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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-03-04, Page 28Page 14A Times -Advocate, March 4, 1987 WIN KONGSKILDE.BONSPIEL -- A rink skipped by Gerald McBride won the first draw and the overall championship of Thursday's Kongskilde curling bonspiel. Above, Gerry Smith of Kongskilde presents the trophy to Gerald McBride, Doug McBride, Brad Elder and Bill Pincombe. T -A photo Centralia College bids to dispel farm myths. Ontario farmers are among the best in the world when it comes to pro- duction management. but to stay the best, or to stay a farmer at all. re- quires more than just a casual rela- tionship with farm _ business management. This is one of the emphasis of the Agricultural Business Management course at Centralia College. Most students have helped with farm pro- duction jobs (chores), but very few, have actually had a part in the decision-making process. or have seen the records for their -family farm. As a result of this. one of the most challenging aspects of teaching business management to these students, is to first dispel! many of their preconceived and/or ill- conceived 'myths' of farm business management. . Most people assume that a myth is a fictitious account of some belief or phenomenon. However, the dic- tionary definition does not suggest fic- tion but defines a myth as a presen- tation of .the beliefs of_a people or. an explanation of a practice. In this case farmers -are those people and the - students are exhibiting the beliefs. Here are three myths about farm business management by the students at -Centralia College. Myth number one: "You can't use any of this on the farm!" This is -most. often heard during the first term in Agricultural Economics. In simple terms the Ag. Ec. course covers three topics. The first part is an introduc- tion to the theory of supply and de- mand, which states: when demand for a product is greater than supply there is a potential.to_make Money • and when supply is greater than de- mand trouble looms. A good concept since the students have so many pro- duction alternatives here in Ontario. Secondly, Ag. Ec. teaches the students to think as profit motivated business entrepreneurs and realize that decisions can be made with more than emotion, habit, intuition or in- Do You Need That • OLD FENCE REPAIRED ORA NEW FENCE Then Give Us a Call CHAPARAL FENCING R. R. 1, Lucan Ontario NOM 2J0 ALL TYPES FREE ESTIMATES Phone Bob Hardy 227-4160 clination. This is a very important concept for business related careers like farming. The third part of the Ag. Ee. course deals with Macro- economics. the study of world in- fluences on agriculture, such as the value of currencies, international trade, and interest rates. These topics require greater understanding during times of declining foreign markets, growing world surpluses, increasing government market intervention. and continuing famine in third %%Odd countries. Myth number two: "We don't need to be able to do this, our accountant will do- it for us'. According to students studying Records and Analysis, Budgeting and Credit, Tax- ation, or F,ai'm Management, farmers have !Milted need•of practical book- keeping and financial management skills. This attitude surfaces in two other courses offered at Centralia. Farm Project is an opportunity for the students to pply the practices and principle in all the _courses to an:actual case faun. The students are keen to apply the produc- tion principles but almost unanimous- ly shy away from the economics or business section. The other course is . Home Farm Study where the student can study the business aspects of his home farm. Traditionally this has been an unpopular elective with few students choosing to take it. even though some plan to return and take over the family farm. The important material is covered but the practical applicatierr eems to he disregarded. There is nothing wrong with accoun- tants doing bookkeeping and other farm business related chores, it's just like having the mechanic fix the machinery. 'rhe problem is knowing . whether it is the 'jimson-saddle sludge pump' or the operator that is at fault. Myth number three: "Someone else got farmers into this mess so someone else should get them out of it". This ideas was probably not developed by the students alone. Indeed -it may be a direct reflection of the attitudes of - parents, neighbours or friends. To an extent, some farmers now having financial difficulty, may have relied on what was supposed to be good ad- vice from people who were supposed to be authorities. An education in Farm Business Management doesn't ensure flawless decision-making. 