The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-04-15, Page 30PAGE 10A—GODERICH SIGNAL,STAR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15,1
1
'one f
furrow'
What prompts Aeople to write letters? All of a sudden,
they're coming in thick and fast.
Sorry about that, boss.A couple of letters have arrived
each day which, bystandards, is thick and fast
Peculiarly enough, they are not focussed on one particular
column. Some months ago, a column supporting the use of
nuclear power stations in Ontario extolling the virtues of the
Candi reactor brought a couple of dozen antinuclear types to
writing letters. They were Shooting from both hips. •
Just before Christmas, a column on how to choose an axe
helve — an axe handle e- brought more response.
I "sornetirnes wonder if most farmers either cannot write
or simply don't take'the time to write. My pessimism sudden-
ly changes to optimism when the postman rings twice a day.
I would like to acknowledge them all but that is impossible.
It would bore too many readers and too many are bored
already.
Such statements as: "I read your column every week and
really enjoy them but, even though you are always right, who
is going believe it? Certainly not the people who are not on
farms."
Right on, Durango, but it still must be said whether city
people believe it or not.
Or this: "Twenty-five years ago, we lived in the city...we
paid 69 cents a pound for hamburger. Last night, it was
advertised on television for 78 cents a pound. Now, please tell
me of any other commodity that's done the same...that small
an increase in 20 years. No other sector of the economy would
put up with it but farmers are forced to."
Or: "WE are on a farm. We can hold on for another six
months but, if there is no change in what ate get for our pro-
ducts, we, like so many others, will have to call it quits.".
This article appeared in an American farm newspaper — I
do not --know the -name -of the -paper ca. I:would 'give proper
credit .-,but the message it carries is just as appropriate in
Canada.
tetters a'e apP.eaated br Boo Trptte,, Etdaie Rd Eirnea Ont W3B 2C 7
Dear and wisdom to understand why ranchers,: As farmera and give us the patience
pound of steak at $L80 is
high but a three -ounce cocktail at $1.50 is acceptable.
Lord, help rag to understand why $3 for a ticket to a movie
is not bad but $3.50ifor a bushel of wheat that makes 50 loaves
of bread is considered unreasonable.
And a 50 -cent Coke at the football game is okay but a 20 -
cent glass of milk for breakfast is inflationary.
And scorn is too steep at three cents' worth in a box of flakes
but flakes are sold for 50 cents a serving.
Also, Lord, help me to understand why I have to give an
easement to the gas company so they can cross my property
with their gas lines and, before they get it installed, the price
has doubled.1
While you're at it, dear God, please help us to understand
the consumer who drives by my field and raises his eyebrows.
when he sees me driving a $30,000 tractor which he helped put
together (at a higher wage) so he could afford to drive down
the right-of-way they took from me to build a road on which
he could go hunting and fishing.
Help us to understand why cigarettes at $1.50 for a pack -
and -a -half-day smoker is a necessity when that amount for a
pound of hamburger (which could feed four people or more in
a casserole) causes people to say, "We can't afford beef."
What is the reasoning behind passing over a $5 roast
because the price is too high and pay the same amount for a
six-pack of brew?
Well, the prices may not be quite the same here as they are
in the good ole Hew Hess Hay, but you get the message
behind the prayer, I'm stere.
Bless all those wonderful people who are still on the farm
even though costs of production get higher and higher.
Everybody who eats three meals a day owes them a huge
debt of�gratitude: _ _.. .....
But they can't live on gratitude. They need more money for
their products.
Conference on rural than
A conference, which
planners .hope will provide
ideas and proposals that
could influence the many
challenges and changes
facing rural Canada, will be
held at the University of
Guelph from May 20 to22.
"The conference, which is
attracting rural leaders,
planners and academics
from across Canada, will
providea national forum for
discussion of issues and co-
ordination of efforts in rural
development," says
Professor Mark Weldon,
conference chairman.
