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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-08-18, Page 1212 orryillvir Wednesday, August 18, 1999 Farm ne Study to find economic value of Perth agriculture By Katherine Harding TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF MITCHELL -- Farming is the backbone of Perth County and the county's Federatioilipf Agriculture wants toowj ust how deep that connection runs. Last Wednesday, the Perth County Federation of Agriculture (PCFA) offi- cially launched an agricul- tural economic impact study intended to estimate direct, indirect and induced links between the farming industry and the county's economy. The Huron County Federation of Agriculture conducted a similar study in 1997. Direct impacts involve farms themselves while indirect impacts involve services to agriculture such as trucking and banking. Induced impacts Upcoming seminar discusses future of rural communities EXETER -- Agriculture is an extremely profitable business --7 if you're not a farmer. In 1988, General Mills made 222 per- cent return on equity and Quaker Oats made 165 per cent while farmers averaged less than three per cent return on equity, according to figures from the Catholic Rural Life Conferences (CRLC). • The inequity of this situation 'and finding solutions to it will be the focus of a series of meetings featuring Dr. William and Judy Heffernan in Lambton, Huron and Bruce Counties. The Heffernans will be in Exeter at the South Huron Recreation Centre on Tuesday, August 24. The afternoon session entitled .A Passion for Rural Ministry is aimed at clergy, pastoral teams, and members of church congregations and will be held from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The .evening session, also . at the Rec Centre from 7 to 9:30 p.m., is aimed at a more general .audience of rural and urban people and concerns the future development of rural communities �as a whole. Entitled A Different Road: Developing Rural 'Community as if People and the Environment Mattered, the session is open to everyone. The Heffernans believe traditional rural institutions such as churches can become focal points for- :connecting farmers and consumers and develop- ing equitable alternatives to the cur- rent food system. Their expertise with alternative sys- tems has encouraged churches to become involved in presenting the ses- sions - one of which will focus specifi- cally on church and rural ministry and the other which will focus on riral cominunity development as a whole.:: =r There is no charge for the •events but a. freewill offering will be collected. An Informal meal (subs or sandwiches) will be offered at cost for those stayingnomic value of farming by for both sessions. •4T-. ::farm gate sales and the Dr. Heffernan spoke at Kings number people College's annual gathering last employed directly on November and is returning to Ontario farms. this summer, along: with his wife Judy. Farm gate sales in Perth The Heffernans are respected for County (total sales by their academic and practical work in Perth County farms) defending the family farm; reached $430 million in More information on the Exeter 1996, making it the fourth meetings is available through Tony largest agricultural county Beernink, 786-2285, the CRLC office at in Ontario behind Huron, 1-519-683-1008 or Pat Milliken (farm Holland -Norfolk and and rural resource minister of . the Middlesex -Kent respec- United Church's London Conference) Atively. 519-672-1930 or 519-844-2278.{.� "A study like this has ; ! ` '`1' never been done before in involvethe busfl es benefitting from agr cul- ture such as restaurants and retail. The project is expected to cost $30,000, with $25,000 in funding from a federal Human Resources Perth County," said McIntosh. "The exciting thing is that this will be new news. It isn't some- thing that has been done five years ago and we will be just regurgitating those Development Canada pro- "The federation's theme gram and $5,000 from the has always -been `the busi- federft btk It is : ness of agricul- expected to "Agriculture is a ture creates start by the basic service that jobs' — but we end of August don't tell that with results drives )obs in the story* well," scheduled to be rest of the 045-w said McIntosh. completed byeconom There's ` Some of the March 2000.. . Y study's objec- PCFA has more (jobs) off the lives include: enlisted the farm than on the • • Identifying help of Dr. farm:'.. the number H a r r y' Cummings from the University of G ue-lph's School of Rural • 'to. target Planning to carry out the 'Areas of agriculturally study!- Cummings has related- employment and extensive experience in training opportunities to. researching this type of complement the Avon study, including recent.: Maitland and Huron -Perth and on-going, projects in Catholic School Boards plan to offer agriculture co-op programs; • to inform the public on the importance of agricul- .' ture to the county's econo- my; • to identify areas of growth * in agricultural related businesses and industry. The study will survey isinesses in the county to accumulate data. . "We're trying to list all the businesses in Perth County that we do busi- ness with. ... There are a lot of people that don't think they are involved in agriculture but they actu- ally are because they sup- ply a service to us," said McIntosh. "This study is going to be very compre- hensive." The project has already listed 700 busi- nesses and are aiming to catalogue 1,000. The federation has also assembled a nine -member steering committee of Perth County business representatives to add their support and skills to the project. "We are pleased with the -- DR. HARRY anutypes of CUMMINGS agricultural UNIVERSITY OF related jobs GUELPH created in the county; Huron County, Simcoe County and five Counties in Eastern Ontario. Cummings said the object of the study is to show the role of agricul- ture as it exists presently. "Agriculture is a basic service that drives. jobs in the rest of the economy. There's more (jobs) off the farm than on the farm," he said. Impact study committee co-chair Mary McIntosh is enthusiastic about the pro- ject because previously the federation has only been able to measure the eco - steering committee. It's quite a high profile group of people in Perth County all interested in agricul- ture," said McIntosh. Some of the steering committee members include Perth"'"County Warden Dave Shearer, Alan Rothwell, a planner for the county's planning department, John Bancroft, a representative from Stratford's OMAFRA office and Howard Famme, the owner of Famme and Company Chartered Accountants which is based in St. Marys and Stratford. A small research team will work with the steering committee to assist in interviewing businesses: When the economic impact study is completed next spring, the federa- tion, which represents more than 1,800 farmers, hopes the -data will assist their organization with presentations to govern- ment ministries, federal, provincial and municipal authorities, county eco- qpmic planners and devel- opers. McIntosh said the infor- mation will also be open to federation members and `t government officials toy use. FARM & MUNICIPAL DRAINAGE Specializing in: • Farm & Municipal Drainage • Clay & Plastic Tile Installations • Backhoe & Dozer Service Septic System Installations Wayne Cook (519) 236.7390 R.R. 2 Zurich Ont. NOM 2To www.hay.net/-drainage •PARKER The power to burn 'em down. And keep 'em down. ZENECA No other glyphosate outpowers TOUCHDOWN• non-selective herbicide when it comes to quackgrass control. Not Roundup Transorb ;' not anything. For more information, call the Zeneca Grower infoline at 1-800-980-6980. IOUCHOOWN M. n/t+wrd trews% of • bawd Map Comm" Ilsoidip Wow* Is YC.a�rwMClods tnc loomNW anti bel t DISASTER FARMERS APPLT FOR EMMA DISTANCE UNOR IiiE AGRICULTURAL INCOME DISASTER ASSISTANCE (AIDA) PROGRAM RIf you're a farmer who's faced dramatic declines in income due to factors beyond your control, you may qualify for AIDA. Help when you need it. in Ontario, the AIDA program is being dellverod by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Father information can be obtained st187711114144 or at vomv.pmeri.cOnafra To contact AIO idministmtion, WI 1 188 343-10114 or visit www.agr.aandh • ®Ontano Canada.