The Lucknow Sentinel, 1997-08-20, Page 3Last Wednesday at
PROTECT's weekly meet-
ing, a panel of hog produc-
ers explained their side of
what has become A hot
issue in Huron County, and
Township where PRO-
TECT was born,
"To, the responsible
farmer, ecology iS nothing
new,", said.JtAn Crowley, a
Perth County -pork produc-
er, who is an Ontario Pork
director, 'ancl sits on that
association's new
This Committee's man-
date is to cbllect related
resources and draft guide-
lines to:create a culture for
expansion opportunities in
The committee includes
rePresentatives from the
Ontario Ministry • of
AgriCUlttire, Food and
Rural Affairs, the lvlinistry
of Environment and
Energy, the Rural Ontario
Association, pork produc-
. ars and a variety of other.
resource personnel., • ,
•:"Concern for the ezivi-,
Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, August 20, 1997 =- Page 3
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Theme related crafts, circle time.
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LOTS TO SEE AND DO
DROP IN ANYTIME FOR A VISITIII
OR CALL 528-2248.
• by. Pat Livingston
The group PROTECT
continues to work on its
primary goal - that of gath-
ering inforrnation to edu-
cate
ducate . themselves "on the
issues and concerns sur-'•
rounding intensive live-
•
ronment has always been
important to farmers.
Proper management and
respect for the land is a
necessity," said Crowley.
T h e
trend to
larger
farming.
.operations
is "like
almost all
business-.
es,". said
J o d'y
Durand, °a
, pork pro-
ducer in
Hay Township, "The aim
is for higher volume, lower
Margin." •
Statistics (OMAFRA
Pork News 1997) show
that between 1987 and
1994, . producers were
receiving $140 per hog,
with a net return of $20.1n
the last two years, the aver-
age price has been $170,
with a net return of about
$40.,
Profitability .is the key
factor thus bigger farrns
are going up .
:In 1987,. 4 million hogs
were produced in Ontario.
By 1996 that figure had
dropped to 3.7 minim'
In 1997, Durand's far-
row to finish operation will
produce 300,000 ,. gallons,
of fertilizer • (manure).
"Four guyswanted.: that
manure," , said Durand.
"Manure should: be treated
as an asset not a liability."
If fanners are paying for
that manure, are they
going to -waste. it by
spreadingoit improperly?
He also
said the
trend is
towards
•improv-
. ing . the
genetic
process,
a.,, n d
enhanc-
ing .•feed
c.onver-
sion.
In his operation, each
sow was producing an
average of 20 pigs per year
. in 1987. Ten years later,
that number. was 22 - a 10 ..
per cent increase. .
In a 10 year span, he has
gained a 20 per cent' mar-
gin in feed conversion (kgs
of feed to produce kg of
pork) - from 3..5:1 in' 1987;
to 2.8:1 in 1997.
That means less manure
is produced and therefore
less to spread.
• Over that same 10 year ,
period, the trend : has gone
from feeding dry feeds to
wet/dry feed, which means
20 per cent less manure is
produced' as well, he said.
"Expansion will contin-
ue' to happen because
everyone.: wants to keepv
ahead of, inflation," said .:
Durand. The Important.
thing; he said, is : to main-
"Manure
ain
"Manure should
be treated as
an asset, not
a liability."
Jody Durand,
pork producer.
•tain • good relationships
with your neighbors • and
use commonsense when it
comes tospreading
manure.
"Pork producers have to
take care of our own prob-
lem,", said Durand. "If the
plan (manure manage-
ment) is not 'followed, it's
not worth.a dam." .—
Since
mSince 1992, 9,600 farm-
ers. have entered the
Ontario Environmental
Farm Plan (OEFP), said
Gord Surgeoner, on the.
"faculty - of' • Guelph
University. "Huron County
led all the counties in the
province who took the,
plan. They spent over $1:7
million on making
changes.".
Surgeoner' stressed that
the key to successfully
working through problems
in the agriculture industry
•ismanagement skills and
how they are used. Having
that knowledge, knowing
how to use it and applying
that, knowledge is funda-
'mental to a successful
environmental farm plan.
"Management • skills,.
not size, is the essence
here," said Surgeoner, as
he reviewed various, areas.
covered in the OEFP.
,.see 'URB'; page;5
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writin
protes-t-s-a
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camp
Box 475, 518 Campbell Street,
& Lucknow; Ontario NOG 2H0
system integrations (519) 52$-3631
PROTECT has iinple
Mewed a ietter:w.riting.
campaign in 'regard : to the
Bill 146,. legislation to
protect ' farming and food
productio'n. :in the
• province.
PROTECT agrees "that •
farmers and the Produc-
tion of food must be proms
tected from legal remedies
that proceed from distur-
bances created. during
proper farm practices."
However, the group
says• -'the "right to .farm.
rntist be balanced fairly
and responsibility with rhe
legislative rights of those
who live and work in rural
Ontario." '
Areas , .of. ' concern
include:
'1. taking control,., from the
municipality and ultimate—
ly putting it in the hands
of the Normal Farm
Practices : Protection
Board... •
2. application of .legiti-
mate zoning and other
controls imposed by elect-.
.ed municipal councils,
such'as zoning bylaws that
incorporate the applicable
and necessary`;separation
distances
3. The '.Environmental'`
Protection Act may pot
; apply to a normal: farm
practice.:
4. "Normal farm practice" :
is not defined. by objective 7
criteria, but left up to, .a
single' administrative
.board; To, balance the.
right to .farm: with the
interest of all rural resi-
dents, the 'que'stiin', of
"normal"; should be sub-
ject to some'municipal
input. The focus of the
definition . should be on
"proper farm pra;etices".;
not "normal farm prac-
tices."'
•The proposed Farming''
and Food Production' Act
was' tabled in the legsla
ture late Juno, and will be.
subject to, public hearings
this fall. If the Act is
,passed, the current Farm'`
Practices Board, Which
hears complaints against
farmers, will :become the
Normal Farm Practices
Board.
Not de mi
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All this for'only
;from page .1
allowed per acre, and handlingof manure.
Council believes the proposed legislation isnot
definitive enough when it comes to "normal farm Prac-
tice." :Bill 146 proposes to ensure that the food produc-
tion industry in Ontario is; protected from restrictive
municipal bylaws that constrain normal farm practices.
The resolution will be forwarded to Premier Michael
Harris, the .ministries of agriculture, environment, ener-
gy; Nikon MPP Helen Johns, and.all rural municipalir
ties in the province
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