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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-03-16, Page 43Farm Progress 14 -Page 27 Organic food: a soon to be force at the check out counter by Tony McQuail Joe Smillie warned organic producers and consumers, at the 13th Annual Organic Agriculture Conference at Guelph, that one . of the greatest threats to a business is success and rapid expansion.•. In 1993, organic retail sales reached $1.5 billion in its fifth consecutive year of double digit growth showing 11 per cent in 1993. "Organic food is becoming a force at the check out counter and the demand. for organic - produce; particularly for conversion to processed foods is likely to exceed supply in the short term," says Smillie. The problem is no longer how to grow organic crops. This • knowledge • is available and farmers are making the transition to organic crop production. The • challenge now is dealing with the marketplace and changing the rules of the marketplace. Smillie reminded his audience that the organic trade community, comprised of growers, wholesalers, processors, retailers and consumers, was dependent on several other communities. There are the com- munities of living organisms in a healthy. soil, the compost pile and the rumen. To be healthy these communities are diverse and work together. Similarly the organic trade community must look at win/win approaches from the growers through to the final consumer. Organic foods should • be synonymous with quality for the consumer, fair prices for the farmer and production methods based on the environmental vision of stewardship. Smillie noted that there were a number of excellent models of organic • enterprises including Community S upported/S hared Agriculture (CS(4As), farmer co- ops like, Ontario -Bio, seasonal and specialty markets like Joe Smillie Cookstown Greens, and Oak Manor Farms in its evolution from a farm into a trading and processing business. "There are many examples .which point out that the organic trade has marketing savvy ,and 'entrepreneurial talent. One common trait in these is the emphasis on food quality. We need to expand the focus on quality to include the principles of quality managernent," says Smillie. He went on to describe how quality management is a new ap- proach in business based on a holistic systems approach. 'He contrasted his experience watching U.S. and Japanese businesses operating in the marketplace. "I once had the opportunity of sitting in on a meeting between a U.S. trader and a consumer -retailer - manufacturer Japanese • consortium. When the trader 'proposed selecting a packer based on price, the Japanese delegation all carefully explained they wanted to increase the price to the best packer to insure his participation as part of the team and guarantee a consistent quality service. This win win approach is not based on charity, but sound economic planning." Smillie concluded saying, "In expanding the market for organic foods, our approach should not be based on'cutting prices to. the farmer and consumer, but on marketing our , environmental vision of stewardship, sustainability and planetary health. This is not idealistic philosophy, but good business. Companies like Ben & Jerry's are highly profitable by combining hard-nosed accounting and quality production with an emphasis on their . social, economic and ecological statements of mission." Grain millers had to prove themselves •from page 16 simply because it occupies too much valuable time. "Our local customers are served very well," she says, adding that they had to really provethemselves as viable before the retail stores would even consider stocking it. , What's different about the product itself is the fact that the oats are not steam cooked like other brands. Instead, the Mahons toast their whole grain • oats, giving them a distinctive nutty taste. Recipes are included in each box of • Hilton toasted oats shipped out, and the couple keeps any letter or comment they receive. They've received many. For order and product information, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Hilton Whole Grain Millers, RR 2 Staffa, Ont., NOK 1YO.' A .'safety . tip Loader Restraining Devices Handling large round bales with a loader tractor? Unrestrained bales could break loose and roll down loader arms, causing serious injury to the operator. A loader should be equipped with a spear or grapple that will handle the size of bales being produced on -your farm. Most important, the loader should have a restrawing device , ,hat u ill stop halt., from n111u1, haILkw.tr,1 from Ill ( uni ):tl•l.