The Rural Voice, 1979-06, Page 7limiting factor in farming in the future.
GROWING CROPS FOR ENERGY
But some of them offer a potential
solution, the growing of crops primarily as
energy sources. "Sooner or later we will be
coverting crop material into fuel," says
Terry Daynard. "It will happen in the U S
before it happens here, for example the
mixture of gas and alcohol."
Mr. Daynard says there'll be research on
producing crops for energy "just for
energy, and increasing interest in (energy
byproducts of) livestock and animal
wastes."
But he adds, "people are always going
to pay for food. As energy prices increase,
so will food prices."
Crops will be grown
just for energy
Engineering expert Ed Brubacher
agrees there's a "real potential" for
"energy crops". "The farmers will grow
the crop and it will be processed into
energy products (which will be used) mixed
with gas or in pure form in engines
designed for alcohol."
"Look at all the waste energy on the roof
of a barn," adds OFA president Peter
Hannam. "We could be using that heat to
dry corn."
Mr. Hannam, who cautions cost will
dictate the energy sources we use, says
future farmers will have to till the land less
and use more natural fertilizers. "We'll
have to make better use of sludge and
manure," he adds.
Heimut Spieser agrees and says "as a
long as we are using nitrogen based
fertilizer, costs will be high." He predicts
some switch back to cri- p rotation to supply
nitrogen and more use of legume crops as
well as better use of organic manures.
Other experts like Terry Daynard predict
"farmers will be conscious of conservation.
It tends to be a cycle. They are no more
conscious now than they were 30 years ago.
He adds "you get better yields if there is a
proper job of tillage."
BEST LAND IN THE WORLD
"The best farm land in the whole world
is in Huron and Perth", the crops specialist
says. "After travelling extensively, and
being originally from Staffa, 1 realize now
that we are lucky."
Farmers will
co-operate more
Ed Brubacher says future farmers will
practise "more irrigation` of general field
crops, because as we improve fertility,
tillage practise and drainage, water can be
a very limiting factor and we can control
this."
Because of the shift in Canadian tastes to
a larger variety of table vergetables and
away from canned to fresh varieties, Dr.
Nonnecke says the country's goal in the
1980's should be to close the gap towards
self sufficiency "and improve the quality of
the domestically grown produce."
As energy prices increase, rather than
paying the costs of transportating fresh
vegetables from for example California,
"we will produce them here. . .or we will
be changing our eating habits," says Ed
Brubacher.
He adds that "gaining consciousness of
soil losses and wind and water erosion are
changing farming practises. We'll see
more crop rotation . . . and more grass
grown close to ditches and streams."
Just how radically the crops now grown
in Bruce, Perth and Huron will change is
moot point, but a couple of experts predict
a shift away from corn in the south.
SPECIALITY CROPS
"Corn will be in competition with other
crops. speciality crops like rutabagas,
canning crops such as sweet corn and
peas' , says Professor Daynard. Farmers
will develop speciality lines "•1nique crops
with no relation to tradional crops" but no t
at the expense of corn which he says will
move onto other land.
"The big swing in corn acreage has
already occurred," he adds. "There will be
continued expansion in corn but not in
Huron and Perth. It will move ito the colder
areas, Mount Forest, Arthur."
Bruce County's ag rep Mac Bolton also
sees a change in cropping in the north. "As
fuel shortages become critical we may have
to give up drying our corn and go back to
more forage crops." He adds that because
Bruce County still focusses mainly on
livestock, there won't be as much change
as in the south where there is more cash
cropping.
Even former federal agriculture minister
Eugene Whelan, interviewed by Rural
Voice when he was in Huron campaigning
during the election had a prediciton on
changing crops. "Our research indicates
that by the year 2000,cereal grains will
increase by 200 per cent", Mr. Whelan
says.
Fields wil be irrigated
But regardless of the crops they are
producing, the OFA's Peter Hannam says
a trend he sees now, that of more
co-operative work among farmers, will
increase.
"Before farmers used to thresh
together.
He suggests two, three or four farmers
could operate a profit sharing business
together. "They would still operate their
family farms and yet pool some
resources," the OFA head says.
With co-operation, Mr Hannam says
"family farms will last forever. Corporate
farms will never be as successful."
Perhaps the last word on farming in the
future should go to Terry Daynard, who
says: "I'm optimistic about farming.
People can do without a lot of things, but
not without food."
THE RURAL VOICE/JUNE 1979 PG. 5