The Rural Voice, 1985-11, Page 20If you are ready
to have your soil
tested -CALL NOW!
We offer
72 -hour service
SOIL & CROP
MANAGEMENT SERVICES
• Sod Analysis • Crop Production Programs • Pest Monitoring
Soilab offers:
• Soil Analysis for all field crops
• Soil Sampling service
• Pest Monitoring service
• Crop Information Centre
• and Computerized Programs for
Production Records, Pesticide Treatments,
Production Costing, Fertilizer Treatments.
Hybrid and Variety Selection.
519-526-7513
Auburn
Leasing Available on New Equipment
DARI-KOOL n BOU-MAT1C
THE ORIGINATORS
Not Imitators in Dairy Efficiency Concepts
21st CENTURY DAIRY EQUIPMENT
ROB McINTOSH
R.R. 4, BRUSSELS, ONTARIO NOG 1H0
887-6784
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
291-3603
ATWOOD PET FOOD
SUPPLIES LTD.
OUR CUSTOMERS REFER US TO THEIR FRIENDS
EST SINCE 1966
TOP PRICES PAID FOR FRESH AP .MALS
OVER 500 LBS EXCEPT SOWS
PROMPT REMOVAL OF ALL
DEAD OR DISABLED FARM STOCK
AUTOPSIES AVAILABLE
j
24 HOURS A DAY — 7 DAYS A WEEK
• FREE PICK-UP FOR SMALL ANIMALS
• LICENSED BY THE DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE & FOOD
RADIO DISPATCHED
TRUCKS FOR FASTER SERVICE
OUR PHONES ARE ALWAYS ANSWERED
NO CHARGE DIAL 1 800 265-8797
OR CALL ATWOOD 356-2257
RR 2 ATWOOD
18 7H1- RI . Al V(.I( F
which are displayed in city galleries
and sell for between $200 and $300.
Hodges notes that there are some
definite problems in the agricultural
industry. "You shouldn't have to do
what I'm doing to be a farmer. You
should be able to pay for the farm
and overhead and make a living. I
can't, without having my farm paid
for and owning my own machinery."
A major portion of the blame,
Hodges believes, can be placed on
farmers. The farmer, he says, should
be helping himself more. "It's up to
the farmers to look after themselves
and set their own prices to get a profit
for what they sell. There are so many
different facets of agriculture and
farmers don't concern themselves
with agricultural problems unless it
involves them directly."
"What agriculture really needs is
one voice."
A t nified body of farmers who can
present themselves well is far more
impressive than several small com-
modity groups each trying to fight its
own battles, Hodges says. He relates
the attempt of Canadian beef pro-
ducers to stop the import of Irish beef
as one such example. "The EEC told
us that if you don't have our beef,
then we won't take your imports.
They got their message across. What
does that do to our local beef pro-
ducers? How do 10,000 farmers talk
to the EEC and pack any clout? Had
they been organized with the backing
of the whole agricultural community
there may have been different
results."
Hodges is not in favour of subsidiz-
ed interest rates or subsidies for
farmers. "That all comes from the
tax base and nobody likes to pay to
assist someone who can't run a viable
industry or spends too much money
on machinery." He believes that it is
up to farmers to set their own prices
to realize an acceptable profit.
"Canadians eat the cheapest food in
the world," he says. "The Canadian
consumer is literally given food, and
it is because Canadian farmers are the
biggest dummies."
"Agriculture just isn't keeping
pace and it's up to farmers to realize
that, but not through grants and
deflated interest rates. If farmers can
survive under present conditions, just
think what they could do with better
management." Hodges is shifting his
agricultural practices, and he is
hopeful that the rest of the
agricultural community will do so
too.