The Lucknow Sentinel, 1993-03-17, Page 24Page 8-Farm'ProgresS '93
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New blood needed to ensure the future of Junior Farmers
by Tim Cumming
An active group of Huron County
young people is taking a hard look
at its future in. the 1990's.
There is now only one Junior
Farmers club in Huron County and
that, is the Huron County Junior
Farmers. In December of last year
the last remaining individual clubs
folded and joined the county organ-
ization.
In the 1970's there were five
Junior Farmers clubs in Huron
County.
Junior Farmers is open to young
people aged 15 to 30, whether they
are farmers or not. But the roots of
the Junior Farmers organization are
in agriculture.
"We traced ow- history back to 75
years• ago," said Robert Hunking,
public relations officer for the
Huron County Junior Farmers. He
noted the provincial organization.
will celebrate its 50th anniversary
next year. "The Junior Farmers'
association of Ontario came into
effect in 1944."
It began as a forum for people" to
;take shoe courses in different
'aspects of agriculture but later grew
into a social club.
March is the main membership
drive for the Junior Farmers but
interested young people are always
welcome, according to Hunking,
who lives between Londesborough
and Auburn.
Last year Robert Hunking wrote
editorials. asking if the Junior
Farmers were going to survive in
Huron County. His hard-hitting
questions drew wide press cover-
age.
There are currently 44 members
of the Huron •County Junior
Farmers.,He 'said the challenge is to
find a new group of committed
young people.
"There are too many, other activ-
ities for them to get involved, with,
a lot of them are also working," he
explained.
A member of the Junior Farmers
can get as muchout of the organiz-
ation as he or she puts in, said
Hunking.
"We have no set program that we
have to do...it can be tailored to
meet the needs of the members," he
sal
Non-members are also welcome
to come out and take part in most
activities as well.
The Junior Farmers provide such
activities as a weekend retreat on
communications skills„ the Bark
Lake leadership canlp,
interprovincial and international
travel exchanges and community
betterment projects.
As well as a social organization
the Junior Fanners is a service club.
The Huron County club has organ-
-turn to page 9
Some Huron County Junior Farmers enjoy a laugh while
bowling in Goderich recently. (Tim Cumming photo)
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Farmers are
survivors
•from page 7
Despite grave conditions being
faced by those in the farming indus-
try, Jayne believes, "Farmers will
survive, they always have." She
hopes that by "keeping a positive
attitude that everything will work
out as farmers encounter the many
changes coming in the future. with.. .
GATT.and the economy."
"Agriculture must remain a viable
component of the province's econ-
omy. Women will definitely play a
larger role, i.e. more exposure on
boards and commissions, more
visibility at local organization
level." ,
Anyone interested in helping form
a local chapter of the Ontario Farm
Women's Network, or those . who
would like. further information on
OFWN is welcome to phone Jayne
at 529-3241. .
First trees cost
a penny each
'front page 6
$680 per acre. The trees take up 2.4 .
acres.
Once harvesting begins, Dixon
figures his tree farm will bring in .
$33;250 per year. (Not all trees will
be harvested at once. When a tree
is cut, it will be replanted.)
Dixon also admitted he likely will,
not see any monetary gain from his
project, but • said he's the
grandfather who planted trees for
coming generations. •
"You're not really growing
trees....you're growing your life."
. By the way, when he planted his
first walnut trees in '77, they cost
him a penny each.