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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-12-11, Page 14Page 14 Times -Advocate, December 11, 1991 FARM 2 LOCATIONS SE Aaruiecit, Ont, ` Ph.(519) 229-6700 ' .( FWx(519)229-8117 s hs Bruce ShIllinglaw of Beltane Agri -Services fields questions during Wednesday's No -Till seminar held at the Hensalll Community Centre. Over 250 farmers attended the event organized by Hyde Brothers Farm Equipment. No -till seminar attracts over 250 0 i EXETER - Despite winter's first storm of the year, more than , 250 farmers, some from as far away as Windsor, turned up at the Hensall Community Centre, to learn more about no -till farming. A five-hour seminar was put together in part by Hyde Brothers Farm Equipment of • Hensall, to help offer interested farmers more insight into the benefits of no -till. Don Yates, corn hybrid manager for Great Lakes Hybrid, opened the session by explaining what a seed corn company has to look at to get into the market. Listeners were informed of what the average opera- tion must produce in terms of corn hybrid, and how to go about it. Ray Rawson then took the podium, to describe what has happened to his soil in his 23 years of no -till farming. "One pass and I'm done," said Rawson. "But when you look at no - till as a system, you have to look at it as a whole." Dave Ainslie didn't adopt the no -till method that long ago, but when he did it was done wholeheartedly. Ainslie related problems caused by weather, ground conditions, residue left from past years, weed spray and timing, which Rawson no longer worries about because he has sur- passed them. Following lunch, Don Lobb was able to break down the entire pro- cess according to a systems approach. Using yield comparisons, graphs and charts, Lobb drew upon his 11 years as a no -till farmer to prove how the system operated best. He works on the law that for every action there is a reaction. As he explained, every time you change your variety, you have to change your spray. "You can't do this one step at a time, and still expect to do it right," acknowledged Lobb. Following the session, the group acted as a discussion panel, to field many questions on the advantages and concerns of the no -till proce- dure. Hyde Brothers put the program together over the past month with the help of Bruce Shillinglaw of Beltane Agri -Services and John McIner- ney of Great Lakes Hybrid. "If it hadn't stormed, we would have had over 350," confirmed Terry Caldwell of Hyde Brothers. "We set the program up with the hope of covering all the angles." Hyde Brothers .Is hoping to make tht seminar an annual event, to help provide information to farmers about all levels of no -till farming. 1 alit FARM 1IPflATF Ministers discuss trade ties OTTAWA - Federal Agriculture Minister Bill McKnight met with Mexican Secretary of Agriculture Carlos Hank Gonzalez last week to discuss ways of enhancing agricul- tural trade ties between the two countries. The discussions fol - towed meetings between Canadian and Mexican Ministers for External Affairs, Trade and Agriculture. "My discussions with the Mexi- can Secretary of Agriculture reflect the desire of both nations to strengthen bilateral relations in the agri-food sector," McKnight said. "One of our primary goals is to en- hance relations between our food and agriculture business communi- ties through activities of our Joint Agriculture Committee." The Ministers discussed ways in which the two governments could facilitate increased trade, including harmonization of animal and plant health standards, technical co- operation, regular exchanges of agri-economic data and research in- formation, and the removal of unn- cessary trade barriers through dis- cussions during the North American Free Trade negotiations. McKnight also met with agents for Canadian rums selling products in Mexico to discuss the current trade climate in Mexico and oppor- tunities for expansion of Canadian exports. "We believe that by reducing bar- riers to trade and providing eco- nomic and technical assistance, the federal government can act as a fa- cilitator in the creation of mutually beneficial alliances between Cana- dian and Mexican agri-food indus- tries," McKnight told the represen- tatives. "Mexico offers an excellent potential growth market for Canadi- an agri-food producers such as grains, animal genetics, meat prod- ucts, seed potatoes, dairy products and processed foods." McKnight also met with the Di- rector General of Conasupo, Javier Bonilla Garcia, to reiterate Cana- da's interest in maintaining and ex- panding our trade with Mexico in commodities such as skim milk powder and wheat. CONASUP is Mexico's sole importing agency for skim milk powder, corn, beans, rice and wheat. P111- UIIRIWFMAS SHOPPING SPREE Saturday Dec. 14 8 a.m.