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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-10-05, Page 35TIS GODERiCB SIGNAL -STAR, TAUR.SDA College reports 100 percent on crop Ridgetown College's Crop Section reports a 100 per cent completion rate on its white bean harvest, despite local wet con- ditions. All indications point to a lower than average yield due to the dry: summer 'and associated probleins. John Schleihauf, Schleihauf, R.C.A.T. bean. specia4list, estimates that the entire field bean crop will be off before the end of Sep- tember, with kidney and JeanGaron is one of the most colorful men in Rene Leves- que's colorful cabinet. Those who know this 40-year-qld lawyer say his language is earthy and his attitude to most matters is refreshing. He is Quebec's minister of agriculture_ I have been quick to chastize Quebec on a couple of oc- casions: especially for the Parti Quebecois attitude on the interchange of construction laborers. It appears that M. Garon is going to come up with some legislation in Quebec to preserve good farmland. If so. the P.Q. will be head and shoulders above Ontario_ Nothing is being done. to my knowledge. to do anyting but pay lip service to preservation in Ontario. Quebec is doing more. Garon is holding public meetings across the province right now asking for suggestions and ideas. Reports indicate that even Quebec farmers have come to realize that action is necessarv_ Les habitants have been. for years, wary of any legisla- tion limiting'control over their land. They. as most farmers in Ontario. viewed their land as something to sell so they could live in ease in their old age. But not anymore. The Union des Producteurs Agricoles — the Quebec farmers union — has called for a total ban on new houses in farm areas except for those used by persons working direct- ly on the land_ The union has called forlegislation to set up a province - wide zoning board which would have the final say in allo- wing any non -farming construction or development in an agricultural zone. • Quebec is. of course. much more vulnerable than Ontario in thhe need for farmland. Documents issued by Garon's de- partment say that Quebec has only 48,266 acres of prime farmland compared to 5.3 million acres in Ontario. Garon points out that Quebec relies on imports for 40 per Letters are apprec,ated by Bob Trotter Eldate Rd Elmira Ont N3B 2C 7 m:o- cent of its food. "A nation which is not willing to make the effort to feed it- self does not deserve to live," he says. And the only way. up to now. to grow food is on the good farmland. It must be preserved if Quebec is to become a na- tion. They have their share of ,speculators. too. -Garon points out. More than 500,000 acres of land in Quebec are in the hands of nearly 10,000 non-residents of the province. Every year. non-residents buy an average of 44.000 acres of Quebec land. "As they say in the U.S.: Buy land. They don't stake it any more." says Garon,:'but we must put a stop to it because land will always be a tempting refuge for speculators, espe- cially during a period of inflation. Despite the immensity of territory within the province. Quebec is still largely covered by forests, shrubs, tundra and water. Only two per cent of the province's 336 -million acres is considered even remotely suitable ,for agriculture. Therefore. the -land must be preserved, the land that can be economically farmed. Legislation is due late this fall and little opposition from the Liberals is expected. It would seem to me a good time for,thVOntario govern- ment to take a long. hard look at the Quebec legislation. Although'more land is available — and viable — for agricul- ture in Ontario. now is the time to make some important decisions before too much of this precious commodity "which they don't make any, more'; — disappears forever. But don't hold your breath waiting for the Tories to move. They have already given the green light for more than 300 of the best acres in the province to be' used by Family Leisure Centres, a Yankee firm_ Family Leisure Centres, for God's sake! Who needs a fan- tasyland on those acres just north of Toronto? Drop in gate prices shows up The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) reports that the mid- summer drop in farm gate prices has now shown up in �grocerryy stores. - The OFA's Farmer Price Index (FPI) shows, an average two percent reduction in July's farm gate prices. August's prices • were up oily a modest 0.3 percent. The August Consumer Price Index (CPI), however, indicates that consumers have not benefited fully from the reduction in farm gate prices. The Consumer Price Index was down only 0.7 percent, led by beef down 4.3 percent. The OFA attributes much of the reduction in food costs to locally grown vegetables replacing expensive imports. The FPI• aggregate does not include fresh produce prices. The OFA states, retail prices continue to -, out - farmers.. Since August, 1977, the retail price of domestic food has in- creased by 19.2 percent while the farmer has received only 12.5 percent more. As an example of the discrepancy between farm gate prices and retail prices, the OFA cites the example of flour and bread. Under the two -price wheat program beginning late 1973, the price that millers pay farmers for wheat has been fixed at $3.25 a bushel: During the same. period, however, a 24 oz. loaf of bread has gone up 49 percent and...a five Weather saves Sunny dry, but cool weather returned to Huron County late last week, just in time to save the bean and silage corn harvest, and ensure a successful Plowing Match. Many area farmers were back pulling beans last Saturday, and by Monday, combining was back in full swing. Quality will