The Rural Voice, 1980-11, Page 45ezuce eoe edezatiaet 74ueceetale
FOLK SCHOOL STUDIES
ABSENTEE OWNERSHIP
Eirace
edezatiaet
ANNUAL
MEETING
Dec. 5,
1980
Elmwood
Community
Centre
Foreign, absentee ownership of
Ontario farmland is a threat to the family
farm, a recent Folk School sponsored by
the Rural Learning Association (RLA)
concluded.
Not only that, but farmers should seek
support of other groups in society, and
pressure the province to stop absentee
investment in large farmland holdings
and to enact other legislation to protect
the family farm.
About 40 rural people, most from
Bruce and Huron Counties, attended the
weekend discussion, at the Presbyterian
Church's Kintail Camp on Lake Huron,
south of Amberley. Some were unofficial
representatives of the province's major
farm organizations, the C h'ristian
Farmers' Federation, the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture and the
National Farmers' Union.
Although absentee foreign ownership
was seen as the biggest immediate
threat, economic pressure to specialize,
high costs and low prices, government
programs that support the idea bigger is
always better, and inability to compete
with agribusiness monopolies and giant
holders of quota were cited as other
family farm problems.
What is a family farm? That was hotly
debated. One whose owner is involved in
its day to day management, whether it's
1000 or 100 acres, some concluded.
Others insisted upper limits on size -
acreage, herd size, or amount of quota
perhaps were necessary to define the
family farm. A family farm has enough
land to use all the waste its animals
produce, another suggested. The issue
was far from settled.
Saskatchewan legislation to protect the
family farm provides for long term leases
and land banking that encourage family
and community members to stay in
farming, rather than sell to foreign and
absentee buyers. And Ontario could do
the same, folk school participants
decided.
After seeking support from the big
three farm organizations, a committee
plan s a one day seminar on the foreign
absentee ownership threat for small
business, consumers, agricultural
educators, labour and farmers to decide
how to push the Ontario government into
action on the problem. The RLA will
sponsor the event, in the new year.
4H council cancels
winter meetings
The Bruce County 4-H Council is
cancelling winter meetings, due to recent
dwindling attendance at events.
At a regular meeting recently, the
council decided the club will "go into
hibernation" for the winter. Their next
meeting will not be until late April, when
they hope members will return with fresh
ideas for the following year.
Thames Bend Lady 2128K
1979 Pork Congress Champion
Bred Yorkshire Gilt
Back Fat 10.5 m.m. 161 Days 136 index
SECOND PRODUCTION AUCTION
SALE
Including boars, open gilts, bred gilts of
Yorkshire, Hampshire, Duroc, Landrace and
hybrid breeding. Government R.O.P. tested
and health approved. At the farm of Warren
Stein, on the llth line of East Zorra township.
NOVEMBER 27TH AT 2:00 P.M.
As well there will be an OPEN HOUSE at our new boar test
barn from
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 27th
For further information contact:
THAMES BEND FARMS LTD.
R.R.6, Woodstock, Ontario N4S 7W1
919-655-2942 or 482-2704
RICHARD AND WARREN STEIN
THE RURAL VOICE/NOVEMBER 1980 PG. 39