The Lucknow Sentinel, 1987-03-18, Page 26Page 10
Information haven for farmers in Wingham
By Alan Rivett
It started out to be a private business to
keep farmers updated on the commodity
markets, but over the past four years, the
Farm Information Centre in Wingham has
diversified to a point where farmers can
receive just about any type of farm -related
information.
According to Bill Purdon, one of the
founders of the Farm Information Centre,
the centre began in 1984 as a private enter-
prise with partner Jim Ross. But in June of
1986, the business from downtown
Wingham to just north of Wingham and
changed to a non-profit organization with
28 corporate sponsors and a board of direc-
tors to represent the Centre's membership
of approximately 65.
While the centre prides itself on being an
information haven for farmers with
everything from accounting to computer
courses offered at the centre, the mainstay
of the centre is its mandate to its members
to provide commodity market information
and analysis for its member farmers.
With a computer link to a home satellite,
all the commodity markets come flooding
into the centre, with market reports and
charts filed to its members in a weekly
newsletter. The centre monitors the com-
modity markets from the Chicago Stock
Exchange as, according to Mr. Purdon, it
"dictates the prices" for commodities in
Canada.
With almost three-quarters of the crops
in Canada sold into the bottom one-third of
the marketplace, Mr. Purdon says Cana-
dian farmers are the best in the world at
the practise of farming, but the poorest at
marketing their products.
"Up until now, the farmers really
haven't had to know anything about the
futures markets. Now, it's almost impossi-
ble to market to know how to market a pro-
duct without understanding the markets.
Farmers have been so skeptical of the
futures markets that they don't realize the
importance of it," said Mr. Purdon.
"The markets are so bad now that
farmers simply have to find some tool to
hedge against the futures market. If they
don't they won't be in business."
The rationale, says Mr. Purdon, for
farmers' tending to sell into the "valleys"
of the marketplace comes from selling
their product when the market is bottom-
ing out as they think the market will go
lower. However, farmers tend to avoid
selling when the market is at a high point,.
hoping that it will go higher.
Every year there's a profit made in the
commodity markets - it's up to the in-
dividual farmer to find that commodity
and sell into it, says Mr. Purdon.
With knowledge of the futures market
being so crucial to making or breaking a
profitable year, Mr. Purdon says farmers
are now taking it upon themselves to
become familiar with the markets. He ex-
plained that the markets run in definite
patterns and by reading and doing charts
it's possible to predict what will happen in
the future by comparing what has happen-
ed in past market trends. '
The Centre also runs a Marketing Club
which meets on a regular basis to discuss
the markets and prices through the use `of
charts which are continually updated by
Mr. John Henderson who is employed by.
the club.
However, plans are in the midst for
establishing the Farm Information Centre
as a satellite campus of' Guelph, Waterloo,
Wilfred Laurier, Windsor and and the
University of Western Ontario.
The discussions with the universities
took place after Centralia College, which
had used the Centre to conduct a number
of courses, were forced to abandon this
program after spending cuts were
established.
According to Mrs. Brenda Mason,' an ad -
John Henderson, an employee of the Farm Information Centre's Marketing Club points to
some of the commodity graphing he does on a daily basis for the club. (Alan Rivett photo)
visor to the boardof directors at the Cen-
tre, the need for a "distance education"
program in the area was evident as there
are more people in the 30 to 40 age range
looking to upgrade their skills, but unable
to travel long distances for the courses.
"We shouldn't be penalized in this area
because of the distance to the univer-
sities," she said.
The emphasis, she said, would be placed
on quality education with the courses of-
fered being degree credit courses towards
a University degree. Many of the courses
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in consideration would relate directly to
agriculture including dairy herdsmanship,
crop and soil and advanced management,
said Mr. Mason.
Although negotiations are still underway
with the universities, the funding for
distance education at the Farm informa-
tion Centre is expected to. be in place by
September. "if things go the way we want
them to", she said, adding the funding cut-
backs at the universities are always a
possiblity. .
Junior Farmers
provides
challenge
For about the cost of a record album,
young people in Ontario can buy member-
ship in an organization that will give them
a whole, year of social activities and per-
sonal challenge.
The Junior Farmers', Association of. On-
tario offers its members, who range in age
from 15 .to 29, a wide variety of interesting_
activities, including travel, sports,
cultural activities, and•leadership training.
.programs.
. Junior Farmers is an entirely self -
governed organization, affording each and
every one of its members the opportunity
to take on leadership roles, in the local
clubs as well as in the Provincial Associa-
tion. Toward this end, a variety of pro-
` grams are organized as educational oppor-
tunities, ranging from a week-long leader-
ship training camp; to executive training
workshops, to communication workshops.
Many elected, officials and leaders in the
agricultural community credit their early
leadership training in Junior Farmers for
their later accomplishments.
Of course, a vital organization of young
people calls for a large portion of social ac-
tivity. Besides community betterment pro-
jects, which benefit their community as a
whole, local clubs organize many events
each year for members, including sports
competitions and dances.
The Provincial Association also carries
out a number of activities for members
over the course of the year. There are
Winter and Summer Games, where the
sports enthusiast can show his/her
talents; Culturama (a one -act play festival
and debating, public speaking and slide ,
Turn to page 13 •
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