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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1985-12-18, Page 18PAGE 18-GODERICH SIGNAJ,STAR, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18,,1.I Farm News • Farm woman's contribution worth $922 a week The farm woman can be found on the farm, in the house, in the paid work force and in the community. Her roles vary from labour, to management, including the priceless qualities of the nurturer, counsellor and mediator. The economic contribution of farm women in eastern Ontario is estimated to be worth, in excess of $922.80 per week. A key issue resulting from the farm women's invisible or hidden contributions to the familyfarm is artificially low food prices. These surprising facts about a farm woman's worth are contained in a Study of the Economic Contribution of Eastern On- tario Farm Women to the Family Farm Enterprise prepared by Women for the Survival of Agriculture. The study entitled What Are You Worth? was submitted to the Second National Farm Women's Con- ference held in Charlottetown in November. The Huron County farm women attended the conference, Fran McQuail of West Wawanosh Township representing the Huron County organization, Women Today and Maria Van Bommel of Dashwood, an Ontario Co-ordinator of Women for the Survival of Agriculture. The group that prepared the paper, Women For The Survival Of Agriculture WSA) , wanted to know what farm women contribute. They also wanted to know whether their situation has improved in the past five years and what is required for su itarrtial change. l..ore than 1,000 questionnaires were sent to farm women in eastern Ontario -"I-1 a response rate of 24 per cent. "That's a better return. than Statistics Canada gets in rural areas," notes Dianne Harkin, research director and founder of WSA. There's a good reason rural areas don't jump to respond to questionnaires — one that was spelled out very clearly in this survey. Many of the farm women said they, filed out the form between 11 p.m. and midnight, the only . time they had to themselves in a working day that begins daily at 6 a.m.! Part -Mlle jobs These women don't just work double days; many work triple days. They hold paying part-time jobs in order to help sup- port the farm, then they come home to their farm chores, bookkeeping, family and household work. What do they get in return? Very little, according to this study. In fact, a full 47 per cent get no payment at all for their farm work. This has as much to do with a fixation about traditional roles ( women give, but don't get) as it does with the Farmers support a cheap food policy BY SHARON DIETZ Farmers aare supporting a cheap food policy. They feel an obligation to feed the world, an idyllic, moral obligation to feed the hungry, says a founder of a farm women's group who addressed the Second National Farm Women's Conference held in Charlottetown in November. "We don't farm to give away our food. We farm as a business. It's not immoral to expect to make a living or even a profit," Dianne Harkin told the conference. It's this guilt the farmer has about making a living let alone a profit at farming that has resulted in the farmers' reluctance to go for supply management, said Harkin. Farmers must seek higher commodity prices if they are ever to be paid for their work and see a return on their investment, she said. "Society adjusted to high oil prices and people will adjust to higher food prices." Fifty-six per cent of the food dollar is spent away from the home, Harkin pointed out. "Our power lies in the fact that we're producers of man's basic need. Agriculture is the basis of the economy." said Harkin. Twenty-seven per cent of the jobs in Canada derive directly from agriculture and for every $1 going into agriculture there is a multiplier factor of seven across the economy. Based on an industrial wage which takes into consideration input and labour, farmers should receive $10.30 a bushel from wheat; $110. per hundredweight for beef and $92. per hundredweight for pork. Harkin also addressed the two price systems for wheat saying if parity pricing were implemented, the two price system would continue but the domestic price would be the parity price. A supporter of the parity bill now before parliament, Harkin said producers must develop the policy not government. Subsidy and stabilization programs are not the answer, she said. "It's too costly for the taxpayer and the public servant who administrates the subsidy and stabilization programs, is the only one who benefits." In a country where 17 families are going out of farming each day, we have supply management of the producer. What we need is supply management of the com- modity, said Harkin. Farm women resent the stress the economic load is placing on them. Many farm women have replaced the hired man or have been forced to seek off farm work. This increases the stress on the woman and on the marriage as well as the family. Farm women are invisible, unrecogniz- ed and economically disadvantaged, said Harkin, who added that farm women are really not doing themselves any good play- ing martyr. They undervalue their work. Many think they do 22 per cent of the farm work when in reality they do 47 per cent, she told the conference. The support services they need to help Turn to page 19 • severe economic crisis facing many Cana- dian farmers — 51 per cent of the .farms surveyed had a net farm income below the poverty line. The researchers examined the typical farm woman's average day. All the jobs she does were listed, as well as the amount of time she spends doing them. The value of this work was calculated in terms of what it would cost to hire someone else to do the job. Farm women, it seems, are subsidizing farming. According to this survey, a farm woman is worth at least $922.80 per week, plus time -and -a -half for Saturday and Sun- day. The fact that few farm women are ac- tually paid for their farm labor may be because most of the women (80 per cent) believe they are partners with their husbands. This is more a dream than a reality. Only 29 per cent are, in fact, legal- ly registered as partnerships with the Ministry of Consumer and Corporate Af- fairs. What this means is that farm women have no legal rights to property or income in the event of a divorce or a death. Farm women are definitely in trouble. Fortunately, an increasing number are aware of it and are trying to do something about it. "We don't expect any farm to be able to pay a woman $922.80 a week," says Harkin, "but putting a dollar value on their work has shock value. It shakes farm women out of their false sense of security. The mechanisms are in place to pay women for their labor, but only if they are actually Turn to page 19A • Farm economy has had a drastic impact on families BY JAMES FRIEL Farm women who attended the Second National Farm Women's Conference held in Charlottetown in November, concluded action must be taken to stop the impact that the