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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-11-13, Page 18A PAIR TO COMPARE N3808 2900 H.U. MATURITY • New for 1992 • Outstanding yield performance • Good grain quality N3624 2900 H.U. MATURITY • Incredible fast dry down • Superior stalk strength • Outstanding stress tolerance Your NK Dealer Southwest of Exeter Gerry Lynn R.R. 2 Lucan Ont. NOM 230 227-4677 NORTHRUP KING A Company on the move Page 18 Times -Advocate, November 13, 1991 FARM ]JPDATE Farming is the expression of a greater spiritual vi- sion says Diane Baltaz, author of Living Off the Land: The Spirituality of Farming. She may have the explanation as to why so many people stay on the farm through bad weather, bad pric- es, rising inputs and high interest rates. Although I was born on a farm many years ago, we moved off the land in the Great Depression and my memories are vague. But when I was able to buy a few acres of land in the country 30 years ago and raise and train horses, I did get a first-hand taste of it. We did not have enough land to grow our own grains but we did go through the wonderful thrills of having new-born colts gambol across our land. We kept horses for more than two decades and all three of our children learned to ride almost before they learned to walk. I can readily agree with Diane Baltaz. There is some- thing wonderful, spiritual, close to God, about agricul- ture. I can vividly remember closing the barn door in the cold of winter after feeding, especially at night. To walk away knowing the barn was full of hay and enough grain to last a month or two was probably the sweetest feeling in the world. It was worth all the mon- ey we lost trying to raise, train and sell riding horses. Leaving half a dozen horses contentedly munching is next door to heaven. To have our buckskin mare nuz- zle me with her velvet nose was worth all the aggrava- tion and hard work entailed in a hobby farm. She was called Pippin, after a character in Lord of the Rings. She was ridden by many children but was always my horse. She was born on my birthday and, even after we sold the hobby farm in the country and moved into the city, we kept her at my daughter's place. Some farmers call themselves "co -creators with God." Marty feel the awareness of a higher power, says Baltaz, who interviewed 130 farmers across Canada for her book. They see themselves as caretakers of the land, that precious commodity out there in the boondocks which is stuff that God ain't making any more of. I agree. Years ago when Gordon Hill was president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, he used to say that farmers were different. They cannot be treated the same as any other sector of the economy because they are different. He was always at a loss to describe why they were different but 1 think, perhaps, Baltaz comes pretty close to defining it. Farmers, she says, are angry that big corporations and the media put the finger on them, their marketing boards and the huge subsidies given to them as nothing but a big drain on the economy. They would dearly love to know that Canadians want agriculture to thrive in this country; that they are considered stewards of the land and not just as beggars with their hands out for public money every year. They know that the high price of their products when they get to the consumer has not been caused by the fanners. High food prices occur after that food leaves the farm gate. Farmers, in some sectors, are getting less now that they were 30 years ago. Who do you know is getting less than they were get- ting 30 years ago? "The economic vision of efficiency is very popular to- day," writes Baltaz. "Current farmer militancy is cer- tainly about money but it's about more than money. Per- haps it suggests that there are alternative visions of what our countryside can be. Especially since farmers' esteem for an integrated holistic lifestyle with closer ties to land and community is an intrinsic value which we all need in order to be fully human. And this spirituality tran- scends economics." Well said! Hunters will continue to lobby for changes to firearms legislation PETERBOROUGH - The Onta- rio Federatitiff br'Aiiglers and Hunted ((PAH) -.w01 matinee lb lobby for tougher legislation to slow the criminal tate of firearms, while not restricting use by law- abiding citizens. The OFAH - which with 74,000 members is the largest group in Canada with a direct interest in firearms - will continue to affect new federal legislation after the House of Commons passed Bill C- 17 Thursday. Many of the primary portions of the bill still have not been defined and a rational Advisory Council on Firearms will be expected to provide information to Justice Min- ister Kim Campbell for essential definitions, said Rick Morgan, OFAH Executive Vice President. For example: The minister will rely on the council--fart-standards of le a.1 fire- arms storage. The OFAH continues to advocate different definitions for different conditions (i.e., urban crime areas compared with a north- ern hunt camp or farm.) The definition of prohibited weapons will also be proposed by the council. The lowering of a mag- azine capacity to five shots for ri- fles could eliminate thousands of common, lawful hunting firearms, if exceptions are not made. The Cost of a Firearms Acquis - tion Certificate (FAC) will be rec- ommended by the council. Al- though the minister has said the fee will rise by 400 percent (to $50 from the current $10), the bill miff cut that cost in half for renewals, after repeated OFAH rocommenda- dorts. The OFAH has urged that the cost be kept low to