- 12 noon Inside the Store Specials 15 off Storewide (cash and carry) Lots of Peanuts in the shells in stock Work Clothing Footwear Gloves etc. Small tools, Small appliances and much much more Excluding animal health products and items already on special Centralia Farmers Supply Ltd. Centralia 228-6638 By Bob 'I'rotttr Heaven knows how long it will take. The three-member commission appointed last June by the Rae gov- ernment will start holding a series of meetings in January. The com- mission is charged with reforming the planning process in Ontario. It needs reform. Ask any developer. Ask most municipal planning offi- cers. Ask any farmer. The reform is overdue. In fact, this corner has been screaming for some kind of comprehensive land use policy in Ontario for 25 years. Our screams, sometimes merely bleats of frustration at the inaction, have been heard. The commission has come up with a set of draft goals that would severely limit the development of farmland and of environmentally sensitive areas across the province. I'm not sure that the original idea was to set out some areas of agri- cultural concern. I believe the orig- inal idea was to help developers to simplify the development process. But the commission, in its wonder- ful wisdom, has already made some decisions about farm land. For instance, any new develop- ment should be concentrated in previously built-up areas where the use of existing roads, sewers and water services can be used. Good ideas, of course, but motherhood in nature. These goals were developed by working groups convened by the commission. Represented were ur- ban, suburban, rural and even small-town people. In the begin ning, I was told the commission would propose a freeze on the de- velopment of all farm land in the province. Again, the idea has merit but is an impossible goal. This province is growing, not by leaps and bounds anymore, but it is growing and will continue to grow. People have to live somewhere and the only direction to go is to where the land is being farmed. When cities were small towns many decades ago -- and all of them were -- they were built in places to serve the agricultural community. Surrounding most cit- ies is farm land because that's where farmers and cities met. To say all farm land must stay farm land is an unattainable goal. Sensibly, the commission has come up with some conditions. Such as a 20 -year plan to prove that there is no practical alternative ex- cept to use farm land. When devel- opment is permitted, the commis- sion is suggesting a reasonable density such as -five units to the acre to prevent the senseless urban sprawl that has taken place so often in the last 40 years. The commission has wisely taken the attitude that all the . statements set out in the goals are open for de- bate. When public meetings are held next year, all interested parties can contribute ideas and sugges- tions. The end result? Probably new legislation about planning and land use that will try to satisfy the ur- ban -rural dichotomy that has been going on for 50 years. Naturally, the expected taws will not suit eve- ryone concerned. No legislation and no legislature has been able to do that. But it will be better than the mish-mash now on the books that supplies only guidelines to preserve farm land, guidelines that can be bent or broken at will and which have seen great gobs of good farm- land gobbled up as though it were infinite. The rules, regulations, legislation and tradition have also made it ex- tremely difficult for sincere devel- opers trying to supply housing to a hungry public. At long last, though, a provincial government has had the guts to, at least make an attempt at preserving farm land. When farm land is-lost- to s-lostto development it is gone forever. They aren't making it any more. NOTICE Township of Usborne Usborne.Township Council requests the co- operatioof the ratepayers regarding the parking of cars and other vehicles on township roads during the period in which snow clearing operation is nec- essary. The township will not be held responsible for any damage done to these vehicles. Also the residents are asked to cooperate by not pushing or dumping snow or ice out of private driveways onto public roads as this practice could lead to an accident, in the event of which ratepayer concerned could be held liable. % Financing Big Cash Discounts 111074 ,! Now you have more reasons to buy a White planter. (As if superior quality wasn't enough.) • Most accurate seed spacing available on a planter today ■ Accurate depth placement with our unique walking beam depth wheels ■ The gentlest air handling system for less damage to the seed coat ■ No talcum powder or graphite to coat the seed ■ No costly high maintenance seals in our metering unit • Drain tubes on each row unit for quick changeover of seed varieties ■ Lower power requirements from our low air pressure • Forward fold models ■ Vertical fold models ■ Double frame models ■ No till and min -till attachments • Liquid or dry fertilizer Special finance options OAC 6 month interest waiver 0% for 18 months 6.4% for 24 months 8.9% for 36 months Stop by today to see the most accurate and effi- cient planter technology at the best prices In 1991 C.G. Supply Ltd. !r *Sri MEV OFA