Times Advocate, 1989-10-25, Page 30>ageAl +mes-Advocate. November ; 989
End of the season - The last of the corn crop is coming into the elveators this week.
Another year of low yields
CLINTON - Huron County farm-
ers are facing another year of lower
than normal crop yields, an official
with the Ontario Ministry of Agri-
culture and Food said recently.
Brian Hall, crop specialist with
OMAF said yields for the three
main fall crops of corn, soybeans
and white beans all appear to be be-
low normal.
Yields seem to vary widely, Mr.
Hall said. Some farmers are report-
ing yields that are pleasantly sur-
pnsing with up to 120 bushels per
acre while others are getting yields
that are really disappointing, he
said. Often the yield seems to vary
with the moisture available to the
crop in the particular field and the
past history of the field, he said.
The dry weather of the summer
has continued into the fall and has
at least given farmers good condi-
tions for taking off their crops as
well as planting winter wheat, Mr.
Hall said. Corn coming off the
fields seems to be low in moisture,
running 24 to 28 percent which
means there will at least be some
saving on drying costs.
Larry Shapton, sales manager of
the Hensall Co-op, flew over this
area and reported that as of Octpber
25, more than 80 percent of the
corn crop in Huron has been har-
vested.
Yields in soybeans have also been
off the average of most years al-
though, again, yields have varied
widely: There have been yields re-
ported in the 40 bushels per acre
range but a low of yields are only
in the 25-30 bushel range. Overall,
Mr. Hall said, he felt the average
yield will probably be in the 28 to
32 bushel per acre range, well off
last year's averages of 325 to 45 bu-
shels per acre.
White beans too are well off'tre
usual average. Yields seem to be in
the. 12-13 bags per acre range.
"There are not too many of the 18
bag yields we've gotten used to in
the past," he said.
On top of yields being lower, a
lot of growers had trouble getting
the whole crop off because the
plants were so short because of the
summer's drought. Still, he said,
what crop was harvested was of
good quality.
Some segments of the economy
are quick to follow trends.
They will change a product al-
most overnight to please consu-
mers. Some will fight like a loco
steer to prevent changes.
For instance, the chicken produc-
ers of this province have been
chastized for not producing what the
fast food trade wants. The accusa-
tions have come from both McDo-
nalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
I am not sure the fault rests en-
tirely with the producers because
they have been pushed to the wire
to get every pound of chicken pos-
sible to market.
As I understand it, one of the big-
gest milk buyers in this province,
Beatrice Foods, is lobbying to per-
suade all the powers -that -be to al-
low them to sell one -percent milk,
milk with a butterfat content of
only one percent.
We all know about homo-milk --
homogenized milk -- and two per-
cent and skim milk. But Beatrice
marketers feel their market would
increase if they could sell one per-
cent milk.
I am all for the idea but I have
heard through the grapevine that
dairy producers are not in favor.
Why? Because they get paid by
butterfat content butterfat these days
is considered a no -no in this cho-
lesterol -conscious world.
And yes, I have read that Atlantic
monthly article which pooh-poohs
the cholesterol theory. The article,
in case you are wondering, suggests
that the cholesterol scare was noth-
ing but that, a big scare, perpetuat-
ed by the medical profession but
with no real research to prove that
cholesterol is one of the biggest
causes of strokes and heart attacks
and hence, one of the killers of peo-
ple.
The whole thing, the article sug-
gests, is nothing but a hoax and
cholesterol is not the killer and that
dairy products are not as responsible
as the original theories postulated,
for the build up of cholesterol in ar-
teries.
It is getting so that you do not
know who to believe.
Whatever... I love milk. 1 have
been a milk drinker for a hundred
years. When I had to have surgery
seven year ago to bypass a left fe-
moral artery, I was told to cut way
back on butter, eggs and milk. It
was difficult. I started drinking
skim milk.
But it reminded me too much of
what we used to use topaint the
stable with when I was a kid. It
was pallid, almost colorless and al-
most -- not quite -- tasteless. So,
when I drink my milk these days, I
pour half a glass of skim and add
half a glass of two percent. Ergo: I
have one percent.
It looks good. It tastes much bet-
ter and should have half as much
cholesterol.
If Beatrice is looking for a cham-
pion to help get the regulations
changed so that dairies can sell one
percent milk, I would be more than
happy to help them out.
I have been drinking one percent
for almost seven years. Thcy, the
dairy producers, the milk boards,
the dairy bureau, the agricultural
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ministries across Canada, could
amend their regulations, make a
deal with farmers and save me all
the trouble of mixing my own
brand of one percent.
It would save me lots of time. I
wouldn't be drinking an insipid liq-
uid that looks like whitewash and
everyone -- except dairy farmers? --
would be happy.
I would be willing to bet a great
many more people would drink
more milk if they could buy one
percent.
Mazankowski
to address
CFIEI meeting
TORONTO - The 22nd Annual
Meeting of the CFIEI will be con-
vened on Thursday, November 16,
1989 at the Bristol Place Hotel in
Toronto.
The general sessions of the meet-
ing will feature an address by the
Hon. Donald Mazankowski, Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister for
Agriculture Canada.
