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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-11-03, Page 16PAGE 16--CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1977 Gordon Hill Past OFA president honored Gordon Hill, a 20 -year veteran of farm organizations and former president of the OFA was named agricultural man -of -the -year by the Huron Federation. of Agriculture Thursday night at the group's annual meeting in Vanastra. He was presented with the Federation trophy, awarded annually for outstanding contribution to agriculture. The award was presented by last year's winner, publisher Keith Roulston. In thanking the group for the award, which he said. came as a "complete sur- prise", Mr. Hill noted that the Federation has become a powerful voice for the in- dustry in recent years. It has achieved much, he said, but , none of its achievements have come easily. Mr. Hill expressed con- fidence in the. future of the Federation, saying that its efforts will "continue to make farming a better industry and a better occupation for all farmers." In the annual election of officers, Alan Walper of RR 3 Parkhill was re-elected president by acclamation. Merle Gunny of RR 1 Dungannon was chosen first vice president. Bev Brown of RR 1, Bluevale was returned to the position of second vice president. Three directors at large were also chosen. They are: John Van Beers of RR 4, Blyth, Mery Smith of RR 4, Walton, and Tony McQuail. Guest speaker for the evening was Bruce McCall, manager of Brussels Stockyards Ltd. Mr. McCall urged all farmers to work at protecting the land, which he called "our greatest inheritance". He also stressed the im- portance of the farming in- dustry, saying that each calf born and each bushel of wheat grown represents new dollars for the economy of Canada. Fieldman Bill Crawford said the Federation's membership in Huron County was 2,032, down 30 from last year's membership of 2,062. He urged every member of the Federation to take an active part in its affairs to keep the group strong. Murray Gaunt, MPP for Huron -Bruce, noted that 1.977 has been a tough year for farmers as a result of low prices and bad weather. He complimented the Federation for the "strong leadership it has shown in Huron County". A resolution opposing the proposed Bogies Beach development on lakefront property north of Goderich was approved by the Federation. A resolution setting up a committee to study data from the Pollution and Land Use Activities Reference Group, or PLUARG, established in 1973 by the International Joint Committee, was also approved. The Federation Committee is to be made up of experts in a number of fields, including fertilizer, livestock management, and erosion. It will .publicize problems relating to land use and the PLUARG studies in general, and will make a submission to the IJC before that body makes any final decisions on the PLUARG findings, in 1978. Bev Brown told the group the issue of land use management was vitally important t'o Huron farmers. She noted that there would not be another chance to make a submission to the IJC until 1983 if the opportunity was missed next year, since the committee meets only once every five years. A resolution calling for research, development, and the eventual implementation of small scale electrical generating stations close to farm areas where any waste heat could be used for greenhouse operations, was defeated by the Federation. Mushroom production growing Mushroom production in 'Ontario has tripled in the past decade and is expected to take another leap forward in 1978. Dr. T.J. Blom, Ontario Ministry. of Agriculture and Food mushroom specialist, is predicting a 10 percent in- crease -in mushroom production next year. Ontario mushroom growers produced about 26 million pounds in 1976, valued ,at$18.5 million, making Ontario the largest single mushroom producer in Canada. Ontario now produces about 60 percent of the total national production followed by British Columbia with 18.5 percent, Quebec and the Maritimes with 14 percent, and the Prairie Provinces with 7.5 percent of the total. The projected Ontario production for 1977 is 27.5 million pounds, up about five percent from the previous year. A spurt of growth can be expected next year as many large companies which expanded facilities this year come into full production. Mushroom farms in Ontario vary considerably in size, ranging from small family operations to large corporations. Five growers with operations of more than 150,000 square feet represent about 45 percent of the total growing area. According to Dr. Blom, there are approximately 50 full time mushroom growers in the province with a total growing area of 3.2 million square feet. Ontario's mushroom in- dustry is primarily located in .the Golden Horsehoe area because of its proximity to the large fresh markets. The heaviest concentrations of farms are found in the regions of Peel, York, Halton and Hamilton -Wentworth .. Mushroom farms are also located near Leamington, Simcoe, Ottawa and east of Toronto. Dr. Blom says the historical concentration' of mushroom farms near metropolitan areas is due to the product's perishability. "Fresh market requirements for mushrooms increased 10 percent