The Rural Voice, 1998-04, Page 72GREY
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1 P9
519-364-3050
• The Rural Voice is provided to all Grey
County Farmers by the GCFA.
"This is the police! You are
surrounded! Give yourself up! Yah,
you, the man spreading that manure at
an inappropriate time. You are under
arrest. You have broken a municipal
by-law."
Sound far fetched — well it may not
be that far from reality in the near
future. Growing concern over handling
and storing of nutrients, especially
manure, has prompted the Ontario
Farm Environmental Coalition (OFEC)
to initiate a Nutrient Management
Strategy Plan that they hope the
municipalities will adopt and enforce.
The OFEC is made up of farm
organizations such as Ontario
Nutrient Management Plan
Federation of Agriculture, Christian
Farmers, Ag. Care, and Ontario Farm
Animal Council. They, along with the
help of other groups such as the
Ministry of Natural Resources,
Ministry of the Environment, Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs and the Rural Ontario
Municipal Association, have developed
this Nutrient Management Planning
Strategy.
It will have the regulations for
municipalities to set by-laws to control
things like manure storage and sizing,
minimum distance separation of
agricultural and non-agricultural
buildings and proper application of
Bob Brassington, second vice-president of the Grey County Federation of
Agriculture, presented awards at the 53rd annual public speaking competition.
Winners included, (left to right, back row) Senior division: first, Jennie Aitken,
Egremont Community School, Holstein, "Imagination"; second, Robert Ryan, St.
Peter and St. Paul, Durham, "My Business" ; third, Sara Hodkinson, Strathcona
School, Owen Sound, "Titanic"; (front row) Junior division: first, Michelle
Preussner, St. Peter and St. Paul, Durham, "Peanuts"; third, Meaghan Kehl,
Macphail Memorial, Flesherton, "Dreams"; and second, Astrid -Maria Ciarallo,
Meaford Community, "William Shakespeare". Photo courtesy Saugeen City News.
Grey Federation's 53rd Public Speaking Contest
GCFA 53rd Annual Public Speaking Competition was held on March 3, at
James A. Magee School, Hanover.
GCFA would like to thank all the participants in our Public Speaking
Competition. All the speeches at both the semi-finals and finals were well done,
both in content and presentation. A big thank you to the teachers who helped the
students prepare for the event. We would also like to extend special thanks to
the Co-ordinators, judges and time keepers. It would not be possible to have a
successful competition each year without their participation and co-operation.0
68 THE RURAL VOICE
nutrients. Each farmer will be
encouraged to have their own Nutrient
Management Plan (NMP) and keep it
up to date.
Water quality, soil health and odour
arc the main issues involved and the
NMP would provide a consistent policy
for the minicipalities that would carry
across the province.
The protection of the environment
has definitely become a major concern.
If our ground water, for example, were
to get polluted, it would he very
difficult and expensive, if even
possible, to correct.
A workshop and information
meeting is being held on March 31 at
Annesley United Church in Markdale at
7:00 p.m. Have a good spring planting
and proper nutrient application.0
Submitted by John Flanagan
GCFA Executive
Grey County Federation of Agriculture
MEET THE MEMBERS
and
TOMMY COOPER AWARD
MEETING
Saturday, April 4, 1998
St. Peter's Family Centre
850 Garafraxa Street North,
Durham
Dinner: 12:00 Noon
Tickets: $12 per person
Tickets are available from all
Township Directors, Executive
and at the office.
Call 364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
GREY COUNTY FEDERATION
OF AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS' MEETING
Thursday, April 23, 1998
8:00 p.m.
OMAFRA Boardroom, Markdale
Members Are Welcome To Attend