HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-07-07, Page 24Page 24
Times -Advocate, July 7,1993
One Foot
in the Furro. f
sthmutter
Rural Routings: Canadian hog
farmers now owe about $14 mil-
lion in U.S. duties following a ril-
ing last month that said the United
States was justified in viewing Ca-
nMian farm subsidies as unfair.
The ruling gave the Excited
States farm lobby a victory in one
of the longest trade disputes with
Canada but it only settles matters
for one year for hogs shipped be-
tween April of 1989 and March of
1990. Hog made disputes in subse-
quent years are still awaiting rul-
ings and Canadian fanners think
they have a beuer chance for 1991
to 1992 because the so-called tri-
partite program upon which the
ruling wasbased has not been used
to such a great extent in those
years.
Ihate tosay ltold you so...but.
I have been saying for four years
that the American farm lobby is
one of the strongest in the world
and when it comes to a buck, those
Yankees play real rough. So much
-for_ free_tradeand NAFTA- too.
THE ANIMAL CARE HOT-
LINE, instituted by the fDntario
Farm Animal Council more than a
year ago as an experiment. has be-
come perrrtanent. Leslie Ballen-
tine, the excellent manager of the
farm council. said the results of the
pilot project indicate this farmer -
helping fanner service of advice
and referral has worked well.
In the 12 -month period, the ser-
vice has received about two calls a
month fnxneall over the province.
The service has been successful in
resolving all of the valid cases
where help or advice has been
sought. Seven of those calls have
involved the hums a society.
The service is available to fann-
ers looking for advice or assistance
in caring for animals as well as
anyone wishing to report a situa-
tion where they believe farm ani-
mals are not being properly cared
for.
The service can be reached by
calling the Ontario Farm Animal
council office at (416) 821-3 0
from 8 a.m. to 4:30 pm. Monday
to Friday.
THE ONTARIO FARM WOW.
EN'S NETWORK has published a
sexual assault directory for 1993. It
is designed as a resource booklet
with -the -focus -on -sexual -assault
prevention and is meant to reach
out to Lural and farm women, to
give assistance by accessing shel-
ters, helplines and counaelling ser-
vices.
It is an eatoedhent booklet in my
humble opinion and conssins a
LEAVES SHDULD FALL
AFTER SUMMER.
NOT AFTU YIllhU BALER.
Most of hay's nutrients are in its leaves. The more !saves,
the better.
That's why the new Hesston 555 Round Baler has a low -pro-
file pickup. It reduces leaf loss, protecting the nutrient and feed
value of your crop
There's our 555S, standard, or the 555T---i.serni,wtornatic
verhion that lets you rateaur the bale right from your seat. sot i,
produce bales 4 ft. wide and up. to ?5" in diameur. Pius, aach
has dual twine arms for faster tilt -ant. So you get lorfp,MfWp
field performance, improved effidencyandAbatter.quWty bales.
See the 5555 and 555T at.yoiar AGCO,thpseon-dstaier,today,
along witti a wide selection ofsoquipmenttor:allyour :bay .and -
forage needs. And ask about tiosible.AGt204narKi0g.
&mu
Sohn 4 SatVico Phone (S10)2364934
Fax (519)296-7330 22 Main Street, E., Zurich
FARM UPDATF
Hardenn iieifers
Internationally known for heife rs
By Catherine O'Brien
T -A staff
CREDITON - The last few
months have been hectic for young
dairy farmer Dennis Hodgins who
has been juggling school, farming
responsibilities, club activities and
business ventures involving his
purebred Holstein heifers.
The 17 -year-old has also been
busy with media interviews ex-
plaining how one of his heifers was
sold to a hobby farmer in -the Unit -
.ed Kingdom. -
"I'm told it's one of the most diffi-
cult countries in'theworld.to export
to because of quarantine regula-
dons, " he said. ilodgins has also
been told he may -be one- -of the
youngest people to be involved in
such a transaction.
"It's sort of neat to be sitting eat-
ing supper one minute and then do-
ing a phone interview with some-
one in Calgary she next," he said.
1t till started last year when Hod -
Dennis Horns displays
one•of'his -Harden heifers.
Hodgins hopes to make
another intemational sale
this year.
wealth of information for rural peo-
ple. Although the pamphlet does
not say so, I assume copies of the
booklet can be obtained by writing
OFWN main office, c/o Elaine
Ball, secretary, RR2, Thamesford,
Ont., NOM 2M0, phone (519) 285-
2316. Helpline numbers for all
parts of the province are in the
pamphlet. It is a gem of a booklet
and should be in the hands of any-
one who is living infaar as well as
for any number of wonderful vol-
unteers out there in rural Ontario
who may be trying to help troubled
families.
BIG CHEMICAL antidrug corn-
panies can be great bottom -liners.
Take Ciba-Geigy, the giant chemi-
cal conglomerate. The company
sells pesticides :to tobacco farmers
to help them with their crops. But
how many people are aware of the
company that supplies the famous
"patch" that smokers use to help
them quit the habit? You got it,
Pontiac: Ciba-Geigy makes a patch
and provides the self-help kits. that
the federal government, through
the health .deparunent, is providing
under its Quit 4 Life literature
aimed at teenagers.
You get 'un going in and you get
'em going out.
It's a living.
gins, better know in the .business
under the name of Hardenn Heifers,
began making big strides in breed-
ing dairy heifers.
He decided to commit himself to
purebreds.
Last April the young farmer de-
cided to sell the 12 Holsteins he
had and purchase one purebred and
three calves.
From those calves Hodgins raid-
ed a Grand Champion Helfer, de-
clared at last summer's Zurich Fair.
And he's no stranger to dairy
farming being a fifth generation
farmer on the family's 300 -acre
farm. Hodgins began buying and
selling Holsteins at age 10.
But it was a trip to the Royal Ag-
ricultural Winter Fair in Toronto
last November that brought Hod-
gins some international recognition.
A chance meeting with Kippen
dairyman Andrew McBride lead to
the overseas purchase of prize heif-
er, Bobmur Kristy.
With McBride acting as middle-
man, the heifer was sold in mid-
February and sent to Wales in
April.
"She just got out of quarantine
there in June," Hodgins said.
June isalso a memorable date for
the South Huron District High
School graduate.
He won the Hayter Turkey Farm
Award which is presented to the
student with highest marks going
into the field of agriculture.
Hodgins intends on continuing
breeding and marketing heifers and
has set his sights on the Master
Breeder shield.
But first, in the fall, he will be at-
tending Ridgetown College to
study herd management.
"The Breeder shield is a long
term goal. It takes several genera-
tions to improve the breed," he said
referring to his heifers.
"But that's what it's all about,
working towards something better."
ATV MOUNTED 1
ICK WEEDER
Let W.G. Thompson and Sons help keep your fields
clean by eliminating your milkweed problems
Call us today
ITE
Seaforth Hensall Mitche 1 Ansa Craig Granton Pt. Albert
345-2545 262-2527 348-8433 293-3223 225-2360 829-7901
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HURON TRACTOR'S 6th ANNUAL COMBINE/HEADER
Jur 13, 14 & 15 at The Exeter Store
Combine
Safety Shiekl
Program
Tilt July 30/9
DAILY PROGRAM
Tues., Wed., Thurs.
12.'00 Noon
. Lunch
1:00 p.m,
Service Clinic
✓ Combine machine maintenance
✓ Combine operation and adjustments
✓ Header maintenance and operations
-8;45 p.m.
✓ Combine parts fair and trade barn
displays
Working Harder..... to Serve You Better
NWON
TRACTOR
Exeter
Blyth
Thamesford
235.1115
5234244
285-3845
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