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The Citizen, 1991-11-06, Page 19Heavy action at Brussels sale last week Sales at Brussels Livestock for the week ending November 1 were: slaughter cattle, 1060; cows, 245; veal calves, 200; lambs and goats, 40; Stockers, 1400; pigs, 50. There was an active trade with slaughter cattle selling $1 lower from previous week. Cows sold on a steady trade. There were 780 steers on offer selling from $73.85 to $80 to the high of $87.25. Thirteen steers con­ signed by John Luttenberger, Wroxeter averaging 1072 lbs. solcT for an average of $86.15 to the high of $87.25. Two steers consigned by Doug Fenton, Wingham averaging 1100 lbs. sold for an average of $78.45 to the high of $81. One hun­ dred and eighteen steers consigned by Tom Rourke, Allenford averag­ ing 1226 lbs. sold for an average of $77.20 to the high of $82.60. There were 280 heifers on offer selling from $72.50 to $79.75 to the high of $90. One heifer consigned by Jeff Zehr, Brussels weighed 1340 lbs. sold for $90. Four heifers con­ signed by Bennett Farms, Gorrie averaging 1110 lbs. sold for an average of $84.75 to the high of $90. Fifteen heifers consigned by Wayne Rowe, Woodham, averag­ ing 1167 lbs. sold for an average of $76.40 to the high of $79.30. Eight heifers consigned by Ten Kernink, Kirkton averaging 1009 lbs. sold for an average of $76 to the high of $79.50. Two heifers consigned by Brian Jacobs, St. Marys averaging 1055 lbs. sold for an average of $75.10 to the high of $76. There were 245 cows on offer selling from $49.95 to $55 to the high of $61. One cow consigned by Jeff Hurst, Teeswater, weighed 1400 lbs. sold for $61. Three cows consigned by Dave Bell, Paisley, averaging 1427 lbs. sold for an average of $58 to the high of $60.25. Three cows consigned by Wm. McWhinney, Goderich, aver­ aging 1423 lbs. sold for an average of $54 to the high of $57. Six cows consigned by Steven Kuepfer, Newton averaging 1175 lbs. sold for an average of $52 to the high of $57.50. There were nine bulls on offer selling from $64.65 to $70 to the high of $73.75. One bull consigned by Aaron Fischer, Ayton weighed 1930 lbs. sold for $73.75. One bull consigned by Robt. Fleet, Palmer­ ston weighed 1760 lbs. sold for $72.25. There were 200 veal on offer selling from $90.20 to $97 to the high of $110. Two veal consigned by Bert Dykstra, Clinton averaging 620 lbs. sold for an average of $106.75 to the high of $107. Four veal con­ signed by Wayne Kipfer, Millbank averaging 573 lbs. sold for an aver­ age of $95.93 to the high of $104.50. Two veal consigned by Dan Z. Kuepfer, Millbank averaging 345 lbs. sold for an average of $95.39 to the high of $110. RE-ELECT GERALD WHEELER for P.U.C. COMMISSIONER BRUSSELS Speaking of Farming By Jim Fitzgerald Farmers are cleaning up their act, and the image The stereotypical image of a farmer — a “hayseed” dressed in blue overalls and chewing on a straw, while he quietly goes about doing what many people might consider an unskilled job — is certainly undergoing some radical changes in the urban press lately. Out here in the country, we’ve always known that you had to be a combination engineer, animal scientist, horticulturalist, veterinarian, mechanic, and economist to survive day to day with profit margins (or non-margins) so small that a Bay Street MBA would have given up long ago, jumped in his Mercedes and retreated to his condominium in downtown Toronto. The latest farm crisis, caused by grain prices that are lower, in real dollar terms, than the Dirty Thirties, has brought forward some articulate, intelligent, well educated spokespersons for the agriculture industry. They are making arguments that are filled with reason, pragmatism and realism, without the hot rhetoric that in the past seemed to mask the agony behind their vocal pleas. In the last four or five years, there have been some radical changes in the farm movement, as farmers, mainly through their groups and organizations, have realized they have to make their case in a way that’s understandable to the general public. In fact, in some areas, farmers have actually become very proactive, anticipating a problem before it gets blown out of proportion. Rather than reacting to it when it becomes a crisis, forcing the government to intervene after a problem has become public, farmers are now asking the government for laws beforehand in a move unheard of a decade ago. Increasingly, farmers are concerned with the environment, and the effect their operations are having on it and their organizations are demanding action now. Such is the case with AG Care, which stands for Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment. AG Care is an umbrella organization formed by 10 farm