The Rural Voice, 1980-02, Page 13ty
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square inches per bird with three per cage.
This is basically what a lot of producers
now have since they built barns with 12 x
18 cages for three birds but the quotas cut
them back to three birds per cage."
"Therefore, despite all the advertising
of "new reverse' cages systems," says
Norm," I expect that a lot of new systems
will be the same 12 x 18 with three birds."
The distant future may have broilers in
cages but this has been slowed down by
cost of mechanization.
"One company made a stab at marketing
cages in Canadabut with little
success," he says.
Norm who attended a workshop on
research in egg production and marketing
in October 1979 which dealt with research
priorities to improve productivity and
economic viability, says high priority was
given to a field study of the performance of
the various buildings and equipment
systems on the farm.
"We do not want to fall behind in the
application of new construction methods
and new material," he says.
"New construction methods may come
from many sources - contractors,
producers, research stations and
companies. They can and do get passed
along to agricultural engineering research
people where they can be incorporated into
building plans for everyone's use."
Guest column -Ralph Barrie
Farmers working for farmers
Ralph Barrie was chosen to succeed Peter Hannan at
the recent OFA convention held In Toronto. He has
been active in the federation for many years.
"This land is your land, this land is my land."
This phrase from a folksong gives us a comfortable feeling as
we scurry from day to day in the never-ending push to "get the
work caught up". If we were to query a farmer as to his most
prized possession -- aside from his family and loved ones --
inevitably it would be the base of our farming industry, the land.
But however reassuring the land may be, there are still
constant worries and pressures for farmers. Several forces are
bearing down on us that have serious implications for our ability
to farm this land profitably.
One of the most pressing problems involves incredibly high
interest rates. This situation hinders farmers' ability to purchase
land, whether to get started in farming, or to enlarge. It puts a
negative force on our cash flow. And it discourages farmers who
are considering the very profitability of their farming businesses.
Another problem is also money -oriented. There is a real chill
around the farming community in Ontario due to uncertainty in
the farm property tax situation. It was intensified by the
introduction of new equalization factors last year. Ten years
without a clear-cut tax policy is long enough.
County Federations of Agriculture should assist OFA in
pressuring the Ontario Government to bring in legislation based
on OFA long-term policy. This is: services to people should be
paid for by taxes on people. Education taxes are the major
concern. As part of this, farmers should be prepared to pay their
fair share of taxes on their residences, similar to taxes on rural
non-farm homes and homes in rural towns and villages.
A third concern is harassment of farmers by urban people
living in farm area. The OFA has proposed a Provincial Code of
Rights for farmers. It would prevent city -minded restrictions on
noise, hours of operation, smell, and all the other aspects of a
normal farming operation. A committee of farmers would decide
what constitutes normal farming practices.
As we search for solutions to these and other pressing
problems, we should focus on the OFA, the Organization of
Opportunity. Have you ever thought about what OFA is doing for
you? You're not alone in the struggle to keep farming profitable
and enjoyable. Twenty-three thousand farmers in the OFA are
trying to do exactly the same thing.
The OFA slogan is "Farmers Working for Farmers". Can you
see the two sides to its meaning? One side is the organization
working to the benefit of farmers. The other side, just as
important, is farmers working for the organization. One side
can't survive without the other. But with both, OFA will have the
strength to get a better deal for farmers.
THE RURAL VOICE/FEBRUARY 1900 PO. 11