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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgriculture 2002, 2002-03-13, Page 19Ec 0 ITYm at McDonald's, your local building centre We have everything you'll need for your building projects - lumber, plywood - windows & doors - plumbing & electrical supplies insulation tools, power tools - hardware & paint - siding, roofing, soffit cement trim, drywall McDonald's Home Hardware and Building Centre Brussels 887-6277 •••••••••••••=••••••• Helen Johns MPP Huron-Bruce I continue to thank the farmers of Huron and Bruce for their commitment and dedi- cation to the agriculture community. Together we will take on new challenges and opportunities. As we prosper, all of Ontario will benefit. Constituency Office: 50 South Street, Goderich, ON N7A 3L5 1-800-668-9320 or (519) 524-2979 email: helen.johns@hurontel.on.ca Do you know where the "flight zone" is? (NC)-Understanding the flight zone and point of balance for handling live- stock can reduce stress to livestock and help prevent injuries to handlers. The "flight zone" is the animal's personal space and can be determined by slowly walking up to the animal. When a person enters the flight zone, the ani- mal will move away in the opposite direction. Deeply invading the flight zone will cause the animal to become afraid and possibly agitated. The size of the flight zone will diminish as the animal receives frequent, gentle handlipg. An animal's "point of balance" is in the chest area. To make an animal move forward, the handler should stand behind the point of balance; and, likewise to cause the animal to back up, the handler should stand in front of the point of balance. • The Canadian FederatiOn of Agriculture along with Farm Credit Canada, the Canadian Coalition for Agricultural Safety and Rural Health, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada want to encourage farmers to practise Livestock han- dling safety: Put your best foot forward. Farm Safety Means Farm Safely. For more information visit www.cfa-fca.ca - News Canada i.4447 none acs/WORY r$ (,o4 oarrs,,,cma~.1 • -70 THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2002. PAGE A-19. Agriculture 2002 Keeping children sa e on the Children love animals, but animals do not always love children. Children need to be taught how to handle and work around animals to lessen their risk of injury. Respect for all animals should be one of the first things taught to children. Pets Household pets can be as danger- ous as farm animals. Family pets should be cared for with love and respect. Make sure they receive all vaccinations, especially rabies, and deworm them regularly. Keep litter boxes and yards clean. Pet food is a tempting snack for little ones, so keep them away from food dishes. Continued from A-18 money, solely because of when their fiscal year end happened to be. In my own case, I even produced bills of sale to show I had sold corn for over $3.80 per bushel in early January of 1998. It was futile. I was forced to value this corn at the clos- ing 1998 value of $2.78 per bushel. This meant that because I "earned" over a dollar per bushel in less than one week, my OWFRP entitlement was unfairly penalized by over $30,000, and could easily have been far more, if I hadn't sold a lot of my 1997 crop at harvest. I wasn't alone. I was contacted by hundreds of farmers who were in exactly the same boat, and by dozens of accountants who had many clients even far more adversely affected than myself. The height of insanity occurred in the second year of the program, Continued from A-17 In 1900 the farm passed to J.,B.'s son Charles K. Taylor. Boyd's father, Ken„took over from his dad in 1931. In 1942 he expanded the property with the purchase of neighbouring land. Taylor, a graduate of the agricul- tural program at the University of Guelph, took over in 1959. Muriel, who was employed as a nurse, has been an equal partner with him on the farm. In 1962, they bought a farm to the east continuing Orchill's growth. From J.B. down to Boyd, it's clear that the importance of hanging onto one's history has been instilled through the generations. Looking at the Taylor's artifacts, which include everything from his grandmother's wedding gown to a working model of a gangplow, which had been sub- mitted to the patent office in Ottawa by one of Muriel's ancestors, it's easy to be impressed by the value' this family has put on history. "People will throw something out today, and want it 25 years from now," says Boyd. Farm Animals Protect children by keeping them out of animal facilities. Farm ani- mals should be treated with caution and respect. Even good-tempered animals.can become dangerous and cause accidents just because of their size. They knock down, step on, kick or trample children without provoca- tion. Children should have no contact with some farm animals such as herd sires because some male animals are very aggressive and can be danger- ous; likewise cows and sows with new offspring. Animal mothers are very protective of their young and when Canada did change its policies to allow opening inventories to be valued properly, but Ontario didn't. Unfortunately, in the third year of the program, Canada went back to the "stone age" once again, when it reverted to using closing inventory values to price opening inventory. Even worse was that Canada refused to make its changes to the 1999 AIDA program retroactive to 1998, when it really would have done a world of good. Equally as odd was the apparent lack of action by many of the major farm groups. This was an extremely simple, and extremely punitive flaw for many farmers, yet when the farm groups got around to doing anything, it was too little, too late. The change in accounting policy by Canada for 1999 should have been the key for farm groups to demand that if Canada could make it "right" for one Boyd has seen many changes over the years and photographs have cap- tured them. He and Muriel plan to make a point of getting pictures of new machinery so there is a compre- hensive record of working life at Orchill. "I remember most walking behind a one furrow plough," Boyd says of the differences in farming. • "The next tractor we get won't have any lights," adds Muriel, "so you have to stop work sometime." Is that a hint that Taylor is ready to retire? "What would we do?", he says, though Muriel hints that maybe the time is coming. 71 told Boyd that from our graduation class, I believe he is the only one actively farming." "Isn't that something?" Standing on the land settled by his great-grandfather, working that land, building on that land, has clearly meant a lot to Taylor. And is there someone ready to take on the family history? To this point, the Taylors say they really don't know. But with a fifth genera- tion, Jim and his wife Crystal cur- rently residing on Orchill soil, and will attack if threatened. Sick ani- mals are also dangerous. When working with animals, chil- dren should wear the proper clothing such as pants and long sleeves to protect arms and legs from scratches. Feet should be protected with boots that will help guard against slipping. Horse riders should always wear a helmet. Wild Animals Wild animals pose several risks to people. Children are at risk because they are not as careful as adults. Explain to children that wild animals should not be touched or teased. Rabid animals are friendly, but can year, it could, and should, be made right, even retro-actively, for both Ontario and Canada, for all years of the program. - Yet, dothing happened. Were farm groups more interested in saving their "funding" than saving farmers? I've heard a lot of farmers make that observation, and I suspect there's a lot of truth to it. Insofar as ethics, agriculture, and the government go, the past three years have made me more than just a little cynical. The golden age of pro- fessionalism, and "doing the right thing" that I was so proud to have been a part of, 30 years ago at Farm Credit, has gone, and I seem to be the only one objecting loudly. Both sen- ior levels of government have treated us shamelessly, and our farm groups have generally stood idly by. It didn't have to be this way Why was it? their four children making up a sixth generation, it would seem to offer strong hope for theluture. be deadly. Most animals will not intentional- ly hurt children, however children and animals can -make each other fearful which can lead to an incident. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture along with Farm Credit Canada, the Canadian Coalition tor Agricultural Safety and Rural Health, and Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada encourage farmers to practise child safety on your farm by teaching children how to approach, handle and care for animals. CENTRAL RENTAL & SUPPLY LTD. CENTRAL HEALTH SUPPLIES Natural herbs and Supplements Bill Crawford - Manager Honda Engines Industrial & Farm Supplies Horse Tack & Supplies Small Equipment & Tool Rental — Two Way Radios - Paging — 26 Isaac St. Clinton Phone/Fax 482-7930 Columnist talks of futility Retirement not in sight, yet