HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1986-10-15, Page 20I'uye 4A
Ilniao Ativu.utet, 0 tido, 15, 1986
PLOWING MATCH SAWERS — Bill McLean looks on as Vern Wakeling and Walter Ellis try their log
cutting' skills at the Middlesex plowing match, Saturday. - . • T -A photd
"We must instill, not only in the far-
ming community, but in the rest of
the country's society, the will to pro-
tect and maintain our most highly
productive farmland.
"We believe that our function now...
is to prepare our highly productive
land base. This must be free of en-
cumbrances for future generations
and independent of the present
economic recession.
"The basic principle is to preserve
prime agricultural land for farming
and encourage marginal land for in-
dustrial, commercial, institutional
and residential uses.
"The point has now been reached
where if we are ever to be self -
'sufficient in food production, then the
exploitation of prime land has now got
to be ended."
Well, now, that sounds like
someting I wrote 15 or 20 years ago
and at (east once every year since
then. I have been screaming like a
wounded warthog all these years_for
a comprehensive land use policy in
this province, a policy which would
preserve the best farmland in
Canada.
But nobody seemed to be listening.
Until the recent report tabled by the
Ontario Right• to Farm Advisory
Committee.
Agminister Jack Riddell has some
strong words to read in the report and
has some strong recommendations.
Beaded by Donald Dunn, director of
the ministry's foodland preservation
branch, the committee assumes that
it takes .4 hectare =- approximately
one acre - to feed one person in On-
tario which has a population of nine
million. There is just enough
farmland now to be self-sufficient us-
ing this yardstick -- ah, pardon me.
this metrestick.
The committee wants legislation
immediately to preserve farmland
and to provide farmers with right -to -
farm laws, laws that will protect
farmers from nuisance actions for
normal farming practices.
I do not think immediate action will
be taken.
When this country was settled two
or three hundred years ago, towns
grew where farmers were. Towns, in
fact, grew to supply services for
farmers such as grist mills, sawmills,
taverns. Those towns were usually in
the heart of good good farmland.
Those towns have become cities
and that is where people want to live.
Cities have mushroomed while the
rural population has dwindled. It is in
the cities where the voters live. It
takes voters to get elected. Politicians
will not alienate voters.
Politicians are also reluctant to
alienate developers, too, because
developers are big contributers to
party war chests. Developers want
good land to develop. For one thing --
probably the most important thing --
good land is cheaper to develop. It
costs less to provide services on good
land.
Farmers have little nor no politicial
RECEIVE GRANT
Ontario Environment Minister Jim
Bradley and -Jack Riddell, Minister of
Agriculture and Food and MPP for
Huron -Middlesex, announced this
week that the Township of East
Williams is eligible for a provincial
grant in the amount of $25,000 for the
proposed construction of a rural
watermain extension on Concession
10 and 10th Line West (Part).
The decision on the eligibility is bas-
ed on. the preliminary information
available and an estimated total cost
of the project of $99,000.
In completion of further
preparatory work, the Ministry of the
Environment will be able to consider
the commitment of funding.
Plan To Attend Our
October -Best
Festivities
Thursday, October 23
Glavin Farms No. 1
11/4 miles west of Hwy. No. 4
on Mount Carmel Road, 1/2 mile south
Featuring RSV 111
1660 AWD Combine
Great Door Prizes
*Kawasaki ATC 'Microwave Oven
Etc . Etc.
(Winners Must Be Present)
SCHEDULE
9:30 - 12 Noon - Tractor/Plough Demonstration
s (featuring Case I.H., Kongskilde & Overum
11:30 - 1:30 P.M. - Free Tasty Lunch
1 30 - 2:15 P.M. - Equipment Introduction
2 30 P.M. - Draws for Door Prizes
(Winners must be present)
2:30 - 4 P.M. - Tractor Driving Range. Combine Demo-
nstration weather permitting)
NOTE: Wide Selection of Equipment on Display
• Parts & Services Specials •
"We're showing our appreciation"
FARM EQUIPMENT LTD.
For more Information phone 233-2121 Exeter
A
clout anymore. They make up less
than four percent of the population.
That is why this province has not
had a comprehensive land use law.
That is why millions of acres of pro-
ductive land get buried every year
under tons of asphalt, ticky-tacky
houses; power corridors and plazas.
This right -to -farm advisory com-
mittee had a lot of guts to come up
with these recommendations
although the members waffled on
rural lot severances by not recom-
mending that no severances should be
allowed. The rest of their suggestions
have been touted by farm writers and
some farmers for a couple of decades.
Prince Edward Island and British
Columbia are two provinces where
strict land use bylaws involving
agricultural land have been in force
for some time. Up to now, Ontario has
turned a blind eye. We have had land
use "guidelines" which could be
ignored.
It is time now for Queen's Park to
take direct action on this most impor-
tant issue. If we cannot be self-
sufficient, we will depend on other
countries for -food.
To be in that position is untenable.
In times of drought, they will feed
themselves first and who can blame
them?
tow' t^
St-IIi hotd s•
for Huron pw. lotest
After being postponed for the se- at the county match are chosen to go peoltle cannot compete a second time,
cond time because of pouring rain and on to the IPM to tie for agricultural but there are other ways in which the
soggy fields,.the Huron County Plow- scholarships. But again since the 1987 competitors can be chosen, ac-
ing Match may yet happen this fall, county match was not held. youths cording to Hallahan.
with a little co-operation from Mother chosen at the 1885 county match went "One thing ive are sure not short of.
Nature. on the compete this year. The same is ideas!" he said.
Peter Hallahan, of RR 3 Blyth, first
vice-president of the Huron
Plowmen's Association, said last
week that the match could possibly be
held by the end of October, if the
weather clears up now and stays good
until then.
There's no sense in rescheduling
it any sooner, because if the weather
does turn decent now, the farmers are
going to be so busy nobody would
have time to Dome, anyway," he said.
The event was originally planned at
Murray Cardiff's Brussels farm for
theweekend of September 12-13, and
postponed because of rain to last
weekend, until the committee decid-
ed Thursday the fields were stll too,
wet for the tractors. The plowmen's
association would like to see the
match take place for several reasons.
No queen of the furrow has yet been
chosen, and if the plowing match
does not take place this fall, the queen
competitin committee may decide to
hold an evening dance and contest to
select a winner, in the same manner
as the county dairy princess is
selected. Ideally, the queen should
have as long a reign within her coun-
ty as possible, before having to face
the tough competition at the Interna-
tional Plowing Match next fall.
As well, if no county match is held
this fall, the local association will lose
the $700 grant is gets from the Ontario
Plowmen's Association to assist with
the event. "But if we don't hold a
match, we won't need the money,
Hallahan points out.
Usually the two young competitors
with the highest accumulated points
.r
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Is There
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If you're fighting time and weather to get your fall field
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Walk around a Hesston tractor, kick the tires and ask
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