The Rural Voice, 1998-11, Page 46PERTH
Andy DeVries, R.R. #1, Atwood NOG 160 Phone/Fax 519-356-2133
PCFA Office 229-6430 Fax 229-6269 e-mail: perth@ofa.on.ca
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER The Rural Voice is provided to farmers
in Perth County by thePCFA.
Perth County Federation concerned with school closures
The following resolution was
passed at the Perth County Federation
of Agriculture Annual Meeting and
was discussed at the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture Directors'
Meeting on October 21, 1998. The
OFA Board of Directors passed it
unanimously.
WHEREAS District School
Boards have been given directives
from the Ministry of Education and
Training (MET) to submit lists of
schools for closure and conversion by
December 31, 1998, and
WHEREAS these schools slated
for closure or conversion are derived
from MET Funding Formulas that
determine excess capacity across a
school district, and
WHEREAS the funding formula
does not take into consideration the
uniqueness of rural Ontario,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED
that the Ontario Federation of
Resolutions being sent to convention
from Perth
The following three Resolutions were
passed at the Perth County Federation
of Agriculture Annual Meeting and
will be sent to the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture to be put on the
agenda for the OFA Convention
November 23 and 24, 1998.
Third Party Review Body for
Nutrient Management Plans
WHEREAS many Municipalities
in Ontario are enacting By-laws
pertaining to the requirement for
certain livestock operations to submit
Nutrient Management Plans, and
WHEREAS these By-laws require
the Nutrient Management Plan to be
reviewed by a third party, and
WHEREAS it is in the best
interest of the Ontario Farming
community to have a single set of
credible protocols followed when
reviewing these plans, and
WHEREAS the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
(OMAFRA) mandate now includes
the support to both agriculture and
rural affairs,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED
that OFA lobby OMAFRA to be the
third party review body for all
Nutrient Management Plans as
required by Municipal by-laws.
Nutrient Management
Certification Program
WHEREAS current Municipal
Nutrient Management By-law are
only citing livestock manure as
42 THE RURAL VOICE
sources of nutrients, and ,
WHEREAS proper nutrient
management should include all
sources of nutrients, and
WHEREAS AgCare's pesticide
certification program has been
instrumental in the better utilization
of pesticides,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED
that the OFA encourage OMAFRA to
investigate the possibility of
developing a Nutrient Management
Certification Program similar to the
Pesticides Certification Program, for
anyone who purchases commercial
fertilizers.
Sharing of resources between
School Boards
WHEREAS many communities
within Ontario are faced with school
closures and/or a shortage of space in
their schools, within the same
geographic area, and
WHEREAS we are all taxpayers
in the province of Ontario and
therefore in reality there is only one
source of funding.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED
that the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture initiate discussion
between the Ontario Government and
all Provincial School Board
Associatior)s to discuss the sharing of
resources between school boards
while still accommodating and
respecting the needs of individual
students.0
Agriculture lobby the MET to
develop a Rural Education Strategy
that includes a Rural School Funding
Formula.
AND FURTHER BE IT
RESOLVED that the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture continue to
lobby for a moratorium on rural
school closures until a Rural
Education Strategy is in place.0
VOICE your concerns on
Rural Schools through
the OFA web site.
Look up www.ofa.on.ca and
voice your concerns on Rural
School Closures through our
electronic petition.
For a sample letter see
The Huron County Federation
of Agriculture Newsletter
on Page 48.
OFA
CONVENTION
"Shaping Our Success"
November 23 - 24, 1998
International Plaza
Toronto
PERTH COUNTY FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
NOVEMBER
DIRECTORS' MEETING
Thursday,
November 19, 1998
Downie Mutual Insurance Office
Sebringvilie 8:00 p.m.
ALL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME
TO ATTEND
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