The Rural Voice, 1980-05, Page 47S zuce auKtv edenatiaa rirynieuetune
Bruce hosts
"Meet the Members"
BY GISELE IRELAND
"he Bruce County Federation of
Aflriculture hosted its annual Meet, the
N !mbers reception at the Southampton
C irling Club on March 14th.
They presented a brief to the members
parliament and due to the unfavourable
Ileather conditions only Garry Gerbin and
ddy Sargent were able to attend.
The brief dealt with major problems
acing the farmer today in the areas of
alternate sources of energy and mainly the
high rate of interest.
Both Mr. Gerbin and Mr. Sargent found
it necessary to skim over the main issue of
interest. Most of the farmers there were
looking for answers on the reason for this
interest rate and heard 1) Canadian banks
-lave no competition in the money lending
field, and 2) we are following the American
trend of interest rate.
It is not surprising that there was
discontent with these answers since the
Canadian rate of inflation is behind that of
the U.S. and no satisfactory reason was
given why we should follow suit anyway.
The point brought up by some of those
present was that Quebec sees fit to give
their farmers money at a little over 8 per
cent plus a $40,000 grant program. The
British Columbia government has made
interest concessions to their farmers and so
have Alberta and Saskatchewan. How can
Ontario farmers compete with the other
provinces when inequities like this are
allowed?
The Agripark at the Douglas Point
Station is now producing vegetables with
crops far exceeding the expectations at the
start of this project. With Canadians
importing $400 million dollars worth of
vegetables every year we can now look
forward to producing a lot of our own, as
this greenhouse project grows.
Alternate methods of producing fuel,
mainly ethanol and gasahol were also
discussed. Both members agreed that at
the present price of fuel it is not financially
in the interest of the farming population to
devise methods of alternate sources. One
of the main reasons for this is the fact that
so far no one has been willing or able to
produce a prototype model for interested
parties to look at and decide whether it
would work for them or not.
ifit "osik
Garry Gerbin (background) and Eddy Sargent (foreground) get a
chance to talk to Bruce County farmers at their annual "Meet the
Members" reception. (Photo by Ireland)
Annual bonspiel winners
Winners of Bruce County Federation
of Agriculture annual bgnspiel were:
9:00 a.m. draw winners lst, Bernard
Cotter, vice; Don McAllister, Skip; George
Maxwell, Second; Ray Cotter, Lead;
Chesley.
2nd, Allen Gregg, Skip; Glen Sawyer,
Vice; Ross Ziegler, Second; Harvey Bell,
Lead; Paisley.
3rd, John Alpaugh, vice; Ian Sinclair,
Skip; Dennis Alpaugh, Lead; Doug Legge,
Second; Dobbinton.
Consolation, Don McArthur, Skip; Gord
Jamieson, Vice; Jim Cunningham, Second;
Les Doll, Lead, Paisley.
I1:00a.m. draw winners, Ist. Ian Grant,
,Skip; Andy Grant, Lead; Alan Grant,
Second; David Grant, Vice; Teeswater.
The Teeswater group:•as the over all
winner of the day and received the
Co- operators trophy.
2nd Ron Pollock, Vice; Dave Cohcan,
Skip; Don Fenton, Second; Jim ft a cy,
Lead; Paisley.
3rd, Gary McGillivary, Skip; Ole
Anderson, Vice; Don Maus, Second; Alan
Ribey, Lead; Paisley.
Consolation, Gordon Leask, Vice; Bob
Elphick, second; .I.J. Donnelly, Skip; Ernie
Donnelly, Lead; Paisley.
THE RURAL VOICE/MAY 1980 PG 45