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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-08-14, Page 13Page 12 Times -Advocate, August 14, 1991 FARM lJPDAIF Thompson's sponsor crop tour By Ross Haugh HENSALL - The Hensall plant of W.G. Thompson and Sons played host to a crops tour of South Huron farms, Monday afternoon with about 85 persons participating.' A total of 10 stops were made on the tour. The first two were at Elder Acres and W.K. Elder and Sons where fields of Talon and Apache soybeans were viewed. Then it was on to the Tom Trieb- ner farms to inspect a field of Sting- er white beans for seed. At the Hy- land plot, John Van Herk, director of white bean research for Thompsons' talked about new soybean and white bean varieties while Hyland's district sales manager Jim Morlock dis- cussed a corn plot. Next came visits to Ross Beaver, checking Marathon soybeans and a sweet corn crop inspection at Steve Faber's farm. A stop was made at a W.K. Eld- er and Sons farm where a new product for broadleaf control in soybeans was pointed out. The last two stops were at Pym's and John Thomson's. At the latter farm Jim Trainer of Cyanamid talked about a new chemical for weed control in corn. The afternoon was completed with a barbecue at the Hensall plant featuring ribs and chicken. about 200 attended. Dale Good, manager of the Hen- sall facility said crops locally while a bit below average were as good as any he has seen. Good continued, "I just complet- ed a trip through Tennessee, Ohio and Indiana and I wouldn't trade Canadian agricultural policy has wandered -- in hindsight, aimlessly -- and the time has come to estab- lish goals and expectations to which all society can subscribe. Does that sound like a mother- hood statement from a politician? Or from a farm leader seeking elec- tion? Not so. It is the last sentence in a report from a couple of eggheads at the University of Guelph. The re- port was prepared for the Science Council of Canada by Larry Milli- gan, vice-president in charge of re- search, and Freeman McEwen, the recently -retired dean of the Ontario Agricultural College. Both these men are well-known and well-respected, even well - liked, in agricultural circles. They. know what they are talking about. The report includes a section with a scathing indictment of the research or, rather, the way research has been carried out in agriculture. Both farmers and consumers need to be re-educated, about agri- culture. Consumers have no under- standing of national goals for the agriculture and food system of nei- ther the producer or consumer side, the report says, and I heartily agree. Canadian agricultural policy has wandered from crisis to crisis with all governments using a Band-Aid approach to solutions instead of a full-scale operation. Brush fires are being extinguished constantly with makeshift programs instead of an all-out effort by all sectors of the food system to find the cause of the fires. "Uncertainty and mistrust" have developed. "....consumers wonder why governments support farmers to produce prbductS ` for which there are inadequate markets and question why chemicals they be- lieve to be unnecessary, and possi- bly harmful, are found in the food supply and as environmental con- taminants. "There is an urgent need for Canada to decide and make public a national policy for the food producting system," including whether Canadians should be pro- ducing all of our own food or to depend more on imports ad trade. ___ Thase_8te-big questions and they are in need of answers. I am pleasantly surprised that Milligan and McEwen have writ- ten in such strong language. I be- lieve they have hit at the core of my problems. We need a compre- hensive farm policy in this country formed by farmers, processors, re- tailers, shippers and consumers -- people from all sectors of the food chain and the economy. For far too long, governments have been pouring grants and sub- sidies into many parts of the farm- ing sector. The cost has been phe- nomenal yet agriculture is in just as much trouble today as it was 20, 30 40 or 50 years ago. Another section of the report deals with large commercial farms. The report says these farm- ers have lost intimacy with the farms they operate and the details of the fields they cultivate. Large farms have been operated "on the basis of fertilizer and feed prescriptions, good genetic seed and livestock and chemical pest control often applied as a prophy- lactic." Great stuff, eh? Farming is a far more intimate way of making a living than the way factor farms operate. Good farmers -- and I've seen 'em do it -- walk through their fields and watch their crops closely. They do not de- pend on calendars, seedbag recom- mendations and computer • print- outs. They depend on experience, ability and imitimate knowledge of the land, the crop and the country. Big, factory farms do not have that intimacy. The same husbandry is nessary in livestock operations. Good farmers develop a sixth sense. I know a dairy farmer who can smell mastitis, he says, before it develops into• a major problem. I knew a chicken farmer who worked closely with his wife. She, too, had a sixth sense about her flocks. She knew when trouble was developing before the vet. I knew a horse breeder who could spend 10 minutes looking lovingly at the huge hoof and feath- ers of a Percheron. You do not get this attention in the factory farms and Milligan and McKewen have hit a home run for the family farm. _ �- Combines to fit small budgets Shopping for a combine to fit your needs and budget can be a frustrating experience. We can help! No other dealer knows combines like we do, Our reputation Is bulk on it. Wayne Lyons, Sales Rep., Res: 523-9818 We have many combines and platforms to choose from at low finance rates with convenient payment plans Examples: MF 850 + heads as low as $4733.00 S.A.