The Rural Voice, 2001-09, Page 761
HURON
Box 429, Clinton, Ontario NOM 1L0
519-482-9642 or 1-800-511-1135 Website www ofa on ca huron Email: huron@ofa.on.ca
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
• The Rural Voice is provided to all farmers
in Huron County by the HCFA.
Prime Minister's Task Force on Future Opportunities in Farming
The Prime Minister's Task Force direction of policy and development. • the importance of healthy agricultural
on Future Opportunities in Farming • future trends and opportunities. and rural communities eg. health.
will be meeting with groups and actions for access to capital. business education. water, telecommunication,
individuals with an interest in the planning and market development. transportation and other infrastructure
agriculture and agri-food industry. • programs and initiatives outside for sustained profitability or the
Written submissions may be sent by fax Canada that could assist the Canadian agriculture and agri-food industry.
to 613-996-2551 or mailed to House of agriculture and agri-food industry in • merits of regular policy reviews (such
Commons. Ottawa. Box 1016. ON maximizing its long-term potential. as Live years and involving all levels of
KIA 0A6. Deadline is October 1. • specific challenges the agriculture government affected departments and
Points you may want to address or industry is, facing particular to interested parties) rather than an ad hoc
submit: commodity or region areas and the role policy review. and the agriculture and
• importance of food safety and secur- interested parties should play in agri-food industry's strengths and "best
ity, including biotechnology. in future meeting these challenges. practices".0
Huron farmers eager for Healthy Futures
Huron County farmers and rural
landowners have enthusiastically
adopted the Healthy Futures for Huron
Agriculture program announced July
20.
In the first month of the program,
landowners applied for funding to do
more than 80 projects.
Huron County, in co-operation with
Huron agencies and organizations,
applied for the funding from the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food
,nd Rural Affairs Ontario Healthy
Futures Program to improve water
quality.
The county has contracted Maitland
Valley Conservation Authority
(MVCA) and Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Authority (ABCA) to
deliver Healthy Futures.
The program provides grants in 14
categories: septic systems; well head
protection; plugging abandoned wells;
nutrient management plans; cropland
plans; milkhouse wash water; manure
spreading equipment modifications;
manure monitoring systems; clean
water diversion; livestock restriction to
watercourses; ponds for irrigation and
alternate cattle watering; fertilizer,
chemical and fuel handling and storage;
erosion control structures; and fragile
land retirement.
In each case, the applicant must
prove the existing situation is impairing
water quality and the proposed solution
will improve water quality.
The program does not include
manure storages.
Grants are paid for 50 per cent of
expenses eligible under the program.
There are grant ceilings in each
category but landowners can apply for
funding to do more than one project.
72 THE RURAL VOICE
To apply for funding. farmers and
rural landowners should call 'Doug
Hocking and Mary Ellen Foran at the
MVCA (335-3557) or Kate Monk and
Kathy Hodgins at the ABCA (235-
2610) depending on which jurisdiction
the project is in. •
Conservation authority staff will
visit the site to help the landowner•
complete the application forms.
Conservation authority staff present
the project proposals to the Healthy
Futures Review Committee each
month. Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh
Reeve Ben Van Diepenbeek chairs the
committee. The Huron Stewardship
Council and Lake Huron Centre for
Coastal Conservation each have one
representative on the review committee
and the Huron Farm Environmental
Coalition has three representatives.
The committee's first meeting to
review applications was August 30.
The county's agriculture committee and
county council must also approve the
applications.
Huron County is one of Canada's
leading agriculture producers. Imple-
menting best management practices
will help ensure the future viability of
agriculture and tourism, the county's
other main economic generator.
The program runs until March
2003.0
HCFA OFFICE HOURS
Mondays and Fridays
9 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Please leave a message.
(519) 482-9642 / 1-800-511-1135
FAX (519) 482-1416
Jack Wilkinson
visits Huron
OFA President Jack Wilkinson
spent Wednesday, August 15 in
Huron County touring the area.
The moming kicked off with John
Beardsley of CKNX doing a radio
interview with Jack. Following the
interview a "kitchen" meeting was
held at the dairy farm of Ernest
and Yolanda Gubelmanns and
their son Stephen in McKillop
Township with about 30 area
farmers in attendance.
An afternoon "kitchen" meeting
was held at the cash crop farm of
Marilyn Broadfoot in Stanley Township which drew about 20 local farm neighbours. Both
meetings with Jack involved good discussions on several topics.
The day concluded with a family barbecue for the Huron Federation Board of Director
members and their families at the Seaforth .Lions Park in Seaforth. A delicious pot luck
meal was enjoyed with our Member Service Rep. Paul Nairn supplying and cooking the
meat 0 `
Taking a break during OFA President Jack
Wilkinson's visit to Huron are (left to right), Julie
Wilkinson, Jack, Gordon Hill and Charles Regele.
HCFA president.