In addition, the President of the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
and Vice President of the Canadian
Federation of Agriculture, Brigid
Pyke, will also be on hand to ad-
dress the members and guests in at-
tendance.
In a very timely and informative
panel presentation, Darla Youldon
of John Deere Ltd., Cecil Bradley
of the OFA and Bill Brown, of the
Ontario Retail Farm. Equipment
Dealers Association, will be dis-
cussing the impact that the pro-
posed Goods and Services Tax pro-
gram will have on all sectors of Ag-
ribusiness in Canada. .
The CFIEI's Marketing Commit-
tee, under the leadership of Jerry
McLeod (Case), supported by John
Cumming (Kubota), Ernie White
(Ford New Holland) and ,Randy
Cameron (Deutz -Allis); will
present the Institute's Outlook '90
report, forecasting sales of ma-
chines and implements to .the end
of 1989 and for all of 1990.
!1••rinn .*ht• nrfie al. nnrlion of the
meeting, Active member company
official representatives in atten-
dance will vote to elect two of their
colleagues to fill vacancies occur-
ring on the CFIEI Board of Direc-
tors.
Further, the Institute's Nominat-
ing Committee will be announcing
the appointment of Executive mem-
bers of the Board and the appoint-
ment of six (6) new Directors from
other industry Associations that
have joined with our Institute in a
coalition, designed to address is-
sues that arise affecting all sectors
of the farm uipment industry.
There's stilltime to register for
this very important meeting. It's
bound to be a highlight in the Insti-
tute's 1989 activities and should not
be missed.
Send in the enclosed Registration
Form now!
Huron's present and future
CLINTON - The problems of
present day Huron county and pos-
sible solutions for the future were
discussed at a special "community
focus" meeting held in Clinton
Thursday night.
About 30 people from around
Huron County took part in the
event sponsored by the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
(OMAF). The people taking part
(from about 90 invited) came from
a variety of businesses and profes-
sions from farmers to merchants to
professional planners:
The group members were asked
to deal with four questions: 1.
What have been the significant
changes in this county during the
past 10 years? 2. What do you an-
ticipate will be the significant
changes in the next 10 years? 3.
What are the major issues this
county is currently facing? and 4.
What creative new directions are
emer*ing to resolve any of the is-
sues identified? What creative ap-
proaches need to be initiated?
Issues ranging from the fact there
are one third fewer full-time farm-
ers left on the farm and the result-
ing impact this has on businesses
serving the farmer, to soil degrada-
tion, to the increasing concern for
environmental problems; to the
gaps in income between the well-
to-do and the poor with fewer peo-
ple filling the middle ground in
farming communities were identi-
fied.
Predictions for changes before
the year 2000 included a growth in
the number of tenant farmers as
farmers find it harder to finance
purchase of farms and more outsid-
ers look at farmland as an invest-
ment; an influx of urbanites look-
ing for country quality of life and
the problems this may bring for
farmers; a reduction in the number
of full-time farmers; more environ-
mental concerns and increasing
problems providing services for a
population that is growing older.
Later the group was broken down
into discussion groups to look at
specific problems identified in the
earlier discussion.
The group discussing the envi-
ronment called for greater use of
recycling and better education into
environmental problems. They
called for pressure to be put on
government and for consumer pres-
sure to get more environmentally
sound products.
The group discussing changing
attitudes to food called for more
education of the consumer through
a co-operative effort of producers,
industry and government involving
processors and retailers.
A group looking into the problem
with rural people's image of them-
selves felt the solution was to start
at the local level to get people act-
ing as a community through neigh-
bourhood and community meetings
as well as working to counteract
some of the backward images of
farm people used even in ads to sell
farm products to farmers.
A group looking at farm incomes
talked about the growing gap be-
tween rich farmers and poor farm-
ers with few people in the middle.
Farmers must first be educated on
the problem, the group said, be-
cause if farmers can't see the prob-
lem, how can anybody else be ex-
pected to see the problem?
The group said there must -be a
change in attitude and that farmers
must farm more like it is a business
than a way of life. There must be
more emphasis on alternative in-
come for farmers, they said. The
group also worried about the influ-
ence of the major media outlets
where the only time farming seems
to make the news is when a new
subsidy program is announced.
Information from the Huron con-
ference will be taken to a two-day
conference in November at which
representatives of a six -county area
try to deal with similar concerns
over current and future rural prob-
lems. Several delegates from Huron
county will attend that meeting.
Firemen request assistance
VANASTRA - The Brucefield
Firefighters Association appeared
before Tuckersmith Council last
week, requesting assistance with
the cost of a portable telephone/
walkie-talkie system for the depart-
ment. Charlie Broadfoot explained
that -the system would enable any
one of the firemen to jcarry the
portable telephone. If one of the
seven fire phones was not answered
within three or four rings, the sys-
tem would automatically transfer
the call to the portable telephone.
The unit, which would be licenced
as a low-power system, is operable
within a six mile radius. ,A mag-
netic antenna mounted on a car
roof can extend the frequency radius
an additional two or three miles.
