The Rural Voice, 1998-03, Page 34and two representatives of the
Planning and Development
committee. The appointees included
a cash crop farmer, Bob Hallam; a
poultry farmer, Bryan Durst; pork
producer, Ron Douglas; beef
producer, Jack Flanagan and dairy
producer, John Brand. The
committee will contact producers
who had nutrient management plans
completed and consultants who were
responsible for preparing the plans.
The HFEC also has a peer review
committee in place that will look at
ways for farmers to police
themselves in environmental matters.
Caldwell's department has also
been consulted by the Ontario Farm
Environmental Coalition in dev-
eloping its new policy on nutrient
management plans. The Coalition
will hold a hearing in Brussels on
March 3.
The group's thrust may be similar
to Perth County's Agricultural
Review Committee which was set up
in 1997. That committee is a
partnership of local governments and
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representatives from 12 commodity
groups including the cattlemen's
association, dairy producers, pork
producers, egg producers, chicken
producers, Federation of Agriculture
and Christian Farmers Federation.
f someone has a complaint about
a manure management issue on a
livestock operation, they can
submit a written complaint to the
local municipal clerk. The clerk
then forwards it to the committee and
members make arrangements to meet
on site with the farm owner/operator
to consider and assess the complaint
and discuss the options that can
address or remedy the concerns. The
committee deals only with
management issues: if the complaint
involves pollution of a waterway, it
is forwarded to the Ministry of
Environment and Energy (MOEE).
The Ontario Farm Environmental
Coalition, the group behind Ontario's
ground -breaking Environmental
Farm Plan, says it is trying to
develop a consistent, province -wide
approach balanced between
agriculture's growth potential and
municipal concerns over water
quality and odour. The move has
brought together the original farm
organizations in the coalition along
with the MOEE, MNR, OMAFRA,
the University of Guelph, ROMA
and municipal planners.
While the goal of bringing peace
to rural communities while allowing
agricultural viability and protecting
the environment, is supported by all
sides, the degree of support varies
according to the individual. "The
main aim should be that as a
community we look at a problem and
as a community we should solve it,
but not just one sector," says Ridder
who wonders how much some things
like faulty septic tanks and
overflowing municipal sewage
treatment plants add to the problem.
"We are all responsible (for
environmental degradation)," he
says, pointing out that a lot of ground
has been paved over to the detriment
of the environment.
"The farmer is dependent on the
community and the community is
dependent on farmers," he says,
arguing that one sector can't bear all
the costs.
"The challenge for us all," says
Caldwell, "it to try to stand back and
be as objective as possible."0