The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1994-10-26, Page 10(Aaco-) Page 10 Times -Advocate, October 26, 1994 Waste collectors vaaa 6 Despite gloomy weather early Sunday morning, many people made their way to the first annual household had ardous waste day put on by Bluewater Recycling. qfc- tured above is Eric Fuller, a driver with Bluewater, Who was one of many representatives on hand to help out in Huron Park. In total, 576 vehicles stopped by at the four sites receiving everything from paint, propane tanks and car batteries. Farmers don't qualify for reduced hydro rates TORONTO - The Ontario Feder- ation of Agriculture (OFA) is not happy with Ontario Hydro's an- nouncement last week that it has re- duced rates for its 101 direct indus- trial customers. "Ontario Hydro has obviously forgotten to check its pilling slips lately," said Ed Segsworth. a mem- ber of OFA's Executive Committee and chair of the OFA's Farrn Fi- nance, Trade and Taxation Com- mittee. "Agriculture is the largest direct billed sel:tor Olitario Hydro has. I don't know how any compa- ny can treat its major clients this way.'. In a news release sent out by On- tario Hydro on October 17. a spokesperson said the decreased rates reflected_ the financial pres- sures on Ontario industries and would help them recapture compet- itiveness. It is also intended as an incentive to keep industry and johs in Ontario. The OFA wants to know why agriculture doesn't qual- ify under that criteria. "Agriculture has suffered consid- erable commodity price reduction over the last 12 months and we are under greater pressure than most in- dustries," Segsworth said. "But what is really infuriating, is that hy- dro has ignored that fact that our cctOr -is responsible for over 140,000 jobs on the farm and a fur- ther 860X) in the Ontario food pro- cessing sector alone. This does not count over 356.5(0 johs attributed to focal services and retail sales. There is no logic to agriculture's being exempt from these rate re- ductions." Pesticide Safety courses offered • CLINTON - Grower Pesti- cide Safety Courses will be of- fered throughout Huron County again this winter. There will be two "early bird" courses of- fered. The first one will be on Monday, November 14 and the second one will be Friday. De- cember 2. Both courses will begin at 8:45 a.m. at the Ontario Minis- try of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs office in Clinton. No other course dates have been set, however, more cours- es will be offered throughout the county during January, Feb- ruary and March of 1995. If you need a new safety cer- tificate or a renewal, call the Clinton office if you would like to register for either course. The course fee is $40 and advance registration is required. Present legislation requires that one per- son per farm unit must be certi- fied where a farmer uses Sched- ule 1, 2 and 5 pesticides. Most herbicides, fungicides and insecticides that farmers use are included in these sched- ules. Everyone must become re- certified within five years of in- itial certification. This involves attending a course and success- fully completing an exam. If you wish to brush up on your math calculations in prep- aration for writing the test, pre - workbooks and a video are available from the Ontario Min- istry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs office in Clinton. One Foot in the Furrow By Bob Trotter CFFO strong voice for Ontario farmers The Christian Farmers Federa- tion of Ontario right from its in- ception has spoken with reason and research for its members. In fact, because of its logical approach to•farm problems, the CFFO had influence far greater than the few hundred members warranted. Always, spokesper- sons for the CFFO were listened to by those in power. Although everything suggested was not adopted, the CFFO was never ignored. But its base was not consid- ered broad and its membership had a component of about 50 to 60 percent Dutch. Now that the so-called "stable" funding legislation has been passed and every farmer in the province must now pay a "membership" fee to the prov- ince, which, in turn, gives the fee to a designated farm organi- zation, the CFFO membership has quadrupled. This leap in membership has given this•or- ganization even more clout and it certainly deserves the prestige it has gained over the years. I -was much impressed by the logical approach the federation took to the hearings on Bill 163, now being studied by the prov- ince. Bill 163 is an act aimed at re- vising three or four pieces of legislation with a profound ef- fect on agriculture. The Ontario Planning and