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The Rural Voice, 1990-02, Page 61RAINY RIVER Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER Box 416, Emo, Ontario POW 1 E0 807-482-2051 • The Rural Voice is provided to Rainy River Federation members by the RRFA. The weather has been unseasonable in the Rainy River District, to say the least. We went to Manitoba for a couple of days and did some shopping, and who would have thought it necessary to take along a tarp to cover the pickup box in January? Needless to say, the feed was a little soggy. But overnight the weather has returned a more normal kind of January day. Our new furnace is really kicking out the heat today. It is really something to be warm even with an east wind. FEDERATION MEETING The Rainy River Federation of Agri- culture held its first meeting of the new year in the Stratton Separate School on Thursday, January 4 at 7:30 p.m. Pres- ent were Paul Heyens, Kim Hunsperger, Kristine Carpenter, Linda Armstrong, George Hyatt, Gertrude Bujold, Archie Weirsema, Shirley Morrish, Wayne Flatt, and Jacquelyn Hunsperger. Wildlife Control George Hyatt brought a report of the Nuisance Wildlife Control Committee meeting with the Ministry of Natural Resources on December 20, 1989. He said they were planning another meet- ing for some time in January, at which time they would present an enlarged paper with some recommendations from programs that are working in other parts of the province. Many of these proposals are based on the program used in the Raisin Region Conservation Au- thority. Some of the proposed recom- mendations are: • We feel that the MNR mustcontrib- ute towards the cost of controlling nui- sance wildlife in the District, just as it does in other parts of the province. • We need a program that will pay the trapper for removing nuisance beaver from any watercourse in the District where there is a specific problem. • We feel that the program should pay the trapper approximately $100 for each wolf pelt when trapped on problem sites. • Pelts of other nuisance pests — fox, skunks, etc. — would be priced accord- ingly to encourage trappers to address 58 THE RURAL VOICE specific nuisance wildlife problems where they occur. This type of bounty payment is con- sidered legal under the pest control serv- ices section of the MNR mandate. Under the proposal we received from the MNR, we fear that while it would be an improvement, it would be difficult to police to ascertain that we are receiving full value for the expended funds. Perhaps we should consider adopting more of the program already operating successfully in the Raisin Region Conservation Authority. The Farm Progress Building Com- mittee is asking that the commodity groups and associations name a contact person in their letters of response for this year's fair exhibit. The Ag -Aware and Agri -Food Week and Ag in the Classroom Com- mittee met at Betty Brun's on January 10 to finalize some of their plans for 1990 projects. Some of them are really inter- esting. They plan to follow sunflowers from seed to finished product. They are working strictly with volunteers and have no budget at this time. The Fair Board meeting was Tues- day, January 9, 1990. The community pasture rent bids were due January 15, 1990 and only one pasture was up for bids. The Irvine Pasture had been booked already. CATTLEMEN'S ASSOCIATION The Rainy River Cattlemen's Asso- ciation meeting was held in the Stratton Separate School on January 17, 1990. The Northern Policy applications were to be in the agricultural office on January 31. A petition from Hastings County concerning garbage dumps was pre- sented and the directors present signed the petition. It was decided that the petition should be taken to the cattle- men's meeting and presented there for their approval and signatures. The livestock crossing needs a con- gressional law change to make the in - transit hauling of cattle to Winnipeg possible and legal. The concern was raised and more talks by Bob Nault, MP for Kenora-Rainy River, are going to be encouraged. It was also noted that the trucks that do the cattle hauling have no wash facilities at the new stock yards, and this matter is to be brought up at the cattlemen's meeting and direction asked for. It is not a good practice to be bringing the trucks home dirty. The rural organization specialist has asked if the local federation is interested in sponsoring a farmer's day with sev- eral concurrent sessions, and she will be contacted to find out what sessions could be available and what dates she might have in mind. There is a fair bit of land clearing going on in the west end of the District, Archie reports, as the snow cover is so light that there is very little to hinder the machines. CHAROLAIS BREEDERS The Rainy River Charolais Breeders held their annual meeting at the home of Bill and Marg Govier on Tuesday, Janu- ary 10. Plans for the 1990 season were begun. The show and sale for the Emo Fall Fair was discussed, and the plans for the barbecue in June are well under way. The latter I look forward to with mouth-watering anticipation. The results of their election of their executive are as follows: president, Mike Neilson; vice-president, Doug Carlson; secretary, Sharon Meyers; notice secretary, Delbert Redford; and treasurer, Doreen Carlson. A call to Ken Fisher at the Bull Test Station tells us that there are 84 bulls on test. They are scheduled to come off test at the end of March. The next weigh date is January 25 and it will be the 84 -day test; the indexes will be available after the test. There are 2 Angus, 32 Here- ford, 1 Shorthorn, 4 Blonde, 11 Li- mousin, 27 Charolais, and 7 Simmental to make up the herd. The dates for the open house and sale will be available for the next issue.0 Jacquelyn Hunsperger The next meeting of the RRFA will be In the OMAF office February 1, 1990 at 7:30 p.m.