The Fire Department is paying
$349 for the system, which in-
cludes a repeater -radio unit for the
fire station along with one portable
telephone. Tuckersmith Council
has agreed to pick up the cost of li-
cencing the unit, $188 for the re-
peater and $36 for the telephone. In
addition, Council will cover all fu-
ture maintenance costs for the sys-
tem.
Budget to be trimmed
Mark Bell, Vanastra Water and
Sewer Works Manager, sat down
with Tuckersmith Council to go
over the 1990 sewer budget, which
is up 38% from last year. The
1990 water budget figures are down
by 5% from 1989.
The largest expenditures on the
new budget are a planned sewer
flushing (approximate!y $17,000),
repairs to the digester roof (approx-
imately $4,000), the cost of emp-
tying the digester (approximately
$1,500) and miscellaneous replace-
ment and repair costs (approxi-
mately $6,000). Even when this
$28,500, is taken off the sewer
budget,'the total is still 8,% over
from last year, due in large part to
equipment and wage allotments.
Mr. Bell pointed out that actual
costs are in fact below budget this
year, pending no disasters.
Budget cuts were discussed at
New act in 1990
TORONTO - The Minister of
Agriculture and Food for Ontario
has announced that the new Ontario
Farm Implements Act will come
into force on January 2, 1990.
Every manufacturer, distributor
and retail dealer doing business in --
the Province will be required to
register under the Act's regulations
in order to continue operating their
businesses in Ontario after January
2.
All affected CFIEI members are
urged to contact the Ontario Farm
Implements Board office to obtain
the necessary forms and other in-
formation as required.
Farmwork rates
CLINTON - The Ontario Mini-
stry of Agriculture and Food has
produced a publication called "A
Summary of Custom Farmwork
Rates Charged in Ontario" for the
past number of years. This is up-
dated yearly and is a summary of
the custom rates charged by cus-
tom operators in the past year.
They are presently looking for
information for 1989. If you have
not received a questionnaire in the
past and would like to participate,
please call the OMAF office in
Clinton and you will be sent one.
Please remember this is for custom
work that you do for others.
Brian Hall
Farm Management Specialist for
Huron County
great length. Deputy Reeve 13111
Camochan expressed concern over
the high wage budget and the pos-
sibility of cutbacks in this area.
Mark Bell explained that a hike in
on-call pay from .25 cents per hour
to $1 per hour isbeingbudgeted
for, as is a 5% annual wage in-
crease over the next two years and
the hiring of a causaL laborer dur-
ing the summer months.
There is a possibility that Vanas-
tra will be able to procure a casual
worker at no cost through a gov-
ernment subsidized student wage
program, but that Council should
not depend on this. Employer -paid
OHIP benefits have also been taken
into account in the budget.
Mr. Bell pointed out that the
$6,000 general maintenance allot-
ment is just an estimated figure.
Certain' repairs, such as those to be
done to the manhole covers, should
be completed within the year as the
grant has been applied for and is
now awaiting approval: This would
cut down the maintenance costs.
Remarked Mr: Bell, "If we don't
need it, we won't spend it."
Deputy Reeve Carnochan pointed
out, however, that resident billing
precepts are based on the budget and
that every attempt should be made
to keep the budget as low as possi-
ble, regardless of whether the mon-
ey will actually be spent or not.
Tuckersmith Council agreed.that
the budget should be cut by be-
tween $10,000 and $15,000 and
that Manager Mark Bell would be
the best authority as to where the
cuts could be applied. Bell has tak-
en back the budgetpand will appear
before council again with the re-
vised figures.
"There's no problem with taking
'it out as long as you realize that
you could be in danger of over
spending. the budgets," remarked
Mr. Bell.
Water denied
Bob Lawson of Tuckersmith
Township has been denied his re-
quest to connect with the Vanastra
water supply. Mr. Lawson, whose
farm is situated directly next to the
Vanastra towndimit, uses a well on
is prpperty but requested the hook-
up to Vanastra water as a backup
source in the event his well should
run dry. He would have been re-
sponsible for installment and main-
tenance and set up on a metered ba-
sis.
Council declined his request,
however, with the feeling that they
would be setting a precedent by al-
lowing him to hook up to the
town's water supply. "If we start
giving in, the next guy's going to
want it, and pretty soon we'd be go-
ing all over the township."
Pool repairs
Costs and quotes are being looked
into for work on the Vanastra Rec-
reation Centre pool. Repairs to the
filtration system arc necessary and
10 inches of concrete will have to
be trenched to get to the system. It
is hoped that a grant will cover one
third of the cost.
Exeter 1 4-H
EXETER - Marie Nethercott and
Linda Sanders are leading the Exet-
er I 4-H girls to "Good Food Fast".
Officers are: President - Melinda
Nethercott, Vice -President - Chris-
tine Chappell, Secretary - Chris
Passmore, Press Reporter - Kim
Passmore.
We have checked readily availa-
ble snacks for nutrition and cost
compared to healthier made -at-
home snacks. Easy to prepare
dishes for full meals have been
tried both at the meetings and at
home.
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