The Rural Voice, 2006-05, Page 6HANOVER CHRYSLER
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2 THE RURAL VOICE
Feedback
Use voting power
As a retired farmer I have
followed with interest the protests M
farmers who impede traffic with their
tractors. I see this as a rather futile
gesture even it' it does focus attention
on the farmer's plight.
A more effective way. I believe,
would be to attack the government
politically. If all Ontario farm
organizations would tell the Ontario
Liberal government that they
unanimously will ask farmers not to
vote Liberal in the next election the
politicians might. for once. listen. If
only a fair number of farmers would
heed that appeal. the Liberals would
not stand a chance to form a new
governmertt and any future
government. of whatever party.
would surely listen and do something.
Now farmers are faced with the
prospect of either leaving their land
fallow or losing their shirts and
possibly their farms.
Nationally this could be done also.
I believe that western grain and
oilseed farmers would support such
action for they, too, are desperate.
The national farm organizations
could demand similar subsidies as
given farmers in the USA.
We all know that subsidies distort
the market but faced with the refusal
of the competition to drop theirs we
really have no choice but to demand
equal treatment.
I just hope that our farmers will
consider such action.0
— Adrian Vos,
Blyth, ON
Grab opportunity
After reading Keith Roulston's
article Turning sunlight into meat
(April 2005) describing Jim Gerrit's
comparison of a pasture as a giant
solar panel, the government's
recently announced Standard Offer
Contract(SOC) came to mind.
Finally, Premier Dalton McGuinty
and his Energy Minister, Donna
Cansfield, have come to realize, after
years of advocacy by the Ontario
Sustainable Energy Association
(OSEA), that small generators of
renewable energy sources can
contribute a sizeable portion of clean
and safe electricity to Ontario's
Future Energy Mix.
The Contract offers small
generators like farmers, businesses
and home owners a premium price
for 20 years for power sold back to
the distribution grid. Electricity
generated from wind, small hydro
and biomass will fetch a premium of
I I cents per kWh while solar electricity
will he awarded 42 cents per kWh.
Farmers might not have acres of
roof space on their barns and
implement sheds. but they would he
able to generate substantial amounts
of power from their south -facing
unshaded roof areas from solar panels
to supplement their farm income with
this 42 -cent premium guaranteed for
20 years. Granted, the up -front
investment would be substantial, but
with crop and livestock prices
fluctuating mostly downward. this
"harvest" would bring a guaranteed
return, making it worthwhile to take
out a loan to cover the cost.
With the lower premium on wind
and the problem of finding good wind
sites it would only be practical it'
farmers would form co-operatives,
pooling their money and install up to
three large wind turbines like Danish
farmers have done.
But the future for solar power,
even for implement and fertilizer
businesses looks bright!
Let's SOC it to the government to
show that large numbers of small
renewable energy generators can
outperform unreliable nuclear power
plants!!
Information sites to link up to:
www.ontario-sea.org, www.cfre.ca,
www.energy.gov,on.ca,
www.powerauthority.on.ca or call the
Ministry 1-888-668-4636 about
Standard Offer Contracts.°
— Ziggv Kleinau
RR 4, Lion's Head, NOH I WO