Dairy Protest Ottawa

**bobbotron** · 10-07-2015, 07:57 AM - **2 Likes**

Took the following photos of a dairy farmers protest here in Ottawa last week with a Pentax 645, 55mm lens and delta FP+, done in Rodinal 1+50. I had planned on using a 150mm lens for the event but turns out I had the 55mm mounted, and it was misting rain so 55mm it was.

Really enjoy shooting these events with the 645, I hope to shoot some more which is likely as I work downtown.

Thanks for looking!

Wolfeye · 10-07-2015, 08:52 AM

Wow, these are great images. You're part photojournalist!

**jpzk** · 10-07-2015, 09:04 AM

I particularly like the No. 1 and 3 in that series. Good work !

Since we are not allowed to discuss "politics" here, I must say: great "timely" images !

**realitarian** · 10-07-2015, 10:50 AM

Nice images!

Silly question - what do daily farmers need tractors for? (I obviously never worked on any farm).

**bobbotron** · 10-07-2015, 11:11 AM

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback! I'm happy with how these photos turned out - I'd like to try wet printing them at some point to see how they turn out vs my DSLR scanning.

Farms and tractors go hand in hand - you have to maintain the fields from what I understand.

Here's one more - I think the least interesting of the bunch, I wanted to finish of the roll of film. :P

**jpzk** · 10-07-2015, 11:19 AM

Originally posted by realitarian

Nice images!

Silly question - what do daily farmers need tractors for? (I obviously never worked on any farm).

Gotta feed those animals ! The larger the dairy farm stock, the bigger the fields to grow food.

JP

**RGlasel** · 10-07-2015, 01:11 PM

Originally posted by jpzk

Gotta feed those animals ! The larger the dairy farm stock, the bigger the fields to grow food.

JP

Close enough for me, but perhaps some would like a bit more explanation. Dairy farmers do use tractors for field work, but they also need tractors to move feed around and perform janitorial tasks related to their milk cows. Farming in general, but especially in North America is an incredibly capital intensive business. I used to be a salesperson for agricultural tires and I remember visiting a couple in their fifties who operated a 3200 acre grain farm by themselves (with some help from their adult sons for harvesting) using about $2 million worth of equipment. Canadian dairy farmers are a bit unusual in that they require production quotas in order to sell their milk. The supply of production quotas has been fixed for a long time, so even though quotas could originally be purchased for a small fee, they became very valuable over time. The quotas needed to support a relatively small dairy farm were being sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Without debating the politics behind it, the protest in Ottawa was organized because the Canadian Government agreed to eliminate dairy production quotas in order to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, essentially wiping out the value of milk quotas.

I like the pictures, especially 1,2 and 4 because they show off the tractor tires. I think it was 2002 when we hired a fashion photographer to photograph our tires on the equipment of 12 happy customers to produce a promotional calendar. Probably the best promotion we ever ran.

normhead · 10-07-2015, 01:25 PM

Originally posted by RGlasel

Close enough for me, but perhaps some would like a bit more explanation. Dairy farmers do use tractors for field work, but they also need tractors to move feed around and perform janitorial tasks related to their milk cows. Farming in general, but especially in North America is an incredibly capital intensive business. I used to be a salesperson for agricultural tires and I remember visiting a couple in their fifties who operated a 3200 acre grain farm by themselves (with some help from their adult sons for harvesting) using about $2 million worth of equipment. Canadian dairy farmers are a bit unusual in that they require production quotas in order to sell their milk. The supply of production quotas has been fixed for a long time, so even though quotas could originally be purchased for a small fee, they became very valuable over time. The quotas needed to support a relatively small dairy farm were being sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Without debating the politics behind it, the protest in Ottawa was organized because the Canadian Government agreed to eliminate dairy production quotas in order to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, essentially wiping out the value of milk quotas.

I like the pictures, especially 1,2 and 4 because they show off the tractor tires. I think it was 2002 when we hired a fashion photographer to photograph our tires on the equipment of 12 happy customers to produce a promotional calendar. Probably the best promotion we ever ran.

When my buddy sold his farm in 77 he got more for the quota than he did for the farm. None of the guys who originally bought quota are still around. All these guys paid $100,000s of dollars for their quotas. If the Government accepts a deal that eliminates quotas, they should compensate the farmers. A lot of those guys are still paying off what they paid for those quotas. It's like the Government taking your house and telling you, you still have to pay the mortgage.

