HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-03-19, Page 45THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1997. PAGE A-25.
Agriculture '97
Stapleton took time in planning for future
Continued from A-24
pain medication was administered.
Stapleton had fractured two ver
tebrae in his lower back. The sharp
edges of one, having been crushed
into three pieces, damaged his
spinal cord and sent shocks of
excruciating pain through his body,
when he tried to move.
Recovery
It was that spinal cord damage
which resulted in a loss of feeling
and mobility in his feet, which
though improved through months
of therapy, is a daily reminder of
that day 10 years ago.
As Stapleton spent the next sev
eral months in hospital and therapy
to recover the use of the lower half
of his legs, his wife, Nancy, and
five daughters, Heather-Ann,
Christine, Mary-Katherine, Mau
reen and Patricia, along with the
much-appreciated assistance of
neighbours, kept the family far run
ning.
Stapleton returned home in
August, though therapy continued.
He was unable to help with chores
such as giving the cattle bags of
feed because of the need to balance
himself with one hand. However,
he quickly found he could still
drive a tractor.
A full 14 months after the acci
dent, the Stapletons were undecid
ed if they would be able to remain
on the farm or, if they did, how the
running of the business would have
to be changed to accommodate Sta
pleton’s abilities.
Making adjustments
“One of the first things we had to
do,” says Stapleton, “was to keep a
very close eye on the books. We
had to know if we were losing
money before it got too far.”
During those first months at
home, Stapleton says they hired a
man to help out with the chores or
traded work with neighbours.
“There was a young man who
had just started farming, but didn’t
have some of the equipment so we
would trade machinery time for
labour.”
“Each year, I found I could do
more and, with Nancy’s help, we
were able to look after the opera
tion.”
“I’m getting better at the things I
can do and using machines where I
can’t. Every farm task we do takes
the two of us, he says.”
One component of the Stapleton
farm which did change was feedlol
cattle. Care of the animals was too
difficult for Stapleton to handle.
Nancy still has 25 to 30 animals
in her cow-calf operation, but she
docs that because she likes it, he
says. “If she wasn’t interested, it
would only be cash crops. I can’t
deliver a calf. Nancy does that.”
As it turned out, Stapleton’s deci
sion to get out of feedlot cattle
came at the right time. The land
which had been used to grow silage
was planted in cash crops. “1988
was the first year we grew soy
beans. The economics were good.”
Over the 10 years since his acci
dent, Stapleton says cash crops
have done slightly better than cat
tle.
Stapleton has changed the way he
fills the seed drill before heading
into the field. Instead of lifting a
bag of seed to the top of the drill
for dumping, the bag is pushed
onto a loader lift to the correct
height, then poured off.
As for his operation of farm
machinery, Stapleton says he is
more safely conscious and still very
nervous around round bales.
“I give them special treatment
and I particularly don’t like to see
them above the height of the trac
tor.”
Taking time
Stapleton is contemplative when
asked what was the one thing he
learned from his accident. Il was
not a farm safety hint or fortitude in
a time of difficulty, but “lake your
lime in making decisions for the
future.”
“If someone is injured, they
should make as few changes as
possible for the first year or so,” he
says. “It is easy to overreact. It is
wise not to make changes hastily,
but instead'go through another full
year of the farm operation”
“We took the time to think it out,
talk it over and see what worked
and what didn’t.”
“We kept very good books and
saw there was no change in our
standard of living with the changes
which were made in the early
years.”
By giving matters full c6nsidcra-
tion, Stapleton says they could then
be satisfied with their decision and
never look back.
Through it all, the Stapletons
credit their family, friends and
neighbours with pulling them
through the lough times and being
there for support when needed, on
their own initiative.
Though Stapleton still requires
braces on the lower half of both
legs to increase his mobility out
side, he says things are just about
back to normal.
A Parliamentary Perspective on Agriculture
MP reflects on past seasons
By Paul Steckle
MP, Huron-Bruce
Farmers experienced an
unusual year in 1996. The
wet spring made it difficult to
get onto the land, and it
seems like yesterday when
farmers were struggling to
get their crops off before
winter arrived and the soggy autumn weather
extended the harvesting season long after the snow
began to fly.
