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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-12-05, Page 5May lose control of farm land ` BY BEV BROWN "Ownership of Ontario farm land is subtly being transferred through the in- strument of the mortgage to urban based credit agen- cies," Del O'Brien, a lawyer and dairy farmer from the Ottawa Valley, told delegates onthe final day of the Ontario Federation of Agri- culture Convention in Toron- to. In his opinion, "the effects of changing the taxa- tion formula to market value assessment will be far more serious for the farmer than foreign .ownership of farm land." . He told the delegates that. the farmer must learn to rely on his own . resources and organization for he has tradi- tionally bad many false friends. His .best allies, the elected politician 'and agri- cultural ministers, have con- sistently supported the farm- er and stood solidly • behind the marketing legislature most vital to farmers. "How- ever," Mr. O'Brien contin- ued, "we must accept the fact that Governments are under increasing pressure from urban . groups who consistently challenge their support ofthe farmer," "Even more serious is the fact thatmany civil servants and many educators in the field of agriculture .identify with urban rather than rural interests." He went on totell about a professor at the University of ,Guelph who had a theory that the cost of land ought to be removed - .'from the food dollar 'by eliminating the ownership of land by the farmer. This ambivalence on the part of the agricultural intel- ligentsia has created a vacu- um in agricultural leadership farmer, leaving the burden to the O.F.A. It is natural that farmers should take an ad- versary role in the Commis- sion because they recognize that they will be• the next victimsin the food chain to be absorved by the Corporate Food. Giants." "The farmer, if he is not to be the next victim of the corporate take-over, must get off the "Back Forty" and invade the market place," Mr. O'Brien urged the dele- gates. `.`He must organize collectively and the best form of organization . that has emerged is the producer - elected marketing board. It is taking its place in the free enterprise system beside the union organizationand per- mits true bargaining to take place between parties of equal, or nearly equal, strength." O.F.A. delegates applaud- ed when Mr. O'Brien said that the `horrendous cost of advertising food is an unjust- ifiable rip-off in the food. story." He went on to say that the . Food' Corporations have an enormous control over the media by the lever- age given themthrough advertising. "It not only permits : control in the indus- try'', but gives them (the Food Corporations) a second crack at the food dollar through advertising of food items." It•isMr. O'Brien's opinion that marketing boards can piotect the farmers collect- ively from the vertical inte- gration demandsf the food giants. He told his .audience thatgovernments are under constant pressure from large organizations and the media. "Farmerscan relieve some of this pressure by striking up analliance with the con- sumer. The enlightened con- sumer is our natural ally." as .it relates to the;politics of He concluded by saying: agriculture,' which the Oft-" 'The consumer ' Wants a ario Federation of Agricul- Canadian product, not an ture has. attempted to fill, import; • she wants. 'natural according to Mr. O'Brien. food, not artificial substitu-, "The recent Hearings with .tes; she wants it chemical respect to; the Discounts in free and she wants it at a fair the Food Industry ilhistrates• price. The farmer ;can guar - the, weakness of much of the antee all of these if ' he agricultural leadership. They survives. The consumer can have failed t rt the re our survival " 1 Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, December 5, 1979—Page 5 FARMERS WORWNG R • Regional'`directors for Huron County.'attending the Ontario Federation of Agriculture convention in Toronto last week were from the left, Andre Durand, South Huron; John Van Sm les -I--I- A + A camel is what a•horse, would look `like if it were put together by a corn- mitte.e. + I+ There are two kinds of people: Those who Create happiness wherever they go and those: who create happiness whenever they g9- Observing: one .of his carpenters hammering away, the job. foreman finally, said to him, `•`Man, you hammer like•light-. ning." "You mean I'm fast?" beamed the carpenter. -".No, .said the foreman, "I mean' you s'eldorn strike twice in the same place." o sua pp ensu • • ; Beers, East' Central Huron; Gerry Fortune, North East Baron; Merle Canby, North West Huron. and Jim. McIntosh, Huron West Central. 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