be down in fields that were pulled before the rains, but no losses are expected from beans standing during the wet spell. More than six inches' (152mm) fell on parts of Huron County in the first three weeks of Sep- tember, most of it in a seven day period from September 11 to Sep- tember 18. The heavy rains followed a very dry summer. Local farmers .now taking off beans and silage corn, report the fields are in good shape when they are drained adequately, but they are avoiding low spots with their heavy equipment. The winter wheat crop is being sown in earnest this wesek, unlike last year when the ground stayed wet until late into October, cutting acreage by 70 percent. JOHNSTON BROS. Bothwell Ltd. New Gravel Prices CASH & CARRY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY FILL STONEDUST ' SAND: CRUSHED GRAVEL CEMENT GRAVEL DRAINAGE STONE • 'OVERSIZE STONE PIT PU$N 15c 95c 90` 95c 95c X1.75 95c 40s OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY DUNGANNON PITS ONLY 524-1947 pound bag of flour has increased by 33 percent. The OFA points out there is only 37.4 cents of wheat in a five pound bag of flour. The farmers' share of 'a loaf of bread is only ten cents, seven for wheat and three for other ingredients. 17-1` WATER WELL DRILLING • "76 YEARS EXPERIENCE" • FARM • SUBURBAN • INDUSTRIAL • MUNICIPAL • • FREE ESTIMATES • GUARANTEED WELLS • FAST MODERN EQUIPMENT o • 4 ROTARY & PERCUSSION DRILLS "OUR EXPERIENCE ASSURES LOWER COST WATER WELLS" DAVIDSON WELL DRILLING LIMITED 4 Rotary and Percussion Drills PHONE 357-1960 WINGHAM Collect Calls Accepted "ONTARIO'S FINEST WATER WELLS SINCE 1900" yellow -eye beans the last harvested. All pinto and black turtle beans are off the plots. All Seafarer and Sanalac types were off in early. September, with the later Kentwoods and Fleetwoods just har- vested. While most beans are grown on the College's 450 acre farm, experimental plots in Kerwood and Kippen have been taken off. The Kerwood plantings matured earlier than expected due to excessive dryness in that area, but the Kippen plots have done much better. Schleihauf attributes the goodKippentest to better soil conditions from plowed -down sod which kept the plants growing longer. Although R.C:A.T. yields will not be Farmers lose time Farmers in Huron County suffered 30 ac- cidents last year severe enough to cause them to lose time from work. Workmen's Com- pensation Board Chairman, Michael Starr, said the WCB had processed a total of over 2100 claims from farm workers for lost -time injuries in 1977. Starr was speaking at the Inter- national Plowing Match at Wingham. Representatives of the •WCB were present at the Match to discuss farm injury problems and to promote the farm safety program. The Board finances safety organizers throughout the province, including the • Farm Safety Association. CLAY — Silo Unloct ers feeders cleaner '%tabling ; Leg Elevators Liquid Manure Equipment • Hog Equipment BUTLER — Silo Unloaders 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 Howson Mills ELEVATOR DIVISION Receiving New Crop Corn • Fast' Unloading Probe System for Corn • Sell, ,Store or Contract your Corn. HOWSON & HOWSON LTD:: OLYTH 523-4241 ELEVATOR: 1 mile east of Blyth off County Rd. 25 PHONE 523-9624 tabulateduntil the, entire erop is off, yields look about 75 per cent of normal. While a dry" growing season takes the blame for reduced yields, these same dry con- ditions have blunted the anthracnose and white mold - threat which worried many area growers earlier in the summer. Leafhopper .damage, however, has been severe and this is related to dry -weather stress on the plants; yellowing df the leaves, indicating leafhopper damage is evident throughout area. bean acres. 1978 has seen a record acreage of kidneys contracted: almost 5,000 acres over the previous year. Politics. • and in- ternational economics will influence the export market, especially s in sales to the Carribean and Europe. , QCTOBEl 5 1978 -Agg .3,A FARM C.LASSIFIE B. Custom work CORN DRYING - Robertson Farms. Will store, buy or custom dry corn. We can scale up to a tandem truck. Combine available as well. George Robertson. Phone 524- 6658.-38TF BULLDOZING, Allis- Chalrners No, 650, with six way hydraulic blade. Bill Robinson, RR 2, Auburn, 529-7857.-35tf D. Livestock -FOR SALE - Purebred Yorkshire Noars, ser- viceable age, ROP tested. Call Bob Robinson, RR4 Walton, ,1345- 2317.-38-40 E. Farm services ACCOMMODATION to board horses. For in- formation phone 524- 4186.-40 e ATTENTION FATHER. FARMER You conceived him, fed him, nurtured his growth and protected him. • You gave him roots and a place to afield and grow in pride. You and mother nature did a fine job in raising him. And nowit's time. It's time he left the security of the farm and made his way in life. AND THAT'S WHERE WE COME IN! 6 WE ARE. NOW RECEIVING YOUR CORNIBLETS For years now Corniblets has been like that. Ear today, bin tomorrow. Now as in the past, we at M. J. Smith will provide you with a fair settlement and a crib for corniblets. Remember: whether you bring corniblets in a pick-up or the largest semi on the road - we'll dump him easily and quickly with our Hydraulic Floor Lift. Plus, we also provide fast, accurate service at our Weight Scale and Testing Station. Let us buy and store corniblets for ybu again this year. We are also receiving WHITEY BEINGS Drop him off today. While you are here, have a coffee on the House. 1t would visa be a good time to order your Anderson Fer- tilizer as well. Drop by and see us today. IT ----M.J. SMT Godt'rirhl + SEED • GRAIN s BEANS HWY. NO. 21 JUST NORTH Of PORT ALBERT PHONE: 529-7135 or 5297700 "ALL OF OUR FACILITIES ARE TO SERVE -YOU BETTER" If —1-7177-7 1