**bobbotron** · 10-07-2015, 02:08 PM

Guys, I just learned more about the protest from your two posts than I had reading multiple news articles on the topic! Thanks, that's super informative, really interesting back story to the modern farms....

**bobbotron** · 10-07-2015, 06:20 PM

Here's another tractor tire photo. This one didn't really turn out, it's too bad no one is beside it, those tires are huge!

**RGlasel** · 10-07-2015, 08:50 PM

Originally posted by bobbotron

too bad no one is beside it, those tires are huge!

That would help me determine if they are 20.8R38 or 20.8R42 tires (I think they are 42", but I can't be sure). If 20.8R42 they are about 76" high and each tire will weigh about 300 lbs. without a wheel or ballast. Agricultural tires max out at 85" high, although in some cases, wider sizes (up to twice the width of the 20.8's) are used to carry heavy loads at lower air pressures (as low as 6 PSI in certain applications) in order to minimize soil compaction without requiring gargantuan equipment. Next time you see a farmer, remember he or she is a high-tech business owner, and their RRSP is the value of their land and equipment once they sell out.

**The Madshutter** · 10-08-2015, 12:01 AM

Great images and great stories - I have learnt a lot, thank you to all that contributed info!

Best,

Vieri

**realitarian** · 10-08-2015, 05:50 AM

Very enlightening - both the stories and the images!

asahijock · 10-09-2015, 11:44 AM

Based on the nature of the subject and these pictures, the wide angle 55 seems like a much better bet than the 150. A nice set of pics

asahijock

**bobbotron** · 10-09-2015, 12:17 PM

Originally posted by asahijock

Based on the nature of the subject and these pictures, the wide angle 55 seems like a much better bet than the 150. A nice set of pics

asahijock

Yeah, I agree, it worked out well. My thought with the 150 was some extreme bokeh shots with the long times of tractors, but I managed well with the 55. Also had hoped to get some closer photos with the 150mm - I could have with the 55, but I didn't want to annoy people... :P

10-07-2015, 07:57 AM - 2 Likes	#1
bobbotron Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Ottawa, ON Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,349	Dairy Protest Ottawa Took the following photos of a dairy farmers protest here in Ottawa last week with a Pentax 645, 55mm lens and delta FP+, done in Rodinal 1+50. I had planned on using a 150mm lens for the event but turns out I had the 55mm mounted, and it was misting rain so 55mm it was. Really enjoy shooting these events with the 645, I hope to shoot some more which is likely as I work downtown. Thanks for looking!

10-07-2015, 01:25 PM	#8
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	Originally posted by RGlasel Close enough for me, but perhaps some would like a bit more explanation. Dairy farmers do use tractors for field work, but they also need tractors to move feed around and perform janitorial tasks related to their milk cows. Farming in general, but especially in North America is an incredibly capital intensive business. I used to be a salesperson for agricultural tires and I remember visiting a couple in their fifties who operated a 3200 acre grain farm by themselves (with some help from their adult sons for harvesting) using about $2 million worth of equipment. Canadian dairy farmers are a bit unusual in that they require production quotas in order to sell their milk. The supply of production quotas has been fixed for a long time, so even though quotas could originally be purchased for a small fee, they became very valuable over time. The quotas needed to support a relatively small dairy farm were being sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Without debating the politics behind it, the protest in Ottawa was organized because the Canadian Government agreed to eliminate dairy production quotas in order to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, essentially wiping out the value of milk quotas. I like the pictures, especially 1,2 and 4 because they show off the tractor tires. I think it was 2002 when we hired a fashion photographer to photograph our tires on the equipment of 12 happy customers to produce a promotional calendar. Probably the best promotion we ever ran. When my buddy sold his farm in 77 he got more for the quota than he did for the farm. None of the guys who originally bought quota are still around. All these guys paid $100,000s of dollars for their quotas. If the Government accepts a deal that eliminates quotas, they should compensate the farmers. A lot of those guys are still paying off what they paid for those quotas. It's like the Government taking your house and telling you, you still have to pay the mortgage. Last edited by normhead; 10-07-2015 at 05:24 PM.

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10-07-2015, 08:52 AM	#2
Wolfeye Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 782	Wow, these are great images. You're part photojournalist!

10-07-2015, 09:04 AM	#3
jpzk Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Québec Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,251	I particularly like the No. 1 and 3 in that series. Good work ! Since we are not allowed to discuss "politics" here, I must say: great "timely" images !

