The Rural Voice, 2004-04, Page 70R
PERTH PCFA Office - R.R., ry, ON 9-
Fax:#1519-229-6269St.Mas
Email:N4X perch@ofa.on.ca1C4Ph: Website:519-229-8866or1-866-82ofa.on.ca/pert8866h
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
• The Rural Voice is provided to OFA
Members in Perth County by the PCFA.
What Ontario farmers need from their governments
The OFA encourages every
Federation and every farmer to use
this list when talking to or writing to
their MPP/MP. If you have relatives
in urban areas. don't he shy about
sharing this list with them along with
a request that they contact their
MPP/MP and make the same
requests.
Federal —
• An urgent infusion of cash to
overcome the economic devastation
caused by 10 months of BSE impacts
with border restrictions on meat and
live animal sales and unprecedented
low domestic values for slaughter
animals.
• Income tax treatment to allow
producers to defer taxes on inventory
sales when they can't afford to
restock their feedlots before year-end
because of reduced borrowing
capacity as a result of BSE.
• A realistic approach to
enforcement by Department of
Environment officials in situations
where farm animals have historically
had access to streams and waterways
— initiate a more consultative
approach similar to that taken by the
Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Provincial —
• An immediate commitment to
funding necessary to assist farmers
comply with regulations contained in
the Nutrient Management Act.
Farmers need to know what level of
public support they can expect before
proceeding with plans to upgrade
facilities to compliance standards.
• Development of an acceptable
definition of agricultural operations
for assessment purposes. Farmers
with value-added facilities as part of
their operations are experiencing
unacceptably high property
I assessments when such things as on-
farm maple syrup evaporator
facilities and on-farm grain drying
facilities are assessed as industrial.
• A willingness by Ministry of
Natural Resources officials to meet
with Ontario Federation of
Agriculture representatives to
Congratulations to the Junior Farmers
The Listowel Junior Farmers are
the 2003 Recipients of the Junior
Farmers' Association of Ontario's
Top Agricultural Club of the Year
Award.
Listowel Junior Farmers are also
the recipients of the JFAO's
OVERALL CLUB OF THE YEAR
AWARD.
Listowel Junior Farmer member
Kim McCaw is going to Alberta
in July.
The Perth County Junior Farmers
were the recipients of the top
Newsletter Award.
Perth County Junior Farmers
scrapbook was runner-up in the
Scrapbook competition
London Farm Show Draw winners
from Perth County at the OFA Booth
were Burnell Kipfer, Tanya Terpstra,
Mary Johnston, John Voskamp.0
Promoting Perth agriculture to local consumers
The Perth County Federation of Agriculture co-ordinated a successful "Taste
of Perth" at the opening night of the Stratford Garden Festival on March 1 I.
The Perth Lung Association hosts the Festival each March, and this year
added an opening night program which saw close to 500 patrons view the
various garden displays and exhibitors. By adding a "Taste of Perth" to the
night, Perth County producer groups were able to promote their products to
local consumers. Six groups were represented — beef, lamb, pork, dairy,
chicken, and McCully Hill Farm with maple products and preserves.
Perth County Federation of Agriculture would like to thank those groups
who participated and the volunteers who served and answered questions about
their product.0
66 THE RURAL VOICE
develop the necessary guidelines to
reduce predator damage to crops,
livestock and facilities of farmers. A
more realistic level of compensation
for such damage is also required from
the Ministry of Natural Resources.
• Ontario farmers need a
commitment from Ontario's Energy
Ministry that energy rates for farm -
use electricity will be reduced to
more closely reflect the actual cost of
the energy supplied to farmers, both
for transmission and the energy used.
• Retail sales tax, as it is applied to
the purchase of farm -related goods,
needs revision. exempting at point of
purchase a list of items already
recognized in provinces where the
GST and PST have been harmonized.
• Ontario's land transfer tax
system requires amendments that
would exempt within -family
transactions, similar to sales to
corporations.0
PCFA President meets
with finance minister
PCFA President Tim Shute
represented the agricultural
community at a Provincial Round
Table discussion with Finance
Minister Greg Sorbara when he was
in Stratford on February 27.
Tim was one of 28 individuals
invited to the event, to discuss the
province's spending priorities. Perth
Federation prepared a brief to be
presented to the Minister, and for a
complete look at the brief, visit the
PCFA web page at
www.ofa.on.ca/perth
PERTH COUNTY FEDERATION
OF AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS' MEETING
April 22, 2004 - 8:00 p.m.
Tradition Mutual Insurance
Sebringville