Development Act, the Municipal Act and the Mu- nicipal Conflict of Interest Act are included in these revisions which will have far-reaching ramifications. I have always taken the atti- tude that this province needs a comprehensive land -use act that would make it almost impossi- ble to take farm land out of pro- duction. Saner heads have pre- vailed in the legislature. The Conservatives, the Liberals and the New Democrats have kept tightening existing legislation while, at the same time, offering guidelines to land use, hoping all municipalities would adopt the guidelines. Prime farm land has been dif- ficult to develop although not impossible. The CFFO is sug- gesting that prime farm land needs to be redefined. Instead of including Canada Inventory Classes I, 2 and 3 and Specialty Crop Lands in the prime catego- ry, the CFFO is suggesting that the No. 3 category be dropped from the amount of land protect- ed by the province, while mak- ing the other classes even more difficult to develop. At first glance, this seems foolhardy. Why drop about 15 percent of the land from legisla- tive protection? Especially con- sidering that only about 10 per- cent of Ontario land is arable. Well, by making it much more difficult to change the designa- Farm finance workshops planned CLINTON - Last winter 839 farm managers learned to sharpen their credit management and nego- tiating skills at one of 49 credit management workshops held across the province. The successful series of two-day workshops is be- ing held again this winter, starting in November. The workshops arc designed to help participants to learn effective use of credit in the modern farm business and legal ramifications for both borrowers and lenders. Teach- ing teams consist of specialists TOUGH TO BEAT frnanclng* This one time only program includes models 6125, 6145, 6175 and 6195. Stop by soon to check out the best deals of the year on White Powershift tractors. •Sobjacl to spprovee C ddL fins= e4NM 6 a 4y Aplerodll AeCompany.W WO Company. • subsidiary O Corpotollen. R.I. o10% Is available for 24 months(minlnrom Frown poymanl may W notice 2in., IngWrptaurYaavaaadIs en AOCO WNW 0190.9144.81 n and GIN mod0a only011ar pod now 9Moulph puamba, 31,1994. ). AddMIpM�Moro* INN en av0l l0 N IS% for 42 months, 4 14 br 44 ~Ms OM $.9% b► 00 month. Rants aro sub(sci to chops wfhoul . i WHITE Alm CItii iiJJj WV, Salus & Service Phone (519) 236-4934 Fax (510) 238-7330 22 Main Street, E., Zurloh 4 from the Ontario Ministry of Agri- culture, Food and Rural Affairs, commercial lawyers, bankers and farmers experienced in farm fi- nance. They will explain security and debtors' rights, aid in negotiat- ing and structuring credit, as well as sources, costs and effective use of credit. Class size is restricted to 12 to 20 farmers to provide maximum learn- ing opportunities. Registration for the two-day workshop, including two lunches and G.S.T. is $40.00 or $55.00 for two, if they are attend- ing from the same farm. To obtain more information or to register, producers should contact any local office of the Ontario Min- istry of Agriculture, Food and Ru- ral Affairs. tion of Specialty Crop Lands and Classes 1 and 2, the best land will remain protected. The CFFO wants the Rae gov- ernment to make an important change in the wording of these acts. Instead of "having regard" to provincial policies, munici- palities should "be consistent" with the province. The word change may seem insignificant but it is not if con- sistency means anything, it will be much more difficult to take the best land out of production than heretofore. Narrowing the amount of land under direct pro- vincial protection and increasing the protection for the best land seems to me to be the sensible approach. "There's lots of room for agri- cultural land and urban develop- ment in this province. We've just got to learn to do urban de- velopment in different places," said Elbert Van Donkersgoed, research director for the CFFO and a man who has helped put the federation in the forefront since its inception 40 years ago. From a membership of about 600 to a membership of more than 3,000, the CFFO will con- tinue to be a great voice for On- tario farmers. 111111 KFC HARVEST s1g99 o. HURRYIII This Offer Ends • November 20, 1994 Warted... • fast unloading • large storage and drying facilities • competitive prices "A family owned all Canadian Company" r • prompt payment • up to date market information 1 A ,I IJInIln,.41 MI I ( R A I N S Seaforth Hensel! azi Mitchell 345-2545 262-2527 348-8433 ON OEEOS s L4 M ITE FERTILIZERS Ailsa Craig Granton . Pt. Albert 293-3223 225-2360 529-7901 4