HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-12-21, Page 35THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1990. PAGE 35.
More credit to farmers like rope
to hanged man, Wilford says
Continued from Page 34
said, are insidious and account for
the increased profitability of many
of the major banks.
After listing the problems farm
ers are facing, Mr. Emmerson said
the greatest tragedy is that young
people are being driven away from
farming.
“Look around you tonight,” he
said. “The young kids are not here.
They sit at the kitchen table and
they listen to their parents’ tales of
woe ... listen to 10 years of grief
and they don’t want any part of it.
Education is what it’s all about.
They get out of high school and go
off to community college and come
out and join Ontario Hydro.”
Looking at the members of the
government committee, Mr. Em
merson added, “You’d better not
close Bruce (power plant) too fast.”
The Farm Credit Corporation
was singled out for strong criticism
by Allen Wilford of Walters Falls,
near Owen Sound.
Mr. Wilford, well known as the
leader of the Farm Survivalists
group of the early 1980s was
involved in a highly publicized
penny-auction at a Wallace Town
ship farm which resulted in a
lengthy court case held here.
Now a lawyer, Mr. Wilford
advised the Agriculture Finance
Review Committee that he is
currently involved in a representa
tive action against the Farm Credit
Corporation. He strongly urged the
committee not to supply easy credit
to farmers.
“More credit to a farmer is like
giving more rope to a man who’s
going to hang himself, ’ Mr. Wil
ford said. “The problem isn’t
credit. The problem is price. Farm
ers need to receive a fair price for
their product.”
Referring to the Farm Credit
Corporation, Mr. Wilford charged
the organization operates with no
written policies, no written rules or
regulations and gives no written
reasons for its decisions.
There is no accountability as far
as the Farm Credit Corporation is
concerned, he said.
Eat sensibly, light
at Christmas season
Here are five suggestions to help
you stay fit and healthy during the
holiday feasting season and be
yond, from Nan Fuch, Ph.D.,
author of The Nutrition Detective:
A Woman’s Guide to Treating Your
Health Problems Through the
Foods You Eat (Jeremy P. Tarcher,
Inc.). These handy tips are easy to
follow and the results won’t disap
pear after the first week of the New
Year along with other resolutions.
•Cut down, not our: Do you drink
too many caffeinated beverages,
eat a lot of sugar, or go directly to
fried food? Instead of trying to give
them up (and failing), begin by
reducing the amount. Adding half
decaffeinated coffee to your regular
brew will cut your caffeine intake in
half. Share a dessert with a friend,
instead of eating a full portion.
•Carbos, not fats: Surprising as
it may seem, pasta, potatoes, rice
and bread will keep you thin. It’s
the butter and the cheese you put
on them that puts extra weight on
you. Fats contain almost twice the
calories of carbohydrates!
Mr. Wilford advocated a “write
down” policy for farm debt to the
existing value of the farm involved.
A policy of writing down farm debt
exists in the United States, he said.
As a result the U.S. has been able
to lower its farm debt while Canada
has not.
The Farm Credit Corporation, he
said, can “write-down” up to 40
per cent of the principal debt, but
the organization doesn’t make that
known. Mr. Wilford said while
there is legislation governing con
sumer protection, there is no
similar legislation for farmers.
Lawyers, he added, can advise
their farm clients to sue the bank,
but that’s at a tremendous cost.
Farmers, he said, “need a
government watch dog”.
Mr. Wilford also noted the court
system must be overhauled to
speed up cases involving farmers.
For a farmer to have assets tied up
for two years is disastrous. As a
source of “friendly operating
loans”, Mr. Wilford advocated an
Ontario Farm Credit organization.
He recommended the Ontario
government take a “good look” at
some excellent farm policies that
have been instituted by NDP
governments in British Columbia,
Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Other concerns raised at the
meeting included the need to clean
up the farming environment
through decreasing use of chemi
cals and better land tilling prac
tices, the organization of a “mach
inery ring” using computerized
data, the need of regulations to
control multi-national agribusi
nesses, and the need for Ontario to
supports its farmers on a level with
other provinces.
l
... ,
Christmas
throughout
the world,
it’s meant to
be shared
by all.
Hank's
Small
Engines
LONDESBORO
i
•Love your greengrocer: Eat at
least one good serving of vege
tables a day. They provide you with
some of the fiber we now can be
helpful in preventing disease, and
they’re filled with important vita
mins and minerals.
Steam a variety of vegetables
and keep them on hand to add to
your spaghetti sauce for a quick
pasta primavera. Or make extra
stir-fried vegetables for another
meal (Chinese food always tastes
better the second day!).
•More fish and fowl: Red meat,
some kinds of cheese, heavy sacues
and chicken skin will keep the
pounds on you and could lead to
high cholesterol. Replace red meat
with broiled chicken (no skin and
fish, which help you stay lean and
healthy. Eat low-fat cheese like
farmer cheese and part-skim mozz
arella. Fish is a healthy choice
(even fatty fish like salmon, which
has been found to lower choles
terol.
We’re hoping you have a
safe and happy Christmas
filled with all the rich
delights of the season.
We value you as a customer
and look toward to serving
you in the year ahead.
. ■ /
COOP
for this holiday season
Thanks for the pleasure of your business
HURON FEEDING
SYSTEMS
BRUSSELS
JOE, DEBBIE & FAMILY
50%°FF THINSULATED GLOVES
30% OFF SWEATSHIRTS
Henry Winters
Brian McGregor
Kyle Pewtress
Brian McBurriey
Keith Hodgkinson
Jim Taylor
Tom Pollard
Randy McGregor
Bill Shaddick
Todd Hoggart
amwr.
“Seriing Blylh & Area for 17 years
NOTE: THE AUBURN CO-OP
CHRISTMAS WRAP
SORRY NO LAYAWAYS
I u I HURON
Ij-J TRACTOR
BLYTH SERVICE CENTRE
ON DEC. 24 AND DEC. 31
WILL BE CLOSING EARLY
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