The Rural Voice, 2001-07, Page 38management planning. Huron County
has submitted a proposal under the
Healthy Futures program which
%kould see a pool of money given to
the county to distribute to farmers
who submitted plans for
environmental approvals, but nothing
has been heard about whether it will
he approved or not. This was based
on the idea of farmers making
voluntary improvements. he said. and
if new regulations force farmers to
make changes. this may be even
more costly for farmers.
"Will the government be prepared
to assistT Caldwell wondered.
There's also the question of who
should get more support, isting
operators trying to upgrade -Meet
tougher standards or new appttcu.rts.
Caldwell said.
A committee of the legislature is
expected to hold hearings on the bill
over the summer.°
Roger George heads
group looking at
agriculture's future
People involved or interested in the
agricultural industry can have their
say in making new policies in a
number of consultations of the
Agricultural Odyssey Group (AOG)
over the summer.
The AOG is a coalition of
Ontario's major farm organizations
andcommodity groups. The AOG
has a single task: to examine issues
that may impact the agricultural
sector over the next five to 10 years.
The group will present policy options
and recommendations to the farm
groups and public policy makers in a
report due out in the summer of
2002.
The AOG is consulting with stake
holders in the agri-food sector, as
well as with academia and policy
makers as they seek ways to ensure
that Ontario farmers can build on
their natural advantages and remain
viable and competitive in light of
known and anticipated challenges.
Farmers will be faced with these
challenges in the twenty-first century.
The public consultations will be an
important part of the Odyssey
34 THE RURAL VOICE
News
Middlesex gears up for 2002 IPM
Site of
gural
International Plowing Match
& Farm Machinery Show
Under cloudy weather the committee hosting Middlesex County's 2002
International Plowing Match unveiled the official sign on the 1100 -site on
the McDonald family's Sunnydon Farms, near Glencoe, where the match
will be held. The Middlesex match, headed by committee chair Peter
Twynstra will call itself Rural Expo 2002.
Group's search to identify issues and
suggest strategy ensuring a strong
and profitable future in the
agricultural sector.
Meetings have been scheduled
around the province and local
meetings take place over the first two
weeks in July. Guelph will host a
meeting at the OMAFRA office on
July 11 between 9:00 a.m. to1:00
p.m.
The group is due in Wingham at
the Legion Hall on July 16 from 9:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and at Mount
Brydges on the the same day between
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Caradoc
Community Centre in the Hartford
Room.
This consultation phase is to ensure
that the direction Odyssey is taking is
the same as the mood of the farming
community. The exchange of ideas
will lead to greater debate among
farmers about trends impacting all
farming operations, large and small.
Odyssey says change is inevitable,
and it is often exciting and scary, but
it is not new to agriculture. Farmers
owe it to themselves and their
children to be prepared and meet the
future rather than be swept away by
irrevocable forces, the group says.
The group hopes to discuss many
difficult and controversial topics that
AOG is debating that are not easily
dealt with in the melting pot of farm
organizations and commodity groups.
The best role for Canadian
agriculture is to be a recognized
leader in innovation and adaptation,
to adapt to consumer trends, the
group says. The Odyssey group is
urging farmers to take the bold steps
on many fronts and show the world
that there is more to a successful
agri-food sector than being a low cost
and low margin producer.°