The Rural Voice, 1999-01, Page 21there can be even more expansion of
livestock operations in the county. A
lot of nutrient management plans
suggest you can go as high as one
livestock unit per acre, Carlow says.
Technology's gifts also reshaped
crop production in Huron County
over the 25 years from 1971 to 1996.
Grain corn production increased from
79,446 in 1971 to 174,100 acres in
1996, a growth rate of almost 220 per
cent. However with fewer beef feeder
cattle and dairy cows, silage corn
acreage dropped
from 48,779 in
1991 to 20,850 in
1996.
The production
of shorter -season,
shorter -day
varieties of
soybeans even
more dramatically
changed cropping.
In 1971 there were
only 910 acres of soybeans grown in
Huron but that swelled to 162,700 in
1996.
"One of the greatest things to
happen to this part of the country is
hybrids," says Richards. "We've
been lucky we've been able to grow
the high value crops. Probably
soybeans and corn have turned this
county around." It did two things, he
said: it gave cash crop farmers higher
incomes while it allowed livestock
producers to feed more animals on
the same Iandbase because they had
higher yields from every acre.
"Research and development have
made improvements in varieties that
everyone can grow them now," says
Carlow whereas 20 years ago only
the best operators could grow
soybeans successfully in the county.
And emerging technologies
may help reduce some of the
concerns the public has about
large farming operations, Humphries
suggests. "As farmers adopt
emerging technologies there should
be a reduction in the land and water
requirements for primary agriculture.
These technologies can reduce
certain environmental concerns
around soil erosion, overuse of
agricultural chemicals and the
destruction of wildlife habitat."
Looking at the trends, Humphries
suggests there may be a polarization
of agriculture between very large and
small or part-time farms in the future.
"Moderate-sized farms have always
been viewed as 'the backbone' of the
agricultural community. As the
moderate sized farmer leaves the
industry, the trend to a bipolar farm
community will continue. The small
and part-time farmers could
eventually make up 80 per cent of the
total farm numbers but will only
account for 20 per cent of
production."
Part of surviving, says Humphries,
is knowing what lies
ahead.
"With the elimin-
ation of many inter-
national trade barriers,
competition among
the world's food
exporters has become
fierce. What was said
25 years ago can be
said again: 'Farmers
who adopt the newest
technology and who continue to
enhance their management skills will
have a good chance of survival'."
Even in the livestock sector, the
emphasis on homegrown feeds in
Ontario farms means farmers will
have to take advantage of the latest
advances in conservation tillage,
integrated pest management, narrow
row spacings, precision farming
using GPS, tile drainage, and soil and
feed testing if they want to have the
edge needed to stay in business.
"Farms will have to be
more intensively
managed to ensure a
lower cost of
production."
"These trends in
agriculture are not a
lot different than
trends in manufactur-
ing or other
businesses," Carlow
says. "We're
becoming a very specialized people
any more and we're trying to
increase productivity because
productivity means profitability.
With margins becoming smaller and
smaller the farms are becoming
bigger, but then look at our factories
— we're concentrating on fewer
locations but we're becoming more
efficient.
"These are trends that cross all
sectors. We're just trying to earn a
Dan
Carlow:
Age of
farmers
continues
to be a
concern for
the future
Bob
Humphries:
Farmers
who adopt
technology,
improve
manage-
ment skills
can best
survive.
living based on pretty slim margins
and operate in a competitive
environment. It takes great
technology and excellent
management skills to be able to
survive. Up until now I think this
county has done very well. It's a
Targe geographic area with a lot of
good producers with good
management skills."
he trends will have an effect on
T
the entire rural community.
Humphries projects. "As
agriculture becomes more
concentrated some towns will emerge
as area service centres with new high
value technology services and
products. Other centres could emerr,
as centres for food processing.
packaging and distribution. In
communities where the number of
small and part-time farmers is
increasing, a town could benefit from
this increasing population as a source
of customers and as a source of
labour. Some communities will
require government assistance to
attract new businesses and to retain
their Current labour force."
This part of the study has helped
identify a priority for Carlow and his
staff, helping the restructuring of
rural areas. With municipal
amalgamation proposals struggling
along, the abilities of staff may help
facilitate changes, he feels.
One of the concerns that come
out of the study, says Carlow, is the
overall age of
farmers. Based on
the 1996 census,
"We have more,
people toward the
upper end of the
scale. We don't
have a lot of
younger people
entering the
industry to replace
those people. That's
one concern we'd have for the future
of the industry. People are the
driving force behind agriculture. We
need innovative, new, younger
producers to carry the industry
forward. Although we have some, it's
a trend that might be alarming."
This kind of study is an ongoing
process, he says. Circumstances arc
always changing and that changes th,
priorities the OMAFRA office needs
to use.0
JANUARY 1999 17