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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1989-01-11, Page 19Times-Adhcate, January 11, 1989 Page 7A Ontario Chapter of Christianfarm organization formed at COAT meeting CENTRALIA - The fust Ontario branch of the Fellows t of Chris- tian Farmers' Internationa came into being on January ,4 in the board rogfn of C(AT's Huron Hall. Preparation for the introduc- tion into Canada of this new and unique farmers' organization had been done by a steering committee comprised of of CCAT agronomy lecturer Bob Forrest, Kirkton dairy farmer Tom Verhoog, DHIA field supervisor Harry Rees and John Beardsley, agronomist with Cropco consulting srvices south of Exeter. The Fellowship of Christian Farmers International (FCFI), formed in August 1985 at the American Soybean Association EXPO in San Antonio, Texas, was created to tackle farm problems from a unique perspective: putting God at the centre of one's life. Two of the founding members were Steve Drake, executive v/p of the American Soybean Associa- tion, who had been inspired by a "Guidepost" magazine article on the power of prayer, Thomas Her - long, president of the SC Soybean Association and FCFI's first presi- dent . Herlong summed up the or- ganization's reason for existence by saying "farmers are in an occupa- tion that is burdened with stress, and we need to build each other up ' by sharing our needs in prayer and putting an emphasis on Christian fellowship". There are now five active chap- ters and 12 more forming in the US. The addition of a Canadian chapter adds a seventh outside country to a list that includes Gha- na, India and the Philippines. The two dozen people attending the Centralia meeting - dairy farm- ers, cashcroppers, a market gardener. and representatives from a number of agriculture -related businesses - listened attentively as Beardsley outlined the events leading up to the January meeting at the college. In 1986, while working as an OMAF Rural Organization Spe- cialist in Carleton County, Beard- sley read an editorial in Successful Farming magazine saying most press reports on the financial crisis in agriculture were negative, but those wanting the .optimistic side should contact the new farmers' or- ganization, the FCFI. On moving to his new job in suthwestern Ontario, Beardsley broached the possibility of an On- tario Chapter to Harry Rees, and Rees carried the message to the dairy farmers he visited regularly. "It hit me between the eyes", Rees said at the Centralia meeting. "I go to a lot of farms, and see a lot of problems. This concept was something worth getting one's teeth into." Rees became an enthusiastic re- cruiter once he found out that FCFI was interdenominational, with the nine members on the international executive coming from seven Christian denominations. Remembering "many long discus- sions while milking in the morn- ing", Rees asked Tom Verhoog if he would join the steering commit- tee. Verhoog agreed. "Farmers are a little different. They go to different churches. It's important to get together. The con- cept of FCPI seems simplistic at a time when corn is below the COP, and cattle are not doing well. But God didn't mean us tojust sit and pray; He put us here for a rea- son...and we shouldn't forget God is in control. The first solution to all problems is to trust God." Bob Forrest cited a survey stating. that persons can be reached with the gospel more effectively by others within their own lifestyle or occu- pation. He" offered to help because "at CCAT I meet a lot of crop - oriented problems, and other diffi- culties in people's lives become ap- parent. I see a great need in agricul- ture for Christ. Those not associated with a church initially do not find the; idea palatable. They see the merit of an organization like this, which breaks the ice." Beardsley introduced guest speak- er W. Wilson Lippy, FCPI vice- president, who manages 10,000 acres of green beans, soybeans, corn, wheat, barley and was at Fog- gy Bottom Farm in Maryland. Lippy dates the beginning of his Christian commitment to 1972. He had accompanied another man to Haiti to introduce soybeans to that country. - "One night back in the moun- tains, the fellow shared the gospel with me. He told me where I stood. I was upset. I did go to church, but didn't read the Bible. I had a burning desire to know the truth", Lippy said. Back in the US, Lippy began to listen to Christian radio, and to read his Bible. He told how making a personal commitment to Jesus Christ a year later had irrevocably changed his life. I know I wouldn't be here today otherwise. I had been involved in some things I shouldn't have", Lip- py testified. Lippy started the Marylan Inaugural meeting - CCAT agronomy lecturer Bob Forrest and Cropco agronomist John Beardsley were part of a steering commit- tee which arranged a meeting in the CCAT boardroom to begin an Ontario chapter of Fellowship of Christian Farmers International. Guest speaker was FCF! v/p Wilson Lippy, (right), who farms 10,000 acres in Maryland, USA. Guelph