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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-11-22, Page 27FARM CLASSIFIED SECTIUN, GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22,1979 --PAGE 9A Plastic curtains a s can improve ventilation in barns The age of plastic is moving to the farm. Several Ontario farmers are now using plastic curtains to improve ventilation in cold housing for beef and dairy cattle. "Ensuring good ven- tilation is a problem in cold confinenlent.--barns," says Frank Kains, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food engineer. "Conventionally, these barns have windows or moveable panels to control air flow. Windows and panels are difficult to adjust, however, so they aren't changed regularly to suit daily weather conditions. -- Poor ventilation is a serious concern to livestock operators. It can contribute to poor animal health and eventual deterioration of the barn. The plastic curtain, called turkey curtain, was originally designed for turkey operations, but is now commercially available -forcoed con- finement housing for cattle. "In beef and dairy operations, turkey curtain is used to replace an entire sidewall of the barn, eliminating the need for windows or panels," says Mr. Kains. "It can be installed to be lowered from the' top but it is advisable to install it so - it can be raised from the bottom bne loot in the lurrow'..cm Land is always a good investment beuse they just don't make it any more. I think it was Mark Twain who said it originally but it is not listed in my book of quotations. No matter. The truth of the saying remains constant. Farm writers have been screaming for some comprehensive land use policies across this nation and only three provinces have put any teeth in the preservation of good farmland. Prince Edward Island, for instance, has put a limit not only on foreign ownership but on anyone outside the province. Land has become one of the greatest hedges against inflation. What farmers should be considering is,who owns the land? I'm not too concerned at this point in time about foreign ownership. I'm concerned about absentee landlords. Recent surveys in the Hew Hess Hay have revealed some startling facts. Once upon a time, the vast heartland of America was largely owned by the people who farmed that land. But today, as much as 35 to 40 percent of all U.S. farmland acreage is farmed by tenants. In other words, freeholding farmers are disap- pearing at an alarming rate. Farmers in many areas are only tenants. And you thought the days of serfdom were over in America! These days the price of farmland has risen so much that 'literally thousands of young farmers without capital simply cannot afford to buy the property. Land prices have skyrocketed all across Canada since the early 1960s. The same is true in the U.S. Midwest - prices have increased 30 percent in one year. In Indiana, farmland is up 300 percent since 1971. In Illinois, it's up 315 percent and in Iowa, 300 percent. tylia_ Ts . buying that land'?—You bet : the- big, powerful, ruthless, multi -national corporations. Those hard-headed businessmen know that land values will continue to climb. They know talo, that up to 18 cents of every disposable income dollar is spent on food and they want as big a chunk of that 18 cents as they can get. They want to control food production from the farm gate right to the table. That recent investigation into disc unts and allowances given by the major food -buying chains can serve as a warning to farmers. Those companies, if their competitive advantage is wiped out_ by some fair- trade legislation, will surely become more vertically - integrated. Some officials of those companies served notice at the hearings that theywould do just that: buy up more processing plants, buy up more production units which will include more farmland. As I see it, that is what farmers must be concerned about now, not just developers around the major and minor cities. As Forbes magazine puts it in the Oct. 29 issue, there are two ways of looking'at the situation. You can argue that a farmer need not own all the land he works any more than a shopkeeper need own the building that houses his business -- or for that matter, a magazine need not own the press it is printed on.Why can't the farmer just rent the land and the machinery, in the same way as other businessmen lease plant and equipment? The other argument would say that with the risks and the hard work involved in farming, few farmers can ride out the ups and downs of crop prices unless Smile What did the farmer have after he had finished ploughing his field? A