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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-03-04, Page 11Sound Management REACHoUT a group of about 10 area men who try to get to people who might not ordinarily be reached in the churches, sponsored a film, "Gospel Road", Friday night at SHDHS. The film, produced by Johnny Cash, attracted a good crowd of viewers. Helping to organize the event were members Gerald McAuley, Edgar Cudmore and chairman Neil Gingerich, The men have also handed out over 13,000 Scriptural billfold calen- dars so far this year as part of their outreach program. T-A photo Avoid freezing large amounts of food at one time. If you pur- chase a side of beef or other large portion of meat, have the butcher freeze it for you and then store it in your home freezer. Not only does your freezer work much harder when freezing large quantities of food, but the quality of the frozen Nod is lowered since it takes longer to freeze. For best utilization of the energy required to maintain your freezer, keep it at least three- quarters full. Operating a freezer with only a few items in it adds immensely to the cost of that food. INVENTORY CLEARANCE OF 101110041""41 POWER STANDBY SPECIAL PRICE $119$ (WHILE STOCK LASTS) Will run about 20 H.P. of Electrical Equipment. * * * * * * * *•* * * * * * * * * * * * .illigA921 THE MODERN FARMER'S ANSWER TO MANURE MANADEMEN * No daily spreading, agitation or liquid handling • No freezing problems • Handles liquids, solids and bedding • Economical yearly storage • Manure is processed and becomes a product for use in crop production • Manure can be handled with conventional equipment • Hydraulic dependability • Easy installation • Low maintenance • Move manure away from the barn • Pollution, odour and fly control • Nutrient conservation Sold - Installed - Serviced By 35 Wellington St., St. Marys, Ontario Acme 519-284-3012 Or Mail Coupon For Information NAME: ADDRESS:. CITY/TOWN: PHONE NUMBER: Hydra Ram ( ) Alternator ( ) ( ) Geo. White Farm Automation E • ui • ment C • C C C 4 C C C C 4 C 4 C • • C C 4 4 C • KINGSTAPP Times-Advocate, March 4,1974 .Page Save Energy in Everyday Activities Recently I was asked by an urban High School student if I could provide information that might be useful as background material for an essay on On- tario's dairy farming. The sub- ject content was supposed to in- clude breeds of dairy cattle, breeding and feeding of dairy cattle, and housing for dairy cat- tle. It was a pleasure to'obtain in- formation that could be useful as background reading material for such a project. However I men- tioned to the student that in the many visits it had been my privilege to make to various types of farms, sound farm management appeared to be the most important aspect of the operation. It was suggested that regardless of the improvements made in all of the points to be in- cluded in the essay, unless astute management of all aspects was made by the dairy farm operator, the results could he less than desirable, The same philosophy of good management could apply to any type ,of farm. Some suggest bigness is the answer. Unfor- tunately many of us have seen farm business failures occur because "bigness came before better". It is amazing what can be done with the top six inches of most farms if appropriate effort is made to determine the soil's potential. It isn't often one observes a successful farm operation where good crops are not the prime objective. Soil testing can be a help. There are some farmers who are reported to use far more fertilizer than may be required. But they may have heard of someone who has used the appropriate amount for his particular soil and had a resulting good crop. So if that amount of fertilizer could produce that quality and quantity of crop an extra few hundred pounds per acre would produce an even better crop for them. But such a theory fails to take into account drainage, humus in the soil, previous crops, heat un- its in the area, weed control and type of cultivation, etc. It is the wise farm manager who tests his soil first, and then, taking other things into consideration, makes his decision on type of crop and quantity of fertilizer to he used. It has often occurred to me in the past that to many of us farmers have not taken suf- ficient care of livestock and poultry manure nor have we used it as effectively for crop produc- tion as we might have. There are some farmers who have manag- ed to achieve excellent crop production through sound crop- ping practices, and the wise use of livestock and/or poultry manure, without using commer- cial fertilizers, In today's high cost economy no farmer can af- ford to guess at what his soil re- quirements are. Soil testing is done free at the OAC for any On- tario farmer. See or call your local Agricultural Represen- tative for details. Perhaps farm tile drainage where necessary — and most farms require some tile drainage — pays for itself faster in im- proved crop yields and satisfac- tion in planting and harvesting than any other investment a farmer can make. Over the years Ontario Ministry of Agri- culture and Food agricultural engineers, agricultural represen- tatives and farm management specialists have been urging farmers to make better use of the various grants and subsidies available to them to improve farm