The Rural Voice, 2005-12, Page 66BRUCE
Email: bruce@ofa.on.ca
website: www.ofa.on.ca/bruce
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
It's time for action, not words
By Robert Emerson, President
Bruce County Federation of
Agriculture
It has indeed been an honour and
privilege to serve as your president
this past year. I wish to thank my
fellow directors for their support and
input as well as the dedicated work of
Donna Spitzig and Gertie Blake in
the BCFA office. Also I would like to
thank my wife Jane for her help and
understanding for a rushed mealtime
and the realms of paper!
2005 has been a busy and
challenging year. "Farm Gate Prices"
that are far below our cost of
production, unless you are in supply
management or certain niche
markets, are by far our greatest crisis.
Combining these prices with
underfunded government regulations
for society and we have a serious
problem.
We met with both federal and
provincial ministers of agriculture
and our local MPs and MPPs. At the
local level they seem to realize the
crisis yet at Queen's Park or the
federal level there seems to be a
"polite" yet unproductive response as
they seem to have their own agenda.
The buck needs to stop being passed
as we are losing an entire generation
of farmers.
There are two things that need to
happen immediately. Number one,
the grains and oilseeds
comprehensive risk management
program needs to be adopted in its
entirety at both the federal and
provincial levels. Number two,
Wayne Easter's report "empowering
farmers at the market place" also
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
•The Rural Voice is provided to OFA
Members in Bruce County by the BCFA
needs to be immediately adopted and
implemented, instead of just being
another well-meaning report that
gathers dust on the shelf. Another
area we need to consider is a closer
alliance with the Ministry of Health
as there is a direct correlation
between good food and better health.
In closing can you imagine people
lining up to purchase food similar to
the lineups to purchase $1.70 a litre
gas a couple of months ago? Could
the same thing happen in food in this
country? I hope not, but just watch
and beware of what can happen when
the big conglomerates gain total
control at the supermarket level!
We welcome your assistance.0
The Bruce County
Federation of
Agriculture
would like to
wish all its members
and their families
a very Merry
Christmas
and a Healthy,
Prosperous and
Happy New Year.
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS' MEETING
MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2005 8:00 P.M.
Bruce County Administrative Building
30 Park Street, Walkerton
Members are welcome to attend
62 THE RURAL VOICE
BRUCE COUNTY
FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
2005-2006 DIRECTORS
AND AFFILIATED
ORGANIZATION
REPRESENTATIVES
The Bruce County Federation' of
Agriculture and annual meeting and
banquet and OFA Regional Meeting
was held October 28, 2005.
Elections were held for the
positions of Presidents, OFA
Regional Directors and Township
Directors.
Past President: Rick Robson
President: Robert Emerson
1st Vice President:
Wietse Posthumus
2nd Vice President: Peter Jilesen
OFA Regional Director Bruce West:
Robert Emerson
OFA Regional Director Bruce East:
Allan Smith
TOWNSHIP DIRECTORS:
Arran:
Allan Smith, Wietse Posthumus
Brant: Jim Cooke, Gerald
Poechman
Bruce: Ernie Young
Carrick:
Jayne Dietrich, Lorne Underwood
Culross: Bob Bregman,
Joe Detzler, Barb Zettler
Elderslie: Aaron Legge,
Bill McCulloch
Greenock: Lloyd Schnurr
Huron: Robert Emerson, Jim Farrell
Kinloss: Lloyd Graham
Saugeen: Adrian Dykstra
Peninsula: Robert Rodgers
AFFILIATED ORGANIZATION
REPRESENTATIVES:
Cattlemen: Dan Ashcroft
Chicken Producers: Joe Detzler
Pork Producers: Peter Jilesen
Milk Committee: Paul Ahrens
Soil and Crop: Dennis Munro
Sheep: Steven A. Ernewein
NFU: Sarah Slater
Bruce Resource Stewardship
Network: Craig Todd
OMAFRA: Jane Muegge