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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1993-09-22, Page 10One Foot in the Furrow 1 am still mystified by the oppo- sition to stable funding proposed by the Ontario Federation of Agri - .culture and backed by the ,Chris- -siian Farmers Federation of Onta- rio. The proposal would make all farmers register every year if they •want to continue to get provincial subsidies and use programs and services provided by the province. Farmers would write a cheque for S150 which =would ,go to either of the above organizations or to the Ontario branch of the Ontario Farmers Union. If .they do not want to support .any of these three:general:farm or- ganizations,they.can apply to -get their money back. The money, somewhere around 47.5 million.according to my add- ing machine, would-be split among the NFU, the OFAand.CPFO with the bulk of it .going to tihefedera- . tion because it.has the most mem- bers; about20,000. -All xhxee,general.farm organize - dons have been woefully and chronically short of funds tor a hundred years. This plan would solve the money problem. But the tanners union, always dissidents when it comes to almost anything suggested by the federa- tion, and another group calling themselves the Silent Majority -- they aren't too silent now -- have been fighting the plan. All they want, they say, is a vote ''by all farmers on whether or not 'they want the proposal to go Shead. They are seeking a piebi- .:.acite. That's all. 1 am also wonder- ing why a plebiscite is necessary if the OFA and the CFFO who repre- sent about -21,000 farmers are in .favour of the deal. That, in itself, is almost a majority. "A vote," says Joe Daunt of List- wel, a spokesperson for the Silent Majority, "would clear the air and end divisiveness among farmers." True but who has caused so much divisiveness? 1t seems to me the Silent Majority is at the bottom By Bob Trotter see of most of it. At one time, even the farmers union reluctantly agreed to the plan. Persuasion, not coercion, is the way to get the idea across, he said, and it is, in fact, "an act of con- tempt for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Christian Farmers Federation to claim to know beuer than we that what is best for us." In an attempt to de- fend his position, Daunt said the Mennonites oppose the plan be- cause they support each other iu times of trouble and are stronger for it.,But farmers outside the Men- nonite faith do not have that com- munal commitment so the compari- son does not hold much water for me. Perry Pearce, Ontario co- ordinator of the NFU, was much more strident in his condemnation of the province and the OFA.: He called them "gifted tyrants ... who will receive the ultimate cash -cow and power in rural Ontario." He called Elmer Buchanan, Ontario's agminister, "the hereditary king who will be just a figurehead with no real power" and the ministry will become the - servants of not grassroots farmers but of tyrants and clans. Clans? Where the hell did he get that analogy? The OFA, he said, is there to make sure farmers do not get ahead. It is? Any contact I have ever had with the OFA for the last 40 years proves to me that the or- ganization is sincerely trying to help all farmers and agriculture. 1 could say the same thing for the farmers union, too, although each organization sometimes goes .about it differently. When the OFA' backed the plan and the Christian Farmers Federa- tion after considerable reflection also supported it, I felt that they would all get proper financial sup- port to fight big business and big industry with the only weapon those people understand: Money. I still support the idea. Authority purchases Hay Swamp tract :EXETER - In Marsch, with fund - Mg =the .Ministry :of Natural !.Beaeturces and ,she Atwable _Bay- field _onse nation Fotmdadion. the Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority.purcbased another piece of She provincially significant Hay Swamp. -"The :Dinsmore Manage- ment Area is 50:aeces in size at Lot .16, Concession IX in Hay Township. The area has three types of vege- tation and most of . the area is flooded for a few months each year, absorbing spring runoff .and releasing it slowly through the _summer. Along the western boundary, renes .were _cleared :in Vitiate '80s to ,make way .for she :Bruce -:to Lcngwoods Hydro Corridor. -This 1a acre section is now -primarily grassed with shrubs gradually mov- ing into the area. An open area such as this provides food for deer and . other herbivores. 