The Rural Voice, 2002-08, Page 61PERTH
Burnell Kipfer, R.R. #1, Sebringville NOK 1X0 Ph: 519-271-3399 Fax 519-273-0789
PCFA Office 519-229-6430 Fax 519-229-6269 e-mail: perth@ofa.on.ca
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
The Rural Voice is provided to farmers
in Perth County by the PCFA.
By Jack Wilkinson. President.
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Nov that our governments have
offered some Tong -term funding to
programs the farming sector has
sought for years. the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture is anxious
to get work with its partners and
ensure the money is used wisely.
Being able to plan several years in
advance for the Environmental Farm
Plan program will be so much better
than going one year at a time. With
the announcement of $100,000,000
over four years, farmers right across
Canada will hopefully accept the
challenge and develop an
environmental plan or their farms.
For years. Ontario farmers were
the principal users of the
environmental farm plan program.
We now have more than 20,000
farms in the province with EFPs.
making Ontario farmers leaders at
implementing ways of protecting the
environment that surrounds their
farming operations.
Moving forward with this
initiative is vital to the future of
Ontario agriculture because
protection of the environment, while
critical to the future sustainability of
our industry, is becoming
increasingly important in the eyes of
the people who consume the food
produced on our farms. We have to
demonstrate to consumers that the
produce from Ontario farms is
produced in ways that won't harm the
environment.
To get this job done, OFA will
intensify its efforts, through the
Ontario Farm Environmental
PERTH COUNTY FEDERATION
OF AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS' MEETING
August, 22, 2002
Downie Mutual Insurance Office
SebringvIlle 8:00 p.m.
EVERYONE WELCOME
58 THE RURAL VOICE
Getting on with the jobs
Coalition. to reach out to the farmers
who have yet to do an Environmental
Farm Plan for their farming
operation. Agriculture and Agri -Food
Minister Vanclief wants every farm
in Canada to have an Environmental
Farm Plan, and so does the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture.
Now that Mr. Justice Dennis
O'Connor has handed down his
Phase Two report on the Walkerton
Water Inquiry. OFA is ready to work
with its coalition recommendations
from the report that relate to
agriculture.
Chapter four of the report is
entitled: The Protection of Drinking
Water Sources. A wide range of
topics are outlined in that chapter.
including the prevention of
contamination entering groundwater
sources through existing wells and
abandoned wells. The Ontario
Federation of Agriculture is currently
managing a project for County
Federations throughout the province
to identify and correct potential
problems with such wells.
With funding from the Healthy
Futures for Ontario Agriculture
program, privately -owned wells
anywhere in Ontario may be eligible
for about two-thirds grant money to
upgrade existing wells and cap
abandoned wells as a means of
preventing contamination from
entering the groundwater network.
This program has helped a number
of well owners, a mix of farmers and
rural residential owners, to take the
necessary measures to protect our
groundwater resource. However. the
vast majority of the available funding
remains uncommitted, and OFA will
continue to urge private well owners
across the province to apply fog the
funding through its network of
Member Service Representatives.
People interested in this program
should contact OFA's local offices or
the main office in Toronto at 1-800-
668-3276 for details.
Another water -related program
offered by OFA for private well
owners provides a variety of tests of
the well water. Data derived from this
testing program. while remaining
confidential, will allow environment
officials to track water quality across
the province, and provide well
owners with critical information
about the quality of the water being
consumed by farm families and the
animals on those farms.
Quality drinking water is a
valuable resource to everyone and the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
wants to make sure every step is
taken to ensure that quality is
maintained and protected.0
PERTH COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
flnnual meeting
Thursday, September 26, 2002
Sebringville Community Centre
Guest Speaker: Gab Del Bianco
Meal: 7:00 p.m. Meeting: 8:15 p.m.
Meal Tickets $12
Tickets for the meal are available from County Directors