encourage prop- er FAC application. The OFAH is also concerned that the bill will be defined by a minis- ter's Orders -in -council rather than parliamentary amendment. It could allow amendments to be made that doltnot reflect the majority of the " altilicrdesirttes jbq said; ' .me ` law certainly doesn't exist yet and really won't until the coun- cil's recommendations are rendered and adopts," said Morgan. "There are literally millions of law-abiding citizens across Canada who will de- mand that this bill is properly de- fined, and we represent many of them. I fully expect that this bill's final reading into law will be very different." Morgan predicted that pressure from individual firearms owners who have no potential to commit crime will increase. "These people will most certainly make their views known and they will have an effect on the outcome," he said. Morgan also pointed out that the issue continues to divide rural and urban politicians, noting that sever- al members of peter iamein ignored party calls for unanimous vote and instead voted for their constituent's views. "This process will continue to be an excellent exercise in democracy. And the people most' effected by this bill will have their say." The Ontario Federation of An- glers and Hunters was founded in 1928. and represents 470 affiliate clubs. Fed up with feeders GOULDS, NFLD. - Newfound- land's Frank and Denis Galway, hog producers and twin brothers, were fed up with feeders. They couldn't find a good one anywhere. Pigs chewed up the plastic feeders, the steel ones rusted and others caused food wastage. So with the help of funding from Agriculture Canada, they manufactured their own long-lasting, food -saving, low- cost aluminum devices. The feeders work so well, the Galways now plan to market them commercially. THE RUGGED, DEPENDABLE ZITOR 'Vest Drive One Today and You Will Know Why. C.G. f-,�rltt Usborne .1 Dairy Dudes EXETER - On Monday, No- vember 4 the Usborne 1 Dairy Dudes held their fifth meeting at Bev Prout's residence. To start the meeting off they made ice cream with whipping cream, salt, sugar and table cream. Aimee Bayer called the meeting to order. The 4-H .pledge was repeated. Judith Parker handed out question and answer sheets to test the members ice cream IQ for the roll call. Laureen Bou gave her report on the last meeting. Erin Parker then gave her treasurer's report. Bev Prout showed a chart which outlined the main ingre- dients in different kinds of ice cream and frozen yogurt. Ju- dith Parker talked about the difference in fat content and price between premium and regular ice creams. She demon- strated a melt test to see which ice cream would melt the fast- est. The result was that the reg- ular melted the fastest because it has less fat and more air. She read a story about a girl named Carol. The members decided how many servings of good, healthy food she had eaten that day, which weren't many. Sug- gestions were made for im- provements to her menu. The homemade ice cream and sherbet were sampled. To finish the meeting off sundaes were made using the premium and the regular ice cream and toppings brought by the mem- bers. The meeting was ad- joumed at 9:00. By Rebekah Prout -11i111••""_411P Exeter Minor Hockey Association Presents their second annual T®iy ,tAcni mcl...tmilo SUndaNvember 17 Noon t 5 p.m.. at the South Huron Roc Centre In Exeter Farm credit leaving OTTAWA - The federal govern- ment's plan to move the headquar- ters of the Farm Credit Corporation to Regina from Ottawa is moving ahead as scheduled. Despite several media reports in- dicating that the government is re- thinking the move, Agriculture Minister Bill McKnight confirmed last week that the relocation is pro- ceeding. "There are several sound reasons why the decision to move - FCC headquarters was taken and they haven't changed," McKnight said. "This relocation demonstrates our commitment to strengthening the p presence of the Government of Canada in the Prairies and to bring- ing federal institutions closer to the people they serve." In preparation for the September OUR iJN8EATA8LE DUO S20.20 2950 H.U. MATURITY • Clear Hilum • Excellent on clay • Excellent stress tolerance • Excellent standability • Excellent yields 519.90 3000 H.U. MATURITY • Gray Hilum • Excellent on Loam • Very good stress tolerance • Best standability • Excellent yields Your NK Dealer Southwest of Exeter Gerry Lynn R.R. 2 Lucan Ont. NOM 2J0 227-4677 NORTHRUP MG A Company on the move 1992 move, the FCC's executive has visited Regina to determine the availability of office space in the city. The lease will be going to ten- der shortly. Officials are also helping the Cor- poration's 200 head office employ- ees cope with the move. Plans are in the works to invite Regina's community leaders to Ottawa to in- form staff about the services availa- ble in the Saskatchewan city. Since 1959, the Farm Credit Cor- poration has played a key role in helping gain Canadians establish and maintain competitive farm op- erations by offering loans and fi- nancial Services to producers. Near- ly one-half of its loans and almost half of its loans receivable are in the Prairie provinces. Huron Tractor Toyland Visit our .New. Huron Tractor Toyland Best Selection of Toys Around owl •,r .,, ',t.• ion,.' u e r. •' • MO - „• apr-YosNI if i ._.111111.. Akarniifts i►wt�''.; • N1'.1.-.'� 0,1 .4 • i ' John Deere Farm Toys and John Deere Industrial Toys Collectors Edition. Radio Remote Controlled Tractor. Shop early while selection is at Its best VA] IIURON Highway #4 North Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 235-1115 21: Sat. 8:00 - 12 noon f j