land drainage. Grants of one-third the cost are available for Municipal Drains — those being drains in- volving more than one property owner and which can involve one or more municipalities. Then in most municipalities the Tile Drainage Act provides for the local municipality to issue debentures to farmers wishing to tile drain their farms. The debentures are bought by the Province of Ontario who only charges the farmer 4% interest on the amount involved. The Province pays the difference between the 4% rate and the cost of interest on the Debenture. This program has been a real boon to farmers who have used it in the past. I hope the current budgetary constraints on all Ministries of the Ontario Government will not adversely affect this program. If the public really want in- creased food production there is no way to increase it faster on in- dividual farms than through well planned tile drainage systems. Annual meetings of farm organizations, at local, county and provincial level, have been taking place over the last several weeks. It is good to know many farmers attend such meetings. There is usually something worthwhile to he heard and learned. And as has been so well said on many occasions, unless farmers look after their own business no one else is going to do it for them. That is why it is good to see ac- tive farm people take the time to involve themselves in matters of concern to them and their fellow farm people. We have such a wonderful country with oppor- tunities to use our resources wisely and well. Too often too many of us just exploit those resources without realizing the necessity of renewing valuablle renewable resources such as the quality of our soil, Surely it should be every farmer's ambi- tion to leave his farm in better shape than when he took it over. The same applies to the Com- modity groups, the Soil and Crop Improvement Association, the Federation of Agriculture, the Junior Farmers or the Women's Institute — the list could go on and on. But the important thing about them all is that someone cares. As soon as responsible people opt out of community matters, providing health and family cir- cumstances do not dictate otherwise, those people sort of telegraph to everyone they really don't care much about what happens outside their own im- mediate interest. That's why it is so encouraging to see active, in- terested, intelligent people com- ing forward to assume responsi- ble positions in Ontario's farm organizations and agri-business. It should also be encouraging to Ontario's nearly eight million consumers to know that farming in Ontario is alive, well and flourishing, and mostly in the hands of farmers who do care. But if it is to stay that way, and good productive farm land is to be kept in production while being constantly nurtured and im- proved, the farmer is going to have to receive prices for his commodities that will allow him, as a sound business-man, to pay Solar Energy Solar Energy on the farm may be a future source of economical power to dry grain, writes Basil Jackson of The Financial Post, The savings in the consumption of fuel oil and electricity could be substantial — the Canadian agricultural industry (including manufacturers of artificial fertilizers) consumes 12 percent - 15 percent of all energy used in Canada. Farmer George Rauenhorst, at his farm near Olivia, Minnesota, uses his barn roof as a solar-heat collector. Fans and ducts blow the warm air over the grain, to dry it. his bills, meet his living ex- penses the-same as anyone else, and set something aside for those inevitable times when just about the time he thinks ends are going to meet, somebody or something moves an end! With the cost of energy con- stantly rising, food specialists at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food suggest that in the future consumers will increasingly concentrate their efforts towards conserving energy in their everyday household activities. In the kitchen alone, there are many routine occurrences that can be curbed to cut the use of energy. For example, every time the refrigerator or freezer door is opened, additional energy is burned. The cold air lost from inside these appliances must be made up in order that the proper temperature is maintained, Thus, the mechanisms are forced to use more energy, Avoid opening the fridge and freezer unnecessarily and above all, don't leave the door open while you decide what you are going to take out for dinner. ATTENTION F ERS YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO SPEND /1 e• "A DAY WITH TOPICS OF CURRENT INTEREST WILL BE PRESENTED , INCLUDING: • "How to get an even break from the tax man" • "Your Bean Producers' Marketing Board Why and How" • "What's new in chemicals" TWO DATES & LOCATIONS FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE f "FOOD & REFRESHMENTS AT NOON" 6— • L— •• ** * L. 1 I rye" * • C.; t. P KIRKTON-WOODHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE KIRKTON, ONT Thursday, March 18 PINERIDGE CHALET Hwy. 84, 2 Miles W. of Henson Tuesday, March 23 9:30 a.m.—early bird coffee 10:00 a.m.—program begins 9:30 a.m.—early bird coffee 10:00 a.m,—progrcim begins Pick Up 'Your Free Tickets At Any Of Cook's Elevators Henson — Centralia kirkton due fit/ limited accommodation, admission is by ticket only on a first come, first serve basis.