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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-10-21, Page 3Students hear first-hand of crisis By Shelley McPhee hoist English 4G2 is not a traditional course of study. This. unique high school course that is being offered al Central Huron Secondary School in Clinton takes a practical approach to learning. This year, Grade 12 students who are taking English 4G2 are learning about the Farm Crisis in this country. Studies in this course focus on the written word as well as visual•and audio presentations. - Part of the study included a panel discussion that featured presentations made by farmers and agricultural experts. The morning seminar was held Oc- tober 8 at CHSS. The panel guests in eluded Brian Ireland, Brenda. McIn- tosh, Paul Klopp, Tony McQuail and Brian Hall. Their discussion focuss- ed on the farm financial crisis in On- tario - the causes and the solutions. Brian Ireland, a hog and cash crop farmer from Bruce County, told the students, "It doesn't matter how good a worker you are, (on the farm ) unless you've got it paid for, you're practically on a downhill skid." Ireland has seen the dramatic ef- fects that financing difficulties can -have on farm families. He is an "ac- tivist" and a farm financial consul- tant who has helped mediate many disputes between farmers and finan- IN THE CLASSROOM - Taking part in a discussion to inform Central Huron Secondary school students of the crisis in agriculture are Brenda McIntosh, Brian Ireland, Huron F of A president Paul Klopp, moderator Jim Barnes, Brian Hall and Tony McQuail. Clinton News Record photo Fight to keep post office Residents from this community learned during an October 19 meeting held in Brucefield United Church they are in danger of losing their post office. . Viola Higgs, secretary for Rural Dignity, met with over 50 concerned citizens to discuss the current postal situation in the area. Before discuss- ing changes that might take place she briefly explained Rural Dignity is a group of people from all walks of life who were set up to help rural people. Their number one concern right now is in saving the rural post offices. - Higgs noted that the problems for the small post offices will arise when a post office is sold, such as it was in Brucefield, or when a postmaster retires. It is at this time that some conversion takes place. - When someone is hired to take over the post office, they will be taken on as term employees, Mrs. Higgs noted. However, the new employees will not be offered actual post office jobs: They will become -agents of the cor- poration, or contractors who are sup- plied materials and sell them on commission. Running the post office on this basis, a person can expect to earn as little as 56 to 84 cents an hour, Mrs. Higgs added. "If noone takes it on at this rate of pay, then you will automatically get - a super mailbox. As a -result, you will have to goto Clinton to buy stamps, pick up registers or pick up parcels," she stated. Mrs. Higgs also warned the group . that they could be hurt economically if their post -office is taken away. "We all know that if you're going to . Clinton to pick up your mail, you're One stop access Interested groups, agencies and in- dividuals are invited to attend a public meeting, October 29, 1987, 2:00 p.m., at Clinton Town Hall to learn more about One Stop Access. Input from this meeting will be the first step - in the development of the One Stop Access pilot program. This program will assist with the development of a more co-ordinated approach to the provision and plann- ing of services for the elderly by im- proving access to services. In Huron County, the Board of Health has been selected as a local authority, responsible for planning, development and management of One Stop Access. They will be assisted in the development of their pilot project proposal by a research team from the University of Guelph. Safety signs The Huron County Junior Farmers' are concerned about the safety of farm children. This year as a Com- munity Betterment Project they are helping the Farm Safety Association sell signs to_cautiondrivers about children. Signs will be sold at a cost of one dollar (the actual cost to the Junior Farmers'). The signs should be posted along laneways or near areas where children play. Hopefully by warning drivers about children at play, fewer children will be injured by farm machinery, trucks, etc. These signs can be purchased at Junior Farmer club meetings or by contacting any Junior Farmer member. 81111111111 90% $100.000 or more Term 30-096131 ON YOUR MONEY all M•1 •uDl•ct 10 Ss000- us000 1/5.000.950.000 ck•�p•.�1,+6v1 Term 30 S96M Urn, 50.3961r 001' • STANDARD f► TRUST 386 MAIN ST. S.. EXETER 235-1060 Member - Canada D9povt Insurance Corporator going to shop in Clinton, and do other things in Clinton," she said, adding that the eight or nine small businesses in the village will be hurt. ,"There are 11 (post offices) in the Huron area under review, and there is a great possibility they will be gone unless we can stop them. I think peo- ple have to work to save them, or they will be gone," Mrs. Higgs said. 