groups ranging from cash crop farmers to flower growers to the large farm groups like the Federation of Agriculture and the Christian Farmers. Altogether, their 45,000 farmers represent a powerful voice. They have become a very proactive group, anticipating that farmers have to clean up their own act first on issues of pest management, farming practices, food safety, and the environment. They were instrumental in prodding the Ontario government to set up a grower pesticide safety course, which 38,000 of the province’s farmers have taken in the past two years. They asked for and obtained mandatory certification for farmers who buy, handle, and use sprays, so that all producers would be aware of the necessity for proper application of the right pesticide at the proper time. AG Care’s farmers also want a safe manner of disposing of pesticide containers, and have been active in formulating a sustainable agriculture policy, as well as participating in the making of a comprehensive environmental agenda for the agriculture sector. So anxious is this farm group to clean up their own act first, that they have initiated another new program which will undergo a pilot test here in Huron county and two other counties this month. AG Care wants to safely dispose of unused, out of date, and deregistered pesticides that are laying around in the back comers of bams, garages, and implement sheds. And as many of us who are familiar with agriculture know, there is always a little left over from spraying — part of a bag of this, half a jug of that — that may not be enough for another tank next spring. Or maybe you've changed your spray program and it’s no longer used at all. Up until now, it was too expensive or inconvenient to dispose of them properly. Either the chemicals sat forgotten on the shelf like a potential time bomb, or quietly “disappeared” in the “back forty” in the middle of the night, or ended up in municipal garbage dumps. With co-operation and financial support from the provincial ministries of environment and agriculture and food, AG Care has arranged for a collection site at the Centralia College research farm, where farmers can carefully bring these unused pesticides on November 20 and 21. There, a professional waste management firm, complete with men in white suits and high tech containers, will take these pesticides off the farmers’ hands, no questions asked, and safely dispose of them. So far, over 50 fanners have phoned ahead to bring in pesticides, and hopefully, this program will prove such a success here, that it will be expanded across the province, and farmers will prove again they care just as much about the environment as the radicals in the urban areas. TUESDAYS THURSDAYS FRIDAYS 11 a.m. Slaughter Cattle & Cows 11 a.m. Veal, Goats, Sheep & Lambs 10:30 a.m. Pigs 11:00a.m. Stockers BRUSSELS 887-6461 THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6,1991. PAGE 19. Soil and Crop meeting Nov. 28 in Varna hall BY BRIAN HALL FARM MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST FOR HURON COUNTY The annual meeting and banquet for the Huron Soil & Crop Improvement Association is to be on Thursday, November 28, 6:30 p.m. at the Stanley Township Com­ munity Centre, Varna. Tickets are available through your local soil and crop director or the OMAF Office in Clinton. Ticket deadline is November 21. There will be some big winners in the crop variety trials, especially for corn and soybeans with the excellent yields in many areas of the County. Presentations will be made on the corn and soybean trials, nitrogen soil testing trials on com, cereal varieties, conservation tillage trials, and the Land Stewardship program. One feature speaker will be Gerald Pocchman, Gerald Farms near Hanover and will be speaking on “Strategies for Low Input Agricul­ ture”. Please remember to send in your variety trials and other projects to the OMAF Office, Clinton prior to November 15. RE-ELECT SHIRLEY FYFE FOR COUNCIL VILLAGE OF BLYTH St. Svwit& • GATES •FEEDERS *ETC. at Brussels Stockyards OPEN: TUESDAY, THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS $2.00 discount on long distance phon, orders | 669-4472 VIC ZIESKE NOW OPEN! AGRI-SERVICES LOCATED AT BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK R.R. #3 BRUSSELS CALL 887-9391 We are one of the largest suppliers of feed to the Canadian farmer offering a complete line of feeds, supplements, premixes, and minerals for all animal species. Brussels Agri-Servlces can offer you a quality performance proven and competitive feed to meet your needs. MIKE CHAMBERS Manager XT / JACK ROBINSON Sales & Service OPEN Monday -1 p.m. -5 p.m. Tuesday - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday-9 a.m.-8 p.m.