Governments, universities
and communities have all
been involved in rural
development with various
results, says Prof. Waldron.
Government involvement
sometimes results in a top
heavy structure which
relates little to the com-
munity .concerned, he ex-
plains. Alternatively,
community groups such as
Women's Institutes can find
it difficult to coduriadd wide
attention.
Scholars awarded
Four Junior Farmers were
awarded Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food travel
scholarships at the Junior
Farmers' Association of On-
tario annual conference,
held in Toronto recently.
The travel scholarships
are presented each year to
four Junior Farmers who
have shown a high degree of
participation in Junior
Farmer activities, strong
leadership qualities, and
good .knowledge of Ontario
agriculture.
This year's winners are
Heather Boyle, RR3 Ripley,
Bruce County; Cathie
Lowry,, Campbdllford, Nor-
-thumhierland County; Lor-
raine Lewis,1RR4 Denfield,.
Middlesex County; and San -
dra Quehl, RR3 Wellesley,
Waterloo Region.
"These travel scholar-
ships provide an opportunity
for Junior Farmers to learn
about agriculture and rural
rife an the United Kingdom,"
says Amber Gibbons, of the
Ontario Ministry ' of
Agriculture and Food exten-
sion branch. It also gives On-
tario Junior Farmers and
United Kingdom Young
Farmers an 'opportunity to
exchange ideas about rural
youth organizations.
The Junior Farmers will
visit Scotland, England,
Wales and Northern Ireland
during their eight-week stay,.
May 8 to July 11. Their hosts •
will be the ° families of
members of organizations
for rural young people in the
United. Kingdom.
rPwanls foreign-owned land still try i v
farmed
BY RHEAHAMILD:114
Whilethe portion of Huron
County. land under foreign
absentee ownership has
doubled in five years, the.
land is still being farmed. .
This was just one of the
points revealed by the se-
cond phase of the Rural
Development Outreach Pro-
ject (RDOP) survey for the
Huron Federation of
Agriculture:
• Rental fees range from a
maximum of $95 to a verbal
agreement with no money
exchanged and the average
parcel size is 102 acres for
foreign owned, 80 acres for
non -local but Canadian own-
ed, and 73 acres of local
owners. The majority of land
is grain -corn with some
acreage under other crops
too diverse to mention.
While the land is being us-
ed, the Huron F of A learned
Thursday night at Grey Cen-
tral School in an update of
the first phase of the RDOP
study, that the number of
acres under absentee owner-
ship has increased.
In a slide presentation
made by Julius Mage who
spearheaded the study,
gi apis and maps ilius aced
the concentration of foreign
ownership purchases in the
northern lakeshore area of
Ashfield, Colborne, and in
the inland township of
Howick.
• In Huron county foreign
owned land increased from
4,658 acres (.61 percent) to
7,823 (1.03 percent) in 1980.
While foreign owned includ-
ed American interests, the
figures showed that
American owned land was
down from 37 owners in 1975
to 24 in 1980 with the average
size of theholding in 1980 be-
ing 100 acres. On the other
end of the scale, European
based land owners increased
their holdings from three in
1975 to 21 in 1980. The
acreage involved is up to
8,000 from 1,815 in five years.
The average land holding
• is 400 acres. ,
2,800 acres of Huron,
South-B'ruce farmland
formerly classified as
absentee foreign, owned
became legally' owned in
1980 through resale to locals
or by immigration .of the
owners.
The study was broadened
to include the four southern
townships in Bruce county
after reports indicated that
there were several concen
• trations of absentee owned
land there that' could be
documented with the Huron
report.
With these additional
townships the figures of _
foreign' mine rshfo
ip . r- the
area rose from 5,327 acres in
the Huron -South Bruce area
to 10,674 five years later. \
The other classification for
absentee ownership showed
little onto change in trends
over the past five years.
