The Rural Voice, 2002-07, Page 58BRUCE
Email:bruce@ota.on.ca 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
website::wwwwww.ota.on.ca/bruce
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
• The Rural Voice is provided to Bruce
County Farmers by the BCFA.
Government should support family farms
A recent article in the local
newspaper contained the following
headline "Vanclief Lashes Out
During United Nations World Food
Summit".
Federal Agriculture Minister Lyle
Vanclief said the $190 billion U.S.
Farm Bill will undermine
international efforts to reduce world
hunger. However, in a previous
article Minister Vanclief was
reported as saying the United States
and European support for their
farmers have caused overproduction
of subsidized products and driven
down world prices.
Common sense would have a
person to believe cheaper food inputs
should mean cheaper food on store
shelves which should be more
affordable to more of the general
public.
Therefore it appears Minister
Vanclief is contradicting himself at a
time when he should be working hard
to ensure Canadian farmers are
supported to level the playing field
for Canadian farmers.
One part of the U.S. subsidies that
is very disturbing is that in the past
years 90 per cent of the subsidy
dollars went to 10 per cent of the
farms. The new U.S. Farm Bill
recently signed by President Bush has
a limit of $390,000 on individual
payments. I am sure that the large
corporate U.S. farms will find
loopholes that will allow them to
collect much more.
BRUCE COUNTY
FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
PLEASE NOTE:
There will be NO Board of
Directors' meeting in July
Next meeting will be
Monday, August 26, 2002
54 THE RURAL VOICE
This allows multi -national
companies to continue to expand and
over produce. Take, for example
Smithfield, the world's largest pork
producer and packer. Last year
Smithfield bought significant beef
packing plants in the United States
and is currently trying to purchase the
profitable meat business from the
troubled 600,000 -member Farmland
co-operative in the United States.
Glengarry County had a resolution
presented for the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture June Board of
Directors' meeting asking OFA to
research and document the social,
economic, and human resources
contributions of the independent
family farm. The most accepted
concept of a family farm is an
independent farming unit that draws
most of the labour required from the
family, and in turn supplies the
income necessary to'support that
family. I believe that public support
is definitely for this type of farming.
This type of operation buys
locally, supports local events
including local government and
organizations including churches,
schools, hospitals, etc. thus
enhancing our rural infrastructure.
Most media articles on farm crisis
refers to saving the family farm.
I think it is time for our
government to change its mindset of
economy of scale and realize the
contributions of the independent
family farm.
The way that existing programs
currently work promotes over
production, mega barns, and growth
of large corporate farms.
All government assistance should
be used to support the independent
family farm with a definite cap on the
size of operation eligible for
support.°
— Submitted by Allan Smith
OFA Regional Director Bruce West
AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVE (AESI)
AESI funding is available to assist farmers with rural water quality
improvement initiatives in the County of Bruce.
AESI is an incentive program for farmers within the sub -watersheds of
Deer/Pearl Creek; Otter Creek in the Municipality of South Bruce; areas of the
Teesv:ater River and includes Alps Creek, Kinlough Creek, Formosa Creek, and
Greenock Creek. It allows them to undertake projects and adopt Best
Management Practices (BMPs). The program is designed to improve water
quality by implementing BMPs that reduce the potential for pathogen entry to
surface and groundwater.
Projects that can be considered for contribution by AESI include:
• Livestock Restriction to Watercourse
— 50 per cent fencing
— 50 per cent alternate water systems
— 50 per cent waterway crossings
• Filtration and Buffer areas
— 50 per cent planting/creating natural filtration particularly where manure
runoff is a problem. (Not restricted to livestock)
• Water Diversion
— 50 per cent BMPs to reduce runoff from manure storage, exercise yards,
leachate reduction from pit, bunk, tower silos. Divert rain water and snow
melt. Controls for potential fertilizer runoff
Maximum $3,000 grant per farm operator (only one operator per family is
eligible.)°