The Rural Voice, 1999-09, Page 90IMP
BRUCE
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
Email: bruce@ofa.on.ca 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
Who are the experts?
The longer I farm, the more confused
I get. Thirty years ago, if one worked
hard and followed basic crop and animal
husbandry rules, there was a light at the
end of the tunnel. Now we have all these
experts all of whom have the absolute
best products to help and the best ways
of doing things. The options they have
available to us are endless.
We have experts who can sell us
hormones and some artificial products to
not only enhance the amount of milk a
cow gives but increase the rate of gain in
beef, pork, poultry, etc. We have all
kinds of chemicals that increase our crop
yields and hopefully there will be more
yield results to counter the input costs.
We have experts who can analyze our
soil so that we can apply the best
combination and amount of commercial
fertilizer.
We have experts to tell us what to do
with manure. Oops, sorry, animal
nutrients! We have the University of
Guelph, Ridgetown College, OMAFRA,
etc. all giving us free information on
how to best succeed. All we have to do
is go to banks to ask for their experts to
decide if we qualify to borrow their
money so that we can act on all the free
advice we have received.
We have dozens of books,
magazines, as well as seminars available
to us — for a fee of course! There are
experts on the radio to give us all the up-
to-date happenings in agriculture.
There's the weather expert and I'm not
talking about Willie. Often these persons
don't even have a window out of which
to look.
We have TV ag specialists, one of
whom spoke at our annual BCFA
banquet two years ago. This expert told
us what we had to do if we were to
survive in agriculture in today's society
but we weren't allowed to question him
about his ideas due to the fact that he
had to "run". Bill Davis said, "it took
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION
OF AGRICULTURE
is hosting the
Ontario Federation of
Agriculture Building
Thursday, September 23, 1999 at
the International Plowing Match -
Huron County
Drop in and say hello to the
Directors from Bruce County
86 THE RURAL VOICE
• The Rural Voice is provided to Bruce
County Farmers by the BCFA.
two months to get over that". I'm still
not over it.
We have experts to design state-of-
the-art livestock buildings. This is so we
will have maximum return on our
investment. We have tax experts to save
us money. We even have financial farm
planners who can make us millions from
all the money we have made by listening
and utilizing all the advice from all the
other experts. I apologize to those
experts whom I've overlooked or,
heaven forbid, I.do not know about. Oh!
The machinery experts. Boy!! That
would be an entire article all by itself.
Because my wife and I were not born
and raised on a farm, I have felt that we
were very vulnerable to the advice of
many experts and so, as I question each
and every expert, I wonder how much
land, livestock, machinery, etc. these
people actually own. How much of their
actual portfolio is really invested in
agriculture? How much sweat and more
important, how many years of actual
farm -related experience do they really
have?
You knew it was coming! MY
definition of a real farm expert. A farm
expert is one who understands what the
land will do for him/her and not what we
can do to the land. Whether your lot lies
north, south, east or west, contains what
type of soil — sandy loam to heavy clay,
to its pH, the heat units received, etc., all
of which dictates what grows best and
how we work it. A farm expert is one
who can relate .to livestock so the farmer
can provide the best care. A farm expert
is one who has farmed for a long time
and is financially secure.
Farm experts are: The people in the
Rainy River District who have provided
me with many money -saving ideas for
the cow -calf industry. The people we sit
next to at a farm meeting and, if we
listen, from whom we pick up fantastic
ideas. One such person, and there are
many, Bert Pepper, who has saved me
hundreds, of dollars. Sorry no
commissions! The people such as
Mabel's Grill, Gisele Ireland, Jackie B.,
etc. who make us laugh at ourselves.
The people who are our neighbours,
friends and families. Our crops and
animals. My cutting horse. These are the
true experts.
The way I see it, the so called experts
have taught us to produce more for Tess
until we have such a surplus. We don't
need the experts, so called that is. I
wonder what help we would actually get
from them in a crisis. So, if prices,
drought, etc., get you down, turn to a
real expert. They understand and really
care. They might even give you some
expert advice! Free! Right now I need an
expert so I think'I'II go and ride my
horse. Hope I don't get bucked off!O
– Lloyd Graham
Kinloss Twp. Director
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION
OF AGRICULTURE
Directors' Meeting
Thursday, September 27, 1999
8:00 p.m.
OMAFRA Boardroom, Walkerton
Members are welcome to attend
NOMINATION FOR THE BCFA AWARD OF MERIT
"For Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture"
Each year the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture presents an Award to a person in Bruce County who
has made a significant contribution to the agriculture industry. If you have someone you would like to
nominate, please complete this form and return to our office in Hanover. Nominations should be received at
our office by October 22. The Award will be presented at our Annual Meeting on Friday, October 29.
I nominate:
Reasons for nomination:
Signature
Please return to: Bruce County Federation of Agriculture, 446 10th Street, Hanover, ON N4N 1P9
Fax: 519-364-4119 E-mail: bruce@ofa.on.ca
Or you may give your nomination to any Township Director