between 1975 -and 1976, with more than 60 percent of present production geared to the fresh market." "Smaller operators cater. Independent Shipper to United•Co-operative of Ontario Livestock Dept. Toronto Ship Your Livestock with Roy Scotchmer Monday Is Shipping Day From Varna Stockyard CALL BAYFIELD 565-2636 By 1:30 a.m. Monday Maar Prompt Service No Charges on Plclaup of mainly to the fresh market, which offers the highest returns, while larger operators produce most of their crops for the processing market. Some of the larger farms in Ontario have ex- panded their operations to include processing facilities." Commercial production of mushrooms requires sub- stantial capital investments and, according to a 1977 report by the Economics Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the average cost of production ranges from 60 cents to $1.55 per square foot of area harvested. The report identifies labor as the most expensiveitem of input, averaging 40 percent of the cost per pound of mushrooms produced. Dr. Blom says ap- proximately 900 people work as full time employees on Ontario mushroom farms. During peak periods this number increased to more than 1,100. Marketing surveys by the Canadian Mushroom Growers' Association report Canadians consume about four pounds of mushrooms per capita each year. Smile ''Smart is' When you believe only half of what you hear. Brilliant, is when you know which half to believe. Centralia college plans open house Centralia College of Agricultural Technology is inviting the public to meet its students and faculty, November 10. Don Cameron, chairman of publicity and information, says the program, "Activities 77", is intended to show the public what is happening at the 10 -year old College. "The theme of the program is College activities. We will be trying to incorporate as much action as we can into our displays." Mr. Cameron says he ex- pects more than 700 people to participate in the tours and demonstrations. Planned displays range from laboratory, surgical and radiographic demonstrations in the animal health section, to the food and nutrition demonstrations by the home economics section. The program will include student -conducted campus tours and tractor tran- sportation between buildings. The College greenhouse, along with the other buildings on campus, will be open for public inspection. Mr. Cameron says students and faculty will be available to answer questions. In addition to the general public, parents of present students, area high school students, guidance coun- selors, potential employers and graduates have been invited to attend. Help us celebrate our third We thank you for your patronage over the past year. Help us celebrate our third 'an- ' by dropping in for free "cif. fee and donuts. Friday & Saturday., November 4 and S. Henry & Nelly Baker Durst's Farm & Garden Centre for • HOUSE PLANT SUPPLIES • BASIC & DECORATIVE FLOWER POTS OF ALL SIZES, AND PLANTERS. • SPECIALTY SOILS • PREFERRED PET FOODS, GROOMING AIDS, LEATHER GOODS - • FEAT MOSS & FALL FERTILIZER • GARDENING TOOLS • FARM HARDWARE & FENCING • ANIMAL HEALTH AIDS & SANITATION SUP- PLIES • FULL LINE OF PUR:NA LIVESTOCK FEEDS AVAILABLE TO YOU IN BAG OR BULK, BY BAG OR BULK DELIVERY Baker's Farm & Garden Centre H. and N. Baker, Proprietors "Quality Merchandise at a fair Price" 22 Isaac St., Clinton � ` mm"�82-933d Open daily, including Wednesdays, 8 a.m.-6 pall, • v Some of the new executive of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture are pictured following their election last Thursday night at their Lucknow annual meeting. Left to right are Merle Gunby, first vice-president; Tony McQuall, director; Allan Walper, president; John Van Beers, director; Bev Brown, second vice-president; and Mery Smigh, director. (Expositor photo) news farm news Amish ruling expected Nothing but legal action can be ruled out if the Ontario cabinet . rejects the Amish farmers' appeal for exem- ption from the Ontario Milk Marketing Board's bulk cooler regulation, a representative for the far- merssaid Monday. Ian Hunter of the University of Western Ontario's law faculty said he doesn't know what the next step will be if the appeal is rejected by cabinet. But hs didn't rule out an appeal to the Ontario ombudsman. He expects a cabinet an- nouncement on the matter this week. "We've decided that if they (cabinet) turn us down, we won't make any move until we review their ruling and discuss it with the Mennonite Central Committee," he said. The Anish are Old Order Mennonites who object on religious grounds to a marketing board regulation that all Ontario dairy farmers convert to bulk coolers. The Amish already have. rejected court action for religious reasons, said Hunter. Meanwhile, Ken McKinnon, marketing board chairman, said in a telephone interview from his farm at R.R. 1, Port Elgin, that the board may make a statement on its side of the story. . He said hg is not surprised at the cabinet decision to take another look at the regulation. It was to have been im- plemented Monday but Agriculture Minister William Newman said last week the cabinet will review the Amish appeal before the regulatiTh 'goes into effect. McKinnon said he wasn't "terribly upset" by the government's