All things considered, the return on crops was still
quite good.
Wiarton Willy indicated that spring is just around
the comer, which means that spring planting is in the
minds of many farmers. As you ponder the months
that lie ahead, I would like to take the opportunity to
reflect upon the months that have passed.
Many fanners and agricultural organizations have
been in touch with me regarding their dngoing
frustrations with the Pest Management Regulatory
Agency, PMRA, and its proposed cost-recovery
mechanisms. The size of the agency has been capped
at $27.3 million instead of $34 million due to the fact
that PMRA staff are no longer dispersed between
three separate departments, Agriculture and Agri
food, Environment and Health.
This measure has allowed the budget to be reduced
by $7 million and at the same time improve the
system by pursuing efficiencies in existing programs
and designing new programs in a cost effective
manner. Also, the amount of cost recovery revenue is
dropping by 25 per cent, from the projected $16.5
million to $12.3 million because the government
recognizes that it would be unfair for stake-holders to
have to pay for a work backlog that should have been
eliminated before the agency was created in 1995.
The onerous costs of own use permits have been
waived from the fee regulation due to the concerns
and interventions of numerous farmers.
Canadian Farmers have marked their place in world
trade. When the United States challenged our
Canadian WTO tariff equivalents, we fought, and we
won the battle to defend legitimate Canadian trade
rights. Since 1993, the dollar-value of Canadian agri
food exports have jumped by more than 40 per cent to
reach $18.8 billion in 1996, a surplus of $5.6 billion.
We are now only $1.2 billion away from reaching our
goal of $20 billion.
To assist our farmers locally on an international
scale we have implemented the Canadian Agri Food
Trade Service, the Canadian Agri-Food Marketing
Council, the Canadian Agri-food Trade Network (on
the global Information Highway), and the Canadian
Agri-food Credit Facility, all of which prove
favourable to the success of Agriculture and Agri-food
in Canada.
Technology is an incredible science; it has touched
the lives of people in every sector, in every part of the
world. Agriculture and agri-food have been, and will
continue to be, recipients of beneficial technological
advances.
Bacillus thuringensis, better known as Bt, is a kind
of soil bacteria that provides its own insecticides that
protect itself from being attacked by a wide range of
insects, without harming those insects that are helpful
to the food chain. It is common knowledge that when
large volumes of crops are damaged before the farmer
has an opportunity to harvest, prices increase
throughout the food system, for both producers and
consumers. It has been proven that Bt has positive
results on crops, the environment and the economy.
Round-up Ready soybeans are a product of
biotechnology research. Many farmers have problems
conquering weeds each and every season. Recently
the federal government approved the use of Round-up
at one litre per acre in 10 to 20 gallons of water per
acre, with up to two post-emerge sprays between the
first trifoliate and early flowering.
The government realizes the significance of the
Canadian agricultural community. Therefore, we have
maintained our commitment to rural Canada with new
measures that were announced in the 1997 budget.
The FCC is an important financial instrument to rural
Canada that provides economic growth enhancement.
The government has financed the FCC with an
additional $50 million in capital to expand its capacity
to support growth and diversification. The government
has also affirmed our obligation to continue to seek
innovative approaches to ensure' that the FCC and
other federal Crown financial agencies work closely
together to enhance the economic development of
rural Canada, particularly the agri-business sector.
It has been said many times before that teamwork
equals success. Recently, a committee made up of
Liberal members of parliament and chicken producers
was formed to keep the government abreast of issues
that are of concern to them. The recent unanimous
decision by the dispute trade panel regarding the
United States challenge to Canada's supply
management systems reinforces the strength of our
dairy and poultry sectors.
These are just a few of the issues that have had my
attention over the past year. As always, I welcome
your concerns, and with your continued intervention,
we will achieve the desired outcomes.
Remember, safely first, as you begin your spring
planting.
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