And I'll bet the fines and taxes almost exactly equal the salaries of
the bureaucrats that administer them. Don't get me started.
BJB
--- In BoundaryPoint@y..., Dallen Timothy <dtimothy@a...> wrote:
> A few days ago in the discussion of the US-Canada border being
guarded,
> someone mentioned farmers who own land on both sides of the US-
Canada
> border. I cleared this up when I was at the border last week.
>
> Some grain farmers own adjacent lands on both sides of the border,
but they
> are not allowed to plow, plant, or harvest across the line. If two
adjacent
> fields are ready to harvest, the farmer must swath and combine the
grain up
> to the border only, then he has to (I'm not joking) load the
combine onto a
> truck, drive it through customs and then on to the other field to
complete
> the harvest--regardless of how far the land is from he nearest
border
> crossing point. Some farmers can afford to have a set of tractors
for each
> side, but for most this tedious process is the norm. Despite
NAFTA, both
> countries have VERY strict regulations about grain imports and
exports.
> Most farmers have small fences near the borderline so they know
where to
> turn around when planting and harvesting. As well, farmers have to
sell the
> grain from each side of the border to the respective country's
wheat board.
>
> Many US farmers buy their grain (for animals in particular) in
Canada
> because it's cheaper. If a US farmer buys grain in Canada, no
matter how
> much or how little, he has to stop at Canadian Customs on the way
out to
> have his grain export form processed and stamped, then he has to
have it
> inspected and taxed at the US Customs office upon entering the
country.
> Apparently it's still cheaper than buying it in the US. If he
fails to get
> the export form processed on his way out of Canada, the next time
he crosses
> back into Canada to buy more grain, or for whatever reason, he
risks having
> his vehicle confiscated and huge fines. The Canadian system is very
> thorough in this regard because the Wheat Board records all grain
that is
> purchase in Canada for export by Americans. This information is
passed on
> to Canada Customs and vice versa, so there is a good link between
the two
> agencies. The whole situation is fascinating.
> Dallen