11 does however increase awareness of good or bad advice. It will also pro- bably mean that they will he less dependent on others for solutions to problems they encounter. It will also mean that the student will have one other distinct advantage. the potential to determine the cause of the pro- blems and deal with it before they deal with the effects. Students in fourth term Marketing begin to realize that the future in far -- Announcement Cook's Division of Gerbro Inc. • -f FRANK BACKX Cook's Division of Gerbro Inc. is pleased to announce `the appointment of FRANK BACKX to the position of Grain Merchandiser. Frank has an extensive background in Commodity trading with a Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Guelph. This appointment reflects Cook's continued commit- ment to supplying our customers with up-to-date, useful market information. For the latest information call Frank at (519) 262-2410 Long distance - call toll free 1-800-265-5188. DIVISION OF QERBRO INC. Hensel!, Ontario Deal with Cook's - "where you can trade with confidence" 1 ming hinges on producing a product that the consumer needs or wants. The tarmer, if producing a product that nobody wants, requires a lot of Marketing expertise ora lot of finan- cial assistance to stay in -business. A study of marketing might reveal that farmers must cater to the needs of consumers and comply.with produc-' tion practices deemedacceptable by the general public. Hind sight is a great teacher. Aye we sufficiently well schooled to have the foresight to `become masters of our own fate? The solution to the 'mess' may actually be in- 'lit -farmers' hands. It really doesn't matter where or when these student -held myths originated. what matters is how they flourish. They do indicate a general aversion to. faun business manage- ment and that makes education a challenge. 11 the students perceived farm business management as- a practical exercise. I'm sure these pro-. Hems would not exist. Modernization and change are ac- cepted Willits! without question in"this post -atomic age. Childrengrow up in a throw -away world. Nothing remains the same or, if it does, it is ridiculed and scorned by the majority. Mankind has assum- ed, -in the last 50 years, that technology constantly contributes to human welfare and dignity. Birt those. who are thinking members of this society are well aware that the opposite is transpir- ing: technology, modernization and chatnge do not constantly contribute to the -elevation of the human soul..__ 11 has been estimated that 90 per- cent of the scientists who have ever lived are working in the world today, such is the explosion of science and those who nurture it. - We- lend to think, because Cana- dians have not been directly involv- ed. that we have had 40 years of peace since the Second World War but since 1945, we have had less than -seven-- weeks when the world has been free of military activity somewhere on this. t i ny globe. More than 150 wars, either civil or international.. have claimed 19.3 million lives since 1945. Most of those lives were lost through new weapons and new technology and those. weapons and. that technology have -come from scientists and technologists:- Just echnologists:.lust to contemplate the amount of money spent on these weapons bog- gles the mind. Those in the know. specifically the members of the l'atme Commission. calculated the amounts. If carried into 1986 rates. the expenditure comes to more than FOUR ARRIVALS - - Quadruplet Iambs orrived,at the Dashwood area form of John Becker this week. Shown with the new arrivals are -Jason, Jamie, Jeremy and Joshua Becker and Blake Schade. $1.5 million a minute. every hour. every day of every year. 1 cannot even begin to imagine what 'that amounts to. Is it $840 million? Or is it $84 trillion'.' No matter. 1t really does boggle the mind. For many years l have been passive about the arms race. I have believed, albeit with tear and loathing, the premise that the best of- fense is a good defense. In other words. keep rattling your sabre to scare off the enemy. When the enemy . realizes it is a sabre, then carry a big- ger and better sabre. • Without a strong military, I believ- ed, we would he over run by the red hordes or the yellow hordes or something. I felt confident living beside a benevolent neighbor with either the biggest or best or second- _ best nuclear armory in the world. Un- cle Sam will not let any harm come to Canada, I thought, and I am a Canadian. But -who has suffered ...since 1914-1918? Who is more secure? Some more figures to fool around with: In the First World War, casualties were 95 percent .military and 5 percent civilian. In the Viet Nam War, casualties were -90 percent civilian and 5 percent military. I wonder what the percentages are in Afghanistan. Or what they were in Nicaragua. These wonderful military planners. these scientists- and technologists, seemed to have goofed in their so- called benevolence. Why has the percentage risen for civilians'' The nuclear power possessed by the two super nations has been estimated to contain the explosive force of all the munitions fired by all the nations in the Second World War -- time 6,000. Again, the mind boggles. Six thou- sand world wars? If that power is ever released. few people will be left to care about - percentages. The safest action when the barrage comes is to spread your legs apart, lean down as far as you can and kiss your ass goodbye. BRANDY POINT—. FARMS - CENTRED AROUND ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION • Our breeding stockprovides our buyers with proven genetics from the top 300 animals tested across Canada. • Our program - enablesus to offer quality and health at a -price that is hard to beat • We have on ongoing supply of A.I. sired ,Homp,'Duroc, York Landroce boars & F1 York Londroce gilts • Our closed herd is ranked "Good" by the OMAF standards of Herd Health Classification. Come and take a took at our stock anytime! 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