Non -Ontario Canadian
owned land was scattered
throughout the area. The
2,000 acres or .02 percent of
the total farmland fluctuated
from 850 acres in 1975 to 2,142
in 1979 and 1,982 in 1' , i .
the third category of non -
local, but living within On-
tario, remained stable dur-
ing the past four years. This
group controls 40,000 acres
or 75 percent of absentee
owned farmland or slightly
over 4 percent of the total
farmland in the area.
Dr. Mage pointed out that
a continuous monitoring of
land purchasing would -assist
in the next phase of the
study. The third and final
stage will assess the impact
of absentee foreign owner-
ship on the rutal community.
The RDOP group stressed
thee the importance of the
non -local Ontario absentee
group not be overlooked.
This type occurs in all the
townships and has maintain-
ed an acreage which is still
four times the amount of
farmland owned by the
absentee foreign group.
Tony Fuller, director of
RDOP, Dr. Mage and
George Stock, who worked
on the study, as well as Dr.
John Fitzsimmons,
answered questions for the
audience in small groups.
Members were interested
in finding out how farm
prices are affected with
WATER WELL
DRILLING
"SO YEARS EXPERIENCE"
• FARM • SUBURBAN* INDUSTRIAL • MUNICIPAL •
• FREE ESTIMATES
• GUARANTEED WELLS
• FAST MODERN. EQUIPMENT
e 4 ROTARY 6 PERCUSSION DRILLS
"OUR EXPERIENCE ASSURES
LOWER COST WATER WELLS"
DAVIDSON
WELL DRILLING
J LIMITED
4 Rotary and Percusalon Drilla
PHONE 357-1960
WINGHAM
Collect Calla Accepted
"ONTARIO'S FINEST WATER WELLS SINCE 1900"
foreign investment. Dr. Fitz-
simmons intends to use a
study similar to the one used
in Saskatchewan some years
ago with some modifica-
tions.
In measuring the impact
of the communities the
group foresees many dif-
ficulties in proving just
where the effects begin and
stop. It may be for more dif-
ficult to pinpoim retail' dif-
ficulties with foreign and
absentee ownership.
Further questions .9r sug-,
gestions for the third phase':
can be directed to Louise
Marritt, field co-ordinator
.for RDOP, at • R. R.1,
Wingham, 335-3906.
In other business the
Huron F of A agreed to sup-
port a couple's request to
Huron county that 15 acres of
swampy scrub be cleared.
from their farm in Grey
Township. The membership
stipulated that they" support
the county bylaw in principle
which restricts rampant tree
nutting; and that only 15
acres be cleared and that ap-
proximately 30 acres of bush
will be left on the 100 acre
farm. .
The land use committee in-
spected the acreage in ques-
tion after Mr. and Mrs.
Sheldon Ward approached
the Federation for,help.
They had anticipatepro-
blems in getting the tree cut-
ting permit.
Mel Knox reported that the
impact of the clearing would
not be detrimental -to the sur-
rounding land. It was
pointed out by members that
each farm should be judged ,
as a separate unit from the
neighboring farms and that
one farmer not be responsi-
ble for maintaining bushland
for. a large area while his
neighbors strip their land.
Another member• applaud-
ed the fact that the federa-
tion is doing something
about this matter before the
final decision is made.
Anyone interested in being
kept informed or getting in-
volved with a farmer's co-
operative waste disposal site
can contact Tony McQuail.
The energy comniitteee sent
out questionnaires to
municipalities on waste and
the idea of an alternative to
land fill sites. Of the 16
responses three were not in-
terested.
Although the concept of a
waste disposal site is not
within the federation's
scope, farmers can be kept
informed of what is going on
through the energy commit-
tee of the federation.
