The Rural Voice, 2003-12, Page 76Box 429, Clinton, Ontario NOM 1 L0
HURON519-482-9642 or 1-800-511-1135 Website: www.hcfa.on.ca Email: huron@ofa.on.ca
The Rural Voice is provided to all farmers
in Huron County by the HCFA.
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
Helen Johns honoured at annual meeting
October 23 was the Annual
General Meeting of the Huron
Federation of Agriculture.
Former MPP for Huron -Bruce and
former Minister of Agriculture was
presented a gift by Past -President
Steve Thompson of the Huron Board.
Steve quoted "I was President of the
Huron Federation when Helen Johns
was first elected in 1995. The
following spring, I welcomed her to
our annual MP/MPP dinner by saying
`We're always glad to see new
legislators come in, and we're always
sad to see the old ones go out'.
"And so it is tonight with Helen —
in the same way she came in when
Paul Klopp lost, Carol Mitchell is
coming in to replace her.
"It didn't take us long to realize
Helen was a different type of
politician. If she didn't know
something, she asked — if she didn't
agree with what we wanted, she'd tell
us right on the spot. And, never once
can I recall her telling us one thing,
and doing another.
"We learned quickly that if we
didn't know what we were talking
about, and didn't have anything to
say, we need not bother to go meet
with her until we did.
"Not surprisingly, that's what we
told provincial farm leaders about
Helen when she became Minister of
Executive for 2003-2004
The Huron Federation of
Agriculture's new executive for
2003-2004 consists of: President,
Neil Vincent; Vice -President Nick
Whyte; Second Vice -President,
vacant; Executive Directors, Marilyn
Broadfoot, Wayne Hamilton, Jeff
Robinson and John Rodges.0
The Board of Directors of
Huron Federation of
Agriculture wish the farm
community in Huron a very
Merry Christmas and a
happy and successful New Year.
We thank you for your
membership/assistance in 2003.
72 THE RURAL VOICE
Agriculture. Once on the job, she
surprised everyone but us with her
command of the issues, and her
ability to bypass her bureaucracy, by
picking up the phone and calling
people directly. Many ministers are
so over -awed by it all that they
function behind their staff — not
Helen!
"I can attest personally that when
she called, she'd say 'this is Helen' —
she didn't need to say her last name,
because if you needed to guess who
she was, you weren't the person she
needed to be talking to.
"Anyway, thanks again Helen. It is
a matter of some pride to many of us
that one of the 'best and the brightest'
represented Huron for eight years,
and represented all of Ontario
agriculture for slightly less than two."
Guest Paul Mistele, OFA
Executive addressed over 100 guests
at the Seaforth Agriplex. He read a
letter from OFA President Ron
Bonnett to Helen Johns, retiring MPP
for Huron -Bruce and Minister of
Agriculture for Ontario. The letter
stated Bonnett's appreciation of the
work Johns did for farmers in her role
as provincial Minister of Agriculture.
The Annual County Federation of
Agriculture Award was presented this
Huron County Federation of Agriculture
BOARD MEETING
Fourth Monday of the Month
8:00 p.m. - Vanastra Office
Members Welcome!
year by Wayne Hamilton to Henry
Damsma. Henry is a broiler farmer
south of Clinton, a director on our
present HCFA board, and a past
Regional Director to OFA for Huron
South. In the past several years Henry
has spent endless hours creating a
Huron Federation website for the
farm community to read. His skill
and talent with computers is amazing.
For several years he also worked part
time for OFA looking after their
county computer needs across the
province.
For anyone interested in viewing
the HCFA site, the address is
www.hcfa.on.ca
Convention delegates for Huron
for the annual OFA Convention
November 24, 25 will be Marilyn
Broadfoot, Carolyn Johns, Nick
Whyte, Henry Damsma, Neil
Vincent, Will Stafford, Wayne
Hamilton, Steve Thompson, Jeff
Robinson, Vic Roland, Pat Down and
Walter Stalenhoef.0
Don't miss the Farm$mart
Agriculture Conference
(See details on Page 66)
HCFA OFFICE HOURS
Mondays and Fridays
9 a.m. to 12 noon and 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
Woodlot Management Workshop
A woodiot management workshop is being presented primarily for members of the Huron Federation of
Agriculture; however, others who are interested are welcome to attend.
Date: Thursday, December 11, 2003 Cost: Free Time: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: the workshop will take place in one or two woodlots in the Walton area. Participates will meet at the
starting point. To get there, travel to the second road north of McGavin's Farm Equipment, (also the second
road south of Brussels) then turn east on St. Michael's Road. Go east one kilometre. The wood lot is adjacent
to the road.
To Register: Please contact Steve Bowers at 519-482-3661 by Thursday, December 4, 2003 so there will be
enough information packages for everyone.
Agenda: While farmers may deal with sales of livestock or crops on a regular basis, most make sales of timber
from their woodlots on a much less regular basis. This workshop is intended to provide background information
that will help landowners understand the variety of factors that should be considered during a timber sale.
Topics discussed will include: • determining maturity - when to sell
• various approaches to a timber sale • selecting trees, estimating volume and value
• finding a buyer and negotiating a sale contract • monitoring the harvest operation