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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1990-12-19, Page 3THE HuAON OCIPOOFTOA. OECENWER is Mico -a Crop yields good, prices depressing BY SUSAN OXFORD Some crop fanners trixu tAc mica report timers yeses aU be very 1pc ud yield wise. but terrible far prices. The wet suarrna helped crops and pastures, Out de harvest Wit. Some amide crops were hast due w beau) fsins at harvest Mat, but man were staved. Johnin Coln, of Kippers wttu (anus with his brusher Les and father Bill, grew white beans and soybeans. The yield for soybeans were good, be reports, and at up aver last year. Mr. Coksuan yielded two or three bushels per acre con- sidering had hit the soybain and did some damage. Despite rain, be was able to get the beans off the t field. The Coleman had trouble with spring planung because hairy rains caked the ground and throughout the summa than was moisture and wet, humid conditions which are conducive to avoid. "Soybean prices are terrible this year" says Mr. Coleman. "We grow ours for seed and they're in storage now. We sell them based on Chicago grain prices, which arc down from last year." Prices for seed white beans are established by a bean board in Canada and haven't been es- tablished yet, so Mr. Coleman says he isn't sure how much money he made. Payments go through the bean board and then farmers get an initial payment. Mr. Coleman is hoping another payment will come through next year. Mr. Coleman thinks government may help farmers with the white bean tripartite stabilization program which both the farmer and government pay into. When prices fall to a low point the government pays some of the fund to farmers. The Colemans also cash crop barley, wheat and corn and John reports the yields were good. He said they didn't expect much during the spring while they watched crops come up, but due to, timing in raining and harvesting, barley was good this year. Yields were close to last year's, says John, but the price is "Terrible. Everything's down. Some years there's a program for barley, but nothing's been an- nounced yet." Last year many farmers planted winter wheat and so did the Colemans. Yields in wheat were excellent and that drove the prices down from $120 per ton last year. Last fall many more farmers than usual planted winter wheat because the fall planting conditions were ideal. The wheat board makes an initial payment and some years will make another payment later on, but Mr. Coleman feels this year there will probably be only the initial payment, and that payment could be below the cost of production. Corn was another crop the Colemans planted and they report a good yield and terrible prices. Corn was late in getting off the fields and some cora was demi are W the hest coo bats it ie Itielk. Wavy winds iaat'ilsd noir can overt. Oats were placed by time Coleman and Sohn reports an svenio yield and oat prices that are cfown- "'Tis year's prices arc the bwcat I've cheer for many years," says Mr. Calmat "Next year well plant the same as every other year and a buk winter wham, but not as much due W the wet plaaung serum "Mast fanners took. off mane crop Ina previous years, but prices are so bw there's no money for the yield. k's try supply and demand this year. Things Just don't loon too good for fanners. Some could lose their farms. Operaung costs arc up, fuel and fertilizers especially. The good, and 'entices tax GST) will mean more bookwork." "...very depressing, and that goes for just about everything..." Lorne Glanville, RR 4 Walton, calls himself a 'crash cropper' and this year grew corn, wheat, white beans and soybeans. He says the corn yield was fairly good but prices are "Very depressing, and that goes for just about everything we grew this year." "We lost money this year. We hope programs come into effect. This fall we didn't plant any winter wheat because the weather was too wet. Not too much can be planted in a wet fall and about 50 per cent of the wheat that was supposed to go in didn't. I'll wait until spring before I decide what to plant." Next year Mr. Glanville will plant small grains like barley or spring wheat, although it doesn't have as good a return as winter wheat. This year he figures wheat may go as low as $85 per tonne. Mr. Glanville bought his farm in 1969 and figures he's been farming all his life and says this year "Is probably the worst year as far as financial, but with a fairly decent yield." Getting crops off the fields this year is an experience he describes as "Terrible. We didn't lose much, but we had to cut some white beans with knife and reel and we lost about 50 per cern of our white beans due to the wet weather. Last year we got a decent price for white beans