The Rural Voice, 2003-12, Page 74BRUCE
Email: bruce@ofa.on.ca 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
website: www.ofa.on.ca/bruce
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
CountyFederation o Agriculture NEWSLETTER 'The Rural Voice bis provided .
f (�-� OFA members by the BCFA.
AESI Bruce Water Quality Project report
Early this spring 1 took on duties
as project coordinator for the Bruce
Water Quality Project initiated by the
Bruce Federation of Agriculture. The
main focus of this program was to
provide financial assistance to
farmers in designated watersheds to
implement Best Management
Practices (BMPs) identified in their
Environmental Farm Plan, that would
reduce pathogen entry to area
waterways.
We promoted the program through
mail outs, radio interviews,
presentations to commodity groups,
and flyers in mailboxes. Our
application process involved
completing an application form
describing the proposed work along
with a work -plan budget. Because
our initiative accepted farmer -
supplied labour as an eligible cost,
we offered a practical and financial
solution to a number of needed
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS' MEETING
MONDAY, DECEMBER 15
8:00 P.M.
Sprucedale Agromart
25th sideroad Brant (north off of
former Hwy.#4 - east of Walkerton)
MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND
.AAI►
A1►
AAA
ASM
The Bruce
County Federation
of Agriculture would
like to wish all
members and their
families a very
Merry Christmas
and a Healthy,
Prosperous and
Happy New Year!
♦ M
70 THE RURAL VOICE
projects. Each project passed a
review committee, and the farmer
was notified of his successful
application for funding from AES1.
As I met with farmers at their
farms. pastures and barns 1 learned a
few things along the way. 1 learned
that our Bruce County farmers are a
varied lot. Our farmers are a man or
woman wearing a lot of different
hats. planner, worker, hunter.
conservationist, nature lover,
historian, pragmatist, inventor, office
worker. employer, neighbour, but
above all they are concerned citizens
in our rural municipalities.
Bruce County farmers know a lot
about insects, hail, rain, snow, floods,
interest rates, welding, fencing,
animals and economics. Our farmers
see the environment every day. in
every season for their entire lifetime.
Our farmers are the folks who .know
how to raise food in such quantity
and of such high quality that
consumers benefit by paying a
fraction of the cost of what most
other people in the world pay to eat.
1 can confirm that each and every
farmer who partnered with the AESI
Bruce Water Quality Project, has
made a difference or, their farm. to
protect and preserve the water quality
that we all use on a daily basis.
Congratulations and thanks are
extended to our farmers, Bruce
County OFA and Agriculture and
Agri -Food Canada through the
Agriculture Adaptation Council.0
— Submitted by Kathy Velocci
AESI Bruce Water Quality, Project
Co-ordinator, 353-4471
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
Who We are and What We Do
Mission Statement:
The Bruce County Federation of Agriculture works for the economic and
social well being of the agricultural community, through leadership, advocacy
and co-operation.
Membership:
Members of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture in the County make up the
membership of BCFA. A portion of each OFA membership fee, $25, funds
BCFA.
Board of Directors:
The Board is made up of'directors elected at the annual meeting to represent
each former township, on a basis of membership numbers, as well as
Commodity and other farm organization representatives. The President and
Vice Presidents are elected at the annual meeting, as are the regional OFA
provincial directors, who also sit on the BCFA executive committee.
The Bruce County Federation of Agriculture board holds regular monthly
meetings, annual meeting/banquet events, and from time to time hosts public
information meetings. The board makes every effort to participate at hearings
and public consultations relevant to agriculture, as well as naming
representatives to ag-related organizations in the community. Additionally, the
board includes commodity representatives among their directors, and supports
the efforts of other agricultural organizations in the community.
All of this structure and outreach creates many opportunities for the local
board to represent the interests of farmers, especially OFA members.
— more to come in future issues —