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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-09-02, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2,1992. Speaking of Farming By Keith Roulston How can you be a farmer and still be a good businessperson? One of the things that most upsets farmers is that most people, even the people they're dealing with on a regular basis, don't understand what farming is all about. Bankers, suppliers, processors, even agricultural economists seem to try to take assumptions from the regular business world and try to apply them to farming. If farmers would just be more business-like, they say, they wouldn't continually be asking for handouts. There's no doubt there are farmers, just as there are people in other businesses, who aren't very sharp business people. Still, it's a lot harder to be a good businessman in most commodities in farming than it is in business. Say you were a "progressive", aggressive businessperson­ farmer. You may have gone to the same crops workshop I went to late last winter trying to get the competitive edge that greater knowledge is supposed to gain you in this information era. You may have heard the same speaker I heard who predicted there was a good chance this year that com and soybean prices were going to hit levels unseen in years. No guarantee, mind you, but a good chance. You might have followed that up by reading more forecasts that told you the world carry-over food supply was the lowest it had been since 1975 (if you looked back you'd see that the last boom in cereal grain prices followed that short­ age). One crop failure in any major grain-growing area, the article, and the speaker noted, would drive up prices. In addition, the effects of El Nino generally had already caused planting and harvest problems in some areas of the world and in the past, El Nino had caused drought in the U.S. combelt. Armed with this knowledge, the far-seeing businessperson-farmer would seize the business opportunity and go out and order plenty of soy­ bean and com seed, preparing to put all the acres into those crops he could. He might even rent extra land to take advantage of the situation. He goes to his banker who of course asks for a cash flow projection. Being conservative, he puts down only half the increase the experts have predicted. Of course as he was making this decision, maybe a million other farmers are also making the same decision, already confounding predic­ tion of shortage. Even if our knowledgeable farmer-businessperson is alone in his vision, however, how can he predict that we'll get frost in the first week of official summer? How can he predict we'll have the coldest dampest weather in living memory, that his com will be three weeks behind and his beans will stand still waiting for heat that never comes. How can he also predict that the rains that weren't expected in the midwest suddenly come? Traders who were predicting higher prices now start dumping their futures orders. Prices instead of going up, sud­ denly are even lower than last year. Traders, of course, have ways of making money whether the price goes up or down but farmers don’t. Now our good farmer-businessman, who made all the right business­ like decision faces probably poor yields and poor prices— that is if he can get his crop off at all. And if he needs a crop insurance payout, some newspaper commentator or university economist will be talking about how inefficient farmers are. Why can't they be like other business operators? Rural manufacturing focus of conference services and the Approximately 250 community leaders, researchers, development practitioners and policymakers will come together this Oct. 22, 22, 23 in Goderich to examine the future of rural manufacturing and tradeable communities that depend upon them. “Stimulating Rural Economies: The Challenge for Rural Manufacturing and Tradeable Services” will focus on several key policy issues related to rural economic development. They will attempt to define what barriers hinder the creation of rural and small town manufacturing and services jabs in addition to discussing whether or not manufacturing is a viable development option for small communities in the new global economy? Participants will also be asked what lessons successful rural and small town entrepreneurs can offer. The conference provides an opportunity to share experiences and ideas on rural economic development from across Canada, the United States and Europe. Following the conference, there will be a post-conference tour of local plants, industries and sites of interest. For information, contact: Paul Nichol, Huron County Planning and Development Department, Goderich, Ontario, N7A 1M2 Tel: (519) 524-2188 or Fax (519) 524- 5677. BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd._ __UPCOMING SALES TUESDAYS 9 a.m THURSDAYS FRIDAYS Finished Cattle& Cows Dropped Calves Veals followed by Goats Sheep & Lambs 11:00 a.m. Stocker Cattle 1:00 p.m. Pigs 11:00 a.m. Environmental