and this year lots of farmers planted them. Last year there wasn't a good return on soybeans so less farmers grew them." Mr. Glanville expressed concern about the GST. He said he doesn't r— is as ialtfide.ti+ree but felt Ir lied no say a it. He's steady :Ilitfar the OST Riled says he veld to charge other fasters far ctmslora wane. Even if Mr. °be- vilk pots • GST rebate bell have W wart duce astauha after fi ilD sec it. ALsu, be says the mat oat fuel "Rainy went ndic:uknas. I don't Lamy wham it's gcxrmg to and- Petruicson bared fertilizer prices will manses next year 1 can just tope for baler mit year." Kenneth Glanville, Lcxne's brother, also lives on RR 4, Walton. Lie his brother, Kenneth is also a crash cropper. Kenneth is a bit unique in that be employs same conservation farming methods oh his farm. This year he grew can, white beasts, winter wheat and oats. "Oats this year had a good yield, but the price was bad, said Mr. Glanville. "Oats were down about 70 per cent from last year from $160 per tonne to $100." Mr. Glanville blames the media for falling oat prices. Last year, he says, there was media hype about the virtues of art bran and Mr. Glanville feels that fad has slowed down. Many fanners got on tae oat bran band wagon and grew oats, so much oats that the price fell. "Now we'll have to wait for the supply to trickle down. It's not easy to compete with other competitors like the United States whose fuel prices are half of what ours are." Propane prices went up by almost doubk just before it was needed for corn drying, and that drove up the cost of drying a bushel of corn. This year corn sold for about $2.42 a bushel and last year sold for about $3.50. Mr. Glanville says Canada has better food aid to other countries and that's where some of the grains might possibly go. "It will be a depressing year financially," predicted Mr. Glan- ville. "I can't imagine anyone working in a factory and being told their wages will have to be cut. But that's what happens to farmers." On his farm Mr. Glanville prac- tices crop rotation, and has for 10 years, which leads to less use of pesticides. With crop rotation he uses less chemicals and no insec- ticides, which he claims to be more practical on the financial end of farming. This year he had few problems with corn bore. He uses petroleum based fertilizers, but doesn't think the price of them will increase next year. "They can't put the prices for fertilizers because then they sell," reasoned Mr.- G lanvUs, By using some conservation methods of farming Mr. Glanville says he is doing what he can finan- cially for the soil on his farm. He says there's not a lot of incentive to conservation farm other than a farmer's own personal motives for preserving the soil structure. He thinks government is realizing the Turn to page 11. MODERN ADAPTATION - Students from the separate school were treated to a Christmas version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears Thursday morning, cout'tesy of students from St. Michael's Catholic High School in Stratford- Here, Momma Bear and Baby Bear prepare for hibernation. Robinet photo. CHRISTMAS SPIRIT Gol- dilocks sings out the pleasures of Chnstrnas during an adap- tation of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, presented to separate school students Thursday by students from St. Michael's Catholic High School in Stratford. Robinet photo. Huronview to be complete 1992 BY MIKE WILLISCRAFT The revamping of Huronview will be complete by October of 1992 if everything goes according to a plan at last week's Huron Coun- ty ouncil meeting. In a recorded vote, 20-13, coun- c it lors passed a recommendation from the Huronview Committee (HC) which schedules the start of construction of a new, 62 -bed home in Brussels for June 1991 with work at the Clinton site slated for April 1991. The Brussels site would be :.ompleted by July 1992 and the Clinton facility could be wrapped up in October. Bill Alcock, county treasurer and HC member, says that these dates and cost estimates are subject to different variables. "We've done a lot of work on the estimates and we've had provincial input. The calculations are done but really they are all guessed figures," said Alcock Monday. At the county council meeting, councillors engaged in a lengthy debate about the merits of the adopted plan and another, which would have seen construction on the Huronview site start a year later when more provincial funding had released. ,,nun. Bill Mickle, Exeter, said <fhat the county would have to bor- row money to get construction underway early and the interest expense would be substantial. "By waiting one year, at an eight per cent inflation rate, there would be about a $600,000 saving on the total cost of