The Rural Voice, 1983-11, Page 16FARM NEWS
Some of the head table guest at the Huron Federation's Annual Meeting include, from left: Guest speaker Dr. Freeman McEwen, Dean of
O.A.C., Guelph; president Tony McQuail, first vice-president Jim McIntosh, director -at -large Brenda McIntosh and second vice-president
Doug Garniss. Fieldman Blaine Stephenson /at the mike) explains election procedures.
McEwen: how plants grow more important
than how to grow plants
"Less time must be spent on learn-
ing how to grow plants and more time
on how plants grow," says Dr.
Freeman McEwen, Dean of the On-
tario Agricultural College (O.A.C.)
Guelph, guest speaker at the Huron
Federation's annual meeting in Oc-
tober.
"The agricultural graduate stu-
dents have to know how to be farm-
ers, farm leaders and leaders in bank-
ing and agricultural systems. They
must also be better stewards of the
land," says McEwen .
He says O.A.C. is not fortifying to-
day's and yesterday's technology but
future technology. Modern tech-
nology is here and we must respond
to it and "students need basic insights
and knowledge in the very real world
of agriculture."
"You and I won't know agriculture
in 20 years," he says. "Nobody is
rushing to go back to the good old
days stooking grain...."
McEwen says we must adapt to
From left: Paul Klopp, R.R. 3, Zurich became second vice-president at the Huron Federation
Annual. Doug Garniss, R.R.4, Wingham stepped up to first vice-president and Tony McQuail,
R.R.I, Lucknow retained the presidential position.
PG. 14 THE RURAL VOICE, NOVEMBER 1983
ecological, economical, political and
social changes in agriculture.
"Most of you will die mil-
lionaires," he says. "In 1951, there
were 150,000 farmers with an average
capitalization of $17,000; in 1981,
there were 82,000 farmers with an
average capitalization of $380,000.
The economics of today says interest
rates can put you out of business."
Socially, McEwen says, there used
to be a city and a country. The coun-
try was characterized by a certain
type of people oriented toward their
school, church and community. This
has disappeared. "In southern On-
tario," says McEwen, "there is a
constant warring between the city and
the country and people in agriculture
must start thinking in terms outside
of agriculture."
Farmers, says McEwen, see the
need of farmland as No. 1. "If we
knew the needs of the city, maybe we
wouldn't think every piece of land
must be in agriculture.
"City folk don't care for bar-
nyards, sap beetles in their beer or
corn rootworm in their roses," he
says.
Times have changed politically and
things are different than when we
grew up, says McEwen. "In the past,
agriculture could swing the vote. Now
the primary agricultural sector is only
five per cent and agricultural and
food industries count for 15 to 20 per
cent. Now we don't swing anything.