'The :shrubs 41 provide food and"shelter4or songbirds. When the area is'flood- ed, it's also a good .site:for water- fowl. The second.part of.the property is a hardwood swamp with silver and red maple,. white ash, poplar etc. The .aatutsem portion is an upland forest with maple and beech trees. A small portion of She land is now an _agricultural field. This ytar,.the-Authority is preparing the Committee holds dairy competition siteforzee planting in 1994. "The.acquisition of this property is another step towards protecting the 5,000 acre swamp. Hay Swamp was originally.10,-0011seres in size and supported a thriving logging .industry. By.the.mid 1900s most of the swamp had -been elate i foraig- -ricultnre.:In -:the . tarty '1950s, she ARCA started purchasing portions of she swamp for reforestation, .floodcontrol, water.quality, reerea- tion and general : environmental -P. ,Aboutbelf.of the current swamp is _under Authority ownership. :Most.of .the ABCAs land is .man - '.aged :by,:the Ministry of Natural 17Q inark 40 yams -_oaf tree Dtanti ng ABCA proposing Crediton arboretum CREDITON - The Ausable Bay- fheld Conservation Authority Will -beidting permission from.Stephen • Township councilto.eatabaish a33- iree arboretum in the village's Con- -itrvation Area. ._he...arl span !Will . commemo- rate 40 years of r}cforcatation in the ABCA's watershed, said communi- onions manager Kate Monk. Cre- diton was chosen as the site for the arboretum because the space t -is available in the park, and it is cen- tral to the ARCA watershed. Between 1985 -and 1992, the ABCA planted 1.7 miWon.trees on local lands in an effort.to reforest an area virtually stripped of its nat- ural tree cover. "I have no idea how many we've planted over,$he 40 years,".conced- cd Monk. but Doted the 10.000 acre Hay Swamp was half -cleared by propertyowners attempting to drain .and farm the wetland in the early years of the century. Much of that GLENCOE - The Middlesex -, County Milk Commiuec will present the competition for its first Middlesex County .dairy Educator, at Glencoe Fair on Saturday, Sep- tember 25, at 2:00 p.m. -Previously, this event bas been known as the D.atry•Prulcess Competition. For this year's competition. sever- al -local applicants from the age of 17 .will compete for the title Mid- dlesex County Dairy Educator 1993.94. Eligibility requirements are as follow: minimum age of 17 years of Jply 1, 1993; agncultural backgrounll and/or agricultural ex- perience; possession of a valid driv- er's licence. Closing date for appli- cation is September20, 1993. Interviews will be conducted by a panel of Ouse selectors prior to the competition. in the fair's parade, the contestants will be, driven in an open czar. The public presentation begins at 2:00 p.m. Each contestant will give a speech on a topic of their choice concerning an aspect of the dairy industry. A modern milking demonstration will follow, during which time a milk break will be held and draws will be held for door prices. At its conclusion, the person cho- sen by the selectors will be named Middleaex County Dairy Educator 1993.94 w represent the milk pro- ducers and the cream producers in the .county in a public relations .ca- p4Wity. Judy Strybosch, the 1992.93 Middlesex County Dairy Princess will be in attendance. This event marks the conclusion of 37 years of the Dairy Pruicess program in Mid- dlesex County and the beginning of the Dairy Educator program. Forfurther information, please wntact Marianne Henderson, dairy education co-ordinator at 660-1344. land, bought by the Conservation Authority in the 1950s has been re - ferreted. Tax: planting projects continue day, most of them on pri _lands. Wooded areas-provide-ere-- sion:protection,s tiydraulically A • djust• contrcl, and habitat for wild, :life. :The Conservation forests, planted rinaogjurrction with the ,IMinistry of'' Nowa Resources are also an asset. The trees will be selectively har- vested in another;20 or 30 years, providing a steady .income for the ministry and the ABCA. "They. are a financial asset for us down the road," confunmed'Monk. The planned 33 -tree arboretum, one for each member municipality and one for .lhe province, is expect- ed to be a benefit to tree planters to assess the growth of each species, as well as be of educational use to local school groups. Resources as Agreement -lfotests, with the ARCA managing 3he-ae- mainder of_thetracts. 1► Crop Competition Results Kirkton Fair 1993 ,l:uyabaan s Chris Wren -tell, Rob Morley Harry Weerern, Thomsvue Farm, Jun Hvdp,ns Mike O'Shea Mervin Shute Suns Madder Gary Urquhart Steve Worker Wheat Jadaho Farms Thomsvue Farms burns andder AlbertAseraink Earl Feeler Rob Mosey Gary Urquhart Mike O'Shea Sieve Walker Pete Revingron Corn Gere WeernrnM Harry Wesson Thomsvue Farms Jun Hodirs Mervrh Shute Rob Morley' Mike O'Shea Bums diadems' Sian bras BA Slephons Tim Shute Jim Hafting Albert Mtaarrrnk Mdra O'Shea Steve Walker Mervin Shute Ewart Goan Stun Seams Chis Wsstnmk Garald.Weerairw a 1 Field 91 89 86 90 86 87 6a 66 73 75 91 82 83 85 77 87 76 78 83 77 95 86 87 80 75 85 82 2 71 65 95 AIM 79 •77 89 85 83 Boyabeens let Cris