10-07-2015, 10:50 AM	#4
realitarian Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Albums Posts: 221	Nice images! Silly question - what do daily farmers need tractors for? (I obviously never worked on any farm).

10-07-2015, 11:11 AM	#5
bobbotron Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Ottawa, ON Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,349 Original Poster	Thanks everyone for the positive feedback! I'm happy with how these photos turned out - I'd like to try wet printing them at some point to see how they turn out vs my DSLR scanning. Farms and tractors go hand in hand - you have to maintain the fields from what I understand. Here's one more - I think the least interesting of the bunch, I wanted to finish of the roll of film. :P

10-07-2015, 11:19 AM	#6
jpzk Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Québec Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,251	Originally posted by realitarian Nice images! Silly question - what do daily farmers need tractors for? (I obviously never worked on any farm). Gotta feed those animals ! The larger the dairy farm stock, the bigger the fields to grow food. JP

10-07-2015, 01:11 PM	#7
RGlasel Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saskatoon Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,227	Originally posted by jpzk Gotta feed those animals ! The larger the dairy farm stock, the bigger the fields to grow food. JP Close enough for me, but perhaps some would like a bit more explanation. Dairy farmers do use tractors for field work, but they also need tractors to move feed around and perform janitorial tasks related to their milk cows. Farming in general, but especially in North America is an incredibly capital intensive business. I used to be a salesperson for agricultural tires and I remember visiting a couple in their fifties who operated a 3200 acre grain farm by themselves (with some help from their adult sons for harvesting) using about $2 million worth of equipment. Canadian dairy farmers are a bit unusual in that they require production quotas in order to sell their milk. The supply of production quotas has been fixed for a long time, so even though quotas could originally be purchased for a small fee, they became very valuable over time. The quotas needed to support a relatively small dairy farm were being sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Without debating the politics behind it, the protest in Ottawa was organized because the Canadian Government agreed to eliminate dairy production quotas in order to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, essentially wiping out the value of milk quotas. I like the pictures, especially 1,2 and 4 because they show off the tractor tires. I think it was 2002 when we hired a fashion photographer to photograph our tires on the equipment of 12 happy customers to produce a promotional calendar. Probably the best promotion we ever ran.

10-07-2015, 02:08 PM	#9
bobbotron Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Ottawa, ON Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,349 Original Poster	Guys, I just learned more about the protest from your two posts than I had reading multiple news articles on the topic! Thanks, that's super informative, really interesting back story to the modern farms....

10-07-2015, 06:20 PM	#10
bobbotron Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Ottawa, ON Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,349 Original Poster	Here's another tractor tire photo. This one didn't really turn out, it's too bad no one is beside it, those tires are huge!

10-07-2015, 08:50 PM	#11
RGlasel Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saskatoon Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,227	Originally posted by bobbotron too bad no one is beside it, those tires are huge! That would help me determine if they are 20.8R38 or 20.8R42 tires (I think they are 42", but I can't be sure). If 20.8R42 they are about 76" high and each tire will weigh about 300 lbs. without a wheel or ballast. Agricultural tires max out at 85" high, although in some cases, wider sizes (up to twice the width of the 20.8's) are used to carry heavy loads at lower air pressures (as low as 6 PSI in certain applications) in order to minimize soil compaction without requiring gargantuan equipment. Next time you see a farmer, remember he or she is a high-tech business owner, and their RRSP is the value of their land and equipment once they sell out.

10-08-2015, 12:01 AM	#12
The Madshutter Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Tuscany, Italy Posts: 1,255	Great images and great stories - I have learnt a lot, thank you to all that contributed info! Best, Vieri

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10-08-2015, 05:50 AM	#13
realitarian Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Albums Posts: 221	Very enlightening - both the stories and the images!

10-09-2015, 11:44 AM	#14
asahijock Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Northants, England Posts: 167	Based on the nature of the subject and these pictures, the wide angle 55 seems like a much better bet than the 150. A nice set of pics asahijock

10-09-2015, 12:17 PM	#15
bobbotron Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Ottawa, ON Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,349 Original Poster	Originally posted by asahijock Based on the nature of the subject and these pictures, the wide angle 55 seems like a much better bet than the 150. A nice set of pics asahijock Yeah, I agree, it worked out well. My thought with the 150 was some extreme bokeh shots with the long times of tractors, but I managed well with the 55. Also had hoped to get some closer photos with the 150mm - I could have with the 55, but I didn't want to annoy people... :P