HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1991-12-18, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1991.
Fight critics with facts, dairy farmers told
Dairy farmers need to be more
active in getting the truth out about
supply management marketing
boards, a speaker told the 100 dairy
farmers at the annual Huron Coun
ty Dairy Day at the Blyth and Dis
trict Community Centre Thursday.
Tom Core of Lambton county
said that there is a lot of misinfor
mation, speculation and innuendo
in the media these days about sup
ply management but "if we have
Sales remain steady
at Brussels Livestock sale
Sales at Brussels Livestock for
the week ending December 13
were: slaughter cattle, 1175; cows,
330; veai calves, 305; lambs and
goats, 100; stockers, 1200; pigs,
175.
This weeks' trade was steady
with the previous week.
There were 772 steers on offer
selling from $70.90 to $83 to the
high of $91.50.
Seven steers consigned by Joe
Michlowski, Palmerston averaging
1040 lbs. sold for an average of
$87.45 to the high of $91.50. Six
steers consigned by Dean Aldwin-
kle, Vama averaging 1213 lbs. sold
for an average of $83.25 to the high
of $85.50.
Twenty steers consigned by K &
A Beef Farms, Wroxeter, averaging
1123 lbs. sold for an average of
$82.45 to the high of $86.75. Nine
steers consigned by John Lutten-
bergcr, Wroxeter averaging 1103
lbs. sold for an average of $81.30
to the high of $86. Five steers con
signed by Calvin Semple, Ethel,
averaging 1360 lbs. sold for an
average of $81.20 to the high of
$84.
Seven steers consigned by Eric
Pott, Orangeville averaging 1191
lbs. sold for an average of $81.05
to the high of $83. Fifty-seven
steers consigned by W. B. Pletch
Co. Ltd., Rockwood averaging
1264 lbs. sold for an average of
$80.35 to the high of $86. Twenty-
three steers consigned by Gerald
Giesel, Elmira, averaging 1400 lbs.
sold for an average of $80.15 to the
high of $83.75. Thirty-four steers
consigned by Maple Ridge Farms,
Brussels averaging 1295 lbs. sold
for an average of $79.45 to the high
of $81.80.
• Thirty-six steers consigned by
Cunningham Farms, Lucan averag
ing 1485 lbs. sold for an average of
$77.40 to the high of $85. Twenty-
four steers consigned by Bill Hay
den, Goderich averaging 1444 lbs.
sold for an average of $75.50 to the
high of $84.75. Ten steers con
signed by Glen Johnston, Bluevale
averaging 1279 lbs. sold for an
average of $76.70 to the high of
$81.50.
There were 403 heifers on offer
selling from $70 to $81.50 to the
high of $81.75.
One heifer consigned by Tevor
King, Gorrie weighed 1100 lbs.
sold for $81.75.
One heifer consigned by Dale
Sterling, Clinton, weighed 1240
lbs. sold for $81.25. Forty-two
heifers consigned by Robert Stew
art, Mount Forest, averaging 1281
lbs. sold for an average of $79.10
the facts we can shoot down these
people."
He mentioned a recent attack on
supply management by business
columnist Dianne Frances and an
article in a consumers magazine by
a writer who suggested the pricing
formula for dairy products was off
base because it allowed farmers the
average industrial wage of $12 an
hour but farmers weren't worth that
much. So much of the media today
is ready to print anything from any
body, he said. "We are the most
important people in Canada. I'm
very, very sure that what I make for
who I do is not excessive," he said.
"I can't believe that anybody at the
London Free Press or the Globe
and Mail wants us to produce food
at cost." He said he was sure that
every person in that room was
doing the best job he or she knew
how. He said farmers needed to get
the information on supply manage-
to the high of $83. Six heifers con
signed by Bell Hackett, Lucknow
averaging 1078 lbs. sold for an
average of $78.65 to the high of
$81. Twelve heifers consigned by
Wayne King, Gorrie averaging
1068 lbs. sold for an average of
$78.35 to the high of $82.60.
Twenty-one heifers consigned by
Terry Murray, Clifford, averaging
1208 lbs. sold for an average of
$77.85 to the high of $85.75. Six
heifers consigned by Neil Rintoul,
Lucknow averaging 1205 lbs. sold
for an average of $77.70 to the high
of $81.50. Thirteen heifers con
signed by Ken Johnston, Bluevale
averaging 1038 lbs. sold for an
average of $77.70 to the high of
$82.25.
Six heifers consigned by David
Proper, Wingham, averaging 1007
lbs. sold for an average of $76.85
to the high of $80. Four heifers
consigned by Aaron Fischer, Ayton
averaging 1125 lbs. sold for an
average of $77.50 to the high of
$83.
There were 330 cows on offer
selling from $44.75 to $57.50 to
the high of $68.
One cow consigned by Dale
Anderson, Listowel weighed 1200
lbs. sold for $62.75. Three cows
consigned by Warden and Glen
Haney, Seaforth averaging 1373
lbs. sold for an average of $59.90
to the high of $68. One cow con
signed by John Van Loo, Bluevale
weighed 860 lbs. sold for $59.75.