construction, Mickle said. "We should be very careful. Plan 2 is the most economical. The Seaforth family headed down -under for year BY SUSAN OXFORD A Seaforth family is headed to Australia on an exchange program and an Australian woman is coming to Seaforth to 'fill in' for them. The exchange program is for school teachers and the two teachers in volved will take each other's teaching position for exactly one year. The Hagan family, Paul, Beth and their two-year-old son James, will be flying from Toronto December 22 to Australia. Beth is a fulltime kindergarten teacher at Clinton Public School and has two full classes every day. After teaching for five years an exchange program is available to allow teachers to live in a different country. A year ago Beth applied, stating she'd like to teach in a city in New Zealand or Australia. Both Paul and Beth decided they would like to have some experience living in a city. They didn't get placed in a city, but rather in the Surf Side district of the Australian town of Maura. It's south of Sydney in a resort area called Batemans Bay. The Hagans don't know many people in Australia, although they did meet an Australian couple on a teaching exchange program last year in Goderich. Beth hopes the exchange program will help her career by giving her a chance to exPerience another cul- ture and different teaching situation. Paul says every new experience broadens one's life. Even though Australians speak English, Paul feels there will be many differences between their culture and Canada's. "We can learn so much in one year," said Paul. "We're lucky my job allows me to do this," added Beth. Paul plans on doing more of what be's doing now in Australia - looking after James. Since their hank will be a couple of blocks from the beach, he plans on spen- ding a lot of time there. James may m a daycare a few hours a w�eatt HEADED FOR SUMMER - The Hagan family (left: Paul, James and Beth) is off to Australia where Beth will teach. An Australian teacher will take Beth's job at Clinton Public School. Oxford photo to give him exposure to other children. The family is planning to buy a car and during weekends will explore Australia together, The next year will be A time for reflection for Paul. He's a graphic artist and currently unemployed. Shortly after hecomin : tinea the Hagan's first child, James, was horn. Paul has been the major caregiver for all of his son's short life, and will be until James is in school. Paul thinks he'll come to a decision in Australia about going back to school or out to wort wben return to Canada. Leo, Paul's father, lives with Paul and his family, and will live in Goderich with his son, Frank. for the next year. With no grandchildren in Goderich Leo says he'll miss having James around. The first thing Paul and Beth plan to do on their arrival in Australia is buy James a toy koala bear. They have spoken to James about the trip and he's been getting himself ready by packing and unpacking his suit- case. The Hagans have a week long stopover in Hawaii and will spend Christmas there. In Hawaii Beth will meet her Australian counterpart teacher, Glenda Murray, as she too has a stopover in Hawaii. The parents of Beth's students have been positive about the exchange program, says Beth, and look for- ward to Glenda teaching their children. Australia's time is one day ahead of Canada and the day the Hagans will lose is New Year's Day. They will celebrate New Year's Eve in flight and it will be January 2 when they land. Just after New Year's, Glenda Murray will arrive in Seaforth. She will take over Beth's job for the year and live in the Hagan home. Glenda will be handing her job as a Grade one teacher at St. Mary's, a private Catholic school, to Beth. Beth has recently spoken to the principal of St. Mary's and he told her the temperatures are now at 42 degrees celsius. (Australia is heading into its summer season now.) Summer holidays in Australia kick off with Christmas and students are out of school for six weeks. Beth begins teaching January 2R. When Beth returns to Canada students here will be having their Christmas holidays, then return to school for six more months. Will the Hagan's decide to live in Australia? "Canada is home," says Paul. beck home." saving is in the interest." "If you notice in Mr. Capitano's letter, you'll see that interest is 100 per cent county. There is no split in funding these, Miskin added, refer- ring to a document from Family and Children's Services' area manager Frank Capitano. In the letter, Capitan outlined how the staged funding from the province would break down. The county should receive $4 million in 1991, $2.9 million in 1992, $1.948 million in 1993, $2.04 million in 1994 and $225,000 in 