The Rural Voice, 1990-04, Page 35THE LAND AND ITS FUTURE
Bill Murdoch: Grey County farmer
FARMING MAY NOT BE DEAD
in Grey County, says politician and
farmer Bill Murdoch, but it is dying,
and the county needs to broaden its
outlook and tax base.
An outspoken politician, Bill
Murdoch has become a champion of
Grey County farmers who are hostile
to interference from outside the county
and who see the controversy over sev-
erances as a threat to their property
rights. Elected a Sydenham Township
councillor twice, Murdoch has now
served as the township reeve for three
terms and was also Grey County war-
den. He sits on Grey County Council,
and he is a member of the two main
planning committees responsible for
approving severances in the county.
Murdoch and his wife Susan and
their two daughters operate a cow -calf
farm near Bognor. With a land base
of 160 acres and an additional 440
rented acres, the Murdochs have a
herd of 35 registered Angus, with 80
brood cows bred Limousin.
They also raise quarter horses, and
are members of the Canadian Angus
Association, the Ontario Limousin
Association, the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture, and the American Quarter
Horse Association.
Their rented land grows 250 acres
LOCAL
HERO
OR
"POLITICAL
BOSS"?
An interview with
Bill Murdoch
by Cathy Laird
THE LAND AND ITS FUTURE
of hay, with the balance in pasture.
Most of the hay crop is harvested in
round bales, but local kids help to
bring in square bales in summer.
Murdoch cuts his grain green and
bales it into round bales for feed.
"Without my Dad helping me
with the farm work, none of the out-
side political activities I'm involved in
would be possible," he says. It was
Murdoch's uncle, also a farmer, who
talked him into running for township
council in 1978. "I was born in
Bognor," Murdoch says of his
political involvement, "and I have
always been interested in the area."
During his two terms as township
councillor, Murdoch worked off the
farm in addition to building up his
cow herd gradually, switching from
grade cows to registered Angus.
When he was elected reeve, he left his
off -farm job for full-time farming and
political involvement.
The farm operation has expanded
since. "We bought an additional 54
acres. At the same time, we acquired
another 200 acres of rented land.
Since then, we've built up to 600
acres, owned and/or rented. We keep
growing."
As reeve, Murdoch became a
member of Grey County Council, on
Grey County official: Bill Murdoch
which he has served for eight years.
In 1987, he was elected warden, and
today he is a member of two commit-
tees: the Planning Advisory Com-
mittee and the Planning Approval
Committee.
The Planning Advisory Commit-
tee is made up of 13 councillors rep-
resenting four areas of the county; the
warden is the 13th member. This
committee reviews and comments on
projects. "We don't decide, but we
comment and make recommendations
to County Council," says Murdoch.
The Planning Approval Committee
is the former Land Division Commit-
tee. It is this five -member group, rep-
resenting five sections of the county,
that deals with severances.
Obtaining a severance requires
several steps, notes Murdoch. First,
an application must be made. Second,
the county circulates the application to
the agencies involved — the Ministry
of Natural Resources, the Health Unit,
the Conservation Authority, OMAF,
and the Niagara Escarpment Commis-
sion (if applicable). Any landowners
within approximately 40 meters of the
severance are also notified.
Third, the Planning Approval
Committee reviews the application.
"Any decisions that are made are
APRIL 1990 31