'She urged the local residents to write their members of parliament, sign petitions and do some yelling to save their post office. - After bringing the crowd up to date on possible changes that tan take place, the meeting was thrown open so the people could voice their concerns. One man in the crowd noted that he goes through Brucefield every day for work and stops off at the post office on the way through. "I think it's a dirty deal if I have to go all the way to Clinton. If I have to drive to Clinton to buy a stamp, it's a bunch of malarky.'" It was also pointed out that the rural post office is a tradition, and if it is taken away, it will be the end to part of the village's culture. "I think there are three things in any community that hold it together. We're in one tonight, and the other two are the post office and store. I recognize what they do for this com- munity. We have to look at what this community would be like if we lost them," one concerned citizen, John Broadfoot said. The gathered citizens showed they fully supported Mr. Broadfoot's sen- timents when a show of hands was taken at the end of the meeting. -When the group wos asked if theywould like to see the post office remain exactly as it is, every hand in the building went up, and many people put up both hands. The group also lined up im- mediately after the meeting to sign - petitions. In three weeks time, a meeting is expected to be arranged with representatives of the post office to hear their side of the story, and to let these representatives hear how Brucefielders feel about the change. In the interim, though, Mrs. Higgs said theresidentsshould get busy writing -to their MPs, to the post office and to their MPPs. Higgs explained Rural Dignity can help them out with advice, but they can't do all of the work for them. "You've. had these services all these years, it's hard to believe you're. going to lose them. You are going to lose them," she cautioned. ADAPT agenda ADAPT, an alcohol and drug awareness program, has scheduled a number of events at SHDHS-from Oc- tober 26 to November 6. The public is invited to attend any of the following events Tuesday, Oct. 6. - 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Whole school assembly in new gym to hear Christine Nash, mother of a son who died in an accident, talk about how alcohol-related accidents affect the survivors. 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Parents and students attending Education Night can talk with a guidance counsellor, a public health nurse and a psychologist. - Exeter police chief Larry Hardy will show a video, explain a drug kit, and demonstrate the Alert machine. • • Wednesday, October 28 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Old gym Member of town police will be back with the drug kit containing samples of illegal substances. 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Educational films on alcohol and drug abuse for grade 13 students. 2:10 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Film showing for grade 12 students. Thursday, Oct. 29 11:00'a.m. Theatre room. Speaker from BACCHUS, Ryerson Community Centre, will offer an alternative lifestyle. 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Old gym Films for grade 11 students 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Filmy for grade 10 students. 11:45 - 12:30 Town police with video "Drugs and Sports Don't Mix" s * * Friday, Oct. 30 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Old gym Town police demonstrate Alert test. • clot institutions. In his experiences he has talked farmers out of committing suicide, he has seen children in farm families suffer because of stress in the home., He has seen families; mothers and their children come to his home in the middle of the night because the hus- band and father threw them out of the house when F.e was in a state of ex- treme distress. • - Ireland urged that more mental health and stress counselling is need- ed for farm people. He further sug- gested, "When the farmer is suffer- ing, everyone in a community is suf- fering," from the store owners in towh, to the church, the schools and the recreation centre. Brenda McIntosh works with farmers who are in trouble. She works with their bankers. The Clinton area poultry, hog and cash crop. farmer is also a member of the Farm Debt Review Board. In its first year of operation. the board has dealt with more than 847 applications. In September of this year, some 84 farmers applied for assistance. The Farm Debt Review Board aims to break down barriers between farmers and their creditors. The board works to devise compromise arrangements between the two. "Its a difficult process," Mrs. McIntosh explained, "the farmer wants to keep his farm and the lender wants his money back... often the two have been at odds for upwards of five years." The review board studies individual applications, they visit the farmer, meet with his creditor and aim to find a solution to the financial stalemates. "We want him (the farmer) to be able to make it," McIntosh told the students. Paul Klopp, a Zurich area farmer, is following a family tradition in em- barking on a career in farming. He runs ashog and earth crbp operation. "I'm a businessperson, I went into agriculture because I wanted to make money," he told'the students. He doesn't believe that he should've satisfied With less. "Were always told that things are going to get better, we're told to hang on," he said. - "People cheer for the Maple Leafs every year. It's no different in agriculture."