1995. HC chairman Coun. Tom Tomes, Stephen Twp., said the matter was given long consideration before the plan to start construction next year was recommended. "The biggest concern was we didn't want to get into operating three homes. It will cost the county less the quicker we can get out of the present building," said Tomes. "By getting started next year we should get our sub -trades locally and, with the economy the way it is now, it would be a big boost to the economy. We thought that would compensate." Tomes noted that there are cur- rently six fire code violations at the Huronview site and, by getting out a year sooner, the county may be able to avoid putting money into a building which they will not use in the future. Coun. Brian McBurney, Turnber- ry Twp., disagreed with HC's recommendation. "I can't see that a poor economy is a good excuse to spend S20 million," said McBurney. "In Plan 2 you spread it out over a longer period and you'd probably do the province more good because the job is spread over a longer period of time." As for the operation of three Tarn to page Iiia Police advise to lock cars BY SUSAN OXFORD Seaforth police report a few incidents arising from unlocked motor vehicles, including complaints of people going through unlocked cars. December 17 a car from Clinton was recovered in Seaforth when a woman saw her son's car being driven by an unknown person and reported it to police. The car was later found abandoned in Seaforth. December 18 a car from Seaforth was found abandoned in Clinton. A theft from an unlocked motor vehicle parked in the driveway at 167 Jarvis St. was reported December 17. Stolen was a two -litre bottle of Coca-Cola classic and a purse containing identification. "People are taking cars without the owner's consent, and the keys were left inside the cars," said Seaforth Police Chief, Hal Claus. "Cars should be locked. If you see something strange at a neighbour's, call the police to check it out." Police also report two break and enters in Seaforth's Industrial Park sometime during the night of December 12 and 13. The break and enters were discovered at 7:30 a.m. when it was noticed money was missing from snack machine money boxes at Luke's Machine Shop and Boilersmith. It's estimated $10 to $15 was stolen from one machine and about $100 at the other. _Community Calendar Wed., Dec. 19 1:00-3:00 p.m. - Seniors, Parents and Tots Skating 1:30-4:00 p.m. - Senior Shuffleboard at Arena 4:30-5:30 p.m. - Novice Ringette 5:304:30 p.m. - Pee Wee hockey practice 6:30-7:30 p.m. - Centenaires prac- tice 7:30-9:00 p.m. - Minor Broomball 8:00-11:00 p.m. - Men's Challenge CurNng 9:00-11:30 p.m. - Ladies' Broombell at the Arena Thurs., Dec. 20 4:00-5:30 p.m. - Figure Skating 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Bantam hockey practice at Arena 6:30-6:00 p.m. - Minor Broomball at the Arena 7:00-9:00 p.m. - Seaforth Wood Carving Club at SONS 7:00-11:00 p.m. - Mixed Curling e:00-10:00 p.m. - Mixed Basketball et the High School 1:00 p.m. -12:00 midnight - Men's BroombeN M Arena Fn., Dec. 21 4:30-5:30 p.m. - Bunny/Novice Ringette at the Arena 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Junior Houseleegue Hockey practice 6:30 p.m. -7:30 p.m. - Senior Houeeleague Hockey practice 7:308:90 p.m. - Goderich vs. Petite I Ringette 8:0010.00 p.m. - Mixed Carling 1:30-11:30 p.m. - Alvinston vs. CeMeneires Sat., Dec. 22 7:30-8:30 a.m. - Kings vs. North Stare 8:30-9:30 a.m. - Canadians vs. Oilers 9:30-10:30 a.m. - Flames vs. Penguins 10:30-11:30 a.m. - Leafs vs. Whalers 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Mites Hockey 1:30-3:00 p.m. - Free Public Skating sponsored by Canadian Foresters 1:30-2:30 p.m. - Story Hour at Seaforth Library. 3:00-4:00 p.m. - Listowel vs. Novice Hockey 4:00-5:15 p.m. - Brussels vs Atom 11 7:00-8:30 p.m. - Beavers 8:30-10:30 p.m. - Free Teen Skating sponsored by: Seaforth Lions Club Sun., Dec. 23 11:00 a.m.-12 noon - Atom I1 Hockey practice 2:00-4:00 p.m. - Clinton vs. Bantams 4:00-5:00 p m - Atom I Hockey practice 5:00-6:00 p.m. - Petite 11 and 1 Ringette practice 6:00-7:00 p.m. - Tween Ringette practice 7:00-8:00 p m. - Junior Rinpette practice 8:00-9:30 p.m. - Mitchell vs. Midgets Hockey 9:30-11:00 p.m. - I H.L. practice Tues., Dec. 25 MERRY CHRISTMAS Wed., Dec. 26 BOXING DAY It you're organizing a non-profit event of interest to other Seaforth area residents, phone the recreation office 527-0882 or the Expositor at 527-0240, or mail the information to Community Calendar. The Huron Expositor, Box f Q Saafoxth, Ontario, NOK IWO well in acfvaneo of the scheduled date. Free listing includes data, time. name of event and location only. Space for the Community Calendar les donated by The Huron Expositor.