Our Blog Readers

SPFC's Blog has been live for just over two years (since Feb. 28, 2013).  Who reads this Blog?

Table 1:   SFPFC's Blog Pageviews for the Top 10 Countries.  These Top 10
countries represent 87.93% of all Pageviews received since our
start on Feb. 28, 2013.

Table 1 at the right shows our current Blog Pageviews as of 2015/04/06 for the top 10 countries to visit this Blog.  I have added the populations for each country, then calculated the pageviews per 10,000 citizens.

Figure 1:   Graph of Per Capita Pageviews for SFPFC's Blog.  Canada
leads the world more than 6 fold over the next nearest country

Here, we see Canadians are 6.2 times more interested in this Blog that the next nearest country, the United States (ie. 11.05 vs. 1.78).

Those who think Canadians are apathetic need to think again.  I see no apathy when it comes to Canadians and their chicken.

Figure 1 shows the bar graph of the Pageviews per Capita data.

Lobbying and Blogging is a lot of work.  SFPFC hopes and trusts that it's worthwhile and appreciated by Canadians.

If not, we'll keep doing it anyway, because we believe it's the right thing to do.

Cracks in #ChickenMafia's Wall

There are cracks in the wall surrounding the #ChickenMafia.  Big cracks.  Fortunately the inner circle of the #ChickenMafia don't realize they exist.

I have delayed writing this post in case I was followed.  I didn't want the #ChickenMafia spies and Intelligence Officers to know who I was speaking to about the current status inside the #ChickenMafia castle.

Sometime between 72 hrs ago and 6 weeks ago, I had an opportunity to speak to three different members of Chicken Farmers of Ontario; chicken quota holders all.

I boldly and randomly chose them for a visit, drove up to their house or barn (as the case may be), gave them my Small Flocker's business card, introduced myself, and asked if they knew who I was.  They said "Yes", "Oh yes!", and "I sure do".

I told them I came to listen, and asked what they would like to tell me.

There was a long uncomfortable silence.

I waited patiently, but it was really getting difficult to hear the long silence.

In some cases, they eventually started talking.  In other cases, I finally broke the silence.  I explained my concerns and purpose for doing what I have been doing.

All three of these quota-based chicken farmers said they had no problem with the small flockers being able to grow 2,000 birds per year per farm.

Some expressed a fear of the level of greed that has grown amongst their fellow quota chicken farmers.  "They never seem to be satisfied, they gotta keep having more and more, just like ******** down the road.", pointing along the highway.  Later, I drove down the road in the direction he had indicated.  Sure enough, huge poultry barns, one after another.  All of it looked very neat, and expensive.  This was obviously one of the Gorillas in the Chicken Coop of which I had previously blogged.

I shared the info I had learned about FCC and their huge loans to farmers of all description, and the risk when interest rates go up and business grows hard, just like in the early 1980's when FCC's predecessor went bankrupt from thousands of bad farm debts.

I want to publicly thank my three chicken farmers who acted as gracious hosts to my unannounced visit.  I told them that our visit and conversation, and their identities would remain confidential.

Not all members of CFO are #ChickenMafia.  There are some good, normal people who are forced to follow the fanatic core who run things day-to-day.

Sometime in the future, that silent few will become the silent majority.  Next, the silent majority will become the vocal majority.  Then there will be change.  CFO will eventually realize that the greatest danger does not arise from outside the #ChickenMafia's castle walls.  The risk and the rot is occurring inside the CFO castle walls.  The #ChickenMafia will implode from within, or it will be dismantled from the outside.  It's hard to predict which one will get them first.

Why Join SFPFC?

Our latest new member to Small Flockers was asked why they joined.  Here is the conversation for all the world to see.  The names of the innocent have been redacted so as to protect their privacy, and save them from possible retaliation by the Chicken Mafia, the governments, or others.


Here is what our newest member said:

"I received your email confirming receipt of my membership in 'Small Flock Poultry Farmers of Canada'.

For your ready reference, I would advise my interest in supporting your endeavors is multi-fold and I suspect too extensive to fully express here at this time. For the sake of brevity, I would advise that my recent research into the food production systems has revealed some startling information which absolutely astounds me. While this organization deals specifically with chickens, the same kinds of frightening practices and regulations seem to infect virtually all sectors of our food production system.

In a nutshell, I have decided there is far too much corruption, deceit, unnecessary regulation, protectionism, and excessive costs  in the industry. Additionally, the quality of our food is affecting not only my health but that of all people and perhaps all life on the planet. I believe this is the direct result of my assuming that the information previously released to me was sound but it now appears I have been incredibly deceived along with the masses.

Consequently, I fully support your efforts to return the rights of individuals to freely engage in the production, processing, sale, and consumption of the food they choose to eat without anyone having to give them such authority other than themselves. Moreover, the responsibility for profit by any producer lies only in their ability to conscientiously provide a valuable product or service to another individual with the freedom to so choose. 

As far as I am concerned, supply management is no more than an excuse for monopoly and high prices. All free markets have what is called a market clearing price. Poor producers, in any market, are soon removed by the market and that is the only regulation required.

