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The Rural Voice, 1988-12, Page 80BRUCE 446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9 519-364-3050 ' The Rural Voice is provided to Bruce County federation members by the BCFA. County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER OPINION THE FARM FAMILY UNDER STRESS Farm families have been the back- bone of Canadian agriculture since the first settlement on Canadian soil. They form our rural communities and are the basis for their economy. Farm families are the life -blood of rural life as we know it today. If the mother is the heart, the father is the cornerstone of the family. Tradi- tionally, he is the head and the provider for family needs. He is generally por- trayed as a stable, authoritative figure, but can be a loving, gentle teacher, guide, and leader. A conscientious fa- ther shows a good example through his faith, beliefs, morals, values, and espe- cially honest hard work. Let's look at a farmer under stress. He or she tends to take the burden upon himself or herself. Because men tend to identify themselves in relation to their vocation and work, they may begin to doubt their ability to continue this way of life. Immediately, irrational deci- sions may be made. Communication difficulties and withdrawal from rela- tionships may follow. Because women generally identify themselves with the relationship with their husbands, irrita- bility, short temperedness, and depres- sion may easily lead to marital prob- lems. Some secondary signs may in- clude alcohol abuse, gambling, heavy smoking, or other disruptive habits. According to the Queen's Bush Rural Ministry, more than 75 per cent of calls received have financial stress to blame as the culprit. The fact is that present-day farming tends to compound even small problems. Adverse weather, diseases, floating interest rates, com- modity prices, or equipment failure can drive a stressed farmer over the edge. Does society really care? Maybe not, but you and I do! How- ever, we must be willing to extend a warm, helping hand to our suffering neighbours. While debt review boards ponder mortgages and land ownership, you and I must comfort the broken 78 THE RURAL VOICE families, cheer unhappy spouses, and love the hurting children. What we really need is "price for product." A fair price. A profit. We all have the right to be paid a fair price for spent labour. Until farmers are paid fairly for family labour, the farm family is doomed to suffer much. And you and I suffer with them. Together, we must rally to action. Action to save the farm, and by so doing, the foundation of our communities — the family!O Respectfully submitted, Bruce Federation of Agriculture Public Relations Committee Note Each month this page will contain an opinion on some current farm issue. We would like to know what YOU think. If your opinion differs from the one you have read here, or if you support our view, call the office at 364-3050. The Bruce federation at the OFA convention in November. BCFA DIRECTORS MEETING October 24, 1988 A press conference was scheduled for November 15 at Belmore to deal with the farm credit situation. The Queen's Bush Rural Ministry and sev- eral professionals were invited to share experiences. A motion was passed to help fund the Queen's Bush Rural Ministry. An enthusiastic committee was in- vited to set long-term policies and goals for Ontario agriculture. All present were encouraged to seek concrete solutions from electoral candi- dates. The next meeting is to be held on December 8. EXECUTIVE The annual meeting was held November 4 at the Ripley Community Centre. President: Ron Garland 1st Vice -President: Bill Davis 2nd Vice -Pres.: Ted Zettel Regional Directors: Bruce North, Ken Kelly Bruce West, Grant Collins Bruce South, Byron Monk.