HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-09-07, Page 31TC
ne 1
For the past year. I have been a member of one of the
public panels discussing pollution in the Great Lakes.
Because of other commitments. I havenot been able to at-
tend alt the meetings but a recent report from the Interna-
tional Joint Commission on land use and land practices has
me deeply concerned about the future of forming in this
.._pcouince _— —
Urban development in the Great Lakes basin will con-
sume 2.5 million acres of farm land in the next 40 years.
That is a disturbing figure, a distressing prediction. Not
only that. the report predicts that 7.5 million 'acres will go
out of farming in the next four decades. In other words, 2.5
million acres will be lost under concrete and asphalt and an
additional five million acres just simply will not be farmed.
The decline in farming will occur mostly in Ontario, the
report says. Urban development in the province will in-
crease by 48 per cent in 40 years compared with 35 in the
U.S.A.
TheGreat Lakes basin, on both sides of the border, is one
of the fastest-growing industrial and urban complexes in,the
entire world. It is also one_of the largest in the world. Four-
teen per cent of the population of the United States live in
the basin and 33 per cent of the Canadian people live in the.
basin.
We are. in Ontario, acutely aware that the greatest
growth will be around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie where
the country's best farm land is located.
I'm well aware that a great many reports in years gone by
have not been totally accurate and I'd be willing to allow a
10 per cent error factor in this report. Nevertheless, those
are important acres and. it would seem, little action is !aping
taken to prevent the loss.
Bill Newman. Ontario's agriculture minister. huffs and
puffs but gets little support from cabinet in making •any
malL a
The Ontariq , Wiieat
Producers' . Marketing
Board has atnnounced the
final paaymeatof $946 per
tonne or 26.8 cents per
bushel on 1977 crop wheat
sales by producers;
Board chairman
Russell W. Rogers of RR,
1, Kingsville said the
payment will be made
•
THE GQDW,RiCH SINAL -STAR, THUEtSDAY, SHPTHIIBE;R 7,1978--FA,GE 11A'
inent o w ea
before the end of Sep,
tember to over 1$,000
producers who sold wheat
during the 1977 crop year
ending June"30,1978.
Rogers said the
payment will `bring the
total received by
producers for the "77 crop
to an- average of $83.36
per tonne or. $2.26.8 cents
per bushel.
He pointed out the
average is substantially
less than• the previous
year's level of 8114. per
tonne due to depressed
export prices • during the
marketingrperiod.
Out. of tie record
producer sales of 801 800
tonne purchased by the.
board, plus 55 300 tonne
carried over from the
Letters are aporeoated by Bob Trotter Eldale Rd. Omura .Ont N38 2C7
definite strides to preserve farm land.
The recent cabinet decision to allow 300 acres of farmland
north of Toronto to be developed as a family fun park made
me so mad I had to be scraped off the ceiling.
It is not, as I have said before, just the land for the park. It
is what will happen to a few thousand acres in the vicinity of
-tt pleastwe..park; the-l4and-for-hotets;-motels;tfast-food"out= •`-'W
lets -and--everything else that goes with a huge development
such as that envisaged.
Provincial officials talk glibly about more acres being
farmed now than five years ago in Ontario. And their statis-
tics can look most convincing.
It sounds good but in all of Canada, .there are only eight
million acres of land suitable for farming. They are the
same acres where most of the dvelopment and urban
,growth is occurring. This trend already has forced a lot of
farmers to marginal land farther north. How can an agricul-
tural operation compete when land prices start soaring?
Farmers are forced off the land by the inevitable dollar
increases.. in property. values..
That is what happens when a big development begins.
Growth follows growth. Highway 400 between Toronto and
Barrie will become one long development. A great many
people alive today will witness this happening just because a
few jobs will be created in an amusement park.
The land will be lost forever. Those beautiful, rolling
fields of grain and hay and corn will be covered with empty
paper cups, napkins, ticky-tacky motels. circus rides and
phoney fairylands. •
When the good land is gone, it costs. more to produce less
on poorer land which leads to higher costs and higher food
prices. . •
There is no choice. Farmland must be preserved in.this
province for future generations.
•
Gailyna, a purebred Arab, seems to be looking back to make sure her
master, Carolyn Dinsmore of .. RR j,, Fordwich, is doing a good job of
brushing and grooming. Gailyna was exhibited at the Bluewater Centre's
second annual Farm Show recently along with various other kinds of,
livestock brought to the Centre'by members of various Huron County 4-11
groups, Calf Clubs and Junior Formers. (Photo by Joanne Walters)
Solar c_oliedolo..lheip§:keop fuel bills low
Driving north along
concession 15 and 16 of
Goderich Township the
old Stone school quickly
catches the eye.