offers trading 'course GUELPH - The face of agricul- ture is constantly changing, at Home and abroad. To deal with that change, the people who pro- commodities need the must tit, ,- date information they can find. Trading in Commodity Futures, a four-day course being offered by the University of Guelph January 17 to 20, is designed to provide a knowledge of the newest methods and strategies for understanding and participating in agricultural and ex- change rate futures markets. The course has been offered annually since 1981. Seminar leaders are Prof. Larry Martin of Guelph's department of agricultural economics and busi- ness and Dr. Wayne Purcell of Vir- ginia •Tech University. Both are internationally recognized special- ists in the field of agricultural eco- nomics. An agricultural marketing consultant to agribusiness compa- nies and organizations in Canada, the United States and Europe, Mar- tin is also a former member of the board of governors of the Winni- peg Commodity Exchange. Of value to anyone with an inter- est in futures markets, Trading in Commodity Futures will be of par- ticular benefit to producers, grain elevator and feed mill managers,, meat packers, food processors and those involved in agricultural fi- nancing. Participants will gain a better knowledge of the terminolo- gy of futures markets, rcceiVe help in developing a marketing plan and learn the essential principles of fu- tures trading through the use of case problems. To register, call 519-824-4120, Ext. 3956, or contact the Division of Continuing Education, Univer- sity .of Guelph, Guelph, NIG 2W1. Visa and Mastcrcard accept- ed ter of FCFI with three members in June 1987, and that chapter has now grown to a membership of 200. "The big thing is the fellowship, knowing others care, knowing you can call on people who can get down on their knees on your be- half', Lippy said. FCPI chapters are linked by a reg- ularanewsletter. Each chapter has three meetings a year, arranged at the least busy time on the farm. Outreach is the purpose of the main meeting, held in March and featuring a well-known speaker and special music. Last year the US deputy secretary of agriculture was the Maryland speaker, and this year Lippy expects a turn -out of 600 to hear Merrill Oster, owner publisher of Futures Magazine. Each chapter gets together for a picnic in late August. They meet again in late November or early De- cember for "an educational and spir- itual time". Members of the FCFI in the US go to all the farm shows, set up booths and pass out tracts "promoting the fellowship available for those who need to know Christ". A farmer will take a tract from another farmer, and let another farmer share the gospel, Lippy ob- served. Lippy told how his belief had got- ten him over tough times. He said 1986 was a bad year; he lost a lot of money on his big acreage. The next year started out all right, until the rain stopped in June. As he watched everything dry up, he be- came more and more agitated. He knew "the Lord could put his finger on a cloud and push it our way", but the drought continued. "I wasn't fit to live with. I knew I had to get right with God." He re- minded himself that at the time of his commitment, he gave every- thing to Christ - to farm, the house, the car, the kis. "I am only a stewx1", Lippy not- ed. "I said 'Lord, it doesn't rain on Your crop, fin. I will serve You, broke or othevise'." Gettin things.n persepective was aft expeence, Lippy said, and "by the end f the year things weren't too bad" There are no 4 dues for joining the organization. However, a $20 fee covers'the cost of receiving the monthly newsletter. Six of the men attending the meeting agreed to act as the charter executive of the Ontario FCFI. Beardsley, Verhoog and Rees will be joined by Henry Verhoog, Mitchell and Bert Visscher, RR1 Hay. They will hold their first ex- ecutive meeting on January 18. New executive - Henry Verhoog, Mitch!, (left), territory manager for Grand Valley Fortifiers; John Beardsley, McGillivray townstiip, Cropcdgronomist; DIHA field supervisor Harry Rees,. Norwood Vil- lage; market gardener Bert Visscher, Rf. Hay and dairy farmer Tom Verhoog, RR1 Centralia, who vol- unteered to serve on the first executi' of newly formed Ontario chapter of Fellowship of Christian Farmers International pose in front ofhe organization's banner after an inaugural meeting held at CCAT on January 4. ONTARIO MARCH 6 A OF DIMES January Blowout 20% off New & Demo Snowblowers Ara 11010.1111":11,4411' 1.1'114--"'"j.117..' --*—; • it or ""11113 1•• r •' (eit' North Am (Demo) 86" D.A. Hyd. Chute Lucknow 78" S.A. Crank Lucknow (2) 84" S.A. Crank Lucknow 84" S.A. Hyd. Chute Lucknow 90" S.A. Hyd. Chute Lucknow 102" D.A. Hyd. Chute Lucknow 102" D.A. Hyd. Chute & Deflector USED BLOWERS IHC 84" S.A. Hyd. Chute Lucnow 90" D.A. Hyd. Chute LIST , JLQC $1,795 $1,)5 $1,375 $130 $1,485 $188 $1,580 $a65 $1,780 $425 $2,725 8,180 $2,815 $895 $1,350 CALL NOW AND SAVE 2,252 $845 $1,295 anCISEV FARM EQUIPMENT Lam. 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