* JD 6620 + flex heads as low as $5439.00 S.A.* * payment semi annual with 30% down payment Remember, we ahvays start your combine off In the Reid and our parts and service departments will support you many years after the sale. If that sounds like a good deal... let's talk Sales Department igi Exeter 235-1115 1-800.265-4220 our crops for theirs." He concluded "Our farmers cer- tainly need good yields to compen- sate for lower prices. Yields to date of wheat, oats and barley have been below average and I hope this can be offset by better yields in corn, white beans and soys." An interested visitor on the crops tour was Albert Manning of Pilot Mound, Manitoba. Manning grows wheat, barley, Durham winter wheat, corn and sunflowers on his 1,500 acres. In addition to headquarters in Blenheim and the Hensall plant, Thompson's have mills in Coat- sworth, Rodney, Blenheim, Kent Bridge, Norwich, Ailsa Craig, Granton, Mitchell, Seaford', Port Albert and Pontypool. A western visitor - Albert Man- ning of Pilot Mound, Manitoba was a visitor to Ontario this week and Monday enjoyed a W.G. Thompson and Sons crop tour. From the left are Dale Good, manager of the Hensall plant, Tom Consitt, Manning and Paul Consitt. Government wrapping up Farm Start program TORONTO - Some 700 people who have been on a waiting list for the Farm Start program since 1988 received formal notice this week that they would not be considered for the program. The Farm Start program, intro- duced in 1988 to attract new pets ple into agriculture offered up to $38,000 in start-up benefits over a Hat'ter's hosting Huron conservation Day DASHWOOD - Farmers interest- ed in maintaining the long-term productivity of their soil while pro- tecting the environment may be in- terested in attending the Huron Conservation Day. It is to be held on Tuesday, August 20, 1991 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Hayter's Turkey Farms, located 1/4 mile west of Dashwood on Highway 83. This event will feature tours of Hayter's Turkey farm as well as guest speakers during the lunch hour. These speakers include Jack Rigby and Peter Johnson. Jack Rigby is a no -till farmer -- from Rondeau Bay and he will be addressing the topics of no -till row crop cultivation and the new cross slot planter. Peter Johnson is a Soil and Crop Advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. He will talk about the new variable rate ni- trogen applicator. The theme of this year's event is "Innovation in Conservation". Guided tours will be run to allow visitors to view a variety of practic- es including a no -till crop tour, ni- trate trial, equipment display and demonstration, and a crop variety trial. This function is sponsored by the Huron Soil and Water Conservation District of the Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association. More- information is available through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food at (519) 482- 3428, the.Maitland Valley Conser- vation Authority at (519) 335-3557, or the Ausable Bayfield Conserva- tion Authority at (519) 235-2610. seven year period. The program was fully subscribed in seven- months and the remaining appli- cants were placed on a waiting list. "Before we took power as the government, we had heard a great deal of criticism about this pro- gram and its design," said Elmer Buchanan, Minister of Agriculture and Food. "Farm Start was exten- sively criticized because it did not allow beginning farmers to do business with established farmers other than their parents. This did not recognize the many forms of joint ventures and co-operative dealings that are common practice in Ontario farming today." The decision not to accept more into the program was made because of the changed economic climate and ministry priorities. "I think it's fair to say this pro- gram was designed in much more prosperous time," said Buchanan. "Our philosophy now is to bring as much certainty and stability as we can to the farm community through the type of long-term, tripartite pro- grams we've introduced such as the Gross Revenue Insurance Plan (GRIP) and the Net Income Stabili- zation Account (NISA). "We're continuing to look at op- tions to address the long term credit needs of Ontario farmers that could be of greater benefit than the Farm Start approach in ensuring that new people are attracted to agriculture." Increase in target price for industrial milk OTTAWA - The Canadian Dairy Commission last week announced an increase in the target price for industrial milk and the support price for skim milk powder for the beginning of the new dairy year. The support price for butter will re- main unchanged. August 1, 1991, the target for industrial milk rose from On Price support prices for butter and skim milk powder, after receiving ad- vice from its Consultative Com- mittee. This committee, which represents a broad range of indus- try and public interests, reviews cdsts associated with production and processing, and makes a rec- ommendation to the Commission. COMING TO A FIELD NEAR YOU FEATURING PURSUIT, THE ULTIMATE WEAPON WEDNESDAY AUGUST 21, 1991 HENSALL ARENA Come see the latest developments in corn and soybean crop protection, including research plots for: • New application rates and timing for PURSUIT ■ New experimental corn herbicide, PROWL • COUNTER LOCK 'N LOAD CYANAMID MAKERS OF: Tours at 10 am and 3:30 pm "Mgt OMANLopc�d,wrw Counter 15-G