The Rural Voice, 1981-08, Page 12prevention and financial management.
increased production and overcrowding
accelerate disease problems, and as he
pointed out, "Your profit is gone if you
spend a lot of money on medication."
He is also worried about the younger
farmers he sees in financial difficulty,
and is gratified when he is able to help
someone. "If I can save a farmer money,
or solve a problem, that gives me
satisfaction."
The pace may get frenetic at times, but
presiding calmly over the activity is
BARRY TOLTON, Agricultural Repres-
entative for Grey County. His appoint-
ment became effective January 1 of this
year, but he had few new ropes to learn;
for the past ten years he had been here as
an associate ag.rep. His experience prior
to that includes two years in eastern
Ontario and two years in Chatham with
the Economics Branch of OMAF.
Together with his wife Vivian and their
two daughters, he runs a farm in Glenelg
tounship, and manages some time for
church activities and curling.
As Grey County's ag. rep, Barry is
committed to the agricultural community
here, making sure it benefits from the
province's programs. Because farming
here is focussed on livestock production,
the high interest rates and low prices are
a major problem now, and he feels the
OMAF office can offer assistance with
better management techniques and fin-
ancial counselling. He regrets having to
spend more time on administration
new -"someday$ I vow III rip the phone
out:" -and he is also concerned about the
amount of land being bought up as
investment or recreation property by
"city people," and the effects this has on
the farming community. His plans
include a greater emphasis on sheep
production, which has become a signif-
icant sector in Grey County farming, and
he stresses the need for his office to
provide leadership and resources to the
farmers it serves.
If anyone can be said to be practising
what he preaches, it is Associate ag. rep.
BRUCE WARD. He is the beef and swine
contact for the office, and when he's not
out working for other farmers, he's at
home on his beef farm just outside
Markdale, where he lives with his wife
Doris and their four children, ages nine
years to nine months. He came here nine
years ago from Stormont County, and got
his first experience growing up on a farm
in Manitoba. He handles a lot of
cropping questions, requests for fertilizer
recommendations, and queries about
feeding. Bruce also works with farm
organizations; the Soil and Crop Improve-
ment Association, the Pork Producers,
and is Secretary -Treasurer of the Grey
County Cattlemen's Association.
He sees the ag.rep. providing a direct
contact between the farmers and their
government ministry, as well as being a
contact between research and applied
knowledge. He feels it is important to
assist farmers in developing the financial
and productive capability to meet their
goals, by providing not necessarily the
newest, but the most applicable, inform-
ation. Because of the high risk involved
in4farming today. the ability to manage
money has become more important, and
farmers will have to devote more effort to
those skills --"the famous sharp pencil."
Another newcomer to the office is
DAWN WERT, who began as Assistant
ag.rep. in May following completion of
her B. Se. degree at Guelph. Along with
the other ag.rens.. she will be handling
the gamut of information requests and
problems, but her speciality will be dairy
calls. Her background wi'i ce.tainly
stand her in good stead, as she grew up
on her family's dairy farm in Stormont
County and was active in 4-H and Junior
Farmers. Through universit; she coord-
inated a Junior Agriculturalist program,
spent a summer on Manitoulin Island
working in 4-H and Junior Farmer
projects, and a summer at the OMAF
head office coordinating camps and
conferences for the youth programs.
Women have been working as ag. reps.
only since 1977, and Dawn is the first in
Grey County. As she is new to the area,
she is eager to get to know the people
here, and is enthusiastic about the variety
of experiences her job will bring.
Clerk Stenographer MARGARET
FLYNN was not available for an interview
due to illness.
DIRECTION cont. from page 14
which Cameron attended. She reported
thirty-six women registered from all over
the county, and about half were from the
country. The workshop dealt with topics
such as stress, guilt, assertiveness,
involvement in politics and competitive-
ness. As the workshop progressed, the
women became more involved and
participated more in discussion. This is
the type of program which Centralia is
aiming for.
When asked what type of people will be
attending the Directions conference,
Cameron said there will be people of all
ages, some with formal jobs. others who
work at home. Some will be from a farm,
others from a small town. But they'll all
have one thing in common; they'll be
rural women interested in learning.
HOW IT WORKS!
20" disc. blades, mounted on individual pivots, are
rotated by hydraulic motors to cut bean plants off
below ground surface. Each pivot -mounted section
rests on two depth wheels. Two or three windrows
are produced, depending on the number of blades.
The Smyth Bean Cutter can be mounted on the front
or on the rear of a tractor. This compact machine is
not bothered by mud or trash.
Canada's first rotary bean cutter is a product of
the George Smyth Welding and Machine Shop.
THE FIRST NEW IDEA IN BEAN
PULLING IN 70 YEARS
SMYTH
Welding and
Machine Shop
RR 2, Auburn, Ontario (519) 529-7212
1
PG. 10 THE RURAL VOICE/AUGUST 1981