The Rural Voice, 2003-01, Page 26Environmental Farm Plan (EFP)
■!l The Environmental Farm Plan has a major focus on protecting
—��` water quality. It involves a 2 -day workshop at which farmers
develop an environmental plan for their farm operation, and are
then eligible for incentive funding of $1500 for qualifying projects.
Jan 24 & Feb 3 - 10 am to 4 pm - Markdale
Feb 17&24, 10 amto4pm- Markdale
Feb 26 & March 5, 10 am to 4 pm - Mount Forest
Feb 27 & March 6, 10 am to 4 pm - Keady
Feb 28 & March 7. 10 am to 4 pm - Swinton Park
March 10, 11 & 17-7 to 10 pm - Markdale
Grey County EFP Rep Ray Robertson -Call 519-986-3756 to register
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22 THE RURAL VOICE
good year while others were less
successful. "We need to be aware so
that we can be as helpful as
possible."
He also commented that credit
union management needed to be
informed about the effects on the
farming community of new issues
such as the provincial government's
nutrient management legislation.
The credit union's importance to
the rural community is more than the
services that it can provide to the
agricultural sector.
Doug Fortune the current head of
the board of the North Huron
Community Credit Union speaks
passionately about his belief in the
institution. "I joined because 1
wanted a different lending institution,
but I became involved (in
management) because of the different
philosophy. A bank is an
organization there to make money for
its shareholders and it does it by
providing a service. The credit union
is the opposite. It is there to provide a
service and if they make money it is
reinvested in the community."
O[hers involved in the system
echo this idea of service to,
and involvement in, a
community. Lynn describes his
board's desire to plan for the next 50
years. He firmly believes that "rural
communities re -invent themselves
and prosper." He goes on to say that
the credit union has to change with
the community, describing the
process as "a natural evolution."
"It's tough to compete on price
alone. What we bring to the
community is a local understanding;
an understanding of the local people
and the local business," he says. "We
focus on what value means to our
customers."
Credit unions are changing.
Fortune says that one of the
reasons that the North Huron Credit
Union decided to become part of a
bigger institution was to provide the
services that a younger customer base
expected — services like internet and
telephone banking and financial
advice.
"These services are expensive to
provide in terms of hardware and
expertise," he commented.
The need to get bigger to provide
modern services is a two-edged
sword. Both Rops and Lynn