The Rural Voice, 1999-07, Page 47GREY
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
Email: grey@ofa.on.ca Website www.ofa.on.ca/grey 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
• The Rural Voice is provided to all Grey
County Farmers by the GCFA.
Is the food you are producing safe,
flavourable and produced in an
environmental and ethical manner?
Do you feel confident letting your
family e'at what is grown on your
farm? Any hesitation or loss of sleep?
What about the food you purchase at
the chain store? Do you find yourself
looking at labels for "country of
origin" and then choosing another
product from a different country
which you feel has the standards you
believe are safer and more ethical?
Big companies which are far
removed from the fields or barns are
looking only at profit. They hire staff
who do as they are told and not what
they know because they don't know
any better. Does this change your
mind about "country of origin?"
The consumer is becoming more
aware of health concerns and what is
in the food that they are eating.
Now, is there an opportunity here
for you with the product you are
producing? Why not sell your
product at a farmers' market or at
your farm gate? Demand a premium
price and state why you deserve it.
GREY COUNTY
FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS'
MEETING
Thursday,
July 29, 1999
*NOTE DATE CHANGE*
8:00 p.m.
OMAFRA Boardroom, Markdale
Members are welcome to attend.
44 THE RURAL VOICE
Food for thought
No drugs, no insecticides, follow
your environmental and nutrient
management plans and treat your
employees fairly. These are just some
of the selling points you could use.
Help a neighbour sell his or her
quality product. One stop shopping
could mean one concession shopping,
where you take the family for a drive
Saturday morning and pick up your
fresh/frozen food for the week. Share
your farm, let them see how well you
produce the product they are going to
eat and enjoy. Have your favourite
recipe handy and give them a copy.
Take time to sell yourself and your
product. Remember, you are getting a
premium price, so make yourself
premium. Stay positive. Don't
complain because negative comments
will not help you to bring your
customers back.
If you feel that selling your own
product is too time-consuming and
that the open market is for you,
remember if you produce a quality
product you won't always get a top
dollar for it unless you can control
the market.
The big companies can and do
control, so unless you take over
selling your product, you will be at
their mercy and their prices.
Good luck and good selling!O
— Submitted by Bob Rodger
GCFA President
Appointments and
Members
Winston Kirkpatrick, Bentinck
Township Director, has been
appointed as a member of the
Grey County Peer Review
Committee for 1999 and 2000.
Ken Furlong, GCFA Past
President, is a member of the
CKNX Radio Farm Advisory
Board.
IMPORTANT NOTICE!!
Deadline for
Farm Business Registration Program and
Farmland Property Tax Program is
AUGUST 31, 1999
in order to be eligible for the
25% Farmland Tax Rate in 2000
Contact OMAFRA at 1-800-469-2285
for more information.