I'm John Côté. I run a grain farm in northern Saskatchewan, very close to where Randy Hoback farms. As you are aware, we had a very trying harvest, but nonetheless it was a good harvest.
I just want to expand on a few things Rick said.
I really want to emphasize that the group you have here is an extraordinary resource for the government and for people who are making policy. You are looking at some of the best farmers from across the nation. I think they're a very good representative sample to pull ideas from and to use as a sounding board. I think OYF wants to offer that opportunity to the government.
Along that vein, just talking kind on behalf of the guys we sit around with on coffee row, talking about farming and about the government and all that kind of stuff, a lot of times we don't quite agree with what you guys do, but nonetheless deep down we all appreciate the effort. I think every farmer out there in Canada has to have a lot of appreciation for the fact that a lot of people who aren't directly involved in their industry and don't go out to the fields every morning spend their whole careers working towards making what we do possible. On behalf of those farmers, I really would like to say thank you to the standing committee and to everyone involved in the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food for all their hard work.
Thank you.