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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-12-13, Page 12Page 12—Lucknow Sentinel,Wednesday, December 13, 1978 Got a beef? Write a letter to the editor CORN ALFALFA SORGHUM PIQNEER® BRAND 3978 2650 heat units o Outyields all competitors in its maturity o Stands well C Produces high-test weight yellow grain . o Yields best when planted at 24,000 seeds per acre Bruce Raynard R. 1 Lucknow 528-6345 • v-- vim -vow- Ask Us About These Hybrids • HL 2222 85 days cribbing, combining and silage in early zones H L 2217 78 - 80 days combining or cribbing • Gary Dauphin R. R. 3 Lucknow Phone 395-5617 fle le e - nail To& to fluron F of A BY ALICE GM • Tony McQuail, Lucknow area farmer and the former co-ordinator of Huron County's Energy Conservation Ventres, told members of the Huron Federation of Agriculture that as crude oil goes up in price, farmers' input costs also increase. The problem, Mr. McQuail said, is that "we in the farming industry can't pass on these price increases to the consumers as quickly." Mr. McQuail spoke to federation members on Thursday night at their monthly meeting held in the Clinton OMAF office. In examining some of the energy conservation practices and renewable • energy options for the farm, Mr. McQuail pointed out farmers, as well as' the general population, have become heavily dependent on non-renewable sources of energy. He said farmers could face a situation where oil supplies are exhausted, and "we're in a crunch situation". He said this situation could be three years from now or it might not be for 25 years. He pointed out farmers once depend- ed on the sun, their own labour, and organic fertilizer to produce crops. He said "More energy was produced from Fitness is a national issue. We call it Body Politics. pa/Napalm", 144.•• The Canadian movement for personal Meese the creps,than labour was put into the system by the farmer". Today, howevet, 'farmers depend on non -renewal resources to provide fuel for their farm machinery, and petro- chemical derivatives are used in both fertilizer and pesticides. Mr. McQuail said fanners should look at their own personal system of energy use on the farm and then examine "what options are open to us". Finally, he said, "Fanners should evaluate how you can get from where you are today to where you'd like to be down the line." Mr. McQuail said agriculture is presently in a very vulnerable position with its dependence on crude oil energy resources. He suggested some ways farmers can conserve energy in their operations is to smuagtgcehstemdwereachineus machinery to winthe workainns to iit's required to do, to insulate farm build- ings properly, utilize natural ventilation _ and consider using alternative energy sources in the farm operation. Two -such sources Mr. McQuail pump water and wing wood -heated boilers to provide heat, using wood from the farm woodlot. • Ile said as the danger of exhausting non-renewable energy resources comes nearer, scientists and others are becom- ing more practical in their experiments • with alternative forms of energy. He said experiments are being carried out to fuel tractors with alcohol from crop residues and others are experimenting with methane gases produced from manure. Mr. McQuail said it's time to try to interconnect systems on the farm again. For example, an operation which re- quires heat can passively collect solar heat from the sun on sunny days. This can be backed up with a wood -fired boiler system to supplement the sun's heat or fuel oil cans be burned in a generator - rather than a boiler to produce eleoricity. Mr. McQuail said if enough elec- tricity could be produced, it could be sold to Ontario Hydro. The secret of conserving energy, Mr. McQuail said, "is to try and make use of We're Movin "Bear" With -Us We will be moving to our new building through this weekend December 16 We will be at one location or the other OPEN— At the new Location Monday, December 18th t • • • t., . • : 1:" .• . '4., • ..":•-• • ,lar • zo .„,,,-,...„. ......, • ; _.......,_,,.-:-_,....,- ....,-' ..:...."..;;... if,.......:.,..1,....S.:...., (IF Srz.-----' Lucknow District Co-op Lucknoti," a Phone 528-3024 wage hem any one by-41CM as an impart in another system." following Mr.. McQuaill's speech, audience members discussed whether methane gas could be produced ni septic tank systems and bow to use generators in a borne beating system. One member, expressing approval of the idea of selling excess electricity said, "It would be nice to receive a cheque from Ontario Hydro every month instead of a bill" CONSIDER RESOLUTION In other business, federation !mem- bers approved a resolution submitted by the Grey Township Federation of Agriculture. The resolution asked that Farm and Country, the OFA monthly newspaper, be asked to publish the Chicago five hog futures in their paper„ since daly papers have stopped dying the reports. CarI Hemingway„ a Brussels area farmer, said he had always found the Chicago futures a reliable guide in his hog operation.. Delegates who had attended the recent OFA convention in Hamilton also reported on •e results of LIe conven- tion_ - OFA president, Peter Hannam, was acclaimed to office, with Ralph Barrie, a Lanark County farmer elected first vice president and Ron White„ a Midilesex County dairy farmer, elected second vice president. H.F.A. delegate Bill Pullen reported that the 1978 budget for OFA activities was 51.18 million_ In response to a member's question, he said the federation didn't lose money this year, since they are putting money in a reserve fund atunrmlly. The reserve fund now stands at 5440,000 and the goal is to build the fund to 5% minion. Mr. Mien said the OFA is budgeting to break even in the corning year, and this accounts for the increase in the OFA membership fee. Membership fees in the organization will increase from 535 annually to 550 annually m 1979, with a 55 a year reduction for those who automatically renew their memberships each year.. Toronto •Stock Yard Report Receipts at the Toronto Stockyards for the week ending December 8 were cattle, 8.580; calves, 2,995; hogs, 6,400 and sheep, 1,673. Choice steers and heifers traded actively with prices strong to higher. Lighter numbers of finished cattle. plus advanced beef move- ment, were the factors. Cows were higher to last week's close, heavy fat cows were steady. There was a good selection of both Western and Ontario stockers and . feeders this week. Short -keeps weighing 800# and up sold from $65 to 575 with sales to S7&50/cwt. Yearling steers weighing 500 -800# sold from 570 to 580 with sales to 583/cwt. West- ern- steer- calves -US -to $95 with sales to 5101. Ontario steer calves from 575 to 582 with sales to 589. Yearling and short -keep heifers sold from 558 to 565 wi pi sales to S70 and We.stern and Ontario heifer calves were selling from 574 to 584 with sales to 59130/cwt. Veal sold firm_ Choice veal sold from 580 to 590 with sales to 5104; 400 to 500# • calves sold from 565 to 580; 500 to 750# calves traded from 550 to 565/cwt. Plain, heavy and light calves sold from 535 to 555. The lamb trade was high- er. Good handyweight lambs sold ,fiom 578 to 582 with sales to 585. Light lambs were selling from 585 to 5100 with sales 10 5125. Sheep are selling from $45 to 547 with sales 10 552. Heavy fat sheep 525 to 530. New crop lambs .6e selling from 512g tollf.0 with sales to 5175. Price range for hogs was 575.05 - 578.70. I • v. • -*" ) imitP The first electric fan was produced in 1882 by a company • in New York.