meaningless controversy. We need answers, but pessimists aren’t the sort of people that tackle seemingly insurmountable problems. In response, the father and son team of Rob and Nick Saik champion a rationally optimistic approach to resolving the world’s challenges, and they use science as the common ground on which we all can meet.
Despite often having very different views from very different generations, through their work Nick and Rob prove that important discussions are always most productive when they are based on scientifically tested facts, and are conducted in an honest and respectful manner.
No one can pay Know Ideas to change its mind, it courageously follows proven scientific evidence to wherever it leads. Our first project, Know GMO is a demonstration of this commitment in that our funding has come directly from family farmers and we have intentionally avoided any support from any seed or chemical companies that could be seen to influence our findings.
We post our sources. If we’ve said it we’ve checked it, and if it changes we’ll change too. If you’re looking for an information source you can trust on whether we should all go no GMO or pro-GMO, then join us for on our journey by watching our series Learn GMO.
Agriculture
Bill C-282, now in the Senate, risks holding back other economic sectors and further burdening consumers
From the Frontier Centre for Public Policy
Bill C-282 currently sits in the Canadian Senate and stands on the precipice of becoming law in a matter of weeks. Essentially, this bill seeks to bestow immunity upon supply management from any potential future trade negotiations without offering increased market access to potential trade partners.
In simpler terms, it risks holding all other economic sectors hostage solely to safeguard the interests of a small, privileged group of farmers. This is far from an optimal scenario, and the implications of this bill spell bad news for Canadians.
Supply management, which governs poultry, egg, and dairy production in Canada, has traditionally enabled us to fulfill our domestic needs. Under this system, farmers are allocated government-sanctioned quotas to produce food for the nation. At the same time, high tariffs are imposed on imports of items such as chicken, butter, yogurt, cheese, milk, and eggs. This model has been in place for over five decades, ostensibly to shield family farms from economic volatility.
However, despite the implementation of supply management, Canada has witnessed a comparable decline in the number of farms as the United States, where a national supply management scheme does not exist. Supply management has failed to preserve much of anything beyond enriching select agricultural sectors.
For instance, dairy farmers now possess quotas valued at over $25 billion while concurrently burdening dairy processors with the highest-priced industrial milk in the Western world. Recent data indicates a significant surge in prices at the grocery store, with yogurt prices alone soaring by over 30 percent since December 2023. This escalation is increasingly straining the budgets of many consumers.
It’s evident to those knowledgeable about the situation that the emergence of Bill C-282 should come as no surprise. Proponents of supply management exert considerable influence over politicians across party lines, compelling them to support this bill to safeguard the interests of less than one percent of our economy, much to the ignorance of most Canadians. In the last federal budget, the dairy industry alone received over $300 million in research funds, funds that arguably exceed their actual needs.
While Canada’s agricultural sector accounts for approximately seven percent of our GDP, supply-managed industries represent only a small fraction of that figure. Supply-managed farms represent about five percent of all farms in Canada. Forging trade agreements with key partners such as India, China, and the United Kingdom is imperative not only for sectors like automotive, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology but for the vast majority of farms in livestock and grains to thrive and contribute to global welfare and prosperity. It is essential to recognize that Canada has much more to offer than merely self-sufficiency in food production.
Over time, the marketing boards overseeing quotas for farmers have amassed significant power and have proven themselves politically aggressive. They vehemently oppose any challenges to the existing system, targeting politicians, academics, and groups advocating for reform or abolition. Despite occasional resistance from MPs and Senators, no major political party has dared to question the disproportionate protection afforded to one sector over others. Strengthening our supply-managed sectors necessitates embracing competition, which can only serve to enhance their resilience and competitiveness.
A recent example of the consequences of protectionism is the United Kingdom’s decision to walk away from trade negotiations with Canada due to disagreements over access to our dairy market. Not only do many Canadians appreciate the quality of British cheese, but increased competition in the dairy section would also help drive prices down, a welcome relief given current economic challenges.
In the past decade, Canada has ratified trade agreements such as CUSMA, CETA, and CPTPP, all of which entailed breaches in our supply management regime. Despite initial concerns from farmers, particularly regarding the impact on poultry, eggs, and dairy, these sectors have fared well. A dairy farm in Ontario recently sold for a staggering $21.5 million in Oxford County. Claims of losses resulting from increased market access are often unfounded, as farmer boards simply adjust quotas when producers exit the industry.
In essence, Bill C-282 represents a misguided initiative driven by farmer boards capitalizing on the ignorance of urban residents and politicians regarding rural realities. Embracing further protectionism will not only harm consumers yearning for more competition at the grocery store but also impede the growth opportunities of various agricultural sectors striving to compete globally and stifle the expansion prospects of non-agricultural sectors seeking increased market access.
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.
From StosselTV
Activists have a new goal: “DEgrowth.”
They say “growth is killing us.” They couldn’t be MORE wrong.
“Growth is not killing us. It’s saving us!” says author Johan Norberg. He explains why growth is essential to human progress, especially for poor people. “In poor countries, if you manage to grow by 4% annually over 20 years,” he points out, “that reduces poverty in that country on average by 80%.
But DEgrowth activists insist that growth means “climate chaos.” They say a smaller economy would be “sweeter.” They say “We must urgently dismantle capitalism!” It’s destructive nonsense. This video explains why.
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After 40+ years of reporting, I now understand the importance of limited government and personal freedom.
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Libertarian journalist John Stossel created Stossel TV to explain liberty and free markets to young people.
Prior to Stossel TV he hosted a show on Fox Business and co-anchored ABC’s primetime newsmagazine show, 20/20. Stossel’s economic programs have been adapted into teaching kits by a non-profit organization, “Stossel in the Classroom.” High school teachers in American public schools now use the videos to help educate their students on economics and economic freedom. They are seen by more than 12 million students every year.
Stossel has received 19 Emmy Awards and has been honored five times for excellence in consumer reporting by the National Press Club.
Other honors include the George Polk Award for Outstanding Local Reporting and the George Foster Peabody Award.
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