The Rural Voice, 1980-05, Page 16R1D. O. P.
researches
foreign
o wnership
BY ADRIAN VOS
Foreign ownership research was the
main topic of Mrs. Louise Marritt, Huron
County coordinator of the Rural Develop-
ment Outreach Project (RDOP), and Dr.
Julius Mage of the University of Guelph,
when they spoke to some SO farmers at the
annual meeting of the East Wawanosh
Federation of Agriculture.
The RDOP began its work in Huron
when Turnberry township asked for help in
solving continuous problems with drainage
in the municipality. No one knew where the
drains were, until the university sent a
group of 16 students to map the system.
After this was done, the job of the
township council became much easier and
mistakes could be avoided instead of
corrected later.
With such results, the township didn't
hesitate to ask for help in developing its
official secondary plan.
Outreach organized kitchen meetings in
cooperation with the township federation
so the plan could be discussed in a relaxed
informal atmosphere in peoples' homes.
This too was successful, acquainting
township officials with the wishes of the
ratepayers.
This approach has been expanded, and
more townships, notably East Wawanosh,
have since taken the same route.
Other subjects of RDOP have been
assistance in the forming of drama
workshops, speakers for county schools
and workshops for volunteer workers.
All these programs are designed for
people to do things for themselves.
The project of mapping in Turnberry was
not the usual approach, but RDOP realized
that some projects are beyond the capa-
bility of organizations and individuals.
Thus, when the Huron Federation of
Agriculture requested help in identifying
the extent of foreign ownership of farm
land in the county, a number of students,
under the guidance of Professor George
Brinkman and Dr. Julius Mage, agricul-
tural geographers, talked to all township
clerks in the county. They also searched
the registry office for all available facts.
They found that. as long as foreign
investors bought individual farms, no one
paid much attention. But when they began
PG. 14 THE RURAL VOICE/MAY 1980
IT'S 4110
TIME -
Fertilize now
for a bumper crop of profits
BULK BLEND FERTILIZER ft ( Bagged)
AT COMPETITIVE
PRICES
- Bulk Delivery
- Custom Spreading
- Spreaders Available
OUR FERTILIZER BLENDER
Lets you meet your special requirements
• We have a full line of small forage seed, Hyland mixed grain,
barley, oats, wheat, soybean & white beans.
• We also have a supply of Stewarts seed corn.
Phone 523-4251
or come in and see us for
YOUR COMPLETE LINE OF
SPRING PLANTING SUPPLIES.
Howson & Howson Limited
Flour & Feed Millers, Complete Farm Supplies
Grain Elevators
WINGHAM, BLYTH. CARGILL