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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1993-03-17, Page 74Page 1.8A -Farm Progress '93 Carol Rock was acharter member of Oario • Farm Women's Network . by Michele Greene "A lot of get the training required to farmers Many training initiatives don'tout to them. meet the needs of rural people. After the Ontario government Since 1976, Carol Rock has been policies are announced its community economic working to change that. initiatives, Rock and other Perth The mother of four grown implemented County women formed the children, she operates a dairy farm Women's Rural Economic Develop - at RR 2 Monkton with her husband that don't meet ment Committee last May. It wants Ken and one son Rob. Like most to influence policies to ensure they farm women, she kept the financial the needs of include rural needs. records for the family farm. The committee's first project is a farmers and provincial conference on starting small business in rural areas. About farm women." 200 women are expected to partici- pate. "I think women were community developers before there was such a thing,' said Rock. Her interest in training and econ- omic development in rural Ontario led her to a job with the Perth County Training Committee where she works to ensure the county benefits from training initiatives. "I love my job° Sometimes I have trouble leaving the office at night," she said. Rock represents a common phe- nomenon in Canadian farming today. Often some of the farm couples work off the farm. "Many farmers think it shouldn't be necessary. The fact' is, it is necessary," she. said. In this role, she• found she wasn't benefitting from • the training sem- inars that mostly men attend. Childcare, distance and time were all barriers that kept women from attending the programs. • In 1976, she became a chartered member of the Ontario Farm Women's Network to help get this information out to farm women. • She began working with the Canadian Farm Women Education Council (CFWN) making farmers aware of training available to them. Also, the council establishes train - 14111 ing accessible to farmers. "A lot of policiesare imple- mented that don't meet the needs of farmers and farm women," she said. For example, training is available through unemployment insurance. However, farmers aren't eligible to apply° for U.T. benefits. Rock wanted to. work with the CFWN to Carol Rock • ORTERS SEPTIC TANK SERVICE RR#1 LUCKNOW, ONT. • From 400 Gallon - 7000 Gallon For More Information regarding these products or our dealer in your area please Phone. 28-3537 MANUFACTURERS OF QUALITY PLASTIC DRAIN TILE * Plastic Drain Tile and Fittings 2" 24" * Drop Inlets * P V C. Sewer Pipe and Fittings * Corrugated Metal Pipes and * Catch Basins' and Sump Well Liners Outlet Pipes with Rodent Grates Sump NOW -SERVING -YOU -FROM -FOUR LOCATIONS ARVA (519) 473-2669 BLENHEIM (519) 676-2814 CLINTON (519) 482-3005 and now ST. THOMAS (519) 633-9380 or 1-800-265-7098 THERE ARE OTHERS, BUT OURS IS IDEAL