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The Rural Voice, 2000-05, Page 48News • Eliminate the 18 per cent holdback of program payments. • Treat farms with major changes in scale or type of operation the same as new farms. Commenting on the issue, Bill Davis of the Bruce County Federation called on all politicians to come together and represent the interests of farmers, noting the federal and provincial governments still had different rules. Paul Steckle, MP for Huron -Bruce said the intent of the politicians was good but somehow politics had &otten in the way of the program. Then he touched the fuse when he noted that the federal government has signed the Market Revenue plan but the province still hadn't signed on. Jim Wilson, MPP for Grey-Simcoe said the provincial holdup was because Ontario wanted to get its fair share of federal money. But Murray Calder, MP for Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey said the share in Market Revenue was always going to be 60-40. Calder reminded farmers asking for negative margins (which the federal government has included in AIDA), that there are other safety net programs and "we don't want to undermine other programs that are doing good jobs." Paul Bonwick said disputes between the federal and provincial government were sometimes too much about partisan politics, which had Wilson grumbling "That's B.S." Helen Johns, MPP for Huron - Bruce said that federal and provincial members of parliament are "elected for some of the same reasons and some different reasons. "We're elected to look after Ontario," she said of provincial MPPs. Ontario, she said, should be getting an equal share of federal funding for agriculture. "There's no question we took a pretty partisan position. We'll continue to bicker until we get our fair share dollar." Other than this topic the meeting was generally polite and restrained though Wilson brought hoots of derision from the audience when he said "There will be better days ahead for OMAFRA."0 44 THE RURAL VOICE Advice It's here! Beware of Coltsfoot By John Benham, Wellington County Weed Inspector When coltsfoot is in flower it is the time to make note of the weed's location so it can be sprayed later. Its yellow flower resembles dandelion except it has a scaly flower stem compared to the smooth stem of the dandelion. Few leaves will be evident now. It has been found that spraying with Roundup is not effective until the plant starts storing nutrients in its roots in late July and August. A herbicide called Transline is quite effective and does not kill the grass. Transline can be used at any time as long as there are leaves. Coltsfoot matures into a seedhead very similar to dandelion and is effectively distributed by the wind. Once established, it spreads by underground rhizomes into very large patches. It is extremely competitive, smothering all competing crops. It prefers to establish on soil left often such as new farm ponds and new road construction. Coltsfoot is a noxious weed that must be destroyed. If you know of patches on your property and ignore them, you may regret that decision. Coltsfodt is a very aggressive and persistent weed.O. Animal welfare challenge topic of Guelph conference By Penny Lawlis, OMAFRA The last century was witness to huge changes in the way 'our food is raised. Much of this change has come within the last 100 years, as farmers increasingly apply tech- nological methods to animal agriculture. During the last 30 to 40 years, world economic forces have changed the structure of farming so that many livestock units are now large in size and intensive in nature. These new systems and their impact on farm animals have led to a growing interest in animal behaviour by producers, scientists and consumers. To address the issue, Canadian Agri -Food- Research Council's Expert Committee on Farm Animal Welfare and Behaviour, will host a national conference entitled "Farm Animal Welfare: Challenge 2000" on June 10, 2000 in Guelph. The conference will provide those in farm animal production with an opportunity to share ideas and identify new issues. The program has been designed to provide perspectives from all sectors of the farm animal production system - researchers, producers, processors and consumers. During the conference, speakers from across Canada and the United States will review animal welfare research and its impact on animal welfare. For more information on this conference, you can contact Penny Lawlis or you can visit the CARC's website at www.carc-crac.ca.0 OMAFRA Crop advice still available OMAFRA has several new production guides available this year to help you with your operation. • Deer control in Agriculture • Pasture Production • Sweet Corn Production Manual (available this spring) • Growing Strawberries in Ontario (available this spring) • Production Recommendations for Greenhouse Floriculture (available this summer) • Growing Greenhouse Vegetables (available this summer) • Predatory Insects in Fruits Orchards • Nursery & Landscape Plant Production Recommendations Also, soon to be available are the updated versions of: Fruit Crop Recommendations; Vegetable Crop Recommendations; Turfgrass Management Recommendations To order these, or any other publication, contact 1-888-4- OMAFRA (1-888-466-2372) or e- mail your request to products@omafra.gov.on.ca or visit our web site at http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/engl ish/products/product.html.