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Exeter Times -Advocate
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Farm income crisis main focus of meeting
By Nina Van Lieshout
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
SEAFORTH — The Seaforth
Agriplex was packed last
Thursday night for the Huron
County Federation of
Agriculture (HCFOA)
Annual/Regional Meeting.
Several people from the farm-
ing community attended the
meeting which began with din-
ner.
Afterwards an introduction of
special guests was conducted
including Huron County Warden
and South Huron Mayor Rob
Morley and Bluewater Mayor
Bill Dowson. Not in attendance
were Huron Bruce MPP Carol
Mitchell and Huron MP Paul
Steckle, although both sent for-
mal letters explaining they were
unable to attend due to previous
commitments.
An award was presented next
by Huron Stewardship and
Wildlife Habitat Canada, recog-
nizing the late Victor Roeland of
Howick Township for his work
within the agriculture sector for
many years.
His wife Margaret, along with
her son Roger and his girlfriend
Jodey Kelley accepted the award
on Victor's behalf.
After the presentation, the
election of the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture (OFA)
Regional Directors and OFA
Convention Delegates began.
Each candidate spoke at the
podium briefly explaining what
they stand for and what their
plans are if chosen to represent
their area. Joe Vermunt won the
position for South Huron region-
al director. Steve Thompson,
the new HCFOA president is also
the alternative regional director.
South Huron convention dele-
gates are Vermunt, Wayne
Hamilton and Bev Hill.
Convention delegates must
attend the upcoming OFA
Annual Convention 2006
Ontario Young Farmers Forum
from Nov. 19-21, including high-
lighted speaker Elaine Froese of
Seeds of Change and panel dis-
cussions on Farm Alternative
Energy and Corporate
Concentration.
Morley was asked next to say a
couple of words on his thoughts
of the state of the agriculture
industry. He went on to say
"Huron County is the breadbas-
ket of agriculture in Ontario."
He also said Huron County has
"grade A land" and we need to
"fight and maintain what we've
had for years. Let's get this farm
income crisis settled," Morley
concluded.
OFA vice-president and Huron
County liaison Paul Mistele
spoke next saying the "farm
income crisis is still the number
one issue." He went on to say
another project is in the works—
postcards to be signed by farm-
ers and sent to the House of
Commons in Ottawa supporting
a newer safety net program
which would be both predictable
and bankable for farmers,
unlike the Canadian Agricultural
Income Stabilization program
(CAIS). Mistele also says since
the country is in debt and in the
process of paying it off "they can
pay the farm debt" too. "It isn't
over yet," Mistele concluded.
The highlighted guest speaker
of the evening was OFA vice-
president Geri Kamenz who has
a 25 year history with the orga-
nization. He explained in order
to make any progress with the
government, the OFA should not
embarrass or challenge them
but rather try to work with them
as a team.
Kamenz says a solution needs
to be reached as soon as possi-
ble to see a next generation of
farmers. He says part of the
problem is the government's pri-
orities need to change for the
people across Canada. He says
Canadians deserve "the right to
go to the supermarket and get
cheap food."
He says the United States rec-
ognizes the importance and
their responsibility to provide
Americans with local foods,
whereas in Canada 80 per cent
of our produce comes from
California.
Kamenz also says the past
three years have been the worst
for net farm income in Canadian
history; meanwhile in the United
States it has been the best.
He says we need to look at the
weather. "The reality is the cli-
mate is changing," says
Kamenz. He says that is another
factor that comes into play when
looking at the lack of farm
income.
Kamenz said in conclusion
that "you have every right as
members of this organization to
be mad at me because of the
virtue of my office. The failures,
they're there, they're painfully
obvious but kicking me in the
ass is not going to make it hap-
pen. Embarrassing and chal-
lenging me is not going to
work."
HCFOA meeting — The
Huron County Federation
of Agriculture hosted its
Annual/Regional Meeting in
Seaforth. Above left Huron
East convention delegate
Neil Vincent and HCFOA
president Steve Thompson,
right, present the Huron
County Federation of
Agriculture Award to Blyth
farmer Steve Webster who
drove to the House of
Commons in Ottawa this
year, sitting in his car for
several days protesting for
change in the agriculture
industry. Below, Ontario
Federation of Agriculture
(OFA) vice-president and
guest speaker Geri Kamenz
addresses the crowd in the
top picture. (photos/Nina
Van Lieshout)
Funding supports the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization
SASKATOON — Funding of $1.75 million will be used to support the University of
Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) for develop-
ment of alternatives to antibiotics over the next three years.
The federal funding under the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri -Food
(ACAAF) Program will allow the VIDO to undertake a three-year research project
that will focus on poultry and swine, but could eventually include cattle entering
feedlots to prevent bacterial infection and to increase the protective power of vac-
cines.
"Research that better protects livestock from infectious diseases and leads to
safer food makes sense both for producers and consumers," says Minister of
Agriculture and and Agri -Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board Chuck
Strahl.
"Canada's new government is pleased to provide funding to study alternative
technologies that may reduce or even replace antibiotics in livestock and poultry
operations," Strahl added.
The VIDO project will test the use of naturally occurring peptides to provide early
protection for animals by stimulating innate immunity and directly killing bacteria,
as well as increasing the magnitude of the immune response after vaccination.
Infectious diseases continue to be a major cause of economic loss to Canada's
livestock industry and a significant cause of animal suffering. No new classes of
antibiotics have been developed in the last 20 years.
"Infectious agents know no boundaries and so are not restricted to any region,"
says director of the VIDO Dr. Lorne Babiuk.
"Developing substitutes for antibiotics is even more important now as antibiotic
disease resistance increases on a global scale," Babiuk added.
The VIDO is a world leader in the research and development of vaccine and
immunotherapeutic technologies for livestock and humans