The Lucknow Sentinel, 1993-03-17, Page 30Page 14 -Farm Progress '93
• ,.
FROGR 1I 9
P
Strategies for Participation aim is to assist
women in revitalizing their communities
by Michele Greene
Rural women are revitalizing
their communities by adapting to
change. For many, the first -step
is the conference called
Strategies for Participation.
The conference is planned for
April 22 to 24 at the Holiday Inn
in Guelph, and is open to
women across Ontario. It is the
first project for the Women and
Rural Economic Development
Committee, chaired by Carol •
Rack, of RR 2 Monkton. The
committee was formed six
m6nths ago after the Ontario
government announced com-
munity economic development
initiatives to ensure theymeet
the needs of rural areas.
The conference is one step
towards promoting the develop-
ment of sustainable rural com-
munities m Ontario. It will give
women the ideas, information,
and skills to be a part of the
economic development in their
communities. Workshops will
show women how to identify
needs m their communities, be in
control of changes in their lives,
deal with banks, develop a
business, and avoid burnout.
Women will be urged to con-
sider self-employment to sup-
plementing farm income.
"We want to ensure women
are involved in the decision-
making," said. Rock, adding there
are few women on municipal
councils and, as a result, few
women involved in decision-
making. 11
Community development, such
as promoting new businesses and
meeting community needs such
as new recreational facilities, is
important to rural towns which
are dependent on food proces-
sing.
"Perth County is really vulner-
able. It heavily depends on food
processing. If we loose the milk
marketing board, towns like
Mitchell are at risk. The com-
pany will be able to buy milk
cheaper in Michigan," she said.
Ault Foods, in Mitchell, is just
one food processing plant in.
Perth County. There are also
Campbell's Soup in both Lis-
towel and St. Marys. People in
these towns need the leadership
skills to keep their communities
viable.
So far, Rock said the con-
ference has been supported well
by both participants and the
eight donors. The Ontario
Women's Directorate recently
donated $20,000. Because it was
so well funded, the fee. is just
$100 per participant.
"No one turned us down," said
Rock.
Several guest speakers will be
. featured at the conference
including Rita Burak, deputy
minister of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food; author
Joan Kuyek; Gianne Broughton,
community development consul-
tant, of Stratford; Carol Miller,
of Miller's Country Store, St.
Agatha; Linda Knechtel,
Shakespeare View Farms; the
Honorable Frances Lankin,
Minister of Economic Develop-
ment and Trade; and Mary
McIntosh, 'Moyhall Farms, St.
Marys.
Murray Cardiff, M.P.
9-luron-Bruce
Parliamentary Secretary
to the
Minister of Agriculture
. Ottawa Officer
546 Confederation Bldg.
House of Commons
wa, On taria.
?CIA 0� 6
(613) 995-4465
(613) 996-5173 (fax)
Constituency Office:
541 Turnbemj Street
T.O. Box 9
run-s-e£57On-tario
NOG 17-1.0
(51.9) 887-6852
(519) 887-9540 (fax)
Zenith 31020.
Scat OZad.
eaaotaet,41.7 ea. Zed
Box 85
Ripley, Ontario
NOG 2R0
Res. (519) 395-5702
:Bruce Scott Shop (519) 395-2950
Tile Drainage
Bulldozing '
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51 r,
Farmers
must be
prepared
for changes.
*from page 10
because "we won't be growing
wheat we can't sell." -
Farmers planning to stay in pri-
mary production over the next
decade and beyond have to be
prepared -for change, said
Beaversdorf.
"If you want to be in agriculture,
you're going to have to have a clear
mind and a sharp pencil," he said.
Technological . advances in plant
genetics are a big pact of that shift-
ing scene.
The ability of science to take
individual plant cells and turn them
back into new varieties of plants
means heartier strains of various
crops are constantly being turned
out. Just weeks ago, Switzerland
asked the Environmental Protection
Agency to approve a corn plant that
is immune .to European Cum Bore,
said Beaversdorf.
Taking things a step further,
Beaversdorf said scientists now
have the ability to "isolate, cut up
and glue back together DNA,"
which is the baasis of all life forms.
DNA from one organism can now
be transferred to another organism.
The result will be totally new
reasons for growing crops, or crops
will be grown for different reasons.
Beaversdorf said' the University of
Michigan is working on technology ,
which will allow industry to make
plastics from plants.
In the future,he said, castor oil
will be . obtained from canola,
instead of .castor beans.
•
Milking your field
Howabout growing milk in your
fields? Beaversdorf said experi-
ments are being conducted involv-
ing transfer of human breast milk
genes into canola.
While 'the implications seem
far-reaching, Beaversdorf said
today's farmers needn't fear agri-
culture in the future will ,be com-
pletely dominated by industrial operations.
"Land will continue to be per-
sonally owned in the temperate
zones. Industry • has already
absorbed all the elements of' agri-
. culture it can absorb using standard
business practices. One thing they
are still shy about is dealing with
Mother Nature. No corporation is
gong to take over corn production
in Ontario and risk their capital, to a
fall like we had in 1992,"
However, Beaversdorf does pre-
dict farms will be 50 per cent
larger, on average, by 2003.
Wlsiletarmers`will need to adapt
to a new business environment
brought on by technological
advances, Beaversdorf warns
against rushing headlong into
expansion plans in an effort to stay
in agriculture.
"Don't over -extend yourself. One
thing that is sure in finance in
Canada, is that it's a roller coaster."