The Rural Voice, 2006-04, Page 64ATTENTION
FARMERS!
IMPORTANT
GREY
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
Email: grey@ofa.on.ca Website www ofa.on ca/grey 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
• The Rural Voice is provided to OFA
Members in Grey County by the GCFA
OFA president visits Grey County
On March 13, Ron Bonnet,
President of the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture (OFA), visited Grey
County. He arrived at my home
shortly before 9:00 a.m. just in time
to spend an hour on the phone with
the Bryan Allen talk show on CKNX
Radio, Wingham.
By the time he had finished with
the talk show, local farmers were
arriving for a kitchen meeting that
lasted from 10:00 a.m. until noon. At
that meeting the farmers generally
expressed frustration with the lack of
adequate income and the attempts by
our Federal and Provincial
Governments to help with payments.
The one bright spot was a report that
sheep and lamb prices were the best
they've been for several years.
Everyone agreed that we need
some sort of long-term income
stability plan (a sort of income
insurance) that will give agriculture a
future. Concerns were also expressed
about the average ape of the farm
population. The future looks bleak if
we can't attract more young people to
the business. The meeting ended
about 11:50 a.m. so Ron could be on
the Christine Curtis show on CFOS
radio just after noon.
In the afternoon Ron, along with
Harry Brander (Grey County
Federation of Agriculture's liaison
from OFA) and Gertie Blake, OFA
GREY COUNTY FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS'
MEETING
Thursday, April 27, 2006
8:00 p.m.
Grey County Agricultural
Services Centre meeting room
(Grey Gables)
206 Toronto Street South,
Markdale
Members are welcome to attend
60 THE RURAL VOICE
Field Representative for Grey and
Bruce Counties, travelled to Grey
Agricultural Services in Markdale for
a meeting with Grey County
commodity leaders and a short
private meeting with the Apple
Growers to discuss taxation issues.
Next came supper with the Grey
County Federation Directors and Bob
Pringle, Grey County Warden. The
final meeting of the day was an open
meeting at Grey Ag Services at 7:30
p.m. Many of the same topics were
covered again but a few new topics
surfaced.
Elk farmers have had a
particularly difficult time with
government regulations and
interference in their businesses. They
face a lack of abattoirs for processing
meat, strict CFIA regulations and
lack of inter -provincial movement of
animals to name a few of their
problems.
The day concluded about 9:00
p.m. when Ron travelled to Toronto
to fly to Ottawa the next morning to
meet with Federal Agriculture
Minister Chuck Strahl to discuss
Canada's World Trade Organization
position.
We of the Grey Federation were
pleased and honoured to have Ron
Bonnett come to the County and
listen to our concerns. Ron has a
very hectic schedule and we would
like to thank him for coming to Grey
County.0
— Submitted by
Allen Hughes, President,
Grey County Federation of
Agriculture
GREY AND BRUCE FEDERATIONS OF AGRICULTURE
Tommy Cooper Award Meeting
Friday, April 7, 2006
Elmwood Community Centre (Downstairs)
Social: 6:30 p.m. Entertainment
Dinner: 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: 517.50/person
Tickets available from the Federation Office or Township Directors
MEETING!
Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Beaver Valley Community Centre - 7:00 p.m.
Presentations by:
W.S.1.B. - Workmen's Compensation tor Farmers
M.T.O./O.P.P. — Provincial Constable Community Services and Media Relations
Grey County Farm Safety Association
Sponsored by:
Georgian Bay Fruit Growers and Blue Mountain Federation of Agriculture
(Collingwood)
Contact: Jacquie Hendry 705-445-5418 or fourxh@ sympatico.ca