The Rural Voice, 1983-03, Page 7lity of placing cattle on feed under
various cost -input alternatives), Hog
Finishing Profitability Calculator, Farm -
Scene, Broadwater Farm Services Ltd.,
Manitoba Statistics Bureau.
Oilseeds/Special Crops
Canola Council of Canada, Manitoba
Seed Growers Directory, SeCan Asso-
ciation, Manitoba Crop Insurance Cor-
poration, Special Crop Contracting
Agents, Northern Sales, United Grain
Grower, ConCom Communications.
Newsletters
Farm Market Network (weekly), Farm
Market Network (daily), CanAm Com-
modities Corporation, Manitoba Food
Market Review, Broadwater Farm Ser-
vices Ltd., FarmScene, ConCom Com-
munications, Manitoba Department of
Agriculture, Animal Industry Branch,
Canola Council of Canada, Lethbridge
Research Station, Country Billboard.
News
Broadcast News (Canadian Press wire
service. News, weather and sports con-
tinuously updated), Westex News (news
with an agricultural slant).
Finance
Broadcast News, Chicago Mercantile
Exchange, Royal Bank, Bank of Mon-
treal (i.e. updated interest rates, infor-
mation about farm business programs,
loans, insurance, farm records, mort-
gages, and the like), Land Purchase vs.
Land Rental (calculator assessing fi-
nancial attractiveness of each), The
Co-operators (insurance), North West
Trust, Manitoba Crop Insurance Cor-
poration, Western Grain Stabilization
Program.
Government
Manitoba Farm Machinery Board,
Manitoba Statistics Bureau, Statistics
Canada, Statistics Canada Crop and
Livestock Survey, Municipal Affairs,
Manitoba Department of Agriculture.
Herbicides/ Pesticides
Sprayer Calibrator, Sprayer Cost Cal-
culator, Manitoba Department of Agri-
culture (info on safe use of chemicals),
St. John Ambulance (first aid tech-
niques), Hoeschst, Chemagro, Monsan-
to, Northern Sales.
Equipment
E. Bain Jackson and Sons (listings
and prices of new and used equipment).
If you made it through the above list
you can see that in some instances the
information Grassroots videotex pro-
vides, goes beyond that likely to be
found in conventional media. It goes
even further by providing farm man-
agement computer programs, as already
mentioned, and others, such as: Feed-
lot Profitability Analyzer, Royal Bank:
Mortgage Calculator and Wheat Com-
parative Analyzer.
The exciting new technology is only
in its infancy. But time travels fast
these days. It's only a question of
when, and how exactly it will evolve.
Remember, the first computer arrived
on the scene less than half a century
ago, and look what they've done to
those awkward large contraptions to-
day. It boggles the mind. So get set for
some more heavy-duty boggling.
On the other hand, consider the
problems the computer brought in its
wake which we as a society didn't
anticipate. Videotex could mean similar
problems. One of the authors of the
federal report on the new technology
estimates 20 per cent of Canadian
homes could have videotex facilities in
place by 1990. The report warns video-
tex could mean further concentration of
retailing, more unemployment due to
worker displacement, the potential in-
vasion of privacy, profound changes in
shopping habits, and a greater isolation
of people from each other, among other
things. It will become very easy to rely
upon a machine such as this.
Perhaps the trick will be to use this
new technology, and not let it use us.
Only some things are certain. The
times they are a changing. And Cana-
dian technology and western farmers
were there first. At the Grassroots.
Sign on some hard- working help
for your spread. The ATC2(10E (we also
call it Big Red). It'll dig into heavy
chores and weekend tun with help from
its gutsy, reliable four- stroke engine.
There's an electric start for easy starting.
And front and rear carriers, plus a
trailer hitch tor easy hauling. So if you're
looking tor some help for the back
torn come in and
hire yourself a I Check
reliable hired hand. our prices
HONDAATC 200E
Ride the Rough Country
LYNN HOY ENTERPRISES LTD.
519-357-3435
On north side of Highway 86 just East of Wingham
THE RURAL VOICE, MARCH 1983 PG. 7