HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1996-10-30, Page 3NlOws and Views
Guest speaker Ken Kelly of OFA
Not interested in going back to '50s'
• BY DAVID SCOTT
Expositor Editor
If some urban MP's had
their way. they'd make farm-
ers peasants on their own
. land.
That's one message Ontario
Federation of Agriculture
(OFA) vice-president Ken
Kelly delivered to members
of the Huron County
Federation of Agriculture.
(HCFA) at their annual meet-
ing Friday night in Seaforth.
Kelly. a Bruce County
farmer from Paisley. said- he
was impressed by the farrns
in Huron as he drove
through.
"11 shows people have a lot
of pridc.in what they (1o. This
industry isn't built on acres,
commodities or combines.
It's thc -people of agriculture
who built this province. It's
the people of agriculture who
make us thc envy of the
world," said Kelly.
He talked ahoOI the federal
government's 20.000
Program for agriculture. "The
federal .government wants
$20 pillion of agricultural
exports by the year 2000. In
I996 we've hit about 17.5
billion. Next year we're prob-
ably going to surpass the tar -
-get," said Kelly. "This is
goingflp create jobs."
He AO said by 2005,41.c
Province Of -Ontario warts to.
have $10 hillion of agricul
tural exports.
Pre-emptive Strike
The OFA's vice-president
said the organization recently
hit the Ontario agriculture concept of farmers working
for farmers.
"We need young people. on
the .hoards. We need a con-
stant renewal at the grass-
rrxits level."
More Optimistic Now
"There were tough times in
the early 1980's in the indus-
try. it's more optimistic now
than in the last 15 years."
0F A's vice president said
hc`s haring the same mes-
sages now as in the '70s -
"producc food to feed the
starving."
"Back then we didn't do
our homework. The Third
World couldn't afford 10 buy
food: We have to he a little
more prudent than in the
'70s. Farmers have to prac-
tice risk -management and be.
careful."
Kelly takes a bright outlook
on farming. "Opportunities
are out there but do your
homework. There's reason to
he -optimistic -at this point in
time."
'Pioneering Again Now
Kelly compared farmers
today to their forefathers.
"We're every hit as much
pioneers now as 150 to 200
years ago. Then they were
working with axes, oxen and
clearing land, making settle-
ments in ,the wilderness, the
province and. the country."
. He says today's farmers
have the tools of the electron-
ic age.
."We don't have to wait five
ministry with a "pre-emptive
strike" in the form of legisla-
tion farmers need.
Kelly said there's two inter-
esting features in.it.
"There's a formula for com-
pensation if a municipality
diminishes your right to
farm. They have to pay you
money."
And the OFA wants the.
government to make any
individual who misconstrues
facts about agriculture per-
sonally liable for the damage
they cause. For example;
negatives things that are --said
about red meat, cholesterol,
t,tc, and how it hurts produc-
ers.
Kelly says predominantly
urban MP's see the Farm
"Products Marketing Act as a
harrier.
"They think it shouldn't.he
allowed to continue. We're
not interested in farming
going hack to the 1950's.
making us serfs and peasants.
on' our own properties,' said
KCJ ly..
Effects of Amalgamation
- He is concerned about the.
effectsamalgamation -of-.
rnunicipalities.wilt have on
the voice of agriculture.
"If it gets eroded. we'll get
split -up. Not only is agricul-
turc going to suffer hut the
province. If farmers don't
stand together and work
together. there's nobody
that's .going to stand up for
Kelly said the OFA and
1 -CFA have to rediscover the
.year. -for new products. We
have instant communications
and.hio-technologies. We
have technologies our 0thore
never dreamed of." •
He warned farmers not to
he intimidated by new tech-
nology.
"These things are -available
to everyone else in the world.
Use them, embrace them, use
them carefully. Don't he
afraid of the future. If you're
scared, you won't enjoy it."
Water Problems Expected
Kelly says water and water
issues are going to be the big
concerns for the next 10
years. The OFA recently .
hired a hydrogeologist who
will he able to work closely
with local municipalities in
their groundwater planning.
Problems with Bell
OFA's vice-president said
last year in Ontario: 34 per
cent of rural people were
unable to get a private phone
line.
"They can't do faxing or
access the Internet."
He said Bell has applied to
the CRTC to upgrade the
switching to digital to bring
Ontario "up to the level New
Brunswick was five years
ago." And that should bring
the -potential for private lines
in Ontario to about 96 per
cent.
The- had news is that the
hast price for the telephone is
going up about $4.65 a
month. But line charges for
rural customers .will disap-,
pear. Kelly said .he Knew
'some people who were pay-
ing as much as $69 a month
just in line charges for a 'pri
vete line in the country. !
$
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, October 30. 1996-1
r'outh sentenced
or Goderich riot
An I8 -year-old Sarnia
outh, a former resident of
he Bluewater Detention
entre, was sentenced to 90 •
ays in jail at court in
Goderich last week for his
art in the riot that caused an
stimated $14.5,000 in dam-
ge to the nearby correctional
entre last winter. ' .
Rodney .VanSchyndcl was
►und guilty of mischief over
5,000.
McLaughlin
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13 Main St. Seaforth. 527.1140
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If ou wish to secure a
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THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
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Together
We
NOVEMBER
the
on
Remember —
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Hill proceed to the St James Catholic
' SUNDAY,
POPPY DAY
MONDAY, NOVEMBER
,IN SEAFORTH
We encourage and appreciate
carrying
PARADE
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AND DISTRICT
support of Legion members n
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PARADE and SERVICE
*30 -Parade to Cenotaph from l,el*on 11:00 - Service at Cenotaph
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PHOTO BY DAVID SCOTT
SMOKING CHIMNEY - The Seaforth Fire Department made
quick work of a chimney fire in Winthrop on Wednesday at
approximately 2:45 p.m. It was put out with an extinguisher.
Study finds more
farming related
businesses than county
CONTINUED from page 1
Hens:all Community Centre.
The first and second meet-
ings were held September 5
in Bclgrave and October 3 in
Holmesville. •
In strong contrast to the
county's.80 agriculturally
related husincsscs identified
within Huron. this study
found 448 husincsscs.
Of the businesses surveyed.
on average 75 per cent of
their sales and employrnent
was in the farming related
sector, according to
McLennan and Cummings.
"There arc preliminary esti-
mates we will continue to
refine over the next year. We
plan to do additional agricul-
turally related business case
studies. detailed studies of
several communities .'in
Huron County and prepare
estimates associated with
employee expenditure. •
"If resources are available
we will also do comparisons
with other sectors in the
economy and incorporate
1996 population and agricul-
tural census results." stated
Cummings.
The Huron Federation
hopes that when completed
the economic impact study
"will form the basis of
assessing the importance of
agricultural activity to the
economy of all areas of the
province."
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