improvements should be voluntary on farmers’ behalf Planning for improved environ­ mental standards on farms must be voluntary on the part of each fanner, Dr. Terry Daynard, execu­ tive vice president of the Ontario Com Producers Association. Dr. Daynard, who sits on the board of the Environmental Coali­ tion which has proposed a system of farmers setting up environmental plans for their farms, told those at the Conservation Day at the farm of Don and Alison Lobb near Clinton Thursday that the Coalition had two concerns in formulating its plan: that such plans not be manda­ tory and that the information given by farmers in formulating environ­ mental plans for their farms be con­ fidential. "We can't see any way this will work if farmers have to do it," Dr. Daynard said. If farmers get involved because they want to improve the environmental aspects of their farm they will do a better job than if they are forced, he said. The coalition, which includes rep­ resentatives from the Ontario Fed­ eration of Agriculture, Christian Farmers Federation, Ecological Farmers of Ontario, AgCare and the Ontario Farm Animal Council, is trying to convince governments that there should be an incentive for farmers who take the time to com­ plete an environmental plan. The federal government has indicated that some of its Green Plan money may be available for the program. While specific information sup­ plied by farmers in formulating their farm plans should be confi­ dential to themselves and the com­ mittee of their neighbours who help them design the plan, the general information may be useful in iden­ tifying programs needed by farm­ ers. The environmental plan program will begin with a series of work­ shops similar to those held for the land stewardship program, Dr. Daynard said. Next about 50 farm­ ers will be guinea pigs as the Coali­ tion tries out its plans to formulate a plan. This winter 500 farmers in five or six counties will have a chance to take part in the program as the Coalition moves closer to large scale implementation of the plans. It hopes that by the fall of 1993-94 it will be ready to work on a large scale with farmers across Ontario. "By the end of the decade we hope to have most farmers enrolled." He described response from the government has been better than expected. There were noises from the new NDP government soon after it was elected in 1990 about tougher regulations "but the rhetoric seems to have dropped". Environmental groups have also been positive in their response and many seem to be pulling back from farm issues, targeting other con­ cerns instead. The Environmental Farm Plan offers a unique trend for the future, Dr. Daynard said. It is totally con­ trolled by farmers, totally led by farmers with government officials advising farmers instead of the usual role of farmers advising offi­ cials. Farmers are generally acknowl­ edged by society as good environ­ mentalists and rank very high in credibility, Dr. Daynard said. He is also a member of an energy-orient­ ed committee looking into the problem of greenhouse gases, invit­ ed to take part because of ethanol production from com. He said he realized, looking around the table, that as a com farmer, he was the only one around the table who was helping reduce greenhouse gases. Farmers take carbon dioxide out of the air and put it into the soil through growing plants, he said and reduced tillage helps. "Every lime you work the soil you put a match to it," as far as creating more green­ house gases, he said. (S) THAT'S HOW MANY CANADIANS ARE LAWN BOWLERS SELINGER WOOD LTD. PSRTIClPdCTIOn KILN DRIED HARDWOOD FIREWOOD -NOW AVAILABLE- first COME, FIRST SERVED OPEN 7:30-12 & 1 -4:30 Monday to Friday 524-2651 the First South West Ontario _ ISNO SHOW & 13, 1992 Saturday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday: Noon ■ 5 p.m. September 12 < at Seaforth Community Centre Snowmobiles, ATws, Trailers, ' 5|C Clothing, Vacation Packages & Tours, Skiing Equipment & much more Sponsored by brussels.walton For more information contact: Jim Bauer at 345-2248 or 345-2526 or fax 522-0131TRAILBLAZERS ATTENTION: Businesses, Manufacturers, Conservation Groups, & Special Interest Groups interested in improving the environment. The North Huron Environment Group invites you to take part in an Environment Fair being held: Thursday, October 1,1992 Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre in Brussels from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The public is keenly aware of the problems facing our environment but need exposure to both groups and products that can make a difference. If you are interested in setting up a display of environmentally friendly products or services or an environmental information display at the Fair, please contact Donna White at the number below for registration information. Donna White Chairperson North Huron Environment Group 887-6572 North Huron , Community Development "A. North Huron Community Development Committee Project"