According to the cor-
nerstone set into the
building, the old • school
was constructed in 1873.
Yet despite its age, the
old school has been
modernized by Harry and
Isabel Mitchell and made
into their home.
The couple who have
lived there since 1971
have maintained the
school's original struc-
ture and have furnished
the inside with antiques
and old decor but the
building has actually
been modernized more
than any other old or new
home.
Looking at the south
side of the old school's
roof, there appears to be
a skylight, but ,after a,
conversation with the
Mitchells and on closer
inspection it becomes
clear that the structure
on the roof is a solar
collector.
The collector is used for
Mr. Mitchell's solar
water heating, which he
constructed by himself at
a cost of $250.
Although it has only
been in operation for a'
few months; • the water
heating system does work
and can be used all winter
long by putting antifreeze
in the system to keep it
flowing.
The collector itself is
made from a four foot by
six foot storm window, a
copper- plate and. a few.
inches of insulation.
The collector converts
the sun's rays into heat.
The heat in .turn is used
to warm water from the
well which is stored in a
pre -heat tank in the
basement. When the
water reaches a certain
temperature it is
automatically tran-
sferred into a regular
Cascade 40 heater.
So, rather than taking
water out of the well at 50
degrees Fahrenheit, the
water comes from the
collector at 90 degrees,
taking less energy and
hydro to heat.
Harry Mitchell, standing, shows an interested person the workings of one of
the new, modern, airtight wood burners in use at his 105 -year-old former
stone school house In Goderich Township. The Mitchell home will be one of
the stops on Saturday's energy conservation tour sponsored by the Huron
Alternate Energy and Lifestyle Group and CANTDU, .. -
(News -Record photo)
JOHNSTON BROS.
Bothwell Ltd.
New Gravel Prices
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40'
OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY
DUNGANNON PITS ONLY
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"I save four Kilowatts
a day or 22 cents a day
which adds up to $75 a
year," Mr. MitcheH
explained, "It may not
sound like much but just
think how it would be if
everyone did this."
The more people get
interested, the cheaper
things will get," he ex-
plained.
"People are now
getting ripped off, this is
all a binge. Here;s an
article called Peddling
the Sun. People think that
you have to have a
sophisticated system. and
the kits you buy cost
anywhere from $800 to
$1,800."
However, - as Mr.
Mitchell has shown
through his water heating
system, solar con-
structions don't have to
be,expensive. There are
many 'books and
magazines on the market
illustrating and
discussing solar systems
and special courses are
now offered.
"Buying books and
magazines on this is
almost like a drug habit
with me," Mr. Mitchell"
said.
"I'm retirecr and have
extra time to do this;"
explained the former air
force man.
However, he said that
the solar heating system
will take little main-
tenance.
"I try to do one project
a year. In the spring I'll
start on a solar
greenhouse but I want to
read everything and
learn all the pros and
cons," Mr. Mitchell went
on.
An organic gardener
for the past 12 years, Mr.
Mitchell is looking for-
ward to his proposed
greenhouse.
"We never have to buy
vegetables andwe have
enough in our garden to
last until April," he ex-
plained.
Along with the regular
vegetables; the Mitchells
also grow soybeans. They
said that they turn out in
the freezer like baby lima
beans.
The solar greenhouse
will be about 1.2 feet by 16
feet and will be attached
to the south wall of the old
stone school. The ab-
sorbing wall will be built
on a 63 -degree angle to
get the maximum heat
infiltration.
Mr. Mitchell, noted; "I
watch the papers. In the
Free Press there's a
green house being torn
down. I plan to get some
of the salvaged material
from it but I don't want to
make a hodge podge."
In his plans for the
greenhouse, Mr. Mitchell
is considering the idea of
putting the benches on 50
gallon drums filled ..with.
water. They absorb the
heat and equalize the
greenhouse temperature
from 60 to 75 degrees
instead of 45 to 95
degrees.
"We're not only into
solar we're just partially
self sufficient," he went
on.
He further explained
that the 1,100 square foot
stone school is always
kept at 64 degrees
Fahrenheit inside.
"We wear a sweater
instead of running around
in shorts," Mrs. Mitchell
commented.
