The Rural Voice, 1979-07, Page 3Inside this month
Special features
Windbreaks, Woodlots &
Shelter belts P. 2
Manurigation P. 9
Mennonite barn clearing P. 12
Letter from a Pork Producer P. 15
Guest Column: Larry Swinn P. 17
Regular features
Keith Roulston P. 11
Up & Coming P. 14
Voice of a Farmer P. 19
Rural News in Brief P. 21
Mailbox of the Month P 28
Advice on Farming P. 29
Rural Family P. 34
Young Farmer P 38
Rural Voice Want Ads. P. 41
Gardening P 42
Perth Federation P 45
Bruce Federation P 46
Huron Federation P. 48
Cover photo by Merle Gunby
the rural
Voice
Published monthly by McLean Bros. Publishers Ltd., Box 10, Blyth, Ontario,
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Consitt, Telephone 527-0240. Staff reporter: Debbie Ranney. Authorized as
second class mail by Canada Post Office. Registration number 3560.
Guest
Opinion
Is bigger always better?
BY JACK HAGARTY
(OMAF farm management specialist)
Small is beautiful. So says the cover of a paperback book. But,
it'll take some convincing to get short people to agree. The song
"Short People" got a lot of shorties mad—even though it was a
spoof.
We've been conditioned to think bigger is better. The trend
has been bigger cars, houses and farms. Then the cost of energy
hit us. And we hurt. So suddenly we want small cars and well
insulated bungalows.
Will the same thing happen to farms? Who's buying the 500
acre farms now? Who'll buy the 1,000 acre farms ten years from
now? Should we be pushing large family farm corporations? I
wonder.
Picture a 1,000 acre family farm corporation owned by four
brothers. All have houses on the corporation's land. All have
lovely families—but with different values. One family would like
to build a large house complete with indoor swimming pool ane
nearby tennis court. Another wants a new house—but at half the
cost. Another is quite happy with their modest older home and
one is satisfied with a mobile home. They can't agree. And so
they all apply for severances—so they can do their own thing.
Will these severed lots remain attached to the farm? In one
county 40% of farm severances have changed to non-farm
owners in three years.
I detect some uneasiness in rural areas. Real estate signs go
up. And come down the next day. Dad didn't know that son
wanted to farm. They beg the real estateman to forget his
commission fee—even though another buyer is willing to meet
the terms.
There's a road close to Seaforth that's paved with rubber
tires --or so it seems. Those sports cars can sure burn rubber; and
eat upmoney. Would this be as common if there was a way to buy
into a farm?
Some young people are applying pressure. They're saying
almost every other dad is making large gifts to start sons and
daughters up on farms. Sound familiar?
It may be the only way. But I wonder if it's necessary or wise to
make large gifts. Now there are no taxes on gifts. You can give it_
all away—if that's what you want. A farmer recently used this
analogy. He said, "I think of the home farm as the 'mother ship.'
1 say to my son I'll help you get started. But, you'll have to earn
it. I'll back you for a loan to buy a farm. You'll get 30% of the net
income from the home farm for five years. And after that the
'umbilical cord' will be cut. You'll run your own ship. If in five
years you've made it—fine--it's up to you.
I'll have another sun who'll need the support of 'mother
ship'
Is small beautiful? If you're dropped in the ocean with only a
canoe it might take some convincing. But, a lot of beautiful
people come from small farms. Agreed!