The Citizen, 1989-08-09, Page 13____ THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1989. PAGE 13.
Farm leaders shocked over Minister’s demise
BY LISA BOONSTOPPEL
Huron County leaders were
shocked when they heard that Jack
Riddell was dumped as agriculture
minister from the Ontario cabinet,
but the news was met with mixed
emotions.
“I was surprised and I wasn’t
pleased,” said Jack Flanagan,
president of the Huron Cattlemen’s
Association in Huron County, “I
thought he did an excellent job.”
Chris Palmer, president of the
Huron County Federation of Agri
culture said “I was really pleased
with him at first, but he kind of
petered out at the end.”
This is the attitude of many farm
leaders who were disapointed in
Mr. Riddell’s final months as the
Minister of Agriculture. He was
dropped from the cabinet last
week in a major reshuffling of
cabinet posts by Premier David
Peterson. Mr. Riddell had served
as Agricultural Minister since
1985.
“For the 10 years that Mr.
Riddell was farm critic, he knew
what the problems were and he
agreed with the OFA (Ontario
Federation of Agriculture), but as
soon as he became the Minister of
Agriculture, he had different opin
ions,” said Mr. Palmer.
“I noticed his attitude change
which was, in our minds, for the
worse,” he added. It was the
cancellation of the OFFIRR pro
gram (Ontario Farm Families Inter
est Rate Reduction) that altered
their opinion of Riddell’s effective
ness and commitment to agricul
ture. “It seemed like he just didn’t
give a damn,” said Mr. Palmer.
Last year, Mr. Riddell had told
the HCFA that OFFIR - a program
Riddell had implemented at the
beginning of his ministry - would
be terminated but that he would
replace it with a program that the
banks couldn’t abuse, explained
Mr. Palmer. “But, the program was
totally dropped and not replaced,
he didn’t even try to change the
program so that the banks couldn’t
abuse it.”
The Land Tax Rebate program is
another failing of Jack Riddell’s
said Mr. Palmer. “He’s not making
much of an effort to save it and
we’re going to lose this program
that we’ve had for 40 years.” The
program was designed to rebate
farmers on the portion of their
taxes that goes towards education.
For these problems, Mr. Palmer
doesn’t place all the blame on Mr.
Riddell. “Agriculture doesn’t have
the power it once had.” He added
that Robert Nixon, the Deputy
Premier, Treasurer and Minister of
Financial Institutions has been
putting pressure on various mini
sters to save money.
Yet another upset Mr. Riddell
created in the HCFA was his lack of
pressure towards the Check-off for
OFA. The Federation wanted a
check-off from all farmers towards
the OFA instead of memberships
because the OFA helps every
farmer, not just its members
explained Mr. Palmer. “We’ve
made suggestions on how to im
plement the program and they’ve
(the Ontario government) shut
them down.”
But Mr. Riddell’s term wasn’t
full of disappointments said Mr.
Flanagan who lists the Red Meat
Program, the Land Stewardship
Program and the Tri-partide Stabi
lization as Riddell’s successes.
Mr. Flanagan also supported
Mr. Riddell’s support of Stabiliza
tion for Farm Fed Grain “which is
something we really need but is a
federal responsibility,” Mr. Flana
gan said.
One of Riddell’s greatest accom
plishments was the Beef Vote said
Mr. Flanagan. “He had the cour
age to settle the beef marketing
issue (concerning alternate ways of
selling cattle) in a very democratic
way so that producers could work
together.”
“I guess I liked his whole
approach to agriculture. I consider
him a realist, he understands
farming and knows that he can’t
give everything to everybody,”
said Mr. Flanagan. “I can’t dis-
agree with anything he has done
because I always understood where
Jack Riddell
he was coming from, even if I
didn’t always agree with him.”
Cover crop reaps many benefits
BY KEITH REID
OMAF SOIL CONSERVATION
ADVISOR, BRUCE COUNTY
Many farmers have added cere
als to their crop rotations to help
reduce the erosion problems from
continuous row crops. After the
grain is harvested, however, the
ground is often left bare until next
spring. This is an ideal opportunity
to plant a cover or green manure
crop, and reap some of the many
benefits.
