The Rural Voice, 1992-06, Page 44Ag. Minister Buchanan challenges
Centralia grads to build partnerships
Despite the fact it may seem to be
a bad time to be starting out in a
career in agriculture, there are
actually many good things happening
right now, Elmer Buchanan, Minister
of Agriculture for Ontario told the
graduating class at Centralia College
May 14.
Besides the fact that there is a high
demand for Centralia grads (two job
offers for every graduate), Buchanan
said his government feels that
difficult times are times to reach out
and build partnerships with everyone
involved in the business. "The
government wants to build co-
operative partnerships so that
farmers, the food industry, rural
communities and consumers can all
thrive and share in the benefits of our
society now and in the future. We
must all work together in order to
pursue the economic renewal of our
communities."
He mentioned the agricultural
investment strategy he had
announced the day before, a five-part
package aimed at a major shift in the
government's farm financial policy
direction away from ad hoc funding
and toward a long-term commitment
to financial stability. "The best part
of the strategy is that it comes from
the suggestions of the farmers
themselves," he said, pointing out
many of the ideas had been given to
MPP Pat Hayes during his meetings
with farmers across Ontario in
1991."Farmers told us they want
programs that promote self-reliance,
not dependence on government. They
want to be able to obtain loans in
their own communities at reasonable
interest rates and on flexible terms.
And they said they wanted financial
and legal training, in order to avoid,
or better meet, the debt problems
many have been faced with."
The government wants to help
create a sense of dignity and pride in
rural communities so that young
people don't have to leave for the
cities to find jobs. He also spoke of
using aggressive marketing
campaigns to reach urban consumers,
attempts to improve technologies
with processing companies and
putting more effort into working with
processing companies to protect the
environment. He challenged the
Centralia graduates to use the
knowledge and ideas to be part of
making these changes happen.
Shelley Louise Swift of Waterford
and Duane Ralph Swartzentruber of
Tavistock were the winner and runner
up as best all-round students, winning
the Centralia College Alumni
Association Awards. Swift also won
the Minister of Agriculture and Food
Leadership Award; The Huron
Federation of Agriculture Award of
Merit in Business Management; the
Fertilizer Institute of Ontario
Incorporated Award for proficiency
in soils and water fertility; the
Ausable-Bayfield Conservation
Authority Award for proficiency in
soil and water conservation; and the
Huron County Plowmen's
AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT GRADUATES
Jeff DenOtter
Kirkton
Ken Hoeper
Kincardine
Douglas Patterson
St. Marys
Wendell Schumm
Tavistock
Derek Hoonaard
Centralia
�r
Duane Swartzentruber
Tavistock
Douglas Hugill
Seaforth
Steven Nichols
Formosa
NO
PICTURE
AVAILABLE
Kevin Osborne
Lucknow
Garret Vandersar
St. Pauls
Charles Walker
Brucefield
John Walsh
Kincardine
40 THE RURAL VOICE