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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen-Agriculture 98, 1998-03-18, Page 31WELCOME TO MCGAVIN'S 6TH ANNUAL CUSTOMER APPRECIATION & INFORMATION DAY TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1998 Brussels Agromart o Terra. Agrontart Group Save 15% on tips, screens, filters and other genuine Hardi parts - What's New - Gary's helpful service hints 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. - Supper Time 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. - .hrformation Meeting - topics include • Bt Corn with Gene Stacking • Marketing Of Non-Genetic Altered Beans Feature Speaker - Eleanor Wood Humorist - "Lighter Side of Agriculture" Come out and test drive the ALL NEW New Holland TS Series 70 -90 HP Also Gemini Series 90-130 HP Genesis Series 145 - 210 HP Boomer Series 20-27 HP PARTS FAIR - March 23 - 28 Spin your own discount 3-20% 10% off cultivator parts THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1998. PAGE A-11. A year in review from Queen's Park Helen Johns, Huron MPP It's been a busy and exciting year for agriculture at Queen's Park. Your provincial government: • established Agri-Corp — run by farmers, for farmers • launched the partnership with the University of Guelph • replaced the Farm Tax Rebate program with a fairer and less cumbersome system for farm property taxation • we have started moving the delivery of programs and services like raw milk quality inspection, fruit and vegetable grading, beef financial protection and the Ontario Stockyards out of government and into industry — where they belong • and we wrapped up the successful Grow Ontario Invest- ment program and launched the Rural Job Strategy Fund. Rural Job Strategy Fund The $30 million Rural Job Strategy Fund is our newest and most exciting initiative. The fund was introduced to underscore this government's strong commitment to rural Ontario. It's our commitment to maintaining and strengthening the family farm, and the rural communities it supports and depends on. The Rural Job Strategy was designed to ensure that agricultural businesses maintained and enriched their competitive dominance. As we all know in rural Ontario, it is important to capture more market share at home and abroad, and the government will assist rural communities and businesses with this through this funding. GROW ONTARIO Another incentive for the agricultural community was Grow Ontario, which was completed this past spring. Both the private sector and the provincial government shared in the investment of 138 projects worth more than $20 million. In Huron County I announced a number of applications that had received funding. The Ontario Beekeepers' Association at Fergu- son's Apiaries on May 30, received $75,000 to develop management protocols for wintering bees successfully, thereby reducing the costs associated with replacing bee colonies. Another successful Huron County recipient was: Sun and Sky Foods, McShugar's Specialty Foods, Hey! What's Cooking who received $48,600 to form a food consortium to create four new product lines and promote a variety of indigenous heritage and specialty food products. The Quality Jersey Products Ltd. also received $76,500 to build consumer awareness of Ontario produced, jersey, specialty cheese of premium quality. Many of the projects approved relate directly to our farm organizations. The Ontario Wheat Producers' Marketing Board received money to establish a self sustaining system for the evaluation of new spring and winter wheat varieties for Ontario (addressing the loss due to disease). The Ontario Corn Producers received over $200,000 to research `Busy year for agriculture at Queen's Park' high valued high drying, milling and novel corn drying technology with a goal to expanding their market share. All in all, Huron County agricultural community was able to tap into this program. Rural Youth Consultations During province-wide consulta- tions, many residents of rural Ontario expressed a keen interest in developing a plan to retain future generations in rural Ontario. Too many of our children, and our neighbours' children pack up and leave the county, looking for opportunities elsewhere. I personally held a meeting in the county to gather ideas on how we can work together to make a positive difference in the future of rural young people. I spoke to young people, rural community groups, farm organizations and rural businesses to ask for assistance in developing a plan for the future. The group that met had many creative ideas, but the most important seem to have been that the provincial, municipal and federal governments create a climate for economic development in Tura' areas. The group also believed that our youth should be taught more portable skills such as resume writing, interview tech- niques, and job searching in the education system with additional resources available in the com- munity to reinforce these skills. Bill 146 - Farming and Food Production Protection Act The government, proposed legislation, obtained second reading and had committee meetings on the Farming and Food Production Protection Act. The act proposes to balance the farmers need to continue to farm with the interests of other residents in rural Ontario. There has been much discussion with respect to this bill and I would like to emphasize that this bill does not give anyone the right to pollute. Our land is valuable to each of us and we are stewards of that land. Highlights of the proposed legislation include: expanding jurisdiction for the new Normal Farm Practices Board to include complaints about light, vibration, flies and smoke resulting from agricultural activity; taking necessary steps to ensure municipalities take normal farm practices into account when considering by-laws; development of an awareness campaign to educate potential rural property buyers of the normal farm practices which may occur in the area, and ensuring that environ- mental laws are upheld. It is the government's intention to reinforce agriculture and food production as a provincial interest while balancing the health, safety and environment needs of the rural community. Personal Achievements I personally hosted "Taste of Ontario" on April 2 of this last year. Farm leaders, representing agricultural organiption and commodity from the province, along with 70 MPPs and cabinet ministers were at the legislature to salute the achievements of the Ontario's agricultural industry. As well, during 1997, I had the opportunity to present my Private Member's Bill highlighting the importance of the agricultural community and how the govern- ment should continue to work with agriculture for the betterment of the province. As the MPP for Huron I am very proud to represent the agricultural community in the county and I will continue to work for them and with them as we go about building a stronger agri-food industry and strengthen our rural Ontario communities. I continue to thank the farmers of Huron and commend them on their commitment and dedication to the industry and their tremendous accomplishments. Please ensure that you take some time to thank a farmer for the food you eat. It's safe, reliable and the healthiest in the world, and I'm very proud of the people who bring that food to our tables.