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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2004-09-01, Page 1010 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, $apt. 1, 2004 News Farmers crying for more heat to help late crops From Page 1 soybean crop was white mould in both the early and late plantings, which could reduce the yield by 10 to 50 per cent. "Most are doing what they can to control the disease but you can spend up to $100 an acre to try and control it," says Johnson. Cereal crops, including barley, oats and wheat are above average this year. "They're not the record crops we saw last year but they're still very good," he says. However, farmers in most of Southwestern Ontario fought the disease fusarium in their wheat and barley crops, which, in Huron County, downgraded one third of the wheat from food quality to feed. "That was very significant because most farmers survive on $50 to $75 an acre and downgrading the wheat to feed can take $75 an acre out of their income. So, most either broke even or took a loss on the wheat crop. You can feel good about your yield but there's no money in your pocket," he says. Even the hay crop, which had lots of volume, had its difficulties because of the wet summer, says Johnson. "Too often, the rains would come while the hay sat in swath and the moulds would grow and nutrients would leach out. It's not a happy scenario," he says. Jeff Robinson, of Walton, says Seaforth-area farmers are still crying for more heat for both their corn and soybean crops, which still "have a lot of maturing to do." "The problem could be quite scary if we don't get any more heat," he says. He says a number of local farmers chose to plow under their wheat in the spring and replant with soybeans, a decision they might be regretting now. "It's a tough call in May. A lot of people thought we'd have a hot August. If we haven't gotten development on the plants yet, we might be hoping for something that won't come," he says. "The stands are decent for both corn and soybeans but we'll see what September brings for the development of the plants," says Robinson. MAYTAG JENN-AIR U U J w cr W z 0 Lu lc 0 0 cc Long Weekend Tent Event September 3,4,5,6 All New Major appliances are CSA approved with full factory warranty RE,ZOO15, LAMPS, "if �' �• � STAINLESS STEEL BBQS & TOOL BOYS ✓ Enter the FREE DRAW with this coupon for a Bar Fridge & Microwave J FREE Saturday, Sept. 4 from 10am-4pm Long Weekend Specials — Generators, Air Compressors, Mattresses, Head Boards, Foot Boards Scratch 'N Dent 212 Victoria St. Clinton 482-5599 KITCHEN AID WHIRLPOOL z 0 isetdogs U) 0 D z m ARIII Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance Welcomes New Board Officers HURON PERTH HEALTHCARE ALLIANCE And Board Members Ron Bolton Tim Cronsberry Leislle Showers Bruce Schoenhals The Board of Directors of the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance and Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Williams, are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Ron Bolton as Chair of the Board, and Mr. Tim Cronsberry, as Vice Chair of the Board. Mr. Bolton has been a Hospital Trustee for 10 years and is a Senior Manager, 'Agriculture Accounts, for CIBC. Mr. Cronsberry has been a Hospital Trustee for two years and is the Public Health Manager, Communicable Disease, of the Perth District Health Unit. The Alliance also welcomes two new Board Members, Leslie Showers and Bruce Schoenhals. Ms. Showers, appointed as a representative of the St. Marys Memorial Hospital (SMMH) catchment area, chaired the SMMH Local Advisory Committee prior to her appointment. She is a Financial Consultant with Investors Group. Mr. Schoenhals joins the Board as a representative of the area Stratford General Hospital serves as the Regional Referral Centre. Prior to this appointment, he chaired the Clinton Public Hospital Local Advisory Committee. Mr. Schoenhals is retired from the Clinton Public Utilities Commission and Is currently working part-time at Fleming Feed Mill. The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA), comprised of Clinton Public Hospital, St. Marys Memorial Hospital, Seaforth Community Hospital, and Stratford General Hospital, was created to maintain and improve the quality of local healthcare services in the communities it serves. Further, as outlined in its recently adopted "Vision; the Alliance strives to "be the Province of Ontario's acknowledged leader in the