Thank you for the opportunity to express these very important opinions."

I think that is very well said.  SFPFC collects the finest people from all over the world, in this case from a major city in Ontario.

For all those interested, here are the redacted version of the email conversation with SFPFC's newest member on their reasons for joining SFPFC..

The above feedback from our members is why SFPFC struggles on, against huge and powerful forces.

We will soon be tested at our greatest challenge.  We will depend on truth and justice.  We hope and pray that the Tribunal will save us from flashy legal trickery, erroneous assumptions, brute force, and monied interests.

Hopefully might does not make right.

On May 14, 2014

will

truth and justice 

defeat

power and privilege

 ?

SFPFC goes to the Fair

SFPFC (Small Flock Poultry Farmers of Canada) shares information
with the public attending the local Agricultural Fair

The Providence Bay Agricultural Fair has a proud history of 130 years, the longest running agricultural fair in Northern Ontario.  SFPFC (Small Flock Poultry Farmers of Canada) was there, sharing information and discussing the issues with all who were interested.

We found most people very interested.  Most people said they had no idea why chicken was so expensive in Ontario, nor all the shady dealings that were going on behind the scenes.  SFPFC was able to pick up some new members quite quickly.

Seeing an opportunity, SFPFC next attended the Massey Fair. Massey Fair has only been running for the past 101 years, so is quite the junior compared to the Prov. Bay Fair.  We found many dozens of people very interested to hear the long tale of woe about factory chicken producers and the Chicken Mafia.  Everybody was shocked to learn how the Chicken Mafia had poisoned people with arsenic for decades so that they could earn an extra 4% profit from growing their birds faster.

SFPFC was able to turn that shock into new memberships for SFPFC.

Doublings of Membership Numbers for Small Flock Poultry Farmers

SFPFC must grow exponentially in its cause, or it will die an early death by our own hands through neglect.  Exponential growth means we need to speak about how long we must wait to achieve a doubling of our membership.

The above graph shows that we have achieved 4.64 doublings in the number of members in SFPFC since our start in February 2013.  For this Blog to touch the lives of 8.4 million people (ie. the number of eligible voters in Ontario), we need a total of 23 doublings to occur.  It is very difficult and dangerous to predict when we will have achieved 23 doublings based on this very preliminary data.

We'll have to wait and see.

All members are requested to contact their family & friends about this issue, and encourage them to join SFPFC.  We need the numbers if we hope to defeat the Chicken Mafia. 

Provincial Partners Program

Now that our Strategic Plan 2013-2018 has been published, we need to get ready for Step 4 in our Plan.

4.   The Leader gains their very first Follower (ie. the Alpha Follower)

I can't do it all, no matter how much fun it is to sit back and watch me try.  I need help (some feel I need lots of help).

While SFPFC's primary focus is currently Ontario (they have the greatest pain and need for reform), eventually we will need to spread the reform to the other Provinces.

However, as we are negotiating with the government and chicken monopoly stakeholders, we need to be sure that the deal we strike for Ontario will be equally good as we take it across country.  While I have had the honour of traveling from Newfoundland to BC, I haven't yet done NT or NU, and I am far from an expert on the local issues and needs in each of these areas.  That is where you come in.

I would like to start looking for Provincial Partners, someone who know the people and the issues in their Province/Territory, or their region within their Province/Territory.

I'm looking for a minimum commitment of one (1) hour per month to the cause.

Can't handle that, you're too busy you say?  How many hours do you spend watching TV every week?  I thought so.  That's why you can afford to re-direct an hour per month to this need, for the good of yourself and your fellow citizens.

1. Alberta
2. British Columbia
3. Manitoba
4. New Brunswick
5. Newfoundland-Labrador
6. Northwest Territories
7. Nova Scotia
8. Nuvavut
9. Ontario
10. PEI
11. Quebec
12. Saskatchewan
13. Yukon

We need 13 Partners.  Operators are standing by to receive your call.  The first 13 will receive a small insignificant prize that I'll pay for out of my allowance, and send it to you in the mail.  When was the last time you got a real letter from a human being, instead of from a computer?

We're Off & Running !

This Blog for Small Flock Poultry Farmers is now launched as of Feb. 28, 2013.  I should have done this long ago.

I'm calling all Small Flockers, and ordinary citizens to learn about us and the important issues that affect all Canadian citizens.

Mission of Small Flock Poultry Farmers 

Our Mission is to build total awareness (ie. self-awareness and Canada-wide citizen awareness) and advocate for the important role Small Flock Poultry Farmers can play in supplying affordable, nutritious, and safe food in a sustainable and self-sufficient manner.

Who could argue against that?  Well, we'll soon see.

Right now, our group consists of just me.  This is one topic where exponential growth is wanted, needed, and won't blow up the planet.

If you believe in and support our stated Mission (see above), come join me to make it happen.  You can help by reading, your comments, sharing this Blog with friends, sending me tips, or writing a posting.

If you disagree with my proposed Mission Statement, help guide me to an even better one.

Glenn Black
Small Flock Poultry Farmer
Located on Manitoulin Island, in Northern Ontario, Canada