HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1997-03-19, Page 28P e 2 -Farm Proaron* `a7'
by Roll: Wassiuk A gricultrure has jumped on.
. the. Internet in full 'force
and just recently was
joined in cyber space' by the
• Ontario Ministry Of Agriculture
and Foot and•Rural Affairs
(OMAA) :..
OMAFRA's official launch..
onto, the World: Wide Web took,
place at the International: farm:
• Machinery Show in Toronto fast
month- when; it introduced its
' . web site to show visitors, and
' the World for anyone linking up.
The Internet is the computer
information. highway It's where
businesses,. industries,, individu;-
als, municipalities, schools, etc.;...
are: connected to in record num-
bers.
umbees. To sell yourself to people
linked to the Internet, you ,sim-
ply produce what's: 'called..ac
`homepage; or a •site err the
Internet. That site . can be
accessed by anyone logging on.
The number of Internet users is
'in the millions 'in North
America.
`ack Westlake, ag rep for.
Grey County, was at the farm"'
shoti, and .was' enthusiastic
about OMAFRA. jump onto, the
Internet, •
"Last month we had 80,000
hits without it even being office
cial," he said... ' •
A. 'hit' roughly translated is
a
when a person links onto a site
. and opens the pages within that
site. •
•
The' dairy and swine ndus-
tries led the way to the Internet
and have been using the infor
mation highway for some time
to promote their industries.
Westlake says those are the
two bestdeveloped sites and '
speculates beef will soon be on
as well. •
"The dairy industry 'always
looks at new technology first;"
he.said,`adding dairy, .was:the
first to use computers for record`
keeping:
Dairy is;to the point where.t.
hase-mail user groups.
•
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A'
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"And Internet naturally fel-
lowed through."
• He said the University 'of
'Guelph has started a user group
for agriculture ealled.`caffeine'.
Collegesand universities have
for years transferred and offered
information over the Internet.
-Westlake ,says his guess is
about 15 per cent of farmers
have Internet access. More want
to sign. up, but the mail ,probleln
in. rural Ontario are out -of date
phone.lines"urtable to handke the
information overload. „'
"As, lines' are updated,,more
people will get on ,,: it's' rola-
cheap."
ela-cheap " •
Farmers, and.agricultural.
related businesses and organiza—
tions will use the Internet as an
economical way of''exchanging ...
information and that's. the main
reason for OMAFR,Ars being
there; he,says
Andfarmers who want infer,
mation from OMAFIIA; can be
more specific whengetting
information' over the Internet
and collect what pertains to
their operation, rather than a ,
,hinder full'' of paper that covers
all aspects, of certain operations.
s�hc�T
One example Westlake cites is
chemical sprays, A case: cropper.
doesn't need to know the types
of sprays to use itt an apple
orchard. That information can
be separated. and dissetniniated
easily via the Internet.
It will save OMAFRA .(taxi
payers) money in the long-term,
he'says. The added bonusbeing
up-to-date information will be
available. '
"It's ,convenient, easy access
and cheap." •
Don't throw out your paper.
yet, Westlake says, People are
only now becoming 'computer,
• literate: "We're just: getting into
•
• Re`describes thisstage of the
Internet. as• "kindergarten" and
suggests' it will become more
user friendly and faster,
"We still haven't seen the
.
sophistication that will. make it
'replacetpaper"
Instead of cost being the 1}m-
iting factor,. it will be, how easy -
andspecific it is to get inform*:::
tion and how relevant it is to the •
day-to-day operations.
.m "That will be. the; big driver'}.,
gxiculture .and Agri
Fond Canada (AAFC) is
;committing $1,000,000'.
to scholarship awards over': the
.next two years to'stiidents : pur-
suing Masters and PhD studies
in a. broad range` of agriculture.
related .disciplines. . •
The announcement;: 'nide: by
AAFC :Minister' Ralph Goodale,
is part of the Government of
Canada's: commitment.to. youth.
employment
"The scholarships will Tiro
vide ,attractive incentives for.
Young men and women seeking
advanced degrees related, to
agriculti re and agri-food, said.
Mr Goodale. "By helping stu-
dents defray the cost of studies
in certain relevant fields,.
Agriculture and Agri Food
Canada isproactively meeting
‘.future needs • for new scientists,
engineers, economists and, other
professionals in the increasingly
technical" agri-food sector"'
Each year, close, to $500,000 .
in ;scholarships will'; be .provid-
ed: comprising about,1.5 Master'
of Arts or Master of Science '
wards valued . at $15,000 each
per., year and 15 Doctoral
aWa
awardysear valued at $°17,000 .each,'
per
"Agriculture and .Ag`ri-Food >,..
Canada has committed funding
.for;", two years from :our
Canadian Adaptation, and Rural
Development (CARD) Fund,
blit as the: value of this , scholar-
ship initiative is proven; we will
be investigating. a; uariety--of
"Options for ,longer-term 'fund-
ig." Mr. Goodale said.
The CARD Fund, $240,
lion .over foir. years, was'estab
liehed` to help Canada's agricul_
ture sector grow and- capture
markets,reduce • short-term
•instability and enhance econom-
ic opportunity, all in 'the context''.
of a rapidly' changing overall
envzroninent
Students may apply this
spring :for the '.scholarships.
through their .universities. A
committee, composed of distin
gnished Canadian.' academics;
:will choose , successful nlipli'M
Cants from candidates 'nominat
ed by. their universities.
' Foodland Quick. Fact ..
Most Ontario -grown cabbage is
sold fresh, about -20 per cent is
for processing.,.
•