Two cows consigned by Charle
McLeod, Glen Huron, averaging
1205 lbs. sold for an average of
$59.50 to the high of $61. Two
cows consigned by Gord Hender
son, Brucefield, averaging 1350
lbs. sold for an average of $58.50
to the high of $60.
There were 305 veal on offer
selling from $72.50 to $90 to the
high of $104. Three veal consigned
by Allan Royce, Listowel averag
ing 483 lbs. sold for an average of
$99 to the high of $100. Two veal
consigned by Doug Orth, Listowel
averaging 420 lbs. sold for an aver
age of $95.96 to the high of $98.
Three veal consigned by Dave
Elphick, Lucknow averaging 520
lbs. sold for an average of $94.35
to the high of $95. Three veal con
signed by Doug Marroit, St. Marys
averaging 537 lbs. sold for an aver
age of $93.95 to the high of $104.
One veal consigned by Willard
Seigner, Mildmay weighed 580 lbs.
sold for $93.50. Three veal con
signed by Dr. Keith Dunston, Mild
may averaging 547 lbs. sold for an
average of $91.65 to the high of
$103.
ment so they could gel the real
truth out.
Mr. Core, who operates a 600
acre, 80-cow dairy farm with his
brothers Ron and John (chairman
of the Ontario Milk Marketing
Board) was speaking on position
ing farming business to meet the
challenges of the future in the diary
industry. He said he based his com
ments on the premise that supply
management would remain in
effect. He said there is a really neg
ative attitude on the farm right now
and farmers need to put themselves
in contact with other people who
are positive about the future of
farming. "It's real important to stay
out of the coffee shop", he said,
saying he had been in one twice in
his life and that was more than
enough.
Among the challenges he has set
for his own operation, he said, is to
Huron's John Stafford heads
Gay Lea Foods' board of directors
John Stafford, RR 1, Wroxeter
was elected Chairman of the Board
of Directors of Gay Lea Foods Co
operative Limited at a Board meet
ing following the annual meeting
held on December 5 at the Holiday
Inn, Guelph, Ontario.
Mr. Stafford operates a farm with
his family in the area between
Wroxeter and Belmore and has
served on the Gay Lea Board since
1977. Also elected to the executive
were John Hill, RR 4, Owen
Sound, First Vice Chairman and
Don Ahrens, RR 2, Elmwood, Sec
ond Vice Chairman.
Fred Meier, RR 4, Brussels was
re-elected as a Director Zone 1„
The Co-operatives' pre-tax earn
ings was down from last year's
level and sales increased by 8.7 per
cent to $157,000,000.
The Co-operative will pay a com
mon share dividend of $.60 per
common share and a patronage div
idend to its milk and cream produc
er members returning over
If you're “caught up” on a Christmas Gift...
Send them a gift for every week!
A Christmas Gift Subscription
52 weeks of the year, they'll be kept up to date on local
happenings, events, who’s, what's, where’s, when's and why's
... we ll send them an attractive card on your behalf too!
Find enclosed $20.50 ($38.26 If over 40 miles
from Brussels) for a 1-year subscription for:
Name.............................................................. ..............
Address........................................................................
Postal Code.................................................................
Send a gift card from............................................
get better computerized informa
tion so he could maximize income
per stall on the farm and look at the
cost of production for both his
dairy and his cropping operations.
He also challenged himself to
improve herd health.
Il's important for farmers to keep
up on information, he said, "read,
ask questions and attend meetings,"
he said.
He said he wanted to change his
own thinking to look at manure as a
resource instead of a problem. He
warned that the environment will
be the issue of the future, saying
we're about 10 years behind the
trends in Europe. Milk house
wastes will likely have to be held in
a tank, then spread on the fields, he
said. There would have to be more
control of runoff from manure stor
age areas and farmers are probably
not going to be allowed to spread
$478,000 in dividends to member
shareholders.
Gay Lea Foods Co-operative
Limited has operated dairy and
food processing facilities in Ontario
BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK
Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.
UPCOMING SALES
Santa is getting
manure in winter when the ground
is frozen and can't absorb it.
"Each of us can do things about
that (the environment) now," he
said. "We don't need input from
government. We know the prob
lems we have. We can do some
thing about it a little bit at a time."
Farmers need to develop a per
sonal awareness, he said. "We have
to understand more about ourselves
so we can learn to deal with the
world the way it is, not the way
we'd like it to be." Farmers need to
find ways to get their minds off
their problems, all the way from
meditation to taking long walks
every day. And farmers need to
communicate more, to care about
one another and develop a sense of
community.
Farmers need to set goals for
themselves and write them down,
but be flexible enough to change as
circumstances change. They should
be willing to hire specialists to take
in the complicated knowledge that
they can't possibly lake in them
selves: everything from accoun
tants to herd health specialists to
animal nutritionists but the farmer
must still know enough to be able
to evaluate the advice the experts
pass on.
“Caught
Up”
on a
little
reading
50
■
(•38.26 If over 40 miles
from Brussels)
The North Huron
itizen
P.O. BOX 429, BLYTH, ONTARIO NOM 1 HO
P.O. BOX 152, BRUSSELS, ONTARIO NOG 1 HO