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The Rural Voice, 1999-06, Page 64GREY County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER ' The Rural Voice is provided to all Grey County Farmers by the GCFA. 446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9 Email: grey@ota.on.ca Website: www.ofa.on.ca/grey 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551 Missed opportunities blowing In the wind A few years ago a movie was are at a serious disadvantage when making the rounds about how competing with their highly - paradigms tend to influence our subsidized counterparts in the U.S. perception of things and influence our and Europe. The government's knee - reaction to different situations. I recall jerk response has been to pour someone in the movie suggesting that hundreds of millions of dollars into we might look outside our industries income supplement. I ask, "Why not for someone with new ideas and a take a page from the European and different perspective. Californian farming manuals and put I read an article which made me the policies in place that will allow think of this movie. It was in a publi- Canadian farmers to harvest the wind cation which is likely not commonly as an additional cash crop?" read by the farming community. The Think about it. Farmers have Targe publication was the Canadian Wind tracts of cleared land ideal for the Energy Association newsletter. The siting of wind turbines. Typically, author was Jim Salmon, a only one to three per cent of that land meteorologist, and president of the is required for the installation of the Canadian Wind Energy Association. turbines and access roads. Also, This is an excerpt from the article: farmers are in desperate need of Daily we are assailed with news additional income to make their stories about the crises facing the farming businesses viable, so setting agricultural communities in both aside one to three per cent of the western and eastern Canada. Farmers property to generate additional income are at the mercy of the vagaries of the seems like a reasonable idea. international commodity markets, and Instead of just handing over cash, Congratulations to Grown in Grey Committee The Grey County Federation of agriculture related learning activities. Agriculture (GCFA) Executive and A workshop is held prior to the event Directors extend their congratulations for the teachers to help prepare the to the Grown In Grey Committee who students for what they might see and have been named winner of the learn. inaugural CKNX Radio Farm An Open House is held the first Advisory Board Award (FAB Award). evening of the event so that parents, The FAB Award is a newly -created children, and anyone interested can award designed to recognize view the various educational displays contributions of an individual or and hands-on demonstrations, and group from Midwestern Ontario to the learn about farming, food production, well-being of agriculture. The Grown and the Grown In Grey program. In Grey Committee was nominated by Grown In Grey would not be GCFA for the FAB Award. possible or successful without the Grown In Grey is an agricultural combined and co-ordinated efforts of education event for elementary school a great many individuals and students in Grey County, organized by organizations. GCFA would like to a volunteer organization with support thank all the volunteers who make and co-operation from school boards, Grown In Grey a very successful farm commodity groups, rural program for the students each year. organizations, and businesses. This The interest and infectious enthusi- year the Grown In Grey event was asm shown by the students make it held on April 20 and 21 at the worthwhile and help the committee Chatsworth Community Centre with keep their objective in view, "that 12 schools and approximately 900 every boy and girl should grow up Grade 5 and 6 students attending. with some understanding of our most Each class attends Grown In Grey basic and essential industry — for a half day of hands-on, structured, farming and the production of food".0 60 THE RURAL VOICE why couldn't governments direct their monetary contributions to: 1) guaranteeing loans with very low initial repayment schedules to farmers for the purchase of wind -generating equipment, 2) enacting income tax legislation that would make the purchase of this equipment, and the subsequent generation and sale of the electricity, fiscally favourabale to farmers and, 3) encouraging utilities and consumers through financial or regulatory incentives to purchase this farm - generated wind energy? Presumably, such a program could be structured so that the cost would be equal to the proposed subsidy program and, again, multiple benefits would accrue. In addition to greenhouse gas abatement and improved air quality, the farmers could help out the coal miners by purchasing wind turbines from the fledgling wind industry in Cape Breton. Here is another opportunity that should not be missed. I don't know if Jim's ideas will be considered seriously by any of you or not, but what it does show is there are people outside of the agricultural community who are paying attention, and are aware of the plight that farmers are facing. What we should be careful not to do is simply dismiss their ideas just because they may not be one of us or because they are suggesting things that we would not normally associate with farming. Don't let the power of paradigms blind us to new and innovative solutions that may be right in front of us and we don't see them.0 – Submitted by David Snider Executive Director PLEASE NOTE: Grey County Federation of Agriculture DIRECTORS' MEETING FOR JUNE HAS BEEN CANCELLED Next meeting will be July 22, 1999 at 8:00 p.m. OMAFRA Boardroom, Markdate Members are welcome to attend.