delivery, coordination and integration of innovative and sustainable system -focused rural healthcare." Display demonstrates how farm revenue is stagnant By Cheryl Heath Clinton News -Record Editor Remember in 1975 when a loaf of bread cost 45 cents'? So do area farmers. The unfortunate part for them is while supermarket prices have consistently been on the rise, farmers' revenue has not. Specifically, farmers' best -ever year for wheat was $4.09 U.S. per bushel in 1976. Today, when consumers are paying $2.09 for a loaf of bread, farmers are paid $2.99 U.S. per bushel. That is the reason area farmers Varna - James Armstrong and Wayne Hamilton, with the support of their neighbours, put together a notably poignant display at both the recent Bayfield Fall Fair and the 77th annual Huron County Plowing Match held this past week. The elaborate display, featuring farm machinery with placards spelling out the cost of products on the free market, the actual income of farmers and that of Members of Parliament, is having the intended effect of educating the public, says Armstrong. "The prices are stagnant while the cost of producing crops keeps going up," he says. The display reports, for example, that a MP's salary in 1965 came in at $12,000, which was the exac4 same as the selling price of combine in that year. Today, MPs earn $141,000 while a combine costs $250,000. "People have no idea, really." says Armstrong. "People were shocked by the sticker price." Those figures, he adds. are not adjusted to reflect costs associated with inflation. "It's not only wheat," says Armstrong. "You could show the same thing for corn and soybeans." Ultimately, the result of these figures means fewer Canadians will be drawn into the agricultural industry, says Armstrong. In the end, that will mean Canada is no longer growing its own food supply. "No young kids are getting into farming," he says, adding statistics suggest the average age of farmers is 56. Armstrong says farmers working on a contract basis are not faring any better than their neighbours since, even when demand is on the rise, the price paid to farmers remains relatively stable. He notes, for example, that there' was a Targe demand for soybeans last year, but only five to 10 per cent of soybean farmers saw any of the benefits from the surge. "Now we're right back to where we were, medium to low prices," he says. Hamilton says the recently introduced Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program is not helping farmers either since the first payments were supposed to arrive in August. but there is no sign of their arrival. He says given CAIS replaces the former disaster program. and that the two are similar, it is difficult to understand why the government is having trouble with getting the cheques out on time. "It's very confusing," he says. "It shouldn't he that difficult to get the money out there." Quoted 'The prices are stagnant while the cost of producing crops keeps going up,' -- James Armstrong, of Varna on the Square in Goderich! 148 The Square (next to PharmaPlus) Now Newimvidiso • TYLE FINAL CLEAROUT OF' SUMMER MERCHANDISE 11 0 Fit 14`+ ►hh 524-2374 F154061 a Women's Clothing & Accessories SIZES 14+ • Tommy Flilfiger • l )agoli • Bnx'kc Chapman • Lucien flaunois • Bantry Bay • Au.lvik • And Much Mom! c�tp a sem. It's Bach to School September 7 Wekorne to your Avon Maitland District public elementary and secondatylhools where our Mission is: To unlocb the potential within all of our learners School Year Calendar 2004 - 2005:'. �1 School Holidays Tihosist11eloo - October 11, 2004 aiehliernet Break December 20, 2004 - December 31, 2004 Merrill Reese - March t4 -18, 2005 Geist prld - March 22, 2005 Reiter M.MIN - March 2$ 2005 Vidierlo Dap - May 23, 2005 Elementary Report Cords Tense 1- Monday, November 29, 2004. Terns 11- Tuesday, March 22, 2005 Terse 111 - Monday, lune 27, 2005 Secondary Report Cards & Semesters JsMel4M 1 Sep 7, 2004 - Feb 4, 2005 ieMNNer 2 Feb 7, 2005 - lune 22, 2005 Pint Term Merl= leper! Matted October 14, 2004 lcrretltlr 1 — fPk$ leper! Cel November 22, 2004 k .ske 1- !!welly! Repose Cord February 14, 2005 • leeead Torso l.S.,I* Ropes* Mailed March 21, 2005 !snowier Apra 27, 2005 terNeer s Sassed Repot • e£ Cetr lane 30, 200$ tv- lecondivry Shrews 1esuereer 1 January 28 Febn tory 3, 2005 • ierllelter ! NM 23 — 29, 2005 For more to • • please contact sirs at: Tell 1.800-592-5437 e-mails info#fc.vmdsb l i�webs urww.pourschools.te