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The Rural Voice, 1979-12, Page 22In teres t ra tes jeopardize production BY ALICE GIBB Frank Wall, a member of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) executive, told members of the Huron County Federation of Agri- culture that he thinks the current high interest rates will "seriously jeopardize our way of production, what we produce and how effic- iently we produce it." Mr. Wall told the meeting the interest rates are going to create problems for farmers due to the "high cost of short term money." Mr. Wall said the reason given for higher interest rates was as a curb for inflation, but he said if farmers can't get short term money, and food supplies become scarce, then prices will increase anyway. Mr. Wall said nothing is needed -more than getting the farmer's story across to the public. In other business, the fed- eration received replies from six of the county's 16 town- ship councils about the 1980 revised tax equalization fac- tors. The federation wrote to the councils to see if the farm organization and the councils could co-ordinate action on a campaign on the factors which are expected to in- crease taxes in rural areas. The councils from Howick, Goderich, Usborne, McKil- lop and Stephen indicated they would be interested in a joint meeting with federation members on the issue. Hay Township council re- sponded that they weren't opposed to the new equaliz- ation factors. Hay is the only Huron County township which won't face any real change in equalization fac- tors. The federation members voted to send a letter to the 16 township councils indicat- ing the need for a joint meeting to discuss the issue at some future date. The federation also receiv- ed a response from Minister of Agriculture Lorne Hen- derson to a letter sent to the minister criticizing his stand on farm severances for retir- ing farmers. The minister told the federation the severance issue is "an issue I feel strongly about." He said, "A farmer should be allowed a lot on which to retire or a lot to help get his children started on the farm. I am not against a farmer building the extra house on his faun if he wants to but I think he should have the option of an extra lot." Jim McIntosh said he didn't feel the minister had backed up his arguments for severance in the letter. Frank Wall told the meet- ing statistics indicate three or four years is all the time those severances remain in the farmer's hands. Bob Robinson requested that the federation reply to Mr. Henderson's letter ask- ing the minister to state what protection there is for the farmer who owns the farm the lot is severed from when someone else buys the lot. Members also discussed a letter from the Oxford Coun- ty Federation on the disaster relief program in the Wood- stock area. To date, the Huron County Federation has raised ap- proximately $16,000 to con- tribute to the disaster relief fund, in addition to sending feed and manpower to assist farmers whose farms were damaged in the August tor- nado. The Oxford Federation ex- pressed concern that the costs of trucking feed to the damaged farms won't be covered by the disaster relief fund. The Huron County feder- ation members voted to give support to the Oxford County federation's request that transportation costs be matched or else covered with funds from the disaster relief fund. Huron Plowmen present awards At the dinner dance meeting of the Huron Plow- men's Association Friday night at the Pineridge Chalet trophies and award were handed out to the winners of the Huron plowing match held this fall. The winners from the event held at the farm of Warden John Tinney, R.R.1, Exeter: Queen of the furrow, Janet Shapton of Exeter; senior champion plowman, Ken Innes of Brussels; best plowed land in any class with a Kongskilde plow, Jim Pentland of Goderich; round the field class with a Kongskilde plow, James Papple, Seaforth; reserve champion plowman, John Becker, Dashwood. The oldest horse plowman, Edger Howatt of Belgrave, Cif hrsef classand w, Tom Leeminghoo Seaforth. The junior Champion nner plowmanote was Brian McGavin of Walton and the reserve junior champion was Bevan Shapton of Exeter. President Allan Campbell of R.R.1, Seaforth, presided. speakers included Jim Armstrong of Wingham, president of Ontario Plow - 'men's Association, Huron County Warden, John Tinney; Donald Pullen, Clinton, Agricultural repre- sentative for Huron; Ontario Queen of the Furrow, Peggy Kniesz of R.R.1, Brunner and Huron Queen of the Furrow, Janet Shapton. PG. 20 THE RURAL VOICE/DECEMBER 1979 Neil McGavin presents his son Brian with the McGavin trophy for his plowing skills at the Huron plowing match held at Warden John Tinney's farm at R.R.1, Exeter this fall.