-- - Klopp, a former NDP candidate for Huron riding, believes that govern- ment assistance is imperative to the future survival of farming. "Our government MPs have to act, they're listening to big business now," he stressed. He said that the government will- ingly helps big businesses out of finan- cial crunches, but the same assistance is not being given to the agricultural industry. In fact, Klopp suggested that the government may , be working to undermine.farming. He said that media reports in the! past have uncovered the fact that the government is committed to getting rid of farmers. "Everyone says that farmers are the backbone of the nation, but they (government) admit that they're try- ing to get rid of them." ' Klopp said that farmers must work to ensure their livelihood. They must be prepared to stand up to govern- ment. They must be willing to oppose and lobby. "Farmers hesitate opposing government. They don't want to rock the boat and find that the present pro- grams of assistance are withdrawn," he suggested. He said that he will continue to work to better agriculture. "We want a better place for our next generation to come into." Tony McQuail believes that farm- ing must move from being a highly in- dustrialized business, back to simpler ways, in order to prosper. The sheep, hog and apple producer has farmed organically for more than 12 years. He farms using minimual outside inputs, this includes doing Times -Advocate, October 21, 1987 Page 3 in farming much of his field work with horses. McQuail says that modern -in- dustrial agriculture consumes more energy than Z produces. Add to the high interest rates, speculative loans and low commodity prices, and that creates a farm crisis. • "What can 1 do as an individual farmer?" he asked, "I can reject the industrial approach to agriculture." McQuail says that through his far- ming practices; he is aiming to build an operation that he has control over. a farm that is self-sufficient. He does not want the banks to own his farm. He does not want to rely on big business to keep his farm operating. He is aiming to create -an agricultural base that sustains itself and provides three meals a day for his family. He is concerned with protecting the soil, long term food security and a future agricultural scene that will see locally controlled farming, with a greater number of farms and more mixed farming operations. McQuail is a current director of the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario. He is a past president of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture and a former chairman of the Foodlands Hydro Committee. The last speaker in the panel discussion was Brian- Hall. A .Farm Management Specialist with the On- tario Ministry of Agriculture (OMAF), discussed the causes of the farm financial crisis. He said that in the 1970s there was fear of a global population explosion. Farmers were called upon to provide more food. With advanced technology in agriculture; productivity was greatly increased. Money was easy to borrow and farmers bought more land, they improved and expanded their farming operations. Farmers moved from mixed farming opera- tions to those that specialized in one commodity. By the early 1980s the market was flooded with produce, farmers were carrying high debt loads. They had high input costs going toward their operations and high interest rates. "Thirty percent of the farms now produce over 80 percent of -the farm products," "They also carry a large part of the debt load." Hall said the OMAF works to help farmers succeed in business. Ministry programs help provide education and information courses. OMAF pro- grams work with marketing boards and provide stabilization programs. OMAF management courses are of- fered to help farmers who choose to give up agriculture. Another program works to help beginning farmers establish themselves. Mr. Hall noted that in the last three years,.some 200 young people in Huron County have gone into farming. There will be some students of the English 4G2 who will someday en - bark on careers in agriculture. The farming tradition will continue in spite of the problems facing the in- dustry in this decade. Difficulties are not new to farming. In the 1930s farm life was tough. In the 1980s, farming continued to carry its share of problems. Still, farmers are hopeful. Paul Klopp says that he is an optimist. He believes that there is a good future in farming. Brian Ireland advises young people who are considering farming as a • future occupation. "Get a good educa- tion. a good career, but never take your eyes off of farming, because someday it's going to be better." OPEN HOUSE Wed., November 4, 1987 12:00 noon - 9:00 p.m. Join the 20th Anniversar} Celebrations Attractions 12:00 noon of the Day include; Opening Ceremonies Food Demonstrations 1 p.m.; 2 p.m. 3 p.m.; 4 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 4 p.m.; 8 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. Bridge Building Canine Obedience Classes Skits and Speeches Hamster Races - Alumni Pub and Air Band Competition Plus class exhibits, student competitions in field and vegetable crops, rutabaga carving and poster design, photography and video, food, clothing and crafts, pet- ting zoo. Bring your family and friends **Lunch and dinner available** Centralia College of Agricultural Technology Huron Park, Ontario NOM 1Y0 (519) 228-6691 Ministry of Agriculture and Food ONTARIO Jack Riddell, Mmyter Clay Swatter Deputy Take a look at some beautiful ways to top off your days at SAAN stores!