Weernink .4n1d Rob Morley 3rd Harry Weersink Corn :1st Chris Weernink 2nd Harry Weeraink 4rd Tt)untsvye Farms rarrO Tao 87 178 177 85 171 80 170 76 182 72 169 82 150 90 146 70 143 se 179 90 172 86 169 62 187 84 181 72 159 - 80 166 76 154 ;,4 - 1vN N 1 O*'J 185 174 167 164 167 167 162 161 142 141 131 Wheat 1st Jadaho Farms 2nd Thomsvue Farms 3rd Burns Wackier While Beans 1st Jim Hodgins 2nd Albert Weernink 3rd :Mitre O'$�ipa 7»e 0n4' DriliA* 77eAlfsnFef71re1.,, •Has The No -Till Toolbar Built Into The Main Frame, No Need For Expensive Add -On Coulter Caddies •Has Up To 750# Of Down Pressure Per Coulter *Has Hydraulically Adjusted Weight Transfer To The No -Till Coulters And openers els Designed For Any Field Condition - No -Till, Min -Till, Or Conventional SPEEDY 5000 SERIES Sales & Service Phone (519) 236' 4934 Fax (510) 236-7330 22' MainStreet, E., Zurich United Faro Too/s The Leader In Conservation Technology - Becker Farm Equipment suns #ext gaweraeiMsiiel urea international Megmrm Tractors Exeter Ont. September 16, 1993 - When JI Case iiftedthe curtain on the next generation of Case International MAGNUM'"' tractors during a recentbusiness meeting in .Toronto, the sales staff of Becker Farm Equipment in Exeter were there to see the new machines and learn -the specific benefits to their customers. Beckers were among more than 2,000 Case IH dealers and sales _personnet:from across North America who attended business meetings held this week specifically for the putnose:of introducing the MAGNUM 7200 Series high -horsepower tractors. The meetings provided a full stay of informational and training sessions to aacpuaint'Cele 1H dealers with key features of the five new tractors, which range Inom 130 to-215rPTO horsepower (97 to 1.60 kW). "More than anything, they build on the positive features of -the- 7100 Series MAGNUM tractors,' said Becker. -- He explained that the original MAGNUM tractors, tile 7100 Series introduced in -1987,-topreeetilati the first real industry breakthrough in tractor design in more than two decades. Tractors use proven and new technologies "At the meeting, we got a good, firsthand look at all five of the 7200 Series noels," peer eejd. "They have the features our customers have always liked about the MAGNUM tractors - .2849000 full powershift transmission, reliable Case diesel engine, super visibility and tren'tatltiptfsfittah capacity. They come with in -cab hydraulic flow controls, en extra -slow creeper -speed tuition aid other features our customers have requested during the seven years since the line was' introduced. And, naturally, they have lots of new features customers have been asking for. I'm convinced that these new MAGNUM tractors,will have every bit as much impact on setting standards in the industry as the original lineup did," he added. One major improvement is n turning radius, according to Becker. The turning radius with time new 7200 Series Tractors is no as much as 11 percent tighter than on previous models. To achieve tighter turns, the lower front grill and side panels have been re -sculptured and steering angles modified. Hitch controls improved Hitch controls we improved on the new tractors, as well. With the new three -position hitch - command rocker switch, the operator can control speed and positioning of the hitch with increased ease and precision. A new upper limit setting for the hitch lets the operator specify just how high he or she wants to raise an implement or attachment between operations. And an on -board diagnostic monitor now identifies 32 hitch -related concerns for easy and quick diagnosis. Among other changes, the new MAGNUM tractors also feature an advanced environmental system that makes use of a more environmentally friendly coolant for sir conditioning, and even more comfortable operating station and increased ease of serviceability. 'I think, more than anything, the meetings served to generate fresh excitement apput.a product we're already very proud of,' said Becker. He explained that the MAGNUM has been listed by Fortune Magazine as being one of 100 products America makes best. 'I think it's fair to say our competition has been working hard to catch us, and now we've raised the mark." Becker said Becker Farm Equipment expects to have its first new 7200 Series tractorsen the let in early October. Headquarters in Racine, Wis., Case is a worldwide manufacturer and marketer of Case International agricultural and Case construction equipment. Case is a subsidiary of Houston -basad Tenneco Inc., a diversified industrial corporation with major business interests in natural gas pipelines, agricultural and construction equipment, shipbuilding, automotive parts, packaging and +lgIs• Becker Farm equipment (519) M _oi0l FARM EQUIPMENT - EXETER, ONTARIO Sales, Service & Rentals since 1932 1.800a26&2121 FAX (519) 7Ars-0701