decision to review the appeal but "I wish they'd get this thing settled' one way or the other." McKinnon said the government made the right choice in taking time to think about the question. Hunter sent a letter to Newman last week asking that the cabinet consider the matter. Te Amish object to the con ersion to bulk coolers for milk because the coolers are electrically operated and the Amish shun electricity. John Cardiff, public relations officer for the milk board, said the board's reasons for setting the new regulations are based on economics and the concern for quality of milk. The regulations are seen as the "first step" toward establishing one level of milk quality, said Cardiff. It is a joint government - board goal to replace the two grades of milk with just one quality level, perhaps by 1980 or 1981, he said. At present there is an in- dustrial grade and grade A. Industrial milk is used ir, the production of dairy products Grade A is table milk. - It has been estimated that if all Ontario dairy farmers used milk cans rather than bulk coolers, said Cardiff, the cost of milk to the consumer would be four times what it is. He said he doesn't see how cabinet can exempt the Amish farmers from the regulation. If the Amish are exempted, the government might be swamped with demands from other farmers that they be compensated for converting to bulk coolers, said Cardiff. "They could argue that they converted needlessly and that the government should pay their bills." He estimated that con- version costs could be as much as $10,000 for some farmers. Annual meeting set for OFA The annual convention of the Ontario Federation 'off" Agriculture is being held this year in Hamilton at the downtown Holiday Inn -- on November 28, 29 and 30. At the convention, policy decisions are, made for the following year by over 450 delegates elected by more than 23,000 individual members of OFA. This year's Convention will be highlighted by an address by Tony Dechant, President of U.S`. National Farmers' Union on Monday evening, November 28. CORN GR Our elevator at Seaforth is now ready to receive your 1977 CORN CROP Ontario Bean Growers Co -Operative plant at Seaforth * STORAGE AVAILABLE * CUSTOM DRYING * FAST EFFICIENT RECEIVING * HYDRAULIC DUMP HOIST Make the Farmer's Elevator Work for You! ONT RIO BEAN GROWERS OOPER TIVE RANNOCK Three Locations SE A FORTH 345-2007 "Service and Fair Deal is our Motto" LONDON Assessment data shows Huron top Huron County continues to lead -the province with the highest number of acres in farm production, according to a study recently released by Ontario agriculture and food minister Bill Newman. The agricultural land in- ventory, based on a study of provincial assessment data, showed that 763,933 acres were in farm use in Huron in 1976, the most in the province. Grey County was second with 735,729 acres in use, Mid- dlesex was third with 691,859 in farm use, while Bruce County was fourth with 664,372. Simcoe County was fifth with 650,753 in use, Lambton was sixth with 618,896 and Renfrew was seventh with 613,303. Perth County was 1 lth with 505,885 acres in use. The figures show that Ontario has 16,805 acres of land in farm use, of which 75 percent is in the southwest, central and eastern regions. Another two million acres are available for production, a potential increase of 16 percent, ac,cording to Newman's study. The remaining 25 percent of agricultural land in use is in the northern and shield regions. In these areas the reserve is over 17 million acres. Although the -of much of this land is limited by soil and climate conditions, a significant proportion of it is suitable for forage and grain crops. In Huron, there is only 3,988 '* acres in reserve land, while Bruce has 225,297 acres, and Perth has a mere 1,206. Me he reserve of agricultural land includes small holdings, both residential and vac -ant, as well as land that has not been farmed for more than two years. Small holdings are those over 25.99 acres. These are considered large enou to be farmed. The vac properties included are those over 10.99 acres. Because they have no structures on them, they are considered a suitable size for certain agricultural uses. Figures for individual countries appear on a table accompanying this release. In releasing the statistics, Mr. Newman said, "The assessment data demonstrate that in addition to its large acreage in agricultural use, Ontario also has a significant reserve of agricultural land mailable for the future." He said that the study will be the base for regular monitoring of land Use through the assessmen�M records. • R. K. PECK APPLIANCES "In The Heart of Down Town Varna" • Vacuum Cleaners - Sales and Service of most makes • C B Radios and Accessories • Speed Queen Appliances • Moffat Appliances • Smoke Sensors • Insect. Lights and Fly Killing Units • Handcrafted Gifts Varna, Ont. Phone 482-7103 No matter what road conditions you come up against this winter, you can depend on Michelin Winter Radials! Michelins score big against wet, slushy snow, deep, heavy drifts, slippery hard pack ,and still run smooth and easy on the open. road. Get a set of Michelin All -Purpose Winter Radials behind you. 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