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22 THE RURAL VOICE
Waterloo said he had seen the (agri-
culture) industry pull together in the
last 10 years to respond to their con-
cerns and those of the public with
regards to the management of nutri-
ents on the farm.
Verkley agreed that the
Walkerton incident will great-
ly increase the awareness
farmers have for the potentially lethal
substances with which they deal.
"We have to put the farm commu-
nity in a position that is defensible
and show that we are proactive."
While farmers have been manag-
ing nutrients for 150 years to main-
tain the productivity of the land,
management is only now becoming
formalized. said Bob Bedggood of
the Christian Farmers Federation.
. When questioned on the safe-
guards in place to protect against
contamination of water source,
Professor Carlton Gyles of the
University of Guelph said he believes
the farm community is doing every-
thing they can. "Reasonable step's are
in place to minimize impact."
Speakers at the briefing noted
continued and increased support from
government, by assisting in the moni-
toring and implementation of water
quality programs, was required.
Healthy Futures is a provincial
program to deal with municipal and
agricultural water quality and quanti-
ty matters. Several experts have been
on a fact-finding mission across the
province. Results of the consultations
are expected within a few weeks.
The Huron County Situation
While many groups and organiza-
tions are sorting through the issues,
there are initiatives which are helping
the livestock industry to improve
management skills as well as to edu-
cate both themselves and the public.
A frontrunner in developing nutri-
ent management plans, Huron
County considered the environmen-
tal, economic, social and political
impact of maintaining a healthy envi-
ronment. With respect to livestock
operations, this has largely dealt with
water quality.
This spring, consultation meetings
on intensive livestock operations
were held by a provincial legislature
committee involving several interest
groups and researchers.
Wayne Caldwell, senior planner
for the County of Huron and associ-
ate professor at the University of
Guelph prepared,a report as a result
of the OMAFRA consultations.
In the Huron context, the report
noted unique concerns with respect to
water quality preservation due to the
proximity to Lake Huron and the
tourist industry.
A federal government study
found Huron County to have experi-
enced the most manure spills in
Ontario, between 1988 and 1996, a
statistic unacceptable to all residents.
The county, including most towns
and villages, relies almost solely on
ground water for consumption and
past studies have found high levels of
various contaminants. Spurred by
these factors, Huron County farmers
lead all others in participation and
completion of environmental farm
plans. In an effort to protect ground
water, many municipalities have
passed bylaws with regards to nutri-
ent management plans for large or
expanding intensive operations.
Several policies and actions were
outlined for protection of the
resource including studies which
would consider all aspects of water
use for all sectors.
Advisory groups will look at the
development of options with which
to deal with manure management and
monitor the environment.
Support will be given to agricul-
tural practices and developments
which sustain productive land and
environmental health.
Recommendations were suggested
pertaining to the enforcement of
nutrient management plans as well as
the differing issues related to small
and large operations. The report
sought provincial support for land
stewardship programs.
Because of concerns for water
quality retention, the report indicates
the community as a whole supports
changes to farm practices. These
would allow flexibility for farmers to
pursue alternative agricultural meth-
ods, establish equitable standards for
the development of Targe and inten-
sive operations, encourage on-farm
businesses compatible to neighbour-
ing uses and provide monitoring for
future revisions.
Though much of the responsibility
for assuring clean water may fall on
farm operators, the report also notes
it is the responsibility of the entire
community to ensure a healthy
ecosystem which includes water, air,