The Rural Voice, 2002-02, Page 3Editor & Publisher: Keith Roulston
editorial advisory committee:
Bev Hill, farmer, Huron County
Diane O'Shea, farmer, Middlesex Cty.
George Penfold, associate professor,
University of Guelph
Gerald Poechman, farmer, Bruce Cty.
contributing writers:
Bonnie Gropp, Ralph Pearce,
Bob Reid, Mervyn Erb, Sandra
On, Janice Becker, Andrew Grindlay,
Mark Nonkes, Larry Drew
marketing & advertising sales manager:
Gerry Fortune
advertising representative:
Merle Gunby
production co-ordinator:
Joan Caldwell
advertising & editorial production:
Dianne Josling
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Behind the Scenes
After the revolution
Except for those who hate
government being involved in any
kind of business, most people are
probably a little leery of the
privatization of Ontario Hydro. Tales
of soaring prices and electrical
shortages in California and Alberta
make many, including farmers who
are so dependent on abundant and
inexpensive electricity, look ahead
with trepidation.
This month Mark Nonkes looks at
the possible headaches ahead, but
also at the opportunities, such as the
possibility of farmers gaining from
such things as leasing their land for
wind -power generation facilities.
Think niche farming and one
generally thinks about small scale
farmers producing a few acres of a
product nobody else thinks of
growing. Dr. Robert Church is part of
a family farming operation with
farms on three continents, yet they
still farm niches. Though they farm in
western Canada, for instance, they
grow no crops they'll have to sell
through the Wheat Board. The family
is always looking for the dollars
available from the "entertainment"
value of a food product. Dr. Church
spoke at Grey -Bruce Farmers' Week
and we have his story.
Also at Farmers' Week,
information on what's hot and what's
not in crops was presented by
speakers at the crops day and Don
Shaver of Shaver Beef Breeding
Farms Limited gave his world-view
of the farming industry.
While perspective can be gained
by travelling the world, it can also be
increased by staying in one place for
a long time and watching the changes
the world brings. Harold and June
Woodhouse have been farming for 52
years in Euphrasia Township near
Meaford. In that time they build a
milking herd from two cows and
showed championship Clydesdale
horses. They recently won the
township federation of agriculture's
Agricultural Heritage Award.
Also this month our gardening
columnist Rhea Hamilton Seeger
does double duty, her regular column
plus a book review on Culinary
Herbs for Short Season Gardeners.
Patti Robertson looks at the
"colour story" of your home and
Bonnie Gropp's recipe collection
features elegant, romantic dishes.0
Update
Studying the water down below
More information on the water in the earth below our feet (subject of a story in
our March 2001 issue) is being produced every day.
Last October the AEMOT Groundwater Management Study Final Report for
the area in the Grey and Dufferin Counties including Artemesia, Euphrasia,
Melancthon, Osprey and The Blue Mountains was released with 61
recommendations, some as simple as each municipality annually sending a letter
to the Ministry of Environment requesting notifications of applications for
Permits to Take Water (required for extractions of more than 50,000 litres a
day). The member municipalities voted to continue funding for a baseline
monitoring program to improve the understanding between groundwater and
surface water relationships.
Meanwhile Huron County has received a $416,000 grant from the province's
Operation Clean Water strategy to support a $489,000 study of groundwater in
the county. The project will include a study to map aquifers, recharge and
discharge areas, vulnerability assessments, contaminant inventories and
groundwater use assessment. There will also be studies into well protection for
larger or more vulnerable municipal wells serving a larger population, including
mapping water supply areas, water pathways, vulnerability assessment,
contaminant inventories and protection measures. Local well characterization
and risk assessment for smaller or more secure wells will also be carried out and
there will be a public awareness campaign.0