Maintaining a cover crop over
winter greatly reduces erosion by
wind and water. Most of you will
remember last winter when we had
more brown snowbanks than white.
A cover crop also increases soil
organic matter which will improve
soil structure and tilth, and in
crease the moisture-holding capa
city of the soil.
A vigorous cover crop will reduce
weed growth through competition
It seems that Mr. Riddell was
well-liked even if some of his
policies weren’t.
Peter VanDriel, president of the
Christian Farmers Federation of
Huron County said “I liked Jack,
he got along with a lot of people.”
Although Mr. VanDriel is disap
pointed in Mr. Riddell for doing
nothing towards the Christian
Farmers he said, “Mr. Riddell did
his best, there’s no way of proving
he could do a better job.”
Mr. Palmer said that he’d miss
having “the minister of agriculture
in our own backyard,” and that
overall, Mr. Riddell did a very good
job. “He was such a loud, boister
Farm.
for light and moisture. Legumes
can provide nitrogen for the subse
quent crop and non legumes will
capture residual nutrients which
would have otherwise leached into
the groundwater.
Several species are suitable for
cover crops, depending on your
individual situation. An ideal cover
crop will establish quickly in exist
ing soil conditions and produce
abundant top growth. It will not be
a host for diseases and pests of the
crop to follow and it will be easily
killed so it doesn’t become a weed
in subsequent crops. It should also
be relatively inexpensive and not
require extensive extra fertilizer.
Cover crops can be established
as easily as by discing a field to
encourage germination of volun
teer cereals or it could have been
planted last spring by broadcasting
red clover into wheat or barley.
Many cover crops, such as fall rye
ous person, he got his message
across.”
Huron County farmers will have
to get used to not having a native of
Huron County as their agriculture
minister since the position has
i been filled by David Ramsey, a
farmer from around New Liskeard
just north of North Bay. Mr.
Ramsey used to be a New Demo
cratic Party Member and NDP farm
critic in 1985 but became the
Minister of Correctional Affairs for
the Liberals in 1986.
Mr. Palmer said that farming in
Huron County and farming up
north are two different things. “I
hope Mr. Ramsey understands the
situation here.”
or oilseed radish, are planted into
crop residue in late summer or
early fall to allow top growth before
winter. Any system can work as
long as it is adapted to the
conditions on your farm.
Brussels
Livestock met
steady demand
The market at Brussels Livestock
Inc. met a steady demand on steers
and heifers. There were 215
slaughter cattle, and 465 pigs on
offer.
Good to choice steers sold from
$86 to $90.
Twelve steers consigned by
Bruce Bros, of RR 1, Belgrave,
averaging 1283 lbs., sold for an
average price of $86.08. Four
steers consigned by Ralph Dickson
of RR 5, Stratford, averaging 1268
lbs., sold for an average price of
$85.57. Six steers consigned by
Bob Rice of RR 2, Staffa, averaging
1283 lbs., sold for an average price
of $85.57.
Nine heifers consigned by Franz
Lachnit of RR 2, Staffa, averaging
1003 lbs., sold for an average price
of $86.09. Six heifers consigned by
Neil Rintoul of RR 2, Lucknow,
averaging 1088 lbs., sold for an
average price of $85.78.
DI and D2 cows sold from $54 to
$57 with sales to $60; D3 and D4
cows, $50 to $54; canners and
cutters, $45 to $50; bologna bulls,
under 1600 lbs., $57 to $66.25.
Weaner pigs under 40 lbs., sold
from $46.50 to $64.50 with an
average of $55.50; 41 - 50 lbs.,
$53.25 to $67.50 with an average of
$60; 51 - 60 lbs., $50 to $52 with an
average of $51; 61 - 70 lbs., $46.50
to $55.50 with an average price of
$52.50; 70 lbs. and over, $33.25 to
$56 with an average of $46.75.
Brussels Livestock Inc. will be
holding its first fall Stocker and
feeder sale on Sept. 12 at 1:30 p.m.
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