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40 THE RURAL VOICE
FARM NEWS
Plan to restore profit to farming
Gertie and Ivan Blake, like many farm families, have spent many hours
talking about the problems in agriculture. They, however, have spent just as
many hours talking about solutions. Ivan has a flair for finding creative
answers to problems, and Gertie has a talent for writing. Together they sat
down and wrote what they call "a plan to restore profit to farming." Gertie
admits that she initially wondered if people would laugh at their ideas, but
she has found that the people who they have approached to date are
receptive to their ideas.
"A Plan to Restore Profit to
Agriculture" isn't the result of a
government -funded survey. Nor was
it written in lofty scholarly surroun-
dings. It was written by a husband
and wife farming team, Ivan and
Gertie Blake.
Farmers have come to believe that
there is no money to be made in
agriculture and that there never will
be, Gertie says. "It's criminal to let
that kind of welfare attitude creep
in."
The lack of profit in farming in re-
cent years has divided farmers, accor-
ding to the Blakes. Some farm
organizations are fighting for
"women's issues," especially daycare
subsidization, Gertie says. Others are
putting forth major efforts to adjust
the Line Fences Act. Gertie contends
that if all farm organizations worked
together to get profit back into
agriculture, it would help to solve
related problems. Farmers could af-
ford to pay for daycare services for
their children, or could hire extra
employees so that the family had time
together. And if agriculture were pro-
fitable, farmers could afford to pay
their share for fence construction, she
says.
The Blakes talked long hours
together about agricultural problems
and decided to put their ideas on
paper. They hope that having a pro-
posal for discussion could improve
the situation for all farmers by
uniting groups at the grassroots level
and giving them a common goal to
work toward.
Gertie admits that she initially
wondered if they would be laughed at
or criticized. But the pair believed
strongly enough in the future of
agriculture to take the risk, do their
homework, and then face the public
to defend their ideas for the improve-
ment of agriculture.
Gertie points out that Ivan had an
off -farm job for 12 years to save
money to buy their 85 -acre farrow to
finish farm. Ivan's father had farmed
as well, but the opportunity to move
into that operation was lost when the
farm had to be sold. The Blakes
worked and saved until they could
buy their own farm elsewhere. Ivan
still works off the farm. Ivan's job
leaves Gertie with the day to day far-
ming.
"It's a shame that you have to
work off the farm to pay for the
privilege of farming," Gertie says.
"We want a decent living for our kids
with enough money for piano lessons
and to drive a nice car. We don't
want to be rich. We don't want to be
poor either."
After attending a Normanby
Township Federation meeting, Ivan