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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-08-16, Page 30I• • PAGE 12A—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1979 T A RM PA/i1 E Bean Day at Centralia FARM CLASSIFIED SECTION Inrnates provided for farm work A limited number of selected inmates are available for emergency harvesting this year on request from farmers, Correctional Services Minister Gord Walker has announced. "We can provide -about 200 inmates from the total provincial system on a daily basis to help far- mers when they are short of labour or when their crops are imperilled, for example, by a windstorm or heavy rainfall," Mr Walker said. There are ap- proximately 2,800 people in Ontario's ' jails and detention centres on any given day. Many are on remand or serving short sentences, while others are assigned to regular maintenance, academic, industrial training, or community work programs. During the past four years, inmates from Burtch Correctional Centre, Brantford, have been hired . to cut and hang tobacco, while in- mates from Maplehurst Correctional Centre, Milton, were hired last year to harvest apples. Inmates in other centres and jails have also been hired sporadically to assist local farmers. Mr. Walker explained that Ontario's correc- tional policy is to put inmates to work, rather than having them idle in jail, particularly where their employment benefits the community. Part ofthe inmate's income is used to offset the cost to the taxpayer of providing inmate room and board inrcorrectional institutions. Inmates are available for outside work if they receive the going market wage and they do not takee, jobs from existing workers or the unem- ployed. "Farmers who hire inmates are not liable for their custody," Mr. Walker stressed. "We have specific procedures for the farmer to notify the detention centre or jail, if for instance an inmate escapes. However, our experience to date shows that far- mers who`have employed inmates find them productive workers, while the inmates welcome the chance to earn some money." An example is the hiring of Burtch inmates to harvest tobacco. Volunteers -are thoroughly screened by correctional staff to ensure they pose no threat to the community and are suitable for the work. Those selected are given a temporary ab- sence pass to leave the correctional centre each day. Theinmates rise at 5:30 a.m. and are picked up by the farmer between 6 and 6:30 a.m. Last year, six farmers in Brant County hired inmate labour from Burtch, paying $30 a kiln with a $10 bonus for each kiln completed. The Ministry provides each inmate with a box lunch; the farmer provides tea or coffee, The inmates are transported back to the centre byitlhe farmer around 5 p.m. Farmers in the area who wish to discuss the availability and arrangements for hiring inmates should contact the nearest Regional Director, Ministry of Correctional Services at (519) 658-5101. , ne loot in. 1urroW'J. Letters are appreciated by Bob Trotter EIdaIe Rd Elmira Ont N3B 2C7 Back in March, I suggested that Ontario's Minister of. Agriculture and Food, William Newman, should not even consider issuing a permit for an agrominium in Ontario. I even explained an agrominium: a sort of commune where a developer divides a 100 -acre farm into 10 -acre • lots and puts 10 houses on those lots. The owners agree to farm the 90 acres that are left and, from the profit, pay the -mortgage. Now comes word that the Ontario Cabinet has turneddown the request for the agrominium and I,say good for you, fellows. Itis a decision that could have far-reaching effects. I, personally, believe it was just another gimmick to allow developers to circumvent zoning regulations in agricultural areas. If one agrominium had been allowed, the door would have opened for dozens. Ontario farmers have enough problems with legitimate land development without being saddled with more. The green light would have flashed long enough to accelerate the problems caused by urban people moving into farming areas. Farmers have enough trouble now with harassment over noise, odors, long hours of work and curtailment of expansion. When, of when, will other sectors of the economy begin to realize that rural Ontario is not a park? Nor is it a dumping ground for refuse that' cities cannot handle. Farmers keep opposing dump