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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-03-24, Page 24Page 24 Times -Advocate, March 24,1993 Corbett Feeds h �!d their open house on Wednesday with a large crowd attending. Shown above, sign- ing in for the day is Larry Miller, Woodham (left) with Michael Hern, salesman and Tony Michielsen, owner. At right, Katrina Mi- chielsen shows her sister Tessa one of the door prizes while Ben Hindmarsh, Centralia, looks on. Tips on conservation tillage SEAFORTH -At last Tuesday's conservation tillage meeting in Sea - forth, speakers dealt with all as- pects'of no -till, reduced tillage pro- duction practices, switching to no - till and weed control. Sponsored by the Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association, the meeting also included an indoor display of no -till drills and planters together with the farmers that use them. J.E. Shaw of Ridgetown College of Agricultural Technology talked about no -till weed control, but said chemical weed control was very important. He went on to say, "It is doubtful whether chemical weed control in no -till production systems is any more or less difficult than in con- ventional production systems. Suc- cessful no -till farmers arc confident that herbicides are worth the capital investment and that they have the management ability to apply them, accurately, timely and judiciously. They recognize the need for well maintained and properly adjusted equipment, and the need for a thor- ough understanding of the herbi- cides they intend to use. They also realize the value of being able to identify their problem weeds and the importance of knowing when specific weed species are most vul- nerable to herbicide treatment. Weed management in the ab- sence of tillage becomes more com- plex because there are fewer op- tions available and the species makeup of weed populations tends to gradually change over time. The weed species that need control in an established no -till system are usually different than those found in tillage systems. Numbers of con- ventional type weeds tend to de- cline and those that are normally not found in tilled fields tend to in- crease in number. This is not cause for alarm; most can be controlled with the herbicides available with- out increasing rates. In the transition years, three to fivete�aarrss during the conversion from 'rconvential tillage systems to no -till, farmers may have to con- tend with new species, such as dan- delion, wild carrot or goldenrod, while at the same time continuing infight the array of annual and per- nial weeds left over from the ventional system. Once; the seed supply in the top few inches of soil dwindles, the fight against this group can be less intensive. Learn- ing to recognize unfamiliar weeds and developing a sound manage- ment program for them is the main challenge for the no -till growers. If serious perennial weeds are known to be a problem in a field, then that field is not a good pros - Seed Pick -Up Days March 26 & 27 Pick up and pay for your Seed Corn, Forages, Soybeans and AgMaster Silage Inoculants and get: 165% cash discount on all products practical arid durable Draw Pin absolutely FREE - it's our special gift to youl fel additional $1.00/pkg. cash savings on AgMaster Silage In oculants Stock Items All forages Soybeans - kg. • 60 - kg. - 62 . - lawn seed - Hi stick Inoc. - red clover seed Corn - King - Pride - A.T.C. grass seeding DOUG LIGHTFOOT & SON'S RR 1 Crediton, Ont. 234$2$7 pect for no -till. Take the opportuni- ty before no -tilling that field, to use especially. designed chemical and mechanical means to bring those specific perennials under control while the use of tillage is still prac- tical. The same basic common sense rule that apply to weed manage- ment and, in particular, to herbicide use in conventional weed manag- ment programs also apply to re- duced tillage systems. Planning and selecting the herbicide, the proper rate, accurate application and tim- ing are the keys to success. Other speakers in the morning were Peter McTavish of Middlesex county on "Making the switch to no -till" and "Cropping considera- tions for '93" from OMAF Soil and Crop advisor Peter Johnson. Taking part in afternoon panel discussions on reduced tillage pro- duction practices and no -till drills `and planters and the farmers that use them were Steve Carruthers, George Cornelissen, Dave Filsing- er, Steve Dennis and Bill White. Thank-Yoo-oo! One foot in the furrow By Bob Trotter "If you eat", said the article from the president's desk in the Ontario Farm Women's Network newslet- ter, "you have an interest in agri- culture." Eating is a difficult habit to break. We started when we were mewling