HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1996-12-04, Page 1010-THR HURON RXPO$ITOi1, D.o.mb.,4, 19
Agriculture
County agriculture policy one step closer
BY CALE COWAN
SSP News Staff
The 'evolutionary' process
of setting agriculture policies
for Huron County moved one
step closer to being finalized
Nov. 25 in Hensall.
County planning staff were
in the South Huron commu-
nity for the third in a series of
three public workshops to
identify areas of agricultural
importance for the reworked
county plan.
The plan, which will hope-
fully be approved by next
fall; has been broken down
into specific areas of interest
with workshops scheduled to
seek public input.
Huron County sehior plan-
ner Wayne Caldwell said that
with the completion of the
public workshops they now
have valuable information to
finalize a draft policy on agri-
culture for the county plan.
While the final version will
be brought back to the public
for comment in 1997,
Caldwell said they wouldn't
be where they are now with-
out the public input.
"I certainly think it was suc-
cessful," he said. "My sense
was that we had positive dis-
cussion within the groups and
a further discussion of'the
proposed policies came out
of the workshops.
"It was an evolutionary
process ... the policies we
have identified are a reason-
able reflection of what we
had at the three meetings."
The process began back in
September at a meeting in
Two Seaforth
steers sold at
Brussels Livestock
The sales' at Brussels
Livestock for the week end-
ing Nov. 29, 1996.
Fed cattle: 655; cows: 494;
veal calves, 488; lambs and
goats, 182; stockers: 2075.
All classes of fed cattle and
cows sold at steady prices.
Veal sold $2.00-$3.00 higher
with Iambs selling on a good
strong active trade. On Friday
calves sold steady with the
yearlings selling on a
stronger trade.
There were 412 steers on
'offer selling from 92.00 to
97.00 to the high of 101.00.
Two steers consigned by
Jim Cronin, Seaforth averag-
ing 1152 lbs. sold for an
,average of 96.10 with sales to
97,.00.
There were 206 heifers on
offer selling from 92.00 to
97.)0 to the high of 102.00.
ere were 494 cows on
offer selling from 30.00 to
55.00 to the high of 60.00.
There were 488 veal on
offer selling. Plain and heavy
hol. 60.00 to 85.00. Hol:
85.00 to 100.00. Beef: 85.00
to 118.00.
Fifteen veal consigned by
John Verberg, Londeshoro
averaging 668 lbs, sold for an
average of 96.02 with sales to
112.00.
Lambs: Under 50 lbs.
122.50 to 245.00. 50 to 80
lbs. 141.00 to 240.00. 80 to
95 lbs. 150.00 to 162.50.
Over 95 lbs. 117.50 to
138.00. Sheep: 37.00 to
140.00. Goats: 30.00 to
102.50.
4-H News
Woodchucks
chuck wood
for last time
By Linda Vogels
Last Thursday the St.
Columhan Woodchucks held
their sixth meeting. They fin-
ished coloring their manuals,
painting their birdhouses,
varnishing their birdhouses
and finishing their Christmas
tree ornament. If youwcrc
totally finished your work
you could hand in your 4-H
manual and hook for
Achievement Day. Then we
practiced our skits, plays, or
whatever you were to do on
that night. If you would like
to attend our Achievement
Night it is in the St.
Columhan Church basement
on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.
Brussels where issues of
importance to the agricultural
community were identified.
That was further refined Oct.
3 in Holmesville where draft
policies were developed.
Nov. 25 in Hensall, work-
shop participants pinpointed
minor areas of concerns, but
overall endorsed the spirit of
the draft document.
"They seemed to find it 85-
90 per cent acceptable,"
Caldwell said of the group in
Hensall.
The notes and policies from
the three workshops will now
go to the county's planning
and development committee
where areas of conflict and
inconsistency can.be identi-
fied.
However, Caldwell said the
"good and responsible" com-
ments from participants has
allowed them to get to the
heart of the issue in a rather
short time.
He said it is important to
make sure everything has
been thoroughly reviewed for
problems as the policy set
will undoubtedly be review
extensively in the future.
Areas of interest and con-
cern the planning department
was able to identify from the
three meetings came down to
three basic groupings,
Caldwell said.
• Environment — Concerns
about environmental issues
are on the minds of those in
the agriculture community
because they don't want to be
double -teamed by the
province and the county.
Respondents asked that the
county not restate policies
already in place.
• Protection — The farming
community has historically
been concerned about pro-
tecting the percentage of land
available for agricultural
uses.
"There was fairly strong
direction ... and committment
to protect agriculture and the
agriculture industry,"
Caldwell said.
• Non -prime uses — The
development of so -call 'non-
prime' land in Huron is also
an issue, particularly in the
north end. South Huron has
few non -prime acres.
"It's a challenge to balance
the strong agriculture interest
with other interests. From a
policy perspective it's diffi-
cult," Caldwell said.
The most recent draft of
agricultural policies also
includes as its goals: defining
an agriculutural vision; rec-
ognizing changing farm prac-
tices; parameters for granting
land severances; relationship
with the non-farm communi-
ty; farm -related development;
and non -farm -related devel-
opment.
"It was essential to have
this step in the process,"
Caldwell said.
"If we follow this process
though we will have (agricul-
tural) goals that were estab-
lished by the public."
The meetings were spon-
sored by the Huron
Federation of Agriculture.
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