The Rural Voice, 1998-05, Page 64GREY
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER • The Rural Voice is provided to all Grey
County Farmers by the GCFA.
gcfa@greynet.net or
gcfa@ofa.on.ca
website: headwaters.com/gcfa
44610th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1 P9
519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
Service to Members: Service is what
the OFA is all about. We stand
committed and ready to help our
members any time, anywhere. We
recently mobilized staff to assist our
members suffering the effects of the
recent ice storm in eastern Ontario.
Most Recent Accomplishments on
Your Behalf:
Tax Update: After battling for farm
property tax reform since 1949, the
OFA won.
Now, farm property tax reform will
include uniform assessment across the
province as well as a set tax rate for
farmland and outbuildings at 25 per
cent of the residential tax rate.
Information and Communication:
OFA now has a website. Contact us at
www.ofa.on.ca. The federation is also
providing hookups and training for
county operators and member service
representatives.
The ultimate goal is to have all
members linked up to the system for
quick, easy access to information.
Right to Farm: The OFA took the lead
in getting a new law introduced for
Ontario farmers. It will provide them
with expanded protection from court
actions resulting from nuisance suits.
Once the bill is passed, the OFA will
work on education initiatives with
municipalities throughout the province
to ensure they understand the act.
OMAFRA "No Cuts" Campaign: In
1997, OFA led 36 farm groups to stage
an intensive "no more cuts" to
OMAFRA campaign.
GREY COUNTY FEDERATION
OF AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS'
MEETING
Thursday, May 28, 1998
8:00 p.m.
OMAFRA Boardroom, Markdale
Members are welcome to attend
60 THE RURAL VOICE
What does OFA do for me?
The message was heard loud and clear.
The government did not make any
budget cuts. The OFA will continue to
lobby to protect the provincial
agricultural budget. A similar campaign
focusing on re -investment will be
mounted this year by the federation.
Environmental Farm Plan: OFA co-
ordinated the development of Ontario's
Environmental Farm Plan (EFP)
program. Focusing on education instead
of regulation, the EFP has helped guide
more than 10,000 farmers through risk
assessment workshops and has
approved more than 3,000 on-farm
action plans.
To date, $4.3 million has been provided
directly to farmers through the EFP
Incentive Program to assist in the
implementation of EFP Action Plans.
Rural Telecommunications: The OFA
successfully lobbied Bell Canada and
the Canadian Radio -Television and
Telecommunications Commission
(CRTC) over the past two years to
significantly upgrade rural telephone
service in Ontario.
Upgrades will:
• eliminate mileage charges; and
• make single -line service available to
those still served by party lines and
eliminate the long distance charges
some now pay for calls to people and
businesses in a similar geographic area.
The OFA will continue to work with
Bell and the 30 independent telephone
companies in Ontario for further
improvements.
Nutrient Management: The OFA is
making nutrient management a top
priority. We have taken the lead in
developing a nutrient management
strategy and setting up a committee
with broad producer, educational and
government representation. The
strategy will be available in spring
1998.
Member Benefits: The OFA is
continually updating the numerous
member benefits which it offers to
members, including upgrades to our
comprehensive insurance coverage of
farm families.
Member service representatives are
also on hand to provide front-line
service to members throughout the
province.0
Setting the image straight
As farmers in the 1990s, we know that we must promote our industry. It is
critical that we present a factual positive image to the public, who are the
consumers of our products. These same consumers, know less and less about
farming as each generation becomes further removed from the land.
We have had many success stories in this regard: Roots of Bruce, Slice of
Huron, Grown in Grey, Market Grey Bruce, etc. to name only a few. Publications
such as our own Rural Voice and newspapers like the Owen Sound Sun Times are
doing an excellent job of telling the story of a broad section of agriculture.
I picked up a popular farm publication three weeks ago only to find them up
to their same old tricks of presenting chemical weed control as the only thing
farmers do these days. To make matters worse there on the front page was a
picture of one Bill Danby, who portrays himself as somewhat of a modern day
Robin Hood, who wants to single-handedly right all the wrongs in the milk
industry and particularly the area of world trade and the importation of butter oil -
sugar blends. In my opinion, this self-appointed Ayatollah Danby would do
better to leave the lobbying and public relations efforts to the people that are
elected and paid to do the job on our behalf. This publication would do better to
present a positive image rather than feed the ego of Mr. Danby.
We have come a long way in our public relations effort. We have a long way
to go. Let's get it right and do it right the first time.0
— Submitted by John Hill
GCFA Executive