The Rural Voice, 1999-02, Page 52HURON
Box 429, Clinton, Ontario NOM 1L0
519-482-9642 or 1-800-511-1135 Email: huron@ofa.on.ca
County f Agriculture Federation o A ltNEWSLETTER ' The • Rural Voice is provided to all farmers
in Huron County by the HCFA.
Steve Johns - Regional Director for Central Huron
Steve Johns grew up on the family
farm of Stan and June Johns in
Tuckersmith township. He attended
high school in Clinton and then went to
the University of Guelph where he
received a BSc. Agr. Upon completion
of university in 1983, he accepted a
position with Ciba-Geigy Canada as a
Product Development Representative.
He then took positions as the manager
for Research and Development in
Eastern Canada and then later as the
National R & D Manager.
Recently, Steve and his wife, Kay,
along with their three daughters have
moved back to one of the family farms
in Tuckersmith. He has now taken the
position of Territory Manager for
WEB SITES
http://www.agriculture.com/ — vett' good U.S.-
based ag news, markets, weather, etc. with
links to Canada Agriculture news.
http://www.ontanocom.org/ — Ontario Corn
Producers
http://www.ofa.on.ca/ — latest OntarioAg news
and links
http://www.usda.gov/ — U.S. Department of
Agriculture
http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/index.ht
ml — OMAFRA
http://aceis.agr.ca/ — Agriculture and AgriFood
Canada
http://www.producer.com/ — Western Producer
Information and Editorials
http://www.agpub.on.ca/pc/main.htm — hog
crisis
http://www.cafleine.ca/calender — calender for
provincial/national ag events
http://agecon.lib.umn.edu/whatsnew.html — for
some latest U.S. research on the income cnsis
there and possible revisions to U.S. Form Bill
Ontario Ag Mailing List:To: majordomo@tdg.ca
Body of Message: subscribe ontag
Novartis Crop Protection (previously
known as Ciba). His area of
responsibility includes Huron,
Middlesex and Elgin counties for such
products as Dual, Primextra, Peak, and
others. Steve is also a Certified Crop
Advisor and sits on the board of
directors for the Ontario CCA program.
With moving back to the farm,
Steve is now able to fulfill a long-time
desire to cash crop farm with his father,
HELP FOR LANDOWNERS
WISHING TO PLANT NATIVE
TREES AND SHRUBS
This coming spring, the Huron Stewardship
Council will be encouraging the establishment
or enhancement of wildlife corridors, stream
bank vegetation and windbreaks/shelterbelts.
Healthy landscapes need to have linkages
to allow for genetic material to exchange and
adapt. When you look at the landscape of
southern Ontario, it is generally a patchwork of
isolated forest "islands". Linkages between
these "islands" are of critical importance in
allowing plant and animal movement
throughout the area and can often pro"ide
other benefits such as wind protection for
crops or farmsteads, soil erosion reduction,
etc.
To help landowners make the long term
commitment to the future of tree planting and
corridor establishment, the Huron Stewardship
Council is subsidizing the cost of nursery stock
at a rate of 30 cents per seedling to a
maximum of $300 per site for qualifying
projects. There is a limited amount of funding
available. If you are interested, contact Steve
Bowers at 519-482.3428.0
Important information for Federation members
According to Transport Canada, 1993 there were 45,506 personal injury accidents on rural roads
involving motor vehicles; half of which occurred at night. During the same year, 344 farm and
construction vehicles were involved in traffic collisions; 13 of which were fatal.
The Manitoba government enacted legislation in 1997 for the marking of farm machinery. It is
anticipated that the Ontario government will follow the Manitoba guidelines and legislation.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture and its provincial members have launched a campaign
across Canada called BE SEEN, BE SAFE. The campaign is intended to promote the marking of
farm machinery used on public roadways and will also be endorsing the CSA standards.
Drivers rely on what they see and equipment marked with 3M reflective strips provide better visual
information for faster more accurate decision making by drivers. 3M strips are six times brighter than
conventional sheeting, and provide superior reflectivity at night and high visibility during the day.
The Huron Federation of Agriculture sees the need to get the reflective tape on the equipment to
reduce accidents. Your Federation has seen the tape as an important project. Over the next three
years every member will receive a complimentary tractor kit. The project began in the five southem
townships in late January and early February. Additional kits are available by calling the office at 1-
800-511-1135 or 519-482-9642. This is a non-profit project and we are selling other kits at cost.
Additional tractor kits - $5.50 (normal retail price $12); overwidth $10 (normal retail price $24); tow
kits $11.50 (normal retail price $30). The three kits are available at the Federation office. WARNING
— Application of strips must be at temperatures of 60°F or 15°C and above so they will not peel off 0
48 THE RURAL VOICE
Stan. As a farmer, he is interested in
issues and matters affecting Ontario
agriculture which is why he became
involved with OFA. Steve can be
contacted at 233-1790 by phone or by
fax at 233-1791.0
Huron hosts IPM
again in 1999
The International Plowing Match and
Farm Machinery Show is being held in Huron
County from September 21 to September 25,
1999 at the village of Dashwood which is
situated near. Grand Bend and Lake Huron.
The IPM is trying a new and unique
method to help people obtain their admission
tickets in advance of the Plowing Match, as
well as an opportunity to win a major prize.
For the first time ever it is possible to pre-
purchase your tickets (in packages of five) to
the IPM. Those who purchase the advance
tickets will have a chance on a draw for a
luxurious Park Model Home.
Ontario residents may be interested to
know that any profits from the match are,
"pardon the pun", plowed back into the
community.
The first International Plowing Match was
held in 1913 in York County, at Toronto's
Sunnybrook Farm, now the site of
Sunnybrook Hospital. Thirty-one plowmen
competed in seven classes, and the
executive felt it was a success although the
weather was unfavourable. Admission was
free and a charge of 50 cents was made on
each vehicle. Accommodation was provided
for the contestants in one of the buildings,
but each person had to furnish their own
bedding.
In 1918 The Plowing Match was cancelled
due to the influenza epidemic that killed
millions of people throughout the world.
The Second World War halted the
matches from 1942 until 1946.
The first match held after World War II
was held at Port Albert Airfield, Goderich on
October 15 - 18 in 1946. This was Huron
County's first International Plowing Match.
Prize money amounted to approximately
$5,000.
In 1999, prize money will exceed $35,000
for plowing events.
For further information, please contact:
Mrs. Jeanne Kirkby, Secretary
34 Queen St., Walton, ON NOK 1Z0
Phone (519) 887-6038 Fax (519) 887-6326
E-mail: jkirkby@wcl.on.ca
Harry W. Nesbitt, Ticket Sales
Stratford, Ontario. (519) 271-67420