The Huron Expositor, 1975-08-28, Page 7For almost a decade, this corner has felt like a voice cry-
ing in the wilderness.
Few farmers bothered to speak out against the giants of
the mass media even when those same farmers were being
lambasted by editorials written by uninformed writers.
The Toronto Star, for instance, constantly takes marketing
boards to task for increasing the cost of food.
Even the usually well-researched stories in the Globe and
Mail have recently been giving farmers and farm organiza-
tions a tough time.
It was. refreshing last week to read the lengthy editorial
in Farm and Country magazine, a paper that reaches more
peop'e with farm news than any farm publication. The edi-
torial mentioned a front-page story in the Star -which said
egg farmers would soon be guaranteed $46,000a year.
Of course, a letter to the editor explained how untrue the
story was. But, by that time, the damage had been done and,
as Farm and Country says, right now tens of thousands of
Torontonians still believe the original claim,
The editorial also wants to know who is behind the so-call-
ed National/ Citizens Coalition Inc. which can spend $5,000
for an advertiserrient, full-page yet, to blame Eugene Whelan
for rising egg costs,
This coalition is vehemently opposed to orderly marketing
by farmers but fails to mention supply management pro-
grams by car manufacturers, salt companies and cigarette
makers.
Eugene Whelan is not to blame anyway. It was the egg
producers who demanded a national marketing agency. Mr.
Whelan simply agreed to provincial egg boards' requests.
Once again, somebody forgot to get the facts straight.
In the meantime, though, a few more thousand people get
a distorted idea of farmers and farm problems.
It is not my intention to start a full-fledged battle with the
National Citizens Coalition Inc. — whoever in heck they are
— but they should get one thing straight before taking pot
shots at marketing boards: Every study undertaken in the
past 50 years whetfier in Canada, the United States or Eu-
rope, has strongly pointed out that the family farm is the
most economic unit for food production. In addition. any'
country in the world must have a sound agricultural econo-
my to accompany increases in the standard of living.
Without the family farm, now predominant in Canada.
food production will be taken over by huge corporations. in-
ternational and multi-national conglomerates. which will
set food prices to their liking. Then the consumer will get
ripped off all along the line.
Inefficient farmers still exist in Canada. They will prob-
ably continue to exist. But they become fewer every year
because it takes a lot of know-how these days to remain
on the farm. The old axiom about farmers living poor and
dying rich is still true. The only time they make a buck is
when-they sell their land.
If the Citizens Coalition Inc. — whoever they are — were
sincere they would launch a full-scale investigation into the
inefficiencies of the food distribution system. If there is a
rip-off to the consumer, it comes after the produce leaves
the farm gate. The last figures I heard indicated that almost
70 per cent of the price of a pound of chicken went to others
along the way after that chicken left the farm.
To repeat what this column has been saying for years. The
package in which a cotton shirt is packed cost more than
what the farmer got who grew the cotton: the processing and
selling of a bunch of carrots brings more to the retailer
than what the farmer got who grew them. And the List could
go on and on.
Farmers are only asking for what everyone else wants
these days which is a lair return on their -labor and invest-
ment.
If they get any more than a fair return, then — and only
then — should they be castigated by the general public. Or
the Citizens Coalition Inc.. whoever they are.
IA!
MAMMOTH PARADE — While all of Seaforth was out watching this parade of
firemen from all over Ontario who were in town for their annual tournament, the
first world war began. It was August 5, 1914 and the firemen competitions were
being held in conjunction with an Old Boys Reunion. James Doig, who was nine
then remembers the parade and brought the picture into the Expositor, after he
found it among the papers of the late John MacKay.
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Concern was expreSed at the
August meeting of the Fftiron
County federation of Agriculture
about dead animals left to rot in
remote areas of farms.
Several farmers in attendance
said they knew of farmers who
were towing their dead stock back
into the bush to rot rather than
pay a charge from dead stock
companies to pick up the animals
Cranbrook
Tells story
of big rain
Who, locally, has a rain gauge?
It seemed like the reports of 2",
3" and even 5" of rain in
Saturday night's storm were not
big enough for the Cranbrook
locality.
Here is one accurate report to
prove it. When Bill Elliott finished
extracting some honey last week,
'he put the cappings in an
old-fashioned wash tub and took
them hack to the bee-yard (on
Stewart Stevenson's • farm.) He
spread them out on papers for the
bees to finish cleaning the honey
from them, but forgot to bring the
empty tub home. On Sunday
morning, Bill went to check on the
bees, to make sure none of the
hives were flooded, and the tub
was full and running over. The
tub is 10 3/4 inches deep. How
much rain ran over?
Smiles
"Was it a good speech?" asked
the politician.
"Excellent, Senator," r eplied
his assistarit. "You were never
more ambiguous."
'i(oung' girl: "The man that I
marry must shine in company, be
musical, tell jokes, sing, dance
and stay home nights."
Married friend: "You dorit
want a husband. You want a TV
set."
or pay the cost of digging a hole to
bury the animals,'
The problem has arisen
because of the drop 'in the market
for meat for dead animals used in
pet fopds,The bottom has
dropped out of the market and
dead stock companies can no
longer pay for the animals as they
once did. Now they must even
charge to take the animals away
from the farm in order to meet
expenses.
Some farmers, accustomed to
being paid for the dead carcasses
have objected and apparently are
getting rid of the animals on their
own farms. Some are burying
them bUt others are just letting
them rot.
Adrian Vos of Blyth noted that
animals left in the open are a
health hazard. Birds and wild
dogs can carry the disease tha,t
killed the animal back into
neighbouring barns and rapidly
spread the disease.
Mrs, Nog IfOrtYrte''tiald it
could even spmat), 410eWl' 'to,
humans.
The problem .64111.4 tO light aftPr
Adrian Keet of . Wingham
complained about having trouble
to get a dead stock company to
come to his farm to rck up an
animal that died on a weekend.
He related the story of a cattle
beast that died on a Saturday and
after telephoning four dead stock
companies he was unable to get
an answer. By Monday when he
could finally contact a company,
the company refused to come
because the animal had been
dead too long. So, he was forced
to bury the animal on his own
property. Other farmers then
told of seeing dead carcasses left
in bushes of neighbouring farms.
A great deal of discussion was
held on the problem. M ason
Bailey of Blyth recalled that the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
h1d passed a resolution last year
calling for the govertuncet take
over 'the de0 stock buSleet5
because Otters of the business •
were nRionger able tn,prOYick ti*
good service as they' Once did
because of the 4ask,Pf market 'for
It was suggested that the
municipality provide, space and
the dead stock companies ,he paid
to bury the aairaals,*A PuBSPstibil
was made that the health SAO*
be called in to take action against',
those leaving dead animals !the
open.
Finally a committee composed
of Mason Bailey, Jake Vail
Wonderen and Adrian Kett was
set up to investigate the matter
further,
In other business at the
meeting. O.F.A. fieldman, Bill
Crawford said he was finding a lot
of apathy on the part of Huron
farmers on his visits. He said
farmers seemed to be wondering
if there is a future in farming.'
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