and puking in our moth- er's arms. Few people in this vale of tears will argue with the fact that we cannot get along without farmers but I never cease to be surprised at how little most people know about agriculture. No longer do farmers make up a majority of the working force. At one time, at least 60 percent of the population was either engaged in farming or had something to do with it. The rest of the population know a little about it. 41But today, only about three per- cent of the population is actively engaged hi, farming and most of the rest er .the population is too wrapped win trials and troubles of their own to care. But we gotta eat, my friends, so we should care about agriculture. Not long ago, a speaker at a farm outlook conference in this area said things are not going to get much better in agriculture for an- other decade. Thisata time when profits in agriculture, if .any, are running as low as they did in the Great Depression. Government subsidies have helped farmers, perhaps too much. Government. aid has accounted for about two-thirds of the net income for farmed' for .the last five years and that, as anyone will agree, is not a healthy situation . Farmers have to be realistic. They know --.at least, most that I talked to -- that governments bur- dened with debt will not continue to prop up agriculture forever. The $2 billion a year spent on farm aid could reduce the deficit. Farmers cannot expect more help. In fact, if prices.at the farm gate do increase, they can expect a decrease in sub- -Oldies. If prices go down, the gov- t coffers are empty; in fact, fhey are deep, deep in the red so more help cannot be counted on. Those figures above -- three per- t of the..)pOpulation -- could be ven lower:if bad times continue. It pas been said that there are too eany farmers now. Those that are ft must become bigger and more bfficient. In so doing, that that ('hree' percent could drop to two jiercent or even less. .From farm gate.to;the.kitchen ta- ble, somewhere around 30 percent of the :population derives a living from agriculture. Think about it: transportation, processors, packers, packagers, big food stores, little food stores, advertisers, newspa- pers, magazines, radio and televi- sion and so on. If the agriculture industry in this country is allowed to die, many more people than just the farmers will suffer. And if we allow agri- culture to become extinct in this country, what happens when droughts and other :adverse -condi- tions in other countries force a shortage of food? Those foreign governments are going to feed their people before they export. But we will still need to eat.. As mentioned, it's a tough habit to break. Impossible. So when governments prop up agriculture, think of it as an invest- ment in life. Your life. C /ALLA aC n ©Wt N FEadlR OPEN HOUSE MARCH 25826 -gam -5 pm 5% DISCOUNT ON SALES BEFORE MARCH 31'1 Come and See how you can fence more for less. 31 m. North of Zurich 263-6208 Call Evert Van Sligtenhorst Get The Alpine Adv t p� Advantage for • Com • Beans and Wheat ALSO OFFERING; • Ball Valves • ¢Couplers • Red Ball Monitors • Micro Nutrients • Micros • Liquid Innoculant for Soybeans -Cart COOPER 263-6108 r.,,t,,. 671-0743 ERIC DEVLAEMINCK 228-6275 P.O. Box 730 New Hamburg. Ontario NOB 200 PLANT FOODS LIMITED ALPI NE Telephone (549) 662.2952 Fax (519) 682.3446 1.604265-2268 011130511••• 'IL IL Parleds SerWggrect Your choice of $200 worth of Receive on extended service contract Polaris clothing and accessories. good for one year on your new ATV. Cne! C1 ifs tiohipai Maw 31, pav Palo& frees td•atl•r Mink. WMPIN ATV, cam be burdoa io operab. Mar an r s„r aadiu.oldrlos ridden only b,edJnISwed olds. Fa, raw soler. Always mow o Woo. aro p.ererr„ and a sea .• dd..o. So pa%c.ta.ly carr on IOL Y WO. P is rraelw 4. Ma, all AN near. ado ••••••• care rat aai.h ad Inowung .,100n, ass nor dubs. OR., end, May 3 I , 1993 O 1993 Polaris loaaarits La Available only of participating Poloris dealers. Elder Enterprises Ltd. 1 mile west and 1 mile South of Hensall Hensen 263-6142 i Tony and Nancy Michielsen and the staff of Corbett Feeds would like to thank all of our customers and suppliers for inking our open house such a success CORBETT FEEDS 294-0230 Parkhill 1-800.268-0230 • w From left to right are Peter Hakvoort (general manager), Brian McGregor (Blyth service manager), Joanne Scott-Traut (manager of customer service support), end Richard Brennan, the manager of Aftermarket Canada. Huron Tractor was one of only 15 dealers to win the Super Service Award in 1992. Only six have ever won it twice, Hurpn Tractor is one of those. The award is for parts and,service excellence. sent from the photo raph was technical support ma er Bill Baker