critical national agricultural crisis is having on farm women, their families, the viability of their farms and ultimately the financial health of the coun- try. Fran McQuail of West Wawanosh Township, a delegate to the conference from Huron County, says she was swept up by the excitement generated by the in- teraction of farm women from across the country, who tried to develop a set of recommendations synthesized from a multitude of regional biases. "The bottom line right now is money," says McQuail. "It's ludicrous. No other business in the country runs on negative return. Farmers have the right to expect a reasonable return on their investment.1' The 350 women at the conference also recommended action be taken to alleviate the "critical national agricultural crisis". On farm debt issues, the conference ad- vised an immediate debt moratorium be established, farmer -creditor ar- rangements legislation be re-enacted, Women attend second farm conference in PE I farm credit policies be changed to lower interest rates and make more money available and debt review boards compris- ed of farmers and financial experts be established. Another results of the meeting is the plan to set up a networking system. "We tried hard not to set up another organization but we want to set up an infor- mation and lobbying network. There are very few areas in the country without a farm women's organization," says Mc - Quail. The fact that the conference was a grassroots conference and not a govern- ment level conference was partially responsible for the excitement. "There were representatives from coast - to coast and not just the 10 voting delegates from each province. There were women who were concerned but not voting. "In fact, over half of the 350 women attending the conference were without votes. McQuail also liked the fact that funding for the conference was "very broadly bas- ed". Money came from private and SEE THE GOLF SHOW at the SU NCOAST MALI Decemrber 1912-9,1day - 23, 1985 ThuSaturday 12 - 6, Monday 12 - 6 For your shopping pleasure, no matter what the weather, join us at the mall. JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS GOLF SANTA SALE! c. SEZ r ; GREAT STOCKING STUFFERS! We have Special Savings on... •(,ift ( ertifi, aces •Mernherchips •(,nlf Shoes •Putters •(,nlf galls R (,loves •(,olf Rags & ( tubs •Shirts. Skirts, Hats Sweaters, lac kets • SEE OUR NEW ANIMAL HEAD COVERS 13 Different Animals To Cover Your Woods Phone Day or Evenings 24-7968 For your private golf show Thank -y011 RerneR'neto Swing those 5tick5 • SEE SANDY CLAWS AT TH, MALL for your patronage over the past years. See you over the Christmas season and whenever you call. GODERICH__ -GOlf ClUn SUNSET =_DRIVIN RANGE government sources such as the Secretary of State, farm chemical companies and local PEI companies. A broad base in- dicates the range of support for such con- ferences and keeps member organizations from becoming dependent on any one fun- ding source. McQuail's registration costs and most other expenses were paid by Women To- day, an organization "not just for farm women but which certainly addresses the concerns of farm women". The group also attends to concerns of all women such as daycare, equal pay, family violence - "You name it, we deal with it". She was one of two women from Huron County at the conference. The other was Ontario Co-ordinator for Women for the Survival of Agriculture Maria Van Bom- met of Dashwood: -Among those attending from Bruce County were conference speaker Gisele Ireland and Gcrdie Blake. "Small group discussions were held with members of every province in every group. It was a real chance to com- municate on a one to one personal basis about your community and province," says McQuail. "You learned a lot. It really broke down the classic east -west split. "There were specific concerns as to commodities but the general concern was to create a viable agricultural community overall," she says. The importance o` `the second con- ference, - the first was held five years ago in Ottawa - was heightened by the fact that more women are getting more involved in farming and not just sticking with the traditional domestic part of farm respon- sibilities. "Now is the time for women to use the power we have. More women are farming independently and in recognized partner- ships," McQuail says. However, because of the history of fartn families, very few women become active in the organizations that work and speak for farmers. In some cases, women can't be active unless they're recognized as bona fide farmers and they don't have the right to have input into decisions affecting them. "We've allowed it to happen to ourselves, it was structurally built in. It's. taken a long time for women to stand up for themselves," says McQuail. "We shouldn't just be in the barn or the home or the field but on the political lobby- ing front." She noted the women at the conference, and therefore the tone of the conference itself, was "very family farm oriented". An example supporting the idea that the women attending the conference focused on "the farm family as a whole and not just on the woman or the man" are the recommendations the conference decided to make to members of federal and provin- cial governments and opposition leaders. The recommendations closely follow those put forward by the Ontario Federa- tion of Agriculture 1 OFA t and other male dominated agricultural organizations. "We're also concerned about the ramifications for the rest of society as family farms go under. Small towns and equipment manufacturers already feel it. Canada Packers will feel it." If trends continue the way they are, something as basic to our way of life as cheap good food will become a thing of the past. Back mw, from left: Dennis Little, Kevin Smith, Brian Fitzsimmons, Arthur Currie. Front row, from Icfi : Frank Little, Bev Doll, John Little, and Gerry .lames. AND BEST WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR (JI From the management & staff of ABC INVESTMENTS INVESTMENTS ifs INSURANCE AGENCY LTD. 1.800-265-5503 53 West Street Goderich, Ontario 524-2773 NOTICE To P.U.C. Water Customers Notice of Rate Adjustment Due to increased operating cost, the commission has found it necessary to increase its water rates, effective with all billings issued on and after February 1, 1986. The following new rates reflect an increase of approximately 4%. Monthly Rates Existing Flat Rate $12.50 Metered Rate First 250 Cubic Metres Next 500 Cubic Metres Next 1000 Cubic Metres Balance Cubic Metres 42c per Cubic Metre 33c per Cubic Metre 3) a ner Cubic Metre Zit i -r Cubic Metre New Rates for 1986 Flat Rates $13.00 First 250 Cubic Metres Next 500 Cubic Metres Next 1000 Cubic Metres Balance Cubic Metres 44e per Cubic Metre 34e per Cubic Metre 32t per Cubic Metre 28e per Cubic Metre Minimum metered accounts will be increased from the present 114.50 to $13.00 per month. GODERICH PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION