The Rural Voice, 1980-05, Page 34Time to save fuel costs
BY G.A. FISHER
Economics Branch
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Increasing costs for petroleum products
will contribute to higher farm production
costs in the coming year. Farmers are
important users of petroleum products and
other energy forms in their everyday
farming operations. Among the major
petroleum products used are gasoline and
diesel fuels for power tractors, combines
and trucks. In today's agriculture, with
constantly changing energy costs. growers
who make carefully planned decisions will
be able to cut costs. For example, fewer
trips over the field will save not only fuel,
but labor and wear and tear on machinery.
AVERAGE FUEL REQUIREMENTS FOR
DIFFERENT FARM OPERATIONS
Operation Litres of fuel used per hectare
Gasoline Diesel
Chopping corn stalks 9.0 6.7
Discing 6.7 5.6
Field Cultivating 9.2 6.5
Moldboard plowing—
medium soil
Harrowing
Planting
24.8
5.6
4.5
17.7
3.4
3.4
Spraying 1.1 1.1
Row cultivating 3.4 2.2
Combining
—small grains.
13.7 9.8
— soybeans 15.7 11.2
— 30 in. corn rows 19.3 13.7
Considerable fuel can be saved in farm
operations by doing only the operations
that are necessary. If a good spray program
controls weeds in corn or soybeans, two- or
three -row cultivations are eliminated, with
a saving of nearly 11 litres (L) of gasoline
per acre, and 5.6 L of diesel fuel. Similarly,
using conventional growing methods (not
including drying fuel) to giuw corn may
require up to 88.7 L of gasoline or 64.0 L of
diesel fuel per hectare. By using the plow,
and minimum tillage planting, one_ hectare
of corn can be grown using 69.6 L of
gasoline or 50.5 L of diesel fuel.
Farmers open
their doors to tourists
Life on the farm can become a grind,
especially if you can't get away for a
change of pace. One way farmers can break
the routine is to offer farm vacations.
Twenty-one Ontario farmers and their
families are inviting vacationers to their
farms for an alternative holiday this year.
These farms offer a wide range of activities
and vacation packages ranging from two to
three days to all summer long.
"Although vacation farms were set up
to give urban people an opportunity to
experience life on the farm, there are side
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PG. 32 THE RURAL VOICE/MAY 1900
benefits for the farm family," says Sharon
van Son, of the agricultural manpower
services branch, Ontario Ministry of Agri-
culture and Food.
"Some farmers enjoy offering farm
vacations because the demands of the farm
make it difficult to travel, especially during
the busy growing season," she says. "By
opening their doors to vacationers, they
meet people from across Ontario, Canada
and other countries. Many farmers also
enjoy teaching urban people about the
realities of farm life."
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