The Rural Voice, 2003-09, Page 74BRUCE
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.
Despite problems there are blessings in farm life
It has been an interesting year so
far: SARS, West Nile, and BSE.
Farmers, due to our close attachment
to the earth and its animals have a
better immune system than the other
98 per cent of the population.
How DO we protect ourselves
from West Nile? After a shower, a
neighbour ran out to the garage to get
something and was bitten. She didn't
say where, or even what she was
wearing. She has suffered no ill
effects.
I recently asked a farm dealership
since we have to take 90 per cent of
whatever the "realistic" market gives
us, could we please pay 90 per cent
or less of what we either owe or need
to buy? Ha! Should be the same for
everyone! Right?
My big thing this year is the fact
that I have become "average". Not
Freedom 55 as other Canadians, but
the average age of a farmer. At the
present rate, when my daughter
reaches that average, I will be 96. I
hope tractors will be easier to get into
and of course cost Tess than 90 per
cent of what they are today.
I was not born into farming but
have been involved in agriculture for
45 years. How it has changed! My
first job was turning little round bales
with a stick. I had two metal honey
pails, one for water, the other as a
lunch bucket. Now we have large
bales and the money generated from
them (twine, trucking, plastic, etc.)
for the rest of society is unbelievable.
This spring 1 decided to insure my
hay. What a laugh. I was told that to
calculate the soil moisture, I needed
four feet of topsoil. In Kinloss
Township? Lucky if we have four
inches.
I talked to a chap who was reading
the nutrient management rules. He
said that if you had less than four (4)
inches of topsoil you couldn't spread
manure or own animals. That ends a
lot of farms. I wonder if the
bureaucrats who try to control us
have ever seen a farm or animals up
close.
70 THE RURAL VOICE
They tell me by 2008, we MUST
comply with the "rules". All the
"average" age farmers and older who
I have talked to say they plan to quit
before then. That should have some
interesting ramifications!
As a director with the BCFA, I
was asked to represent the federation
on the Bruce Resource Stewardship
to protect farmers' interests. Maybe
because I'm considered a "shit
disturber" - (Oops. I must be
politically correct) - a feces rectifier
- no, now I'm a nutrient mover!
Anyway, we give away money for
worthwhile environmental projects so
all Canadians have a better quality of
life. On one project, 98 per cent want
farmers to improve water quality for
ALL but we, the farmers, get to pay
50 per cent or more of the costs when
100 per cent drink water and breathe
air. The farming community is now
less than two per cent of the entire
population and 1 am getting less for
my calves today, than I got 15 years
ago. I wonder how many freedom
55ers are taking less. Maybe that is
why I'm a nutrient mover!
I hope others will keep stirring as
well.
A short story for those who may
be disillusioned:
One day a father of a very wealthy
family took his son on a trip to the
country with the express purpose of
showing his son how poor people can
be. They spent a couple of days and
nights on the farm of what would be
considered a very poor family. On
Bruce County Federation of Agriculture
62ND ANNUAL MEETING
AND BANQUET AND OFA
REGIONAL MEETING
Friday, October 24, 2003
Royal Canadian Legion, Kincardine
Social: 6:30 p.m. Dinner 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15/person
Guest Speaker: Gordon Hill
Note: 1. OFA Regional Directors, Delegates and
Altemates for OFA Convention, BCFA Presidents and
Township Directors will be elected at the meeting.
2. Changes to our Constitution and By -Laws will be
presented at the Annual Meeting.
their return from their trip, the father
asked his son. "How was the trip?"
"It was great Dad."
"Did you see how poor people can
be?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah," said the son.
"So what did you learn from the
trip?" asked the father.
The son answered, "I saw that we
have one dog and they had four. We
have a pool that reaches to the middle
of our garden and they have a creek
that has no end. We have imported
lanterns in our garden and they have
the stars at night. Our patio reaches to
the front yard and they have the
whole horizon. We have a small
piece of land to live on and they have
fields that go beyond our sight. We
have servants who serve us, but they
serve others. We buy our food, but
they grow theirs. We have walls
around our property to protect us;
they have friends to protect them."
From this response the boy's father
was speechless. His son then added,
"Thanks Dad, for showing me how
poor we are."0
- Submitted by Lloyd Graham
Kinloss Township Director
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS' MEETING
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2003
8:00 P.M.
Sprucedale Agromart
R.R. #2, Walkerton - 25th sideroad Brant (north
off of Bruce County #4 - east of Walkerton)
Members are welcome to attend
Bruce County Survey
The Bruce County Federation of
Agriculture is conducting a survey of our
OFA members regarding Bruce County
farming practices.
If you did not receive your survey in the
mail, please contact our office and a copy
will be sent to you. A reply is requested by
September 12 and can be either mailed,
faxed, or emailed to our office at 446 10th
Street, Hanover, N4N 1P9. Phone: 519-364-
3050 or 1-800-275-9551 if long distance.
Fax: 519-364-4119. Email: bruce@ofa.on.ca