As well, another energy
saving device is their air
tight wood stove. The
stove, which is now
becoming more popular
is welded together to give
80 percent efficiency.
The Mitchells used to
have a Franklin stove but
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and
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Let US do lite work....
COMPANY LIMITED
145 HURON ROAD, GODERICH
524-8389
Seed Wheat
For Sale
Certified Canada No. 1
Buyers of Timothy and Trefoil Seed
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ i ♦ .......
AndersonFiox Products
LUCKNOW 5284203
say that they wouldn't go
back to it.
In their present stove a
load of wood can burn up
to 14 hours and the heat
can be modified by two
controls on the outside.
Although Mr. Mitchell
belongs to individual
solar energy club his
house will be included as
part of a solar energy
tour sponsored by the
area Energy Con-
servation Centre. The
tour will be held on
September 9 and will take
in a total of 15 homes,
from Grand Bend to
Wingham.
Six homes from the
Goderich, Clinton, Blyth
and Seaforth area will be
included in this.
',The homes will be open
from 10 a.m. until 4:30 ,
p.m. Detailed maps
giving directions to the
homes will be available
with the tickets. Tickets
can be purchased by
writing to the Lucknow
Conservation Centre.
Vis.coning
previous crop yea', he. to the federal govern-
board was required tar merit in April to have the
export 593 0.00 tonne and 1977 crop designated
sold' 25 400 tpnne to . under the Act and to
domestic processors. grant deficiency
Carryover from the 1977 payments accordingly.
crop was minimal.
The lower 1977 average
price has resulted in
producers qualifying for
deficiency payments
under the Agricultural.
Stabilization Act.
The Ontario Wheat
Board' made a submission
CLAY
Silo Unloaders
Feeders
Cleaners
Stabling
Leg Elevators
Liquid Manure
Equipment
Hog Equipment
BUTLER —
Silo Unloadors
Feeders
Conveyors
FARMATIC —
Milis
Augers, etc.
ACORN —
Cleaners
Heated Waterers
WESTEEL-ROSCO
Granaries
B & L - Hog Panelling
LOWRY FARM SYSTEMS
RR 1, Kincardine, Ont.
Phone 395-5286
FARM
CLASSIFIED
SECTION
A. For sale
APPROXIMATELY 25
bushels of Genessee seed
wheat, cleaned and
treated. Phone 524-
8086.-36,37
CASE 200 Baler,good
' condition or will trade for
rotovator. Phone 482-
3149.-35,36
B. Custom work
CUSTOM silo filling, 2
row three wagon outfit.
$50 per hour. Fred Dutot
482-3350.-36x
BULLDOZING, Allis
Chalmers No. 650, with
six way hydraulic blade.
Bill Robinson, RR 2,
Auburn, 529-7857. —16tf
WATER. WELL
DRILLING
"76 YEARS EXPERIENCE"
• FARM • SUBURBAN • INDUSTRIAL • MUNICIPAL •
• FREE ESTIMATES
•. GUARANTEED WELLS
_1 FAST MODERN EQUIPMENT
• 4 ROTARY & PERCUSSION DRILLS
OUR EXPERIENCE ASSURES
LOWER COST WATER WELLS"
DAVIDSON
WELL DRILLING
LIMITED
4 Rotary and Percussion Drills
PHONE 351-1960
WINGHAM
Collect Calls Accepted
"ONTARIO'S FINEST WATER WELLS SINCE 1900"
Olson's Grovel Pit
DUNGANNON, ONT. 529-7942
PRICES ARE PER TON
SANDY FILL
B-2 GRAVEL
B-1 GRAVEL
DUST OR SAND
4" UNDER STONE
ROAD GRAVEL
CEMENT GRAVEL
5/8" 3/4 STONE
500
tons
.20c
.30c
.40c
300
Eton
.30c
.40o.
.50c
100
tons
.40c
.50c
.60c'
.95c
1.20
.95c
1.20
1.75
OUR DELIVERY CHARGE IS LESS FOR CASH
Doze r and scraper available for a
good leveling job
Howson -Mills
ELEVATOR DIVISION
Receiving
White Beans & Corn
• Fast Unloading
• Probe System for Corn
• Sell, Store or Contract your Corn.
• Satellite Dealer for W. G.
Thompson & Sons Ltd. in Beans ONLY
HOWSON & HOWSON LTD.
BLYTH 523-4241
ELEVATOR: 1 mile tont c'! Riyth
off County Rd. 25
PHONE 523-9624