The Brussels Post, 1974-04-03, Page 23Farmers need profit
to compete for labour
must be taken by farm organizat-.
ions or local Committees.It is
recommended that housing for
seasonal labour be subsidized by
Governments (Municipal, Provin-
cial and Federal). However, the
location and maintenance of such
housing should be worked out by
a local farm Committee aided and
supported by one or more of the
three levels of Government. For
assistance in housing for full-time
farm workers, provision within
the capital grants program of the
made up of some 1150 profes- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
sional workers in all fields of -, and Food is ecomme d .
Steps must be taken to ensure
-an adequate supply of farm
labour and to enable farmers to
provide wages and working
conditions comparable with those
in other industries if Ontario
farmers are to meet the growing
demands for food. This was the
conclusion of the Ontario Institute
of Agrologists in a brief presented
to the Policy Field Committee for
Resources Development of the
Ontario Cabinet on March 14th.
- The Institute of Agrologists
Get the most "mileage'
for your money with
a Massey-Ferguson.
W.^ fil;;;
•49///r/.///////,
•
Tough. Dependable. Plus good fuel economy.:. only
VA to 31/2 quarts per hour depending on model!
Long-lasting dependability. Riding mowers
and lawn/garden tractors, 5 to 14 hp, built to
the same quality standards as Massey-Fergu-
son fatin tractors. Mower- cutting widths 26"
to 48".
Versatility! Take your pick of over 40 attach-
ments, implements and accessories that will
• .
handle your outdoor jobs fasier and easier.
Rotary tillers, snowthrowers and blades, utility
trailers...you name it, MF has the equipment
to do it.
Reliable service and parts. Factory-trained
servicemen.
Financing. Available from MF.
s. SPRING SUPPLEMENT to THE HURON EXPOSITOR, THE BRUSSELS POST. 1974-7a t Corn and hay silage helps dairy heifers grow healthy This planned nuclear generating station south of Goderich bothers me. It will sit right at the edge of some of the finest agricultural land in all of Canada. When we see what is happening around the Douglas Point station, we know pretty well what will happen in Htiron county . Schools for the children of the builders have to be erected, to be useless right after the plant is
built. The same with housing and
the necessary streets, sewage and
water facilities. Sure hydro will
contribute to some of the cost of
this, but a good deal will still have
to come out of our taxes.
Transmission lines will take more
of this fine farmland, for there's
no other land to go through. And
the accompanying wrangles over
compensation, with hydro people
playing neighbour against
neighbour, causing disruption -in
our social life that can't be
measured, is another factor that
will be shrugged off by those who
have only learned to think in
terms of money. Who will come to
harvest our crops when workers
at the hydro plant are paid
Toronto wages? Some farmers at
the vicinity of the plant will leave
their farms for secure wages
there and are farmers won't be
able to lease the land from them because they can't afford to pay the wages. There must be a place to put the d.... thing where it will cause less disruption. Why not put it in Sarnia. Their Mayor is always hollering for more and the lines can be led along his new 4-lane highway or maybe even underground through the oil pipeline he so desperately wants. The oil could be a cooling agent.
Or in northern parts of the
province where it can be built on
the rocks. It costs more in initial
outlay, but who can say what the
ultimate cost will be in higher
food prices for everyone. Another
thing that bugs me is their
arrogance. There will most likely
be hearings and when they are all
over, the minister will say that it
was good that everyone had.their
say, but it • was already decided
five. Years ago that the plant will
be where it is going. In the last
three years an area as large as
Huron county was buried under
concrete and now they are
starting onHuron county itself. If
I'm well informed, Huron was
designated as farming country.
Politicians seem to think this to
mean they have a free hand with
the land.
Corn and hay-crop silages are excellent basal feeds for dairy heifers. They are especially useful to those dairymen who have already moved to silage programs for their cows. Ease of mechanization, minimal problems of harvesting and preservation, and maximal yields of energy and protein per acre are selling points for silages over hay today. Recent research at the Ontario Agricultural College has shown that, when properly balanced with protein-mineral-vitamin supplement, corn silage or a
combination of corn silage and
hay-crop silage are as effective
in promoting growth and healthy
development of heifers as are
hay-based forage programs.
