The Rural Voice, 2003-03, Page 58BRUCE
Email: bruce@ofa.on.ca
website: www.ofa.on.ca/bruce
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
The Rural Voice is provided to Bruce
County Farmers by the BCFA.
How will Kyoto Accord affect farmers?
The Kyoto Accord that Canada
signed at the UN has a lot of people
wondering exactly what we are in for.
Information is conflicting and hard to
understand. Since the Industrial
Revolution started over 100 years ago,
humans have been adding more carbon
dioxide to the atmosphere than is being
removed by plant photosynthesis.
This thickening of the atmosphere is
gradually causing a change in the
climate. Most of us remember the harsh
winters of our childhood. In the last
few years there have been summer
droughts. Nothing seems to measure up
as normal to what we remember in the
past. Scientists the world over are
coming to similar conclusions.
The Kyoto Accord sets out
guidelines for the reduction of carbon
dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Most of this excess carbon dioxide
comes from the industrialized
countries, with the United States as the
biggest contributor. It is not surprising
that U.S. President, George Bush wants
more studies done before he will
commit to any reduction. "U.S.
workers will be hurt by this", he says.
What he doesn't say is that the U.S.
will have to change the way it does
BRUCE AND GREY FEDERATIONS OF
AGRICULTURE
TOMMY COOPER IWIIRD
Friday, April 4, 2003
Elmwood Community Centre
Social: 6:30 p.m. / Dinner: 7:00 p.m.
AESI BRUCE PROJECT
FUNDING EXTENDED
Applications are now available tor grants to
farmers in the following watersheds: Deer
Creek, Pearl Creek in Brockton, Teeswater
River and tributaries, Greenock Creek,
Formosa Creek, Allen Creek, Kinlough
Creek as well as Otter Creek in South
Bruce. Activities identified in your
completed EFP are eligible for up to $5,000
per farm operator such as fencing,
alternative water systems, waterway
crossings, buffer areas and water diversion
projects will all be considered. For full
program details contact. Kathy Velocci,
AESI Bruce Project Co-ordinator at 353-
4471 or email gnkfarm@bmts.com
54 THE RURAL VOICE
business.
Well how is this going to affect us?
Many of the things we take for granted
will come under scrutiny. The fossil
fuels we use in our cars and to heat our
homes, and the chemical process used
to produce our many consumer luxuries
all add to the problem. Okay that's fine,
but we are farmers, how will it affect
us?
Farmers grow crops that consume
carbon dioxide and our land has bush
lots which also helps. In the future our
fragile and less productive land may be
most profitably planted in trees. One
proposal put forward is that industries
that produce excess carbon dioxide will
have to buy credits from the agriculture
sector.
One concern I have is that modern
agriculture is a large consumer of
energy. Fuel, fertilizer and many other
inputs take a lot of energy. In the final
analysis this will be deducted from the
agricultural contribution.
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS' MEETING
MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2003 - 8:00 p.m.
Boardroom - Sprucedale Agromart
R.R #2, Walkerton
25th slderoad Brant (north off of former
#4 - east of Walkerton)
MEMBER ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND
Another concern is that Canada, by
signing the Kyoto Accord, agreed to
financially help less fortunate countries
implement this Agreement. In an age
when we can't afford health care and
education should we be helping other
countries implement the Kyoto
Accord? I don't think so.
Well it took us 150 years to get into
this mess, I wonder how long it will
take us to get out of it.0
- Submitted by Jim Farrell
Huron Township Director
NOTICE
OFA President, Ron Bonnett
will be touring Bruce County March 6 & 7
(postponed from February 14)
Contact the office for more information
EFP COURSES
Environmental Farm Plan Course
1 1/2 daytime courses available
March 17/24 - Lions Head area
March 19/26 - Cargill
March 21/28 - Arkwright - near Tara
March 31/April 7
Sprucedale Agromart, Walkerton
Day One begins at
10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. bring a lunch
Day Two — from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
CaII to register 367-5930
or email: dietrich@bmts.com
NOMINATION FOR THE
BCFA AWARD OF MERIT
"For Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture"
Each year the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture presents an Award to a person in Bruce County
who has made a significant contribution to the agriculture industry. If you have someone you would like
to nominate, please complete this form and retum to our office in Hanover. Nominations should be
received at our office by March 21, 2003. The Award will be presented at our Tommy Cooper Award
meeting on Friday, April 4 in Elmwood.
I nominate:
Reasons for nomination:
Signature:
Please return to:
Bruce County Federation of Agriculture, 446 10th Street, Hanover, ON N4N 1 P9
Fax: 519-364-4119 E-mail: bruce@ofa.on.ca
Or you may give your nomination to any Township Director