It’s almost Christmas 2011. Who can believe it?

When you’re five or six years old, the time between one Christmas and the next seems to creep forward at a snail’s pace. By adulthood (especially, over 50 – oops?) it gallops to us with cheetah-like speed, the months passing by in a blur.

So here we are again, the time of year when we might produce a wish list. I am at a loss as I consider myself fortunate to already possess in order to make life comfortable. As a result, my primary wish is for health and happiness for family and friends and my pie-in-the-sky dream wish would be a particular camera lens (about $7,500 — sigh, hard to justify when it doesn’t contribute back in any way),  so I’m easy to shop for (strangely, my family wouldn’t agree).

In my role as a Cariboo cattle producer, wishes come more easily when pen is put to paper. What do I want for Christmas? Some hints/ideas follow.

A re-evaluation of our status/standing, giving us due-recognition with the B.C. government as a foundation-industry; surely our historic tenure should serve to launch us up near the top of the ladder of importance.

Then, when faced with threats to the industry viability/sustainability, we could be granted much more timely assistance as we appear to rank quite low (in priority) at the present in spite of our industry longevity.

Perhaps when our MLAs return to work after the Christmas vacation (already home for the holidays?) they might consider this Christmas wish/proposal.

A cattle producer wish list might also include: lower fuel (farm diesel/gas), hydro, fertilizer costs — heck, let’s just abandon that list and wish for lower input/production costs all around, coupled with good market returns so that ranchers have the tools to make a decent living for a few years running.

Ho! Ho! That will make a sleigh load for Santa!

Liz Twan is a local rancher and freelance columnist for the Tribune.