Although a standard forage for
calves, hay is not essential.
Calves with a, good beginning on
starter and milk or milk replacer
will thrive on corn and/or
hay-crop silage provided the
silages are of excellent quality
and are offered fresh each day.
However, if hay of good quality is
available it is probably easier to
feed this as the chief roughage for
the first few months of a calf's
John Jones is a
thirty-five-year-old farmer with a
young family. His farm is typical
in eastern Ontario — a one-
hundred - and-fifty-acre dairy
unit. Seventy-five acres of the
farm are cultivated and the
remainder is rough pasture. It is a
good farm, well kept and well
managed. It carries a moderate
mortgage for fifty percent of its
value.
The problem confronting this
farmer is his inability to expand
and thus increase his income.
Additional land is available. A
neighbor has suggested that he
would like to retire and continue
to live in his farm home. But to
buy this land would mean a cash
outlay far in excess of available
funds. Aside from the original
urchase rice of e t re
life. In any event it is important that the calf be offered forage of good quality free of mold in the case of silage, and immature forage in the form of hay or hay-crop silage. Such feeds are excellent Sources of nutrients as well as being stimulators of remen development. • Grain requirements of heifer.; depend on the rate of growth desired and on ' quality of forage. With high-energy forage such as well-matured corn silage, the cut-off age is approximately 8 to 10 months; whereas heifers
offered low-quality forage will
require grain throughout the
rearing period for optimum
growth. Animals relying heavily
or exclusively on corn silage for
roughage needs will benefit from
the feeding of 1.5 Ib. of 32%
protein supplement or its equiva-
lent per head daily. This
supplement should also include
extra calcium and phosphorus
since corn silage is a relatively
poor source of these minerals.
Supplement feeding should con-
tinue until heifers are at least 18
months of age, when corn silage
is the sole forage.
counsellor visits the farms
involved. If the need is justified
, and the property is purchased at
market price, the transaction is
completed. If, for example, Mr.
Jones applied to ARDA, he could
rent his neighbor's farm on a
five-year lease arrangement with
a renewal clause at a very modest
interest rate. Further, Mr. Jones
could buy the farm -from ARDA
anytime during the first ten years
of the contract at the original
purchase price. In addition, fifty
dollars per` acre is available for
land improvements.
Twenty-five hundred Ontario
farmers have taken advantage of
this ARDA program since its
inception. Like Mr. Jones, they
needed to enlarge their
operations. Also, like Mr.Jones
thatIireetrektrallittfiV"
Urea and other NPN (non-protein nitrogen) compounds cannot be expected to equal natural protein in feeding value until heifers are 8 to 10 months of age. Urea or other NPN added to corn silage at recommended levels (10 lb. urea per ton of fresh silage) will adequately substitute for the protein supplement mentioned above, provided silage quality is excellent and is within the 30 to 40% moisture range. Dairymen should keep an eye on the body condition of heifers fed high-quality forage and be prepared to restrict intake to' prevent over-conditioning. The balance of energy and protein‘ should also be checked, as insufficient protein in relation to energy will encourage fattening. On the other hand, liberal feeding of very high protein hay of hay-crop silage is wasteful and may even be <disappointing in terms of growth response. There-fore a mixture of corn silage and hay-crop silage is more likely 'to' provide the desired balance of energy and protein than either silage alone. Free-choice feeding of mineral- vitamin mix and salt is advisable on silage programs during the period when these 'nutrients are not being supplied in the grain mixture or supplement. In summary, feeding good-quality silage rations properly' balanced for energy, protein; -minerals and'vitamins will result in growthy•heifers, well suited to calve at two years of age.
Fed-Prow program
ARDA helps farmers expand
Quality-built by Massey-Ferguson.
rerof_tractinrs