harrowing experience. + + + Sales of after -shave lotion and cologne reach all time highs in June, proving that everyone loves Father, but no one likes the way he smells. + + + When a TV weather- man announced a sixty percent chance of rain, a mathematician called in to ask what theory of probability he had usdd to arrive at the figure. "Well, we have ten people working here," was the reply, "and if six say it will rain, and four say it won't -- we have our percentage." + + + CLAY - Silo Unloaders Feeders - Cleaners Stabling Leg Elevators Liquid Manure Equipment Hog Equipment BUTLER — Silo Unlo aders Feeders Conveyors FARMATIC — Mills Augers, etc. ACORN — Cleaners • Heated Waterers WESTEEL-ROSCO Granaries B 8, L - Hog Panelling LOWRY FARM SYSTEMS RR 1, Kincardine, Ont. -Phone 395-5286 WATER WELL DRILLING "79 YEARS EXPERIENCE" • FARM • SUBURBAN • INDUSTRIAL • MUNICIPAL • • FREE ESTIMATES • GUARANTEED WELLS • FAST MODERN EQUIPMENT • 4 ROTARY & PERCUSSION DRILLS OUR EXPERIENCE ASSURES LOWER COST WATER WELLS i DAVIDSON WELL DRILLING 4 Rotary and Percussion Drills LIMITED PHONE 357.1960 WINGHAM Collect Calls Accepted '0 ARICYS1INEST WATER WELLS SINCE 1411111" • Letters are aooiecated b, Bob Trotter E'dale Rd E'rrk, a On! N38 2C 7 they have the protection of owning their own land. Not only does that ownership free them from paying rent, it gives them a kind of subsidy from the appreciation in the price of land. And a final statement from Forbes: This is not a trivial debate. Unless inflation can be checked and investment redirected to more normal channels, we will be hearing a great deal more of it. I can only echo the logic in the statement. Drawn from letters to Agriculture Canada and Agriculturb Minister John Wise Dear Minister: I understand your depart- ment has been carrying out breeding programs at several western research stations in- volving foreign and domestic beef breeds. 1 would appre- ciate any information you could send me. An Alberta beef producer Agriculture Canada's Infor- mation Services in Ottawa. ' 1 Dear Mr. Wise: / am interested {'n the growing of new crops to diversify prairie agriculture. Could_ jvnu give rne informa- " tion on what research• is going on and where? Dear -Sir. K.S. , Melfort, Sask. In 1968, Agriculture Canada started a project to evaluate the reproductive per- formance of hybrid heifers. Angus, Hereford :'and Short- horn cows were mated with Charolais, Limousin and Simmental bulls. Heifers from these crosses were then located at two different sites, one typical of range conditions at Many berries, Alta., and the other typical of a..summer pasture and winter confinement opera- tion at Brandon, Man. In subsequent years, further crosses were carried out, mating the hybrid heifers to Beefmaster and Red Angus bulls and later to Charolais, Simmental, Limousin and Chianina sires. The progeny at Many berries were reared at the Lacombe research ggation in Alberta and the carcasses `? were compared to those 'reared at Brandon. The ,..project will not be ompleted until 1980, but booklets outlining preliminary results are available -'from Dear M.S.: Many crops once con- sidered exotic in Canada are now finding a hcme here. Both the federal and provincial governments, as well as universities and private finns, are testing new crops and working out their produc- tion requirements. Research- ers arelooking particularly for crops suited to drier or more northerly regions. At Agriculture Canada's Morden, Man., Research Sta- tion, new crops being tested include Jerusalem artichokes and oils and spices such as monarda, basil and caraway. Research on fababeans and lentils . in Manitoba and Alberta show that they also have potential on the prairies, as do several alternate grain crops, particularly sorghum. • To promote this work, Agriculture Canada set up the New Crop Development Fund in 1974. The fund, with a budget of $1 million a year, has supported more than 40 new crop projects. - c Owners ofsmalier busi'zesies... ueprovide:. *Financial assistance * Managementcounselling (CASE) * Management training * Information ongovernment programsf rbusiness Can 2,ve helpyou? See our Representative BOB FURTNEY at: The Bedford Hotel Goderich, Ontario On: EVERY TUESDAY (Next Visit: Tues., Nov. 27th FEDERAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK For prior information call 271.5650 +toilet,) or write 1036 Ontario Street, Stratford, Ontario. up for cold confinement housing." t. The main advantage of ttWe system is its ease of operation. The curtain is raised by a cable and winch system making it easy for the farmer to adjust the air flow regularly Nyle -rope— stretched from top to bottom in a zig-zag pattern across the wall opening prevents the curtain from flapping in the wind. The turkey curtain also allows a much larger sidewall opening than the conventional windows or panels.' This is important in the summer when maximum ventilation is required. It also provides a continuous opening which allows for more even air flow than in- termittent --- "This-- system- -f-s- --par or doors often create severe drafts on the animals." Installing a turkey curtain could also save money. A prepainted steel wall costs about 50 cents per square foot for openings. materials, but the labor cost -art On-s-teficling tilt -in panels is expensive. Turkey curtain costs about $1 per square foot. For more information about turkey • curtain, contact your agricultural engineer at local offices of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. ticularly advantageous in bad weather," say's Mr. Kains. "Producers can maintain a continuous opening under the eaves of the barn to provide sufficient air flow without creating drafts. The alternative tilt -in panels D -airy goats important Dairy goat production is on& of the fastest- growing agricultural industries in Ontario. Membership in the Ontario Dairy Goat Society has more than doubled in the past three years, rising above 800 'members. To meet the increasing demand for up-to-date production information, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture ant Food is sponsoring a w' home study course. The Dairy Goat Production course. is available from the University of Guelph. "Tills course was written for the serious goat keeper," says Gary Hutchison of the University School of Part -Time Study and Continuing Education. "However, novices and small-scale operators can also benefit from the study program." The course is 'divided into eight chapters which examine various aspects of goat production in- cluding housing, breeding, kidding, feeding, milking and herd health. The final chapter provides recipes for cheese making and ex- plains conditions necessary for home pasteurization of goat milk. ''T}ie four written assilppnents necessary to complete the course test the student's com- prehension of the course material," says Mr. Hutchison. "Assignments will be evaluated by people experienced in the goat field, and will be returned to the student with comments and correc- tions'." Cost of the course is $60 for Ontario residents, and $75 for out -of -province residents. To register write: Independent Study, University School of Part -Time Study and Continuing Education, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario NIG 2W1. The course in goat production is the newest addition to the University of Guelph's independent study program, spon- sored by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and through which students may earn diplomas in agriculture and horticulture. Sign under an office clock: "It's earlier than you think." B. Custom work CUSTOM combining, corn, narrow rows, reasonable rates, Goderich, Clinton and Zurich area. Phone 262- 534-1.-46--47 lItiNET AIRY TAW C. Wanted WANTED - cattle. We pay good prices for reasonably injured or unthrifty cattle. Easy loading trailer with winch. Ca11 collect 238- 2796, John Ansens, Grand Bend. -44-50 WANTED TO RENT: Crop land in Colborne, Goderich and Ashfield Townships. Top dollar paid for top land. Call Steve Buchanan, Goderich 524- 4700.-38tfnc DAVE HAYLOW ELECTRICAL Serving Industrial, Commercial, Residential Needs 524-6038 R.K. PECK APPLIANCES 'In The Heart df Down Town Varna" • Vacuum Cleaners - 593es and Service of most makes • CB Radios and Accessories • Speed queen Appliances • Moffat Appliances • Smoke Sensors • Insect Lights and Fly Killing Units • Handcrafted Gifts Varna, Ont. Phone 482-7103 Immediate Cash Buying Coins Top prices paid for silver and gold coins, foreign coins, bank notes, stamps, war items and medals and- old post cards. For every silver dollar 1967 and under For every silver half dollar 1967 and under . • For every silver quarter 1966 and under . . For every silver dime 1966 and under U.S.A. silver: for every dollar's worth 1964 and under we pay $8..00 and up we pay $4.00 and up we pay $2.00 and up we pay 80¢ and up we pay $:, and up Gold Sovereigns ' $85. And Old Pocket Watches 'Also - Small Display of Coins out for show! Located in: A at P ENTRANCE Suncoast Mali Goderich Hwy. 21 South November 23 & 24 Friday,Saturday' 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day Because of fluctuating market, coin prices are subject to change;.yrithout notice. Top Prices Paid 31 r it •J , 2 Da s Only r