proposals because of Ontario's love of landfill sites. Rural Ontario is sick andtired of burying city trash. In the last decade, farmers have won a number of battles Such as the one a few years ago when Hamilton and Toronto had plans to ship millions of .tons of garbage by rail to the Harriston-Palmerston area. Recently, residents of Glanb`rook Township fought a proposal for a landfill site in the Niagara Region. The battle continues. Would you want a sewage lagoon and -or a garbage dump in your backyard? Remember the proposal to bury atomic wastes in the Marmora area? It keeps happening. But when will it stop? When will permanent legislation protect agriculture from disastrous encroachments? Peter Hannam, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, in a letter to the Cabinet, said rural Ontario is an industrial area whose industry is food production. If society wants an abundant supply of food, then farmers must 'be allowed to do their ,job. Without, I might add, agrominiums, dumps, sewage lagoons and stupid neighbors complaining about noise and odors. And here's another example: A group of farmers. in North Salem, N.S., got together to con'iplain about. rock, folk and western music concerts north of Halifax, They were justifiably worried about land, fields and buildingsbeing damaged by thousands and thousands of fans who flock to such concerts. The fear of fire, for one thing, is, important. One farmer lost. six acres of hay just through a mess of WATER WELL DRILLING "79 YEARS EXPERIENCE" • FARM • SUBURBAN • INDUSTRIAL • MUNICIPAL • • FREE ESTIMATES • GUARANTEED WELLS • FAST MODERN EQUIPMENT " • 4 ROTARY & PERCUSSION DRILLS "OIJR EXPERIENCE ASSURES LOWER COST WATER WELLS" DAVIDSON WELL DRILLING 4 Rotary and Percussion Drills LIMITED PHONE 357-1960 WINGHAM Collect Calls Accented "ONTARIO'S- FINEST WATER WELLS SINCE 1900" broken glass and beer bottles alone. He couldn't cut the hay because of the glass. Some of the farmers in the area are even. talking about taking things into their own hands and forming a vigilante group`- a sort -of local SWAT squad - to deal with trespassers. That sounds a little too drastic for my peace -loving tastes but who can blame them? You have spent years.. building up your land, plowing, sowing, harvesting,,. fertilizing, spraying. The sweat and toil blooms -into a crop. If the worker doesn't get it, a group of asinine. city -dwellers brandishing guitars and beer bottles, ruins it for you. Hard to take, wouldn't you say? • Rural people are getting tired of -it all, the insidious ideas to build estates on prime farmland, the constant encroachment of urban subdivisions, the trash that nobody else wants, the trespassers who wouldn't know the north end of cow from the south in an east wind and the short-sightedness of politicians who know the farm vote ain't what it used to be. Anyway, the Ontario Cabinet is to be congratulated for turning down the agrominium idea. I wonder what the developers will come up with next to get around the zoning bylaws? Modern agriculture is a rapidly changing in- dustry. To remain suc- cessful, farmers must continually work to keep up to date with the latest production information. On Wednesday, August 22, growers of white beans and soybeans will have an opportunity to see some of the newest developments in bean production at the Ontario Bean Day at the Cen- tralia . College of Agricultural Technology. Tours throughout the day will feature many of the research plots at Centralia College. Among the topics to be discussed are new varieties, disease control, weed control and crop rotation. Junior i3 Farmers celebrate 'Plans for the 30th anniversary df the Huron County Junior Farmers' Association are almost, complete! The Celebration will be .on Saturday evening, August 25 at the Clinton arena. You will have a chance to visit with old friends, associated ' with the Junior Farmers' from 7 to 9 p.m. This will be followed by a dance from 9to 1. Music will be. supplied by the Gary Walters Band. One of the highlights of the evening will be the Recognition Program beginning at 8 p.m. Former agricultural representatives and associates, former Junior Farmer presidents, the M.P. and M.P.P.s and County Directors have been invited. A special guest who will be taking part will be Gordon Bennett, former Ag. Rep. and recently ' retired Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food. Everyone who would like to help celebrate the 30th year as a County organization is welcome to attend.. Tickets are available from County Junior Farmers and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food office in Clinton. • Representatives from Centralia College, Ridgetown College, University of Guelph and Agriculture Canada will be present to discuss their research and to help answer any other questions about bean production. The tours will run continuously throughout the • day beginning at 10 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. In addition to the tours, there will be a large area of commercial exhibits. Many dealers and manufacturers of bean equipment and supplies will be present to display and discuss their products. Of special interest, will be demonstrations of new developments in equipment for controlling problem weeds in bean crops. Once again, Bean Day will be on August 22 at Centralia College of Agricultural Technology beginning at 10 a.m. Summer seeding The Ontario coun- tryside is humming with harvest activity, but already, some farmers are planting forage crops for next year. Summer seedings of alfalfa or legume mix- tures require the same preparation as -spring planting, says Prof. R.S. Fulkerson, Department of Crop • Science, University of Guelph. Although spring seedings of new hay or pasture meadows are superior to those seeded in summer, circumstances sometimes dictate that summer seedings be made. In such cases, an early seeding date is important to establish the crop. To prevent winterkill of established forage stands, the farmer must not allow cutting or grazing in those fields after the critical fall harvest date in his area. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Publication 296, 1979 Field Crop Recom- mendations, contains a map indicating the dates applicable to farm locations throughout the province. It is available from local agricultural representatives. • • • B. Custom work D. Livestock CUSTOM SWATHING, phone Hank Reinink, Londesboro, 523-9202 or 482-9948.-32,33,34 BOOK YOUR CUSTOM COMBINING NOW! Low rates and long hours to get the job done. Grain, beans and corn. Phone Steve Buchanan at 524- 4700.-28tfnc BULLDOZING, Allis- Chalmers No. 650, with six way hydraulic blade. ,Bill Robinson, RR2 Auburn, 529-7857.-13tf CUSTOM combining of oats, wheat, barley, and corn. Swathing also available. Phone Philip Steckle 565-5324 or Arnold Steckle 565-5329:-29TF WANTED to buy- - Holstein bull calves, three days old. Call Ripley, 395-3597.-33-34 FOR SALE: Hampshire, Yorkshire, and York cross Landrace boars. Serviceable age. Bob Robinson, R.R.4 Walton, Ont. 345-2317,-32,33 A o 7- ck CUSTOM COMBINING - trs grain, beans and corn. Reasonable rate. Phone 529-7890, or 529-7469.-33- 35 CUSTOM combining of grain, corn and white beans. Reasonable rates.• Phone Bill Steenstra, 482- 3145.-33 OPEN HOUSE HYLAND SEEDS invites you to join us for a tour of our HYBRID CORN, SOYBEAN, WHITE BEAN & COLOURED BEAN PERFORMANCE TRIAL PLOTS TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1979 TIME: 2:00 p.m. to 8:00' p.m. LOCATION: THE- BELL BROS. FARM ON No. 4 HIGHWAY, 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF HENSALL. — Refreshments will be served — NOTE: In case of rain the date will be Wednesday, August 29th. W. G. THOMPSON & SONS LIMITED d/F............. OR BLAST OFF ' APTION CLAY — Silo Unloaders Feeders Cleaners Stabling Leg Elevators Liquid Manure Equipment Hog Equipment BUTLER — Silo Unloaders Feeders Conveyors FARMATIC — Mills Augers, etc. ACCi1IN "'CIoahortti• Heated Waterers WESTEEL-ROSCO Granaries B a L - Hop Panelling LOWRY FARM SYSTEMS RR 1, Kincardine, Ont. Phone 395-5286 Fast unloading Trucks Available Premiums for Top Grades Receiving Hours: Monday Saturday 8 a.ma to 9 p.m. Sunday by appointment 4K -_ ii 0=Xt =Dt M. J. SMITH .. .. .. NOW SERVING THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY • 65 YEARS • We at M. 1. Smith have all the requirements for handling your GRAIN, FERTILIZER, CORN SEED GRAIN & AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS at competitive prices! WE BUY, SELL, STORE & DRY! M.J.SM LTd. 1(:hathnni(;rHh•rirhl • SEED • (in 4r • BEANS ,NOP/N Oi PORT,A .BE,R:T,._„_ PHONE: 529-7136 or S2 7700_, "Ali OF 01) FACILITIES ARE TO SERVE YOU BETTER”