Are you beim beaten
y v�iVetieaf,'e!.A
jirnsonweed, i:ni
cocklebur
Lasso® herbicide plus a metribuzin
product such as Sencor' or Lexone2 is the
smart choice for tough weed control insoy -
beans. These hardworking tank mixes effec-
tively reduce competition from hard -to -
control weeds like velvetleaf while
controlling many grasses like foxtail,
crabgrass, fall panicum and barnyard -
grass. They also control many broad-
leaves like pigweed, smartweed,
common ragweed, nightshade and
wild mustard.
And Lasso gives you excellent crop
safety with no carryover. In fact, if
you're switching some acres to soybeans...
you'll find that a Lasso tank mix will give
you the same great grass control you'r,e
used to in corn.
Don't put up with tough weeds. Remember,
Lasso plus metribuzin is the smart way to
fight back.
Monsanto
•
At
Lasso'
The
Smart
Choice
yen
•
J,irr
When you, choose
Lassdplus metribuzin...
even tough weeds lose the fight.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW WE LABEL DIRECTIONS
Lassoo is a registered trademark,of Monsanto Company
Monsanto Canada Inc , registered user
Sencor is a trademark for a herbicide of the parent company
of Farbenfabriken Bayer GmbH, Leverkusen
Lexone is a trademark of E I duPont de Nemours and Company
YMonsanto Company 1981
Monsanto Canada Inc
Winnipeg. Montreal. lbronto, Regina, Saskatoon,
Calgary, Vancouver LN. V.3-81
es planned
Five conference
workshops will tackle
current rural issues. These
include how to cope with
changing technology, a
steady state economy, and
challenges to agriculture
and to the rural family:
The Honorable Pierre de
Bane, federal minister,
Department of Regional
Economic Expansion and
Kenneth E. Lantz, deputy
minister, Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food, will
attend to disclose their„
governments' plans for
Canada's rural development
in the 1980s.
• The conference coincides
with the opening at the
University of Guelph of
Canada's first School of
Rural Planning and
Development.
Appropriately, Professor
Ddlark Lapping, the school's
recently appointed director,
will conclude the conference
with a talk entitled, "As for
the future..."
The conference is spon-
cored jointly by the
Department of Regional
Economic Expansion,
Government of Canada, the
Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food, and
the University of Guelph's
Rural Development
Outreach Project and the
University School of Part-
Time
artTime Studies and Continuing
Education.
RAY BROWN
529-72647
Your Pioneer Seed Corn
Dealer for COLBORNE
TOWNSHIP
NX295iRX29
for 2600 H.U. areas
RX 383
for 2/0011.U. areas
Cecil Cranston
K.K. 2, Auburn
Phone 529-7691
M.W. -DURST
CLINTON
B UTLER -
Ring Drly♦ Silo
Unloaders
B ig Jim Silo Unloaders
Volume Belt Feeders
Convey -n -Feed - Cattle
Feeders
Single Chain Conveyors
Barn Cleaners
Oswalt Ensllmixers
FARMATIC-
B lender Hammer Mills
Blender Roller Milis
B lender Mills for Ground
Hi -Moisture Corn
Augers
Leg Elevators
ACORN -
Cable Barn Cleaners
Hydraulic Manure
Pumps.
WESTEEL-ROSCO
Grain ®ins - 1,3S0 to
250,000 bu. •
Bulk Feed Tanks
ACME -
Fan -Jet Ventilation
Systems
ASTON-
• Ventilation Systems
&L -
Complete Hog Confine-
ment Systems
SLURRY -SLINGER
Liquid Manure
Spreaders
CLAY -
Parts and Service for
Clay Equipment
AERO -FLUSH
Liquid Manure Pumps,
Aerators, Separators
WE HANDLE EVERYTHING
-ALMOST
ILOWRY FARM SYSTEMS,
RR 1., Kineu'difiu,Ont.
Phone 305-5286
every farm
_should .reap
the many
benefits of
Raymond
Sub -surface
Drainage
Lake Huron
Farm Drainage
ReR. 1 Dungannon, Ontario
(519) 529-7510