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The Rural Voice, 2004-01, Page 18.• The Environmental Farm Plan — EFP `The` EFP program provides up to $1500 in incentive funds towards completing goals that farmers identify during a two-day EFP workshop. Having an EFP is becoming a routine pre -requisite for many programs. Mon, Jan 19 & 26. 10 am to 4 pm - Markdale Fri, Jan 30 & Feb 6, 10 am to 4 pm - Markdale Fri, Feb 13 & 20, 10 am to 4 pm - Mount Forest Mon, March 8 & 15, 10 am to 4 pm - Swinton Park Thurs, March 4 &11, 10 am to 4 pm - Keady March 10, 11 & 17, 7 to 10 pm — Markdale To register call Grey County EFP Rep, Ray Robertson, 519-986-3756 "Fulfill your 2004 seed needs with us" At Hill & Hill Farms, we bring more value to your farming operation by offering seeds from the following companies: •CMb. Consider these available varieties & genetics: Roundup Ready Corn Roundup Ready Soybeans Liberty Link Hybrids Bt Hybrids Stacked Gene Hybrids Speciality Soybean Contracts Cali Pete or Kristen for further details 519-233-3218 14 THE RURAL VOICE calling Lake Huron the "first new polution 'hot spot' on Canada's side of the Great Lakes in nearly 20 years" and. just to make the connection plain, said the area was located "south of Walkerton". "The region markets its beaches, boating and fishing to tourists as 'Ontario West Coast'," The Post article said. "But Statistics Canada says it also produces more manure than any other place in Canada and much of this comes from factory farms." "It's an embarrasment to the reputation of the province," the article quoted Gord Miller, Ontario's environmental commissioner, claiming he was speaking about both the lake pollution and the streams that drain from farmland into the lake. "The beaches are the symptom, but the streams are the disease." The article also used Huron County's new beach posting system as evidence of the enormity of the pollution problem. Last summer. on the advice of consulting microbiologist Michael Brodsky, the County Health Unit posted signs on five beaches that warned swimmers that swimming could be dangerous because of high bacteria counts for 48 hours following rain storms. But The Post article said Brodsky, former Ministry of Health official, had urged the five beaches be "permanently closed". That was the kind of misinterpretation that frustrated public health officials in Huron. Beaches are only closed, said Pam Scharfe who is in charge of the county's beach water testing program, if there is an immediate danger to health such as open sewage, an oil spill, or toxic algae in the water. "It's very rare to declare a closure," she said, noting it would be difficult to enforce such an order. Penny Nelligan, director of the Health Unit, pointed out Dr. Brodsky had reviewed the county's 10 years of accumulated beach -water testing data and noted the five beaches in question seemed to have consistently high bacterial readings after a heavy rainfall and recommended the county focus its resources on testing peaches that were low in bacterial infection at some times and high others. Brodsky himself was at the