The Rural Voice, 2000-04, Page 76HURON
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.
OMAFRA announces proposed drainage changes
On Monday, February 21, 2000,
the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs released the
details of its Drainage Program
Review. The Review will examine
the three drainage -related statutes
administered by the Ministry:
The Drainage Act
the Tile Drainage Act and
the Agricultural Tile Drainage
Installation Act
The Drpinage Act provides grants
to municipalities for maintenance and
repair according to the original
engineer's report, drain
improvements under a new
engineer's report and for employing a
Drainage Superintendent and also for
agriculturally assessed land for new
municipal drain construction. Those
grants are:
i) a 1/3 grant in Southern Ontario,
ii) a 2/3 grant in Northern Ontario,
iii) up to 80 per cent grant in
unorganized municipalities.
The Tile Drainage Act provides
fixed-rate (eight per cent) and fixed -
term (10 years) loans to farmers
through their municipality for on-
farm tile drainage work. Loans are
for up to 75 per cent of the cost of the
work, to a maximum of $20,000 per
year. The program operates on a $12
million budget.
The Agricultural Tile Drainage
Installation Act provides for the
Important deadlines approaching
Farm Business Registration
All Farm Businesses should have
received their 2000 Farm Business
Registration forms by now. If you
have not yet received your 2000 form
please call OMAFRA at 1-800-469-
2285. Have your Farm Business
Registration number handy when you
call to speed up the process.
Property Assessment and
Classification
The March 31 deadline for
submitting 2000 property tax appeals
to the Assessment Review Board is
fast approaching. Farm property
owners can appeal through the
Assessment Review Board if their
farmland is being taxed at the full
municipal rate in 2000, rather than
the 25 per cent of the municipal
residential rate, as land in the
5th FARM HIKER TOUR
Sunday, October 1
Lucknow and area
Watch for more details.
MORE TRACTOR KITS COMING
Directors and member helpers will be
touring the townships of McKillop, Goderich,
Hullett, Colborne and Grey later this winter
and early spring to distribute our
complimentary 'tractor" reflective safety tape
kits to all OFA members.
72 THE RURAL VOICE
Farmlands Property Class should be.
For appeals to the Assessment
Review board contact them at 1-800-
263-3237. Landowners who have
property classified as residential
when it should be farmland should
also submit a request for
reconsideration to the Administrator
of the Farmlands Property Class at
OMAFRA. For information on this
procedure call OMAFRA at 1-800-
469-2285. The deadline for both
these appeal processes is March 31,
2000.0
HURON FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE ANNUAL MEETING
Thursday, October 12
Watch this page for additional information
licensing of tile drainage contractprs,
their employees and equipment.
Copies of the Drainage Program
Review materials are available by
calling OMAFRA at 519-826-3794 or
from their, website:
www.gov.on.ca/omafra/english. We
encourage farmers to become
informed of these "proposed"
changes.0
SLICE OF HURON
PROGRAM NOT JUST
FOR KIDS!
This year's Slice of Huron project which
brings elementary school children together
to team about agriculture in Huron County is
also available to be viewed by the public this
year. Thursday, April 13 at the Seaforth
Fairgrounds between 6:30 p.m. and 9:00
p.m. you have a chance to learn more about
the agriculture that happens around us in
Huron County. This is a great opportunity to
educate family members and neighbours
who may not be involved in agriculture. The
admission is the donation of a non-
perishable food item for the Huron County
Food Bank. Hope to see you therel0
HCFA OFFICE HOURS
Mondays and Fridays
9 a.m. to 12 noon
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Please leave a message.
(519) 482-9642 or 1-800-511-1135
FAX (519) 482-1416
Email: huron@ofa.on.ca
4th Monday of each month
Board of Directors Meeting, Vanastra
All OFA members welcome.
PROFILE
•
New Board Member on Huron County Federation of Agriculture
Board of Directors
Chris Weernink, a young Usbome township farmer is a new face on our Board of Directors.
Chris farms on the family farm of cash crop and beef cattle. Chris is a Director -at -Large on
our board, as well as the representative for the Huron County Corn Producers. Junior Farmers
keeps Chris busy in his spare time.
Concerns of Chris: "Farming is a fast -paced, changing industry that we must keep abreast of
and with so many changing issues and problems facing farmers today the OFA is a good
organization to work with."0