\ ,)k) irui+11 7600. -friterl:opt AUCTION `'`SALES I .i 7 AI for E Farm & Industrial Supply Ltd. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1994 & FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 1994 Friday, April 1st, 1994 at 10:00 a.m. Antique and .Collectors tractor Auction Sale. This auction will feature dyer 100 antique tractors, consignments will be per- mitted until -March 31st. The following list'iis only a 'partial list of some of the tractors consigned to this auc- tion -sale base /60 'steam engine, W.3ihs K bn steel, 1936 Hubert HK (factory cab), Caterpillar, /20 dozer. (1.928 model), Massey Hairis Pacemaker (on •steel), Mini 'Moline G1000 (propane). Mini Moline GSD dlesel), Corop E40 (gas). Cockshutt 1900 ,diesel), Allis D- 21, Hart -Parr 18.36, Hat Parr 12.24. Oliver 950, Fennell F-12. McCormick 10- 20,. International 650. (Rice model). •Case •500, Case bo (orchard), John Deere LI. (industrial), John Deere 15 27, Silver -King (narrow front) Over 40 2.cyl John Deeres Over 20 Interhationals' Parts. tractors' PLUS Olivers, Cockshtitts, Fordsons. Case, Massey Harris., MiniMoline Friday, April 8th, 1994 at 9:30 a.m. Regular Consignment.Auction Sale of farm and industrial equipment This auctipn will feature over 100 farm' tractors, 200 pieces of equipment and over 25 industrial items Some early • consignments are listed below. Consignments for this auction accepted until April 7th Lot #1 sellin • at 11:30 a.m. The following equipment is from K,.G.L: Farms of Fergus', all of which sells to the highest bidder, JH 1086 c/w cab, air, duals; IH 2250 loader (fits 1086); IH 915 4 wd combine, IH 810-15 Flex head; IH 810-15 ridged head; IH'810-10 e/w pickup; Case IH 8950 round. baler, IH 1190 9' mower conditioner; IH 5100. 21 run drill;. IH 45 18' cultivator; IH 710 x 6 furrow plow; New Idea rake;, JD 18' disc:. Rockpicker on wheels,. Allied -51 x' 7 auger; 9'.double auger snowblower; 300 bushel gravity box and wagon, combine header and wagon. - Lot #2 selling at 12:00 noon The following lot is from a farmer in' the' London area John Deere 3130 c;w 148 loader (new style) sharp; New Holland • 1003 bale wagon (like new): Dion windrow • invertor (like new). Lot #3 selling at 12:00 noon the fdllowing equipment is consigned from John Minnema of. Caradoc Township (who has quit farming) • White 2-105, c/w cab, air, 18 4 x 38 3300 hours; White 4 x 16" roll-over plow; •Landell S shank soil saver c,w 18" sweeps; George White 500 gallon tandem sprayer c,'w 42' boom -and dickie john monitors with radar; McKee 8 ft double auger snowblower' Lundell 12' stalk. chopper; Nobel 4.row wide row crop cultivator; NH a25 forage. blower Liauid •manure handling ectuipment: 16. foot, 3 pt. custom built propeller agitator; Wright•Rain Irrigation pump; • Wright -Rain P150 gun and cart2500 ft of 4" aluminum pipe with carrying wagon; Moulton soft hose irrigation unit c/w 660 ft• of 3" hose, compressor, winch., and 8 hp B&S •'hydraulic power unit (Note this is a complete liquid manure handling system and is in'excellent condition) Other tractors: 'Partial Listing Only"; Ford TW -5 4 w.d (1989); new, John Deere 5400 4 wd;. Ford TW; '25 2 wd C'/A; Case IH- 885 4 wd C/A; John Deere 4640 CA Case 1490 4 wd C/A; IH 1066 (sharp); Case IH 885 2 wd (1300 hours), Ford 3000 (power Steering); Case 580K• 4 wd tl b ; IH 2500A t.l.b ; Case 580C t.l. 9 Hwy. 6, 3 km. south 4 of .Hwy. 401, North of Hamilton Farm & Industrial Supply Ltd. PUSLINCH Fax (519) 837-0307 (519) 837-0710 1994 AUCTION DATES February 11th, 1994 Consignment Auction April 1st, 1994 Antique and Collectible tractors April 8th, 1994 Consignment Auction June 10th, 1994 Consignment Auction August 12th, 1994 Consignment Auction October 14th, 1994 Consignment Auction December 9th, 1994 Consignment Auction SEAT CUSHIONS We 'Ww,aller 00 ?neap0l1 sive, well. bull? doe of 11. lo: seals :usnluns we nave ou'lllues available 101 almost every make One %%Wdel 01 Ilac tui Mere 10 Mt _an snip IPS anywh&o n the p,uvince Su d vuu ill Yee 11 beelq uncumlertable and wet while dt?your 0e: .t1,10101 fve us o 0010 . WE SELL AT WHOLESALE PRICES, ALWAYS, WHERE THE DEALS ARE ALWAYS BETTER! London -411--- To r; nto ----in. gm's . 11111011; • . N ,I,;.I• I 1 •