Canada scores a dairy win on U.S. soil as farmers grumble about Trump's trade war
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farmers → score → war
Both sides in trade dispute have been 'needless, pointless and childish,' says one retiree
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retiree → say → dispute
On the most elite stage in the world of competitive dairy, a Canadian teenager and her "favourite cow" scored two major wins while on U.S. soil.
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teenager → score → soil
Let me assure you, it's a really big deal.
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it → let → you
One win — let alone two — at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisc., can be life changing for farmers and their cows.
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win → let → farmers
It can boost the value of an animal by tens of thousands of dollars.
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It → boost → dollars
Future offspring can become more valuable too.
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offspring → become → ?
And of course, there's an element of national pride, especially when Canada and the U.S. are locked in a trade war.
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Canada → be → war
Alyson Doiron, a 16-year-old high school student from Cap-Sante, Que., glows as she poses for photos with her aforementioned favourite cow — Arolene Dempsey Ella, who goes by "Ella" for short, was the five-year-old cow awarded the top prize at the International Junior Holstein Show.
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who → glow → Show
"She's an easy cow to work with.
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She → work → ?
We love her so much," Doiron told CBC News.
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Doiron → love → News
Doiron cheered and cried as she was given the prestigious honour on Ella's behalf, at the Expo on Sunday.
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she → cheer → Sunday
"This means a lot to me," she said with a nod to her home province.
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she → mean → province
"It just proves that in Quebec, the [cow] show is really really strong," she said.
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she → prove → Quebec
Sore point for some Americans
In the arena where the cows are judged, Canadian, American and Mexican flags hang in the rafters.
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flags → judge → rafters
It is a reminder, as constant as the smell of manure, that cross-border competition and co-operation are valued in this space.
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competition → value → space
"I think it's important for us to be here," said Brian Carscadden, the executive senior manager and part owner of Blondin Sires, a Quebec-based dairy company that has milk production and artificial insemination operations.
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that → think → production
"If you think of the Westminster Dog Show, it's not unlike that.
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it → think → that
If you can win that, you've got a dog that's worth some money.
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that → win → dog
Carscadden and his team drove more than 1,500 kilometres from St. Placide to Madison, with 25 cows in trailers in tow.
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cows → drive → tow
He says his business has not been affected by the trade war yet, and that it does not come up often in conversations at the Expo.
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it → say → Expo
"There's jokes here and there," from his American friends, he said, along with "the odd snide remark … that makes things interesting.
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things → be → remark
"I always advise my Canadian colleagues that it's not our country, it's not our politics, don't talk about it."
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it → advise → it
The trade war is a sore point for some, including voters who are connecting dots between U.S. President Donald Trump's broad economic agenda and increases in the cost of living.
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who → include → living
I mean obviously it's all going higher and it makes me struggle," said Paula Lawver.
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Lawver → mean → ?
She describes herself as a conservative voter with conservative values, but does not consider herself a Republican.
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herself → describe → values
She calls the dispute with Canada "nonsense," and says it will influence her vote in the midterm elections this November.
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it → call → elections
Lawver says she will not support candidates in favour of tariffs and trade wars.
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she → say → tariffs
Seth Muck, a farmer from New York state, says he too may reconsider how he votes in the midterms.
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he → say → midterms
He says in the past he's voted "hard, hard Republican, hard conservative."
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he → say → past
But after feeling the impact of Trump's global trade agenda, he's considering backing candidates with a "bit more moderate-type agenda."
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he → feel → agenda
Muck says his cash crops and farm inputs have been affected the most, noting that the price of fertilizer is double what he paid last year.
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he → say → what
Though he still holds out hope that economic conditions could improve.
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conditions → hold → hope
"Perhaps it's going to take a bit … like ripping off a Band-Aid," he said.
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he → go → Aid
Even among those willing to be more patient with Trump and his economic vision, CBC News did not find any Americans at this Expo supportive of the heated rhetoric that has upended the Canada-U.S. relationship.
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that → find → relationship
"I think it's needless, pointless and childish.
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it → think → ?
Both sides," said Gary Craugh, a retired farmer from Wisconsin.
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Craugh → say → Wisconsin
Another retired farmer from Wisconsin, John Galgowski, says he's baffled by it all.
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he → say → it
"I throw up my hands and go, 'Why are we doing this?'"
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we → throw → this
Galgowski does not support the Trump administration, and says the way the country has been run since Trump returned to office has only reaffirmed his position.
"
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Trump → support → position
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
