HomeMy WebLinkAboutSaluting Huron County's Agricultural Industry, 1987-03-25, Page 231
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1987. PAGE A23.
Communications may be biggest benefit
Continued from page A22
Using Grassroots probably meant
a cost of about 25 cents, he says.
Because of the rapid transfer of
information by computers, there is
not that much actual telephone
billingtime. Mr. Walker estimates
he uses 10-15 minutes a week with
his computer hooked up to the
telephone to get all the information
he needs. It probably costs him
four to six dollars a week in phone
bills he said. In hooking into these
information networks, he feels, the
cost of a computer can be more
easily justified.
The entrance of huge companies
like CILintothe computer informa
tion market show just how lucrative
it may be in the future.
Mr. Walker said he was warned
when he was investigating compu
ter purchase that the purchase of
the computer equipment was the
easy, and least expensive part. The
difficult, and most expensive part,
is choosing and buying the prog
rams (software) to load into the
computer. There are a lot of
excellent programs out there, he
says and the cost can easily add up
to more than the cost of the
equipment. He has seven prog
rams each of which cost him about
$400. However, the price of some
popular software programs is
falling all the time and those who
invested in them earlier now can
look with envy on the prices of
today.
Mr. Walker feels the instability
of prices for equipment and
programs may be one of the
reasons that computers in farming
seemed to hit a plateau about a year
ago. Computers that cost $8,000 to
$10,000 afew years ago can now be
bought for $1,000. Combined with
the hard economic conditions on
the farm, these dropping prices
may have convinced farmers who
haven’t already got computers to
hold off for the present to see if
prices might go even lower.
For those who want to get a
computer Mr. Walker has some
words of advice. First of all he
cautions that computers are not the
answer to all problems and can be
Time
running out
on Beginning
Farmers
program
BY DON PULLEN
AGRICULTURAL
REPRESENTATIVE FOR
HURON COUNTY
The Ontario Beginning Farmer
Assistance Program has been
available since January 1, 1983 to
help people get started into
farming. Not everyone realizes
that it’s a five-year program. 1987
is its last year. December 31 is the
application deadline date.
If a proposal to start into farming
is accepted by an eligible lender
(FCC, banks and trust companies),
BFAP provides an interest rebate
for the first five years of the loan.
The rebate may lower the cost of
interest to eight per cent. The
current FCC rate is used as the
bench mark for interest reduction.
BFAP is meant for people
starting into farming and has been
especially helpful in many cases for
those buying into the family
business.
There have been over 200
BFAPapplications in Huron Coun
ty since the inception of the
program.
For more information on BFAP,
contact the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food Office in
Clinton.
very frustrating until you get to
know howto make your machine
work.
Someone thinking of buying a
computer should probably take a
computer course, he suggests.
When provided through such
institutions as Conestoga college
these courses are not expensive
and can give a person a working
knowledge of the machines before
it comes time to buy.
Everyone selling computers and
programs says they are user-
friendly, he says, then you get it
home and can’t find out how to
make it work. The jargon of the
instructors tends to go in one ear
and out the other of the buyer after
a while which brings up another of
his recommendations: buy pro
grams, don't pirate them. Without
the instruction manual that goes
with a computer program you
won’t get nearly the benefit of the
program. The dealer then will also
give you backup if there are
problems with the program.
Spend a lot of time and make
sure you buy exactly what you need
in software, he says. Know what
you need the program to do for you
before you buy it.
Mr. Walker recommends buy
ing IMB-compatible computers
because of the wide variety of
programs that are available for
them. Don’t buy a computer if
there aren't plenty of good pro
grams available. Stay away from
computers designed mostly for
games, for instance. While there
are games available for his compu
ter, he doesn’t play games with it.
Buy your computer from some
body with computer knowledge
who can give you support when you
have questions or have problems
with the machine.
Taking a typing course will help
you get the most from the
computer, Mr. Walker says. He
didn’t knowhow to type but wishes
now he had.
It takes a lot of time working on
thecomputerto really master it (he
estimates 300-500 hours.) That’s
why he suggests people don’t
figure on gettingthemostoutof
theirsystemforthefirstyearor
two. He spends a fair bit of time at
his terminal during the winter
months but in the rest of the year
when farm activity picks up, he
finds it hard to get much time.
The hardest thing for a new
operator to understand is that a
computer can’t think for itself,
can’t do anything for itself that a
human being doesn’t put into it.
Still, despite the frustrations he
thinks his computer system has
helped him. He feels he has done a
more successful job of marketing
over the last year and a half or two
years because of the information
he has at his disposal. If used to its
fullest potential, he feels, the
computer can give a farmer an
advantage over other farmers. It
can’t make wise decisions for him
but it can provide him with more
information so he can make better
decisions.
A better seedbed at lower cost
Most farmers
will buy the
New Vibro-Till for
one simple reason
The new Vibro-Till offers you excellent trash
clearance and can provide a coarse surface
granulate that protects against wind and water
erosion. At the same time, a desirable soil
structure is provided in the seed zone area to
enhance plant growth.
Kongskilde’s “positive stroke control’ ’
and vertical tine positioning give you precise
depth control. The new heavy duty, high-
clearance S-tine is assembled in a special
“easy trash flow’’ pattern,
providing improved trash
clearance.
New Vibro-Till. .. for reduced
tillage applications. Creates
a uniform seedbed structure;
conserves moisture for better
germination and growth.
The vibrant tine gives uniform mixing
in the seed zone layer, allowing better
soil-to-seed contact. Moisture is retained,
resulting in faster and more complete
germination.
The new Vibro-Till is made of
quality pre-stressed steel in sizes from 12' to
4 2T. It’s tough - does more work in less
time, reducing trips across the field.
To adapt the Vibro-Till to
your soil management practice,
choose the optional finger
harrow or double rota harrow
attachment.
Get the higher yields and
operational economy of a
quality Triple K cultivator.
And a price that gives you
real value. Choose the new
Vibro-Till from Kongskilde.
(k) KONGSKILDE
In Canada contact Kongskilde:
Thames Road East, Box 880, Exeter, Ontario N0M ISO (519)235-0840 Telex: 064-5818
In the U.S. contact Kongskilde:
2826 Rudder Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38118 (901)362-0117
19551 N. Dixie Hwy., Bowling Green, Ohio 43402 (419) 354-1495
SEEING
IS BELIEVING!
Ask your Kongskilde dealer for a
free on-farm demonstration today!
The edge that keeps you profitably ahead
CLINTON -H. Lobb & Sons Ltd.
482-3409
LUCKNOW -Hackett Farm Equipment
529-7914
LISTOWEL -Midwestern Equipment [Listowel] Ltd.
291-2697
SEAFORTH -Vincent Farm Equipment
527-0120
WALTON -McGavin Farm Equipment
887-6365 or 527-0245
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