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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-07-28, Page 7THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1999. PAGE 7. Approaching, the. Millennium Agriculture - yesterday, today and tommorrow By Janice Becker Citizen staff From the days of the horse and one furrow plow to the mammoth farm machinery of today, agricultur­ al operations have changed tremen­ dously over the last century. As we move closer to the new millennium, we have the opportuni­ ty both to look back at how far we have come and speculate on what the future will bring. Though the younger generation of farmers may not remember the days when small acreages could feed the family and equipment required a lot of manual assistance, there are sev­ eral places and events which pro­ vide a wonderful glimpse into agri­ cultural history. Thresher reunions across the province reunited the disappearing group of men who once travelled the countryside with huge steam engines and threshing machines, doing the work one man and a com­ bine can now accomplish in a day. At the turn of the century, farming was not just work and a way of life, but a social gathering. While the men sweated in the fields, the women would spend the day preparing the meal. It was a time of community, of talking over troubles and laughing at the fun. However, as technology contin­ ued to improve the equipment avail­ able to farmers and the boom years after the war increased prosperity creating purchasing power, it was no longer necessary to have a gang of men help with the harvest. With the farms generally still small, the family could usually han­ dle the work. Combining may have still been hired out, but this could be complet­ ed by the neighbour' with the machinery who just harvested the local farms. As the size of the equipment grew, so did the farm units, corporate farms began to emerge as the way of the future. Thousands of acres were purchased and managed through a head office. The changing face of agriculture saw the gradual demise of family farms. Fewer farmers could provide for their families solely off the avails of their 100-acre cash crop, mixed livestock operation. Farming may have remained as a way of life for many, but the family income was being derived from off- farm sources. e As the 1990s dawned, computer­ ized equipment began to move into th agricultural sector. Combines with global positioning hardware allowed tracking of field inputs and nutrient requirements on specific sections of fields. Faxes and eventu­ ally e-mail became the means of communication between suppliers, machinery and seed dealers and their customers. The explosion of internet usage in the last few years has decreased the need for human contact. Equipment dealers For Brian and Jeff McGavin of McGavin Farm Equipment and Supply in Walton, the increased technology and move to larger oper­ ations has meant a huge change in their business. Once a small family operation which supplied the local area and met the needs of neighbours, now as part of an amalgamated farm equip­ ment corporation, Brian says their business is expected to serve a wider area and move more volume. “We work with fewer farmers today. Where there were once 10 farmers on a sideroad, there now may be two or three.” As individual equipment dealers are closed by the head office or amalgamated with one in a neigh­ bouring community, Brian says it also brings more headaches for the business owner. Expected to serve a larger territo­ ry, it means more equipment on hand, more inventory and more staff. There are a lot of growing pains, he says. With changing technology, both in the equipment and office operations, Brian says huge capital investments are needed to keep abreast. Computerized diagnostic equip­ ment is needed in the repair shop to fix machinery and the latest comput­ ers and internet connections are needed to keep in touch with suppli­ ers. An emerging market is in pur­ chasing on-line. Though McGavin's have had a web page for just a year, they have sold product across the province and some to the United States, says Jeff. “With the internet, there is more bang for the advertising buck.” With the coming millennium, Brian sees this area of the business expanding and the in-house shop­ ping declining. “Ten years from now, dealers may be here for parts and service.” Though Brian and Jeff say the internet helps in some aspects of the business as it can locate parts quick­ ly and ordering is easy, everything is moving away from face to face con­ tact. However, because of the high cost of machinery, manufacturers are encouraging dealers to have their customers order equipment as much as a year ahead to fit into the just-in- time manufacturing schedule. With this manufacturing sys­ tem, Brian says it can create problems if dealers don’t hold enough inventory. “Customers can’t wait twd months for a part.” “We take pride in having parts- available and here,” says Jeff. Now, we are at the mercy of the suppli­ ers.” As they contemplate the past 10 years and- look at the next, the McGavins have “a lot of uncertainty in their minds as young guys in the industry. Where will the next merg­ er leave us?” Though concerned, the McGavins look to the strong agricultural base in Huron County, a good partnership with their head company and loyal­ ty to their customers to sustain them into the millennium. Government view Dan Carlow, field services man­ ager for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, sees a real dichotomy in farming. Though there are a lot of huge farms in some sectors, he also sees small, well-managed viable farms continuing. “There is still room for function­ ing, one-unit family farms. There is a place for them in all sectors if they are well-managed, keep up with technology and are very flexible,” he says. While he