A day doesn’t pass by where someone isn’t reporting on trade agreements and trade negotiations. A farmer commentator sent me this piece on what he thinks trade should be. Rolf Penner raises hogs, grain and special crops at Morris, MB.
“While any kind of a trade deal is a good deal, some are better than others. Everyone seems to be getting on the Bi-lateral bandwagon lately thinking that we can do better with them,” said Penner. “Those people are wrong. The Canadian marketplace is only 30 million people, peanuts in Global terms. Moreover, we are the number three exporting country in the world with almost half of our GDP coming from exports: That means we are highly competitive on those products. The U.S. has 300 million people and heavily import dependant, there is a reason people want to get into that marketplace.”
Admitting trade is a two way street, one has to get something, but also offer something in return. The Canadian marketplace does not have that much to offer. “That is one reason why multi-lateral agreements like the WTO ones are far more promising because we can team up with other countries to work on market access into those big global markets,” he said. “Bi-laterals are good, but they are no substitute for multi-lateral agreements.”
There’s one other case in point. When relying so heavily on a single bilateral trade agreement, for instance like lumber, and the giant doesn’t adhere to it, we have a giant problem: Economic withdrawal.
In my opinion, let’s shoot for the big one, the WTO and see if we can’t be a small fish in a big pond.
The kind folks I met with this afternoon to talk about podcasting and how to apply it to their business and customers let me stay online for a few minutes after we got done. So I’m proud to introduce you to Marcus Spotts, Nora Springs, IA who won the New Holland “Down on the Farm” Classic iPod Keepsake Contest. I know we could have come up with a longer name for it if we had tried. 
Boy am I glad I waited until today to drive up to Des Moines. I haven’t seen so many cars off the highway waiting on tow trucks in a long time. Road conditions must have been pretty rough last night. There’s really not that much snow on the ground but it’s still pretty windy. Back at home we got nothing out of the forecast 6 inches of snow. This is not a complaint.
I’m actually in Ames waiting on our Classic Video iPod winner to show up. He suggested we meet at the 
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Welcome to National Agriculture Day on AgWired. This is the day for the announcement of the winner of the New Holland “Down on the Farm” Classic iPod Keepsake Contest. Thanks to all the people who entered online or at the 
This post isn’t being written by Margy Fischer. It’s being written about her. You will remember Margy from 
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In this week’s ZimmCast I interview Steve Rhea, President & CEO of 
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Another award to be presented at the conference will the NAMA Marketer of the Year to Tom Davis, 
Are you in need of ideas for how to run your organization or business. Then maybe you need to put it in context,