North Shore entertainment calendar

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Good causes and fundraisers

DINING FOR THE LIBRARY. Friday, Jan. 27, 4 to 9 p.m., Danversport Yacht Club, 161 Elliott St., Danvers. Fifteen percent of the food bill at Danversport Yacht Club will be donated to the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers' children's room renovation. 978-774-0554.

CARNIVAL OF HOPE EVENT. Friday, Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m., Rockafellas Restaurant, 231 Essex St., Salem. Entertainment by Party Excitement. $35/person. Proceeds support Birth to Three Family Center, an organization in Ipswich working to increase children's potential for healthy development and well-being, with programs and services to support parents and children from birth to age 4. www.carnivalofhope.org.

Nature

GROUNDHOG DAY EXTRAVAGANZA. Saturday, Jan. 28, 1 to 4 p.m., Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, 87 Perkins Row, Topsfield. Ongoing activities throughout the afternoon include nature hikes, snow sculptures, groundhog obstacle course, crafts and refreshments. 2 p.m., official celebration in the barn with live groundhog and other animals from Drumlin Farm. Dress warmly. $9/adults, $7/children, discount for Mass. Audubon members. For families and children of all ages. Advance registration required at 978-887-9264.

The CWB Monitor: Confidence

These commentaries are meant to enlighten producers about aspects of the Canadian Wheat Board that are not readily available. This isn’t political – it’s business. Farmers need good information to run their business. To make important decisions about the CWB, they need the full picture. If you see the CWB as an asset and its failing, you better know how its failing before you can fix it. If you fail to look at it critically, it will fail you. Just about everything being reported or stated recently by single desk supporters seems to be aimed at eroding confidence in the new market.  Current court cases notwithstanding – the reality is the reign of the single desk is over.  We are entering a new world; focusing on all that they see as negative (even when they’re wrong) while giving no solutions, serves no productive purpose.  If there are challenges – and yes, there will be – then they need to be addressed productively – with solutions.   In a recent release, the National Farmers Union (NFU) painted a bleak picture of the market without the single desk.  Among other things, it was critical of the suggestion farmers should use futures contracts and other “costly services”.  (It’s as if the NFU would like you to ignore the fact that the CWB itself uses futures.)  They are either ignorant of the well-documented fact that the futures market is a highly efficient, low cost risk management tool that enables the best possible prices, or they are being disingenuous.  Take your pick. The NFU also says grain companies anticipate making more money, adding this is “money that will come out of farmers’ pockets”.  This is classic “shrinking pie” mentality – there’s only so much to go around and if you make more, I make less.

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