The Rural Voice, 1979-12, Page 13Canada Manpower Training Allowance.
There is no fee for the course if you are an
eligible applicant. Trainees must pay for
meals and accomodation during the in -
class part of the training program. The
college and the farmer -trainer will assist
with locating accomodations. These rules
apply to the swine worker training pro-
gram.
Applicants who do not qualify for a
training allowance may be accepted into
the dairy worker training program. Fees
for these applicants are approximately
$575 plus accommodation and meals
during the in -class part of the program.
The Rural Voice did a story on the Swine
Farm Worker program in March of 1979,
but some things about the course have
changed since that time.
The course which begins on January 7,
1980 will operate for 12 weeks, four of
which will be practical classes at the
College and the other eight weeks will be
on-farm training conducted by selected
farmer -trainers.
In this program, study will include all
aspects of swine farm work including
breeding, feeding and care of the animals,
operation and maintenance of swine farm
equipment and other related subjects. The
on-farm training will provide practical
experience to develop and practice specific
skills.
Other rules about fees and expenses for
this program are the following. Students
must provide suitable clothing and
footwear for outdoor work. Applicants who
do not qualify for a training allowance may
be accepted into the program. Fees for
these applicants are approximately $700
plus accommodation and meals during the
in -class part of the program.
Application forms for both programs are
available at Canada Farm Labour Pools and
Canada Employment Centres.
Do you really have all the answers?
BY BEV BROWN
If someone offered you a magic key which would open the door
to increased profits, greater success and less work, would you
throw it away? Probably not, you say. Yet every year farmers
receive such a "key" in their mailboxes and very few of them
take advantage of it. Maybe because it doesn't look like a key,
farmers don't recognize its potential for improving their farm
operations.
What does this magi c key look like, you ask? Usually it is a
pale blue or green piece of paper folded in thirds and it does not
even have your name on it. It's put into every farmer's mailbox,
in late November by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and
Food and it lists all of the courses which OMAF will be
sponsoring during the coming year. Most of these are one -day
courses and usually you will find at least one course for each type
of farm commodity.
Doesn't sound much like a magic key, does it: But people who
have attended these courses each year claim that they always
pick up enough valuable information and tips to more than
compensate for the day spent away from their farm operations.
OMAF brings in top-flight lecturers and experts in your
commodity and these people are available to you for the whole
day. Of equal value (so some participants claim) is the
opportunity to compare notes with other farmers who may be
experiencing difficulties similar to your own (it's sometimes nice
to know that you are not the only one havin g problems.)
Courses can range over a wide variety of subjects. How to
prevent disease in your herd, thus saving on drug and vet bills
and lost animals. How to use pesticides and herbicides on a least
cost basis. Better management of feedlots. How to run a
successful sheep operation. How to use the futures market. The
list is endless and OMAF is always open for suggestions for
additional courses.
So why don't we see hundreds of farmers turning out for these
courses? Could it be that farmers are sufficiently content with
their operations that they can relax? Do farmers have enough
money in the bank to give them the confidence that everything is
O.K.? These may be some of the reasons why farmers do not take
courses to update their knowledge, but I have another theory.
Most farmers I talk with do not have particularly happy
memories of their years in school and they are not about to place
themselves in another learning situation where they fear thcy
could be embarassed by a lack of knowledge. If this description
fits you, then let me reassure you about a few things.
For of all, the courses are run very informally. Registration is
usually around 9:30 a.m. (for some of the more popular courses
you must enroll with OMAF prior to attending) and coffee is
available as soon as you walk in the door. Programs or agendas
of the day's activities are usually handed out and when the
session is called to order, the resource people or lecturers are
introduced to the group.
Often the group is asked to suggest any additional topics they
would like to see on the agenda. As the day rolls on there are lots
of opportunities to ask questions. (Remember what Confucius
said: "If you ask a question you may appear ignorant for a few
minutes; but if you don't ask the question, you remain ignorant
forever.") At no time are you, the participant, asked to answer a
question. It is entirely up to you if you want to enter the group
discussions and share your knowledge. Under these conditions
you may discover that learning can be fun.
The day usually ends around 4 p.m. to give you time to get
home for evening chores. Any charges for the course or for lunch
can be shown as a business expense on your income tax records.
Many times a farmer will say he is too busy to take a day away
from his farm operations to attend a course. What he is really
saying is that he is not a good enough manager to be able to
arrange his workload to allow a day away. This kind of farmer
would really benefit from these courses. Maybe he is so closely
involved with his own operation that he cannot "see the trees for
the forest." A day away might give him some perspective and
increase his management skills, so that his whole operation
would benefit•
Could it be that after years of farming, a farmer feels that he
should have all the answers:? Well, if you think you already
hav e the latest information to solve most of your problems, you
should attend one of these courses and check out your solutions.
You might be in for a big surprise.
Another group of people who are conspicuous by their absence
from these courses are farm wives. If your man is really too busy
to come to the course, why don't you come in his place? After all,
you are an integral part of the farm business and therefore you
should be upgrading your information in the same way as your
husband. You would find yourself in good company (there are
usually a few women at each course) and you would be warmly
welcomed.
So watch your mailbox for that "magic key." Alert your family
that you want to see all mail from the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food, so that this innocent looking, but
important, piece of paper is not treated like junk mail. And make
an early New Year's Resolution that you (and your wife) are
going to attend at least one OMAF course this year. Who knows
what might await you when you use your "magic key"?
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THE RURAL VOICEIDECEMBER1979 PG. 11