The Rural Voice, 1989-11, Page 70PERTH lietk
County Pork Producers NEWSLETTER
Clare Schlegel, President
R. R. 4, Stratford N5A 6S5 655-2750
• The Rural Voice is provided to Perth
County Pork Producers by the PCPPA
OPINION
The recent decision by the directors
of the Ontario Pork Producers Market-
ing Board to override the vote taken by
councilmen attending the board's semi-
annual meeting has sparked a lot of
discussion at the county level. The di-
rectors decided to implement a $2 per
hog levy which would cover retroactive
U.S. tariffs if they should be assessed on
Canadian pork.
It was surely a difficult decision.
However, these elected directors are
empowered to make informed choices
on our behalf. It is this writer's opinion
that we should support the decision of
the provincial board.
THE FREE TRADE FAIRY TALE
It was just one short year ago when
we read in this column the position on
Free Trade of the Canadian Pork Coun-
cil which was endorsed by the OPPMB:
"The Canadian Pork Council sup-
ports the proposed Canada -U.S. Free
Trade Agreement on the basis that it
offers considerable net benefits to the
Canadian pork industry. These include:
the elimination of tariffs; reciprocal
undertakings to prevent technical barri-
ers, including animal health measures,
from exceeding what is necessary to
meet their original objectives; the
phased elimination of customs user
fees; an "open border policy" for meat
shipments, thus avoiding a potentially
very restrictive system for U.S. inspec-
tion; and a dispute settlement structure
which appears will take much less time
to reach a verdict than is currently the
case through the U.S. appeals process
we have been pursuing. Conclusion:
The Canadian Pork Council has been
strongly supportive of efforts aimed at
removing unnecessary constraints to
U.S.-Canada trade and establishing
principles which provide greater cer-
tainty of access to respective markets."
We certainly were ripe for the pick-
ing, weren't we. There are still people
out there who believe we did the right
thing. It reminds me of the fairy tale of
the emperor who wore no clothes. Told
that he was wearing the finest of robes,
the emperor paraded before his country-
men in his birthday suit.
68 THE RURAL VOICE
Likewise, FTA proponents, believ-
ing that "we won," are still insisting that
in the long run this was the right deci-
sion. Like the emperor, pork producers
are as naked as jay birds when it comes
to any protection received from free
trade. It's time to get dressed — it's
going to be a long cold winter. We need
to seek other markets, aggressively re-
search value-added products, and per-
haps we should even consider the SM
word (supply management).
CONTINUING EDUCATION
There will be many opportunities for
you to upgrade farm management skills
through the fall and winter. Among the
courses offered by the Perth County
Community Industrial Training Advi-
sory Committee (PCCITAC) are: Intro-
duction to Farm Computing (Atwood,
Stratford); Farm Business Management
with Micros (Atwood); Advanced Farm
Planning with Micros (Stratford); Farm
Record Keeping and Analysis (Strat-
ford, Monkton); Farm Management —
Dairy (Stratford, Listowel); Farm Man-
agement — Swine (Mitchell); Finance
and Credit (Mitchell); Commodity
Marketing (St. Marys); Machinery
Maintenance and Repair (Listowel);
Farm Welding (Wartburg).
Of specific interest to women are the
following courses: Marketing (for those
interested in a home-based business) —
in Mitchell beginning November 1 (5
Wednesdays); Farm Planning and Goal
Setting — October 30 in Mitchell.
The cost of these courses is under-
written by the federal govemment.
There is no charge to farmers. Courses
are developed by the Perth Agriculture
Committee of PCCITAC in consulta-
tion with Centralia College and other
trainers.
Thanks to the Perth Pork Producers
for this opportunity to express some
opinion and share some information.
Fall is a hectic time for farm families,
and sometimes the quality of life slips a
little in this busy season. I found this
piece in the western paper "Grainews."
—Carol Rock
IF A WOMAN WERE A COMBINE — by Dody Linin
If a woman were a combine she'd get more attention than she could stand,
From that wonderful farmer, who in marriage took her hand.
But the affair begins, before the ink dries on the bill -of -sale,
And it's an affair, I assure you, that will never grow stale.
Why weeks before harvest, when he won't speak to anyone else,
He walks round and round that combine, just tightening her belts.
And those days before harvest, when he won't even look at you,
He drives her out in the bright sunlight, just to see what else he can do.
Now don't get me wrong, she works hard without complaint,
But during harvest, I'd have to die to get that attention from my mate.
Aw ... they just drove by, and what a lovely pair,
I'm bakin' in this hot wheat truck and he's got her air-conditioned air.
Finally harvest is over and you catch that quick shower,
And where is your husband? Washin' and waxin' that combine for hours.
Then he drives her inside and sweetly says, "I'll see you,
When the last of my field work this fall is through."
Now that first romantic snow falls, and the field work's far behind,
He jumps out of bed, runs out the door and hollers, "I'm gonna work on my combine."
And while bolt by bolt he tears into that machine,
I'm lying here in my pink nightie thinking it should be John Deere green.
Yes, if a woman were a combine, what delight would be at hand,
Can you imagine being as captivating to that big hunk of man?