The Rural Voice, 1993-06, Page 54PERTH
John Drummond, President, R.R.
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
5, Mitchell NOK 1NO 347-2725
PCFA Office 229-6430
• The Rural Voice is provided to farmers
in Perth County by the PCFA.
Tale of the ornamental hermits
Anyone following the Canadian
music scene may be familiar with John
Bottomly, who recently won an award
as "most promising vocalist". Not only
is Bottomly a talented musician, he is
also a keen student of history, bringing
to life many strange old tales, including
one about "ornamental hermits", in his
debut album. His timing is impeccable.
In the days of lords and ladies and
barons in old Europe, it became
fashionable for a time to have an
ornamental hermit in one's garden.
The rich would hire a hermit to live in
the back of their gardens, basically to
trudge around to serve as a quaint
conversation piece while the lords and
ladies entertained. Indeed, this was
quite a status symbol.
In this country, farmers have
gradually been pushed to the back of
the garden and now face the dubious
distinction of being Canada's
ornamental hermits as well. Just
imagine the back room talk at the
GATT negotiations ... "We have such
nice farmers back in Canada, but
they're concemed ... "
The impending closure of Ontario's
agricultural colleges is a particularly
odious move. Most young people who
have enough faith in the future to attend
an ag. college, have already put in an
18- or 20 -year apprenticeship on the
family farm, (an entirely privately
funded training program). The college
programs are valuable for melding the
science and the art of agriculture
together. If there is any group of
Canadians who are likely to contribute
much for each dollar spent on
education, it is the young farmers.
Meanwhile, the Ontario government
continues to dump millions into
"jobsOntario", a money -squandering
operation which is generating almost no
real permanent jobs and is adding extra
thick layers of bureaucracy in the
process.
If you don't feel
like an ornamental
hermit yet, you
soon will.
jobsOntario is
providing funds to
promote "agri-
tourism" ... Oh
look ... there's old
Macdonald's farm.
Already we have
Mennonite
churches in the area
which have to pull
the window blinds
on Sunday morning
to dissuade tourists
from snapping
pictures of "the
IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS WHO SHOULD YOU CONTACT?
President John Drummond, RR M5, Mitchell NOK 1 NO 347-2725
1st Vice tarry Biesrnger, RR x4, Listowel N4W 3G9 698-2937
2nd Vice Mary McIntosh, RR $7, St. Marys N4X 1C9 393-6232
Sec-Treas Agnes Denham, RR *1, St. Marys N4X 1C4 229-6430
Regional Directors
Perth North Paul Verkley, RR *1, Atwood NOG 1 BO
Perth Central Kelli Crowley, RR *2, Gadshill NOK 1J0
Perth South Mary McIntosh, RR *7, St. Marys N4X 1C9
Dther Members of the Executive
Willy Keller, RR x1, Mitchell NOK 1 NO 348-9753
Sharon Weitel, RR *2, Tavistock NOB 2R0 273-0918
356-9022
393-5716
393-6232
Township Directors'
Blanshard Scott Graham, St. Marys
Ride Debrabendere, RR *1, St. Marys
Willie Erb, Stratford
John Good, RR a 5-2, SL Pauls
Burnell Kipter, RR *1, Sebringville
Norval Pnestap, RR *1, Sebnngville
Dave Smith, RR *1, Sebnngville
Ron Bowles, RR *2, Atwood
Susan Bedard, RR *1, Monkton
Willy Keller, RR *1, Mitchell
Bruce Moms, RR M1, Fullarton
Susan Chnste, RR *1, Mitchell
Bill French, RR 12, Mitchell
Torn Melady, RR *2, Dublin
Alvin Dow, RR x2, Stafta
Fred Jung, RR X2, Monkton
Cecil Rose, RR *3, Mitchell
Wayne Schmidt, RR 81, Stratford
Ivan Stueck, RR 01, Gadshill
Sharon Weitzel, RR *1, Gadshill
Bill Klooster, RR *1, Shakespeare
Rae Bender, RR *1, Gowanstown
Downie
Ell�ce
Elma
Fullarton
Hibbert
Logan
North Easthope
South Easthope
Wallace
284-1300
229-6736
272-1147
393-5958
271-3399
393-6256
393-5908
356-2366
347-2596
348-9753
229-8735
229-8124
348-8749
345-2152
229-6508
347-2420
348-8726
625-8354
656-2379
273-0918
655-2504
343-5804
50 THE RURAL VOICE
quaint folk of rural Ontario".
The incessant push towards
efficiency and competitiveness has
resulted in higher production by half
the number of farmers as were needed a
decade ago. In another decade we are
likely to feel even more isolated on the
back roads.
The government is simply not
taking farmers seriously as evidenced
by the series of bizarre moves. They
want to place garbage dumps on prime
land, but insist on assurances of
chemical -free food.
They pay lip -service to environ-
mental issues, but then break contract-
ual agreements with farmers who took
the lead with favourable land steward-
ship practices. In Perth county alone
this amounted to about $300,000 dol-
lars clawed back from farmers.
The government tells the
horticulture sector to become more
efficient and competitive, but then
competes directly with tree farmers
using taxpayers money to do so.
Our nation's long standing cheap
food policy has led to the
impoverishment of rural Canada.
Programs intended to ameliorate the
situation, GRIP, NISA and welfare, are
much like hanging out seeds for birds
once the forests in which the birds lived
have been turned into subdivisions.
I am not comfortable with farmers
being society's ornamental hermits.
What may be even worse is going out
in style. In the upcoming federal
election, and looking forward to the
next provincial election, farmers cannot
afford to stay in the back of the
garden.0
John Drummond
PCFA President
PERTH COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
JUNE MEETING
Thursday June 24, 1993
(Place not yet confirmed,
contact a director or call the office.)
8:30 p.m.
All members welcome to attend