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The Rural Voice, 1982-08, Page 38Looking for something special? New Holland 1495, 12 ft., self propelled haybine 514,995. Owatonna 35010' swather (Ford Engine) wlcrimper 3,995. I -H 303 Combine wl pickup head 3 953. 600 Bushel Parker Tandem grain buggy wlbrakes and lights. 6,895. 2 Compartment Giain-O-Vator model 400A 3,250. 64 Ford Dump Truck with 7 yard box 1,695. 268 New Holland A-1 Baler 2,395. International Round Baler, model 241 3,975. 6 -row John Deere puller 160 acres 3.500. 2 International trucks with 350 bushel grain bins P.O.A. 835 Innes Bean windrower, model 835, with 4P9 cross conveyor, almost new 9,995. Several used grain augers, grain boxes McGAVIN FARM EQUIPMENT LTD. Walton (519) 887-6365 527.0245 MF AGRI announces BUILDERS their FREE FLORIDA VACATION for equivalent) DRAW One Week for Two including — Round Trip Airfare — Hotel Accommodation — Car Rental Travel Arrangements made courtesy of Ellison Travel in Exeter DRAW IS OPEN TO ALL CUSTOMERS THAT PURCHASE A GRAIN BIN OR FEED TANK BEFORE JULY 31, 1982 CALL NOW: SPRING DISCOUNTS ARE STILL IN EFFECT! MF AGRI- BUILDERS P.O. Box 550, Exeter, Ontario NOM 150 Ph. 519-235-2120 PG. 38 THE RURAL VOICE/AUGUST 1982 KEITH ROULSTON All about efficiency "Yep." the old farmer said as I slid onto the stool beside him at Elsie's Cupcake Shoppe and Truck Stop, "rimes are tough but I've seen tough times before. "I remember back in the 40's, just after the war. Thougnt we were going to go belly up for sure then. Thank goodness for the advice them government farming experts gave me. Told me 1 had to get more efficient. Said a farmer couldn't get along with horses anymore. Needed a tractor. So I went to the banker and I got a loan and I bought the tractor." "And you started making money?" I asked. "Hell no." he said. "1 lost more money than before but luckily them government boys came along and straightened me out again. Told me 1 had to get bigger. Said I had to use my new machinery more efficiently. The tractor was just sitting there doing nothing half the time when I only had the one farm. Yuh need at least 200 acres they said. "So. 1 went to the banker again and he took a mortgage and I bought the farm next door and the neighbour moved down the country and went to work in the Ford plant." "And that got you on the right track." I said. "Well no," he said. He looked a little troubled. Obviously it wasn't going to be easy to explain the intricacies of farming to such a slow learner. "Fact is I still lost money." Thing is I was going at it all wrong. The experts told me that. See I was trying to keep a few cows and some pigs and chickens, grow a little oats and wheat and corn and hay. They sat down and showed me in black and white there at the kitchen table that 1 could make money if I'd only specialize; take one of them things and really go at it. "So I went to see the banker and got some money to remodel the barn and sold off everything but the cattle and bought a whole lot of them." "And you got rich," I added. thinking Fd finally found his secret. "Well no. Yuh see by then 1 had to buy another bigger tractor and the equipment to go with it and then 1 had to get a bigger farm to keep the equipment busy so I'd be efficient, don't you see, and 1 had to build a new barn and three silos for the corn. "But you know. I figured, what the heck, if I'm borrowing all this money anyway I might as well have a few things for the house so even though the accountant - oh yes. 1 had to get one of them too -even though the accountant said I was losing money we were living pretty high off the hog." "But you can't go on doing that forever," 1 said in wonder. "Oh I know that," he said. "After all those years of listening to the government experts and the bank experts I know a thing or two about this efficiency they've been teaching me. I figured out a plan that's the most efficient anybody's come up with." "And?" I said breathlessly. "Well I've made a deal with my neighbour," he said slyly. "I'm going to buy all his cattle at the retail price they charge in the butcher store and then sell them live at the local auction sale." "But you'll lose more money than ever," 1 said in a shocked tone. "You'll go broke in no time." "See," he said. smiling at last. seeing I'd caught on, "1 told you I learned all about this efficiency them experts were talking about."