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The Rural Voice, 1992-02, Page 37NEWS Terry Boland, Ontario Corn Pro- ducers Association: "There is a dire need out there for information to be put to the urban population: information that explains a farmer's point of view on farming practices, and the overall nature of agriculture." Who currently speaks for agricul- ture? Wilson: "That's a tough question to answer. In the short term, high-profile people such as movie stars do much of the talking, because they have a recog- nizable face or name. The reality is, the people out there are not stupid. I have a lot of faith in the consumer. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool everyone all the time. Sooner or later, people are going to ask the right questions." McRae: "The message comes from hidden sources between the primary producer and the consumer. It's based on assumptions about the industry from the past. As the agriculture and food sectors continue to fracture, the mes- sages increasingly come from hidden parties in the system. However, I don't believe this is a deliberate attempt by any group to manipulate things." Maxwell: "Many people speak for agriculture, and many have the right to speak; it's a big industry. Generally, commodity groups, marketing boards, and federations of agriculture are the ones that recognize the need to be heard. The difficulty is, communicat- ing is not an easy thing to do. Everyone seems keen to do it now, but the reality is, only a handful are really very good at it." Hart: "Everyone is trying to speak, and the message is garbled and con- fused. As a result, the consumer has lost confidence in the message he or she hears about our food. What we need is a consistent, unified message." Boland: "Currently, there are hun- dreds out there attempting to give the message of agriculture. However, farmers should speak for farmers. We believe those with the practical, hands- on experience — those who can talk knowledgeably and articulately — are the ones who should speak for farming. As far as agri-business, there are boards of directors that should speak for their OC. ALFA -LAVAL Milk Claws ONE IS JUST RIGHT FOR YOUR OPERATION Harmony Cluster Brand New Design For Best Performance Developed to reduce operator fatigue and increase cow comfort in a unit with excellent milking character- istics. The Harmony Cluster is a totally redesigned claw, shell and liner assembly. The lightweight Dynaflo ctaw works with the top flow principle. Incoming milk flows directly to the bottom of the claw where it enters a centrally located pipe, leading to the milk discharge nipple. The hold up'``; volume in the claw is kept low even in fast milking,, cows. The Dynasoft liner combines softness for cow comfort with high elasticity and strength for efficient milking The thinner, elongated lip of the liner fits the base of the udder without closing down or restricting the teat canal at the end of milking. The liner has a full 12mm bore for high producing cows. Harmony Clusters' teat cup is a combination of high quality plastic and stainless steel, providing an deal balance of weight and durability. D A IR SUPPLY LTD. Neustadt, Ontario 519-799-5366 BUSINESS built on ERVICE FEBRUARY 1992 33 COW OF THE MONTH CLUB Compliments of Mensinga's Hoof Trimming Service CLEARENK FARMS Harold Woestenenk R.R. 1, Gowanstown 519-291-1 835 CLEARENK SKYLARK TAMMI 2y 305 10058 3.40 3.34 (240-214.250) kg. Calved as a 3 yr. old Dec. 17/91 Trimmed Jan. 3192 Classified VG Jan. 6/92 D.H.I. tested 132 lbs. Jan. 10/92 Herd average 186-191-188 BCA Call: Become one of our many satisfied customers MENSINGA'S HOOF TRIMMING SERVICE R.R. 1, Gorrie Specializing in Hoof Care for 12 years 519-335-3496 FEBRUARY 1992 33