does say this is harder to accomplish in grains, it certainly is Recalling another time Farming was a hands-on endeavour in bygone years. being done in dairy and poultry. Hog and beef producers are also sur­ viving with a comfortable family living, he says. Though technology will be impor­ tant, he does not believe computers will take over. “We will still need people to devise ways for agricultural produc­ tion, marketing and distribution. We will still need people to talk to each other to resolve problems.” “Kids need to be taught how to be part of a team, to work together , to find solutions and move forward together.” As the industry is drawn to larger corporate entities, Carlow says it will be exciting to be in a vibrant industry yet a challenge to both sur­ vive and compete. That ability to compete is one seen first-hand by Ed Bennett, a Milverton-area man who works Mennonites try to compete with small herds with Old Order Mennonites in their fight to maintain their lifestyle. Grounded in the traditions of farming, the Mennonites are trying to compete with small dairy herds, under 10 animals, in a cream indus­ try which does not recognize the problems, says Bennett. Selling one third of their product, the income compared to milk pro­ ducers is equally reduced. However, there is no such consideration given in the cost of quotas nor for the abil­ ity of small herd operators to com­ pete, he says. “There is no attention given to cream suppliers or for those who do not want bulk tanks.” (Standard storage units for large dairy opera­ tions, Old Order Mennonites do not consider them an option.) As some Mennonites consider crossing those religious lines and acquiring bulk tanks, fractures in the community are forming. “A milk quota costs $17,000 for one cow,’ says Bennett. “That is just not paid back by only shipping cream.” Though Bennett has been appeal­ ing to the government for excep­ tions, quota grants or other plans to help sustain the small producers, there has been little forthcoming, he says. He is hoping the government will look at the tax dollars collected from the Mennonites while they use very little in services. As the dairy industry continues to go towards volume, it will be a chal­ lenge for small operators and Old Order Mennonites to continue to participate. “I want to help prevent the demise of a successful social community.” Considering the environment With the trend towards larger operations in agriculture, there has afSo been a growing awareness of what the hands-off approach has done to the land and water upon which farmers depend. While some sectors seem to be moving further from the “lifestyle’ of farming, oth­ ers are looking to the ways of the past to find sustainable prac­ tices. Carlow sees several issues arising in the next millenni­ um as the Earth’s population exceeds six billion, the world must not only find a way to feed everyone, but meet the con­ sumers’ demands for food safety and quality while protecting the environment. “The need to feed the world will force us to take on new ways of doing things,” he says. “Technology will be important as we look at ways to market and transport the goods. Land use planning around the globe will be important. Some of the most productive plans are said to be in Africa and the former Soviet Union, but with world conflicts, this land is not being used.” “I think the new millennium will force the world to come to grips with that. We have failed in the past to resolve it, but we will have no choice in the future. We must take stock collectively of where we are.” Sustainable land use is also a vital concern for Bennett as he encour­ ages farmers to go organic and oper­ ates the Fair Share Harvest commu­ nity garden to provide organically grown fruits and vegetables to urban dwellers. In the last six years, Bennett has also developed a system where cus­ tomers for a product are obtained prior to planting the seed. It is a con­ cept first developed in Japan. His community garden is a good example of sustainable agriculture, he says, as it relies on the region for the market, transportation is limited and fresh-picked products can be delivered daily. Bennett also hopes that genetical­ ly-altered foods will soon require labeling in Canadian stores. “More energy needs to be spent ensuring people know what they are getting.” “A lot of farm practices are dis­ couraging,” says Bennett. “Farmers are unwittingly accepting the unnec­ essary use of chemicals that are a long-term detriment to the land, the food and Canada. In his work for sustainable agri­ culture, Bennett has enticed 30 farmers to the organic system. “They are encouraged by the returns and the look of their land,” he says. Beyond the soil, water quality is key to healthy products. “It will be a commodity in the future,” says Carlow, “as people look for good, clean, drinkable water.” Bennett too expresses a concern for water sources as manure from large livestock operations and sludge from cities is spread on a land base which cannot handle it. “The health and wellness of the people must be considered,” says Bennett. “There is enormous potential for farmers to look at strategies which work in concert with nature. It is a chance to encourage protection of their industry.” Bennett sees the millennium as an opportunity to begin looking at things holistically, to see the inter­ dependency and appreciate diversi­ ty- “It is a chance to take a fresh start and look to our ancestors for guid­ ance.” Carlow is very optimistic about the future as he sees people taking the steps needed to ensure sustain­ able agriculture and quality of life “Welcoming the millennium will force us all to look at the issues and to find a resolution to the conflicts. We have to think about what will take us to the next millennium in a comfortable environment. If we don’t, we will not survive.”