The Rural Voice, 1986-06, Page 92NEWSLETTER — Grey County Federation of Agriculture
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
Highlights from OFA Meeting
OFA's monthly meeting was
held April 18 in Toronto, with the
main topic of discussion being
Foodland Preservation. OFA has
responded to this policy statement
agreeing with some parts and
rejecting some portions with sug-
gested changes for changes to the
legislation.
On a motion from Peel County,
The Dreamstreet project got a
good discussion and was rejected
by the majority of directors in at-
tendance.
The Right to Farm issue was
discussed at the April meeting in
Grey County on April 23, and will
be on the agenda for our May
meeting as well, after each Grey
County Director has had a good
look at it.
Just a reminder to our Grey
County members that the County
Federation has a breathing ap-
paratus available for use to
members, through the courtesy of
Normanby Twp. Federation. If
you are the least doubtful of safety
of entering your silo or manure pit,
because of dangerous gases, this
unit is available. Just call the
Markdale Fire Dept., located in
Markdale.
The Board of Directors for the
Grey County Federation of Agri-
culture meets the 4th Wed. of each
month at 8:00 p.m. at the OMAF
boardroom in Markdale. Members
are welcome to any meeting.
Members of the Grey Federation
Board of Directors extend con-
gratulations to James McKinlay on
519-364-3050
winning the Tommy Cooper
Award this year. James' contribu-
tion to Agriculture in our area is
admirable, and we certainly hope
he continues. Congratulations
James.
We have a display available for
use by our township federations if
they are interested at any time. It
may be borrowed by calling our
Hanover office. This display is
easily portable, and would be
useful for any special event pro-
moting agriculture.
Following is a portion from the
Grey County Brief to our Members
of Parliament, expressing our con-
cerns as farmers. The Brief was
well done and we would appreciate
any input you may have.
Arnold Oliver
A portion of the brief to MPs and MPPs
Call it the cost price squeeze, a
cash flow problem or lack of ade-
quate price for product — the
basic agricultural problem is inade-
quate financial returns. It was hard
to believe that the situation could
get worse, but it has and all indica-
tions are that it will continue to
deteriorate in the near future. Mar-
shall McLuhan coined the phrase
"global village" to illustrate how
events a world away can affect
each of us individually. Today we
farmers are learning first hand ex-
actly what it means to live and
work in the global village.
In an isolated situation when our
competitors buy and sell in the
same market, costs of production
and prices received tend to be the
same for everyone and the efficient
producer will usually succeed. In
our 1986 Canadian society, we as
farmers, are expected to buy the
things we need at the retail price
level in the Canadian market, close
to if not the highest prices in the
world. At the same time, we are ex-
pected to sell the food we produce
at a price determined in the world
market. The combination spells
disaster and financial ruin for our
industry.
On a one to one basis, Ontario
farmers can compete successfully
with any food producer in the
world under the same economic
conditions but to compete with the
treasuries of the EEC or the U.S.
or producers who have access to
fuel and other inputs at world
prices is impossible.
In the past year both the federal
and provincial governments have
made the bad situation worse.
John Wise recently ignored the ad-
vice of his personally appointed
advisors and denied Canadian
farmers the opportunity to use the
herbicide, Lasso, on corn and soy-
beans. Those same farmers will be
buried in Lasso treated corn and
soybeans from the U.S.
Our provincial Liberal govern-
ment has increased our cost of pro-
duction by passing the "Spills
Bill" and as a result requiring
every thinking farmer to buy addi-
tional spills insurance.
These are just two examples of
relatively small items that add to
the total cost of farming at a time
Farm Development Corporation
While the Grey County Federa-
tion of Agriculture has for some
time supported the idea of an AR -
DA type program to purchase and
hold farm land from financially
distressed farmers, we cannot fully
support the recently announced
Farm Development Corporation.
Our major concerns are related
to the programs' apparent aim to
offer as much or more assistance
to banks and other farm creditors
as it does to individual farmers.
Grey County
Federation of Agriculture
OFMA DEPOT
GREY COUNTY
John Benedictus
R.R. 1, Dundalk
519-923-2728
REGIONAL DIRECTORS: North Grey, Arnold Oliver, R.R. 2, Holland Centre, 794-3744; East Grey, Clay
Schwegler. R.R. 1, Flesherton, 924-2770; South Grey, Gertie Blake, R.R. 1, Ayton, 665-7558. Meetings are
held 4th Wednesday of each month at the OMAF office boardroom in Markdale.
JUNE 1986 91