HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-01-22, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22,1997
Huron Cty. Bee f Producers
Producers discuss
animal rights
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen, staff
The voice of the animal rights
activists is not the right one to be
heard as far as Huron County Beef
Producers are concerned.
At their annual meeting on Jan.
15 in Brussels, one producer, James
Armstrong, RR3 .Bayfield,
expressed his concern regarding a
report he had heard on television,
during which a member of AA
asked that animals be banned from
the Royal Winter Fair. He was wor
ried that through things like this,
young people get the wrong mes
sages. He wondered whether the
beef producers should be putting
together an education package for
the schools.
Peter Doris, a special projects
manager with the Ontario Cattle
men's Association, said that it was
his understanding the Alliance was
focussing this effort strictly on
what happens at the Royal, not at a
factory farm. "Farmers do care
about their animals. That's the mes
sage you want to get out."
Another Ron Bennett, RR1, Gor-
rie noted that a rebuttal had been
televised the next day. "It was well-
editted and low-key. I think we
broke even, but it certainly is some
thing to be concerned about."
HCBP director Kittie MacGregor
of RR1, Londesboro, said that
while the Slice of Huron, an educa
tion fair, which had been held in
Seaforth the past several years,
was not going to be continued as it
had, the intent was to take the pro
gram into the schools. "We want to
make sure that the kids are educat
ed about agriculture," she said.
Though agreeing the issue must
be dealt with, Past President Ken
Alton, RR7, Lucknow warned that
reacting might just provide AA
with more ammunition.
Cam Procter of RR5, Brussels
said he had volunteered last year at
a Slice of Huron and was surprised
at how very little children did know
about the industry. "We would be
best working in our community.
Kids aren't stupid, but they had no
idea of things, we think of as every
day stuff. They were just gobbling
up the information we gave them."
MacGregor said that when volun
teers begin going into the schools
help would be needed from HCBP
members. "We have to get out there
and make sure that the community
has the right message."
Beef exec
The executive of the Huron County Beef Producers was elected on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at
the annual meeting in Brussels. Back row, from left: Second Vice, Cam Procter; First Vice,
Alan Powe; OCA Director, Ken Flanagan. Front: President, Doug Howatt; Secretary-
Treasurer Rosemarie Bishop; Past President, Ken Alton.
HCBP elects executives SHARP DEALS
ON QUALITY - CLEAN
READY-TO-GO
Bean prices stay up
for organic farmers
Prices for organically farmed
crops like edible soybeans should
remain high, Steve Speller of W. G.
Thompson & Sons Ltd., told the
fall conference of the Ecological
Farmers Association of Ontario in
Ethel
The prices for organic crops did
n't react to the pressures that drove
conventionally-produced crops to
record highs this year but they're
not dropping back the way these
crops are, Speller told the day-long
conference attended by about 70
fanners. At $18 a bushel for organ
ic soys and $23 for organic natto
beans, more conventional farmers
are looking at turning to organic
agriculture, he said. Land that has
been in sod for pasture for several
years is being broken up for crops.
Speller said Thompsons got into
organic grains because their cus
tomers in Asia asked them for
organic beans. The move also fit
the company philosophy of aiming
at specialty markets, he said and
because their Ailsa Craig branch
has 90 individual storage tanks,
ranging from 1,200 to 10,000
bushels, it was possible to separate
the organic crops, unlike large silo
elevators. The company's experi
ence in handling certified seed
allowed it to more easily adjust to
the paper trail required to guarantee
organic certification, Speller said.
But he warned farmers looking at
selling their crops that quality is
demanded by Asian buyers. They
can buy soybeans closer to home
for less but they come to Canada
because of the quality Thompsons
has been shipping them, he said.
That means farmers have to keep
adhered soil out of the beans
because it gives an off-taste to soy
milk and tofu. It means that keep
ing weed stains off beans and
reducing auger damage is essential.
Thompsons also sells smaller
quantities of organic wheat, oats,
rye and spelt. Most of the wheat
goes to smaller bakeries in Canada
and the U.S., he said. Larger bak
eries are unlikely to start an organic
line of bread unless they can be
guaranteed a continuous supply of
organic flour, he said.
There was a shortage of spelt this
past year because of winter-kill
problems, he said and prices will
likely remain strong. Thompsons
will be contracting with farmers for
organic crops from December
through until planting time.
Harold Saunders of Elginfield
discussed growing soybeans and
com for the organic market on his
farm which has heavy clay soil.
Generally this has been used for
feed for his livestock, he says, but
this year he had enough left over
for sale. While he regularly grew
black hilum soybeans from his own
seed, this year he used a yellow
hilum bean designed for human
consumption. This variety doesn't
work well in keeping down weed
pressure because it didn't fill in the
rows with foliage, Saunders said. It
was probably intended for a nar
rower-row cultivation system than
the 30-inch row system he uses.
Soybeans are included in his
Continued on page 11
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By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
Only one resolution came for
ward at the Huron County Beef
Producers annual meeting in Brus
sels on Jan. 15.
Neil Rintoul, RR2, Lucknow,
made a motion regarding the bi
weekly "Canadian Cattlebuyers"
bulletin. Due to government cut
backs, the George Morris Agency
was now publishing the bulletin at
a cost of $85 a year to subscribers.
OMAFRA had distributed them
before at no cost to the members.
Rintoul sought support for his
resolution that OCA help cover
some of the cost for the’publica-
tion. The motion carried.
Jack Flanagan, RR1, Dublin was
returned as OCA director. Ken
Alton is first alternate and Alan
Powe is second.
Elected to the executive was:
President Doug Howatt, RR1, Bel
grave; First Vice, Alan Powe, RR1,
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Exeter; Second Vice, Cam Procter,
RR5, Brussels. Past President is
Ken Alton, RR7, Lucknow.
Delegates to the OCA annual
meeting in Toronto this February
are: Powe, Co Zondag, Ron Ben
nett, Howatt, Gordon Gross, Proc
ter, Alton, Bill Haines, Ralph-Scott,
Paul Coultes, Bob Bell. Alternates
are: Rintoul, Glenn Coultes, Har
vey Hoggarth and Don Kerslake.
In her report, HCBP Secretary
Treasurer Rosemarie Bishop noted
a bank balance of $2,715.51. This
was down considerably from the
Dec. 31, 1995 balance of
$5,953.67, due primarily to the
investment of $4,000 in a GIC,
which will mature Sept. 9.
The County Beef Herd Improve
ment Association was in a deficit
position of $538.16, Weigh fees
brought an income of $770, while
weighman fees, insurance and scale
repair totalled $1,308.16.
Miscellaneous income, from car
cass competition was $1,300.
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