The Rural Voice, 1993-01, Page 81993 OAC AGRICULTURE
CONFERENCE
Tues., January 5 & Wed., January 6
Location: Royal Canadian Legion
John McCrae Branch,
919 York Road, (Hwy. 7 East), Guelph
PROGRAMS
TUESDAY - GETTING OUR BEEF INDUSTRY
BACK ON TRACK
Start time 0930 Adjourn time 1530
• Needs, Opportunities & Realities
• The Product: Consumer Wants and
Responses
• What is the Competition? (supply -
demand -price realities)
• Packer & Processor Dynamics
• Collaborative & Competitive Challenges
Unique to the Beef Sector
• Structural Challenges In the Ont. Beef
Sector
• Genetic Issues & Challenges
• Production Initiatives & Alternatives
• Roundtable Discussion Groups
• Adjourn
WEDNESDAY - FARM GROUNDWATER
QUALITY
Stan time 0930 Adjourn time 1530
• Ontario Farm Groundwater Quality
Survey I
• Ontario Farm Groundwater Quality
Survey 11
• Human Health, Bacteria and Water Quality
• Water Quality & the Environmental Farm
Agenda
• Questions & Discussion
• Manure Management & Nitrate in
Groundwater
• Manure Management & Bacteria in
Groundwater
• Cover Crops & Nitrogen Management
• Fertilizer Management & Nitrate in
Groundwater
• Questions & Discussion
• Adjourn
WEDNESDAY • DAIRY INDUSTRY
- MILK COMPONENTS
Stan time 0930 Adjourn time 1530
• Outlook on Component Marketing
& Price Structure
• What Can We Do In Feeding Cows to
Reduce the Fat:Protein Ratio?
• Breeding for Production Profit under
Multiple Component Pricing
• Improving Utilization of Milk Components
• Discussion
For the afternoon dairy producers are en-
couraged to attend the Farm Groundwater
Quality session. These topics are also
important to dairy producers.
Registration begins at 9:00 a.m.
Fees: 1 -day $25, 2 -days $40
Registration includes program, lunch,
refreshment breaks and materials
Submit fees to:
Ralph Shaw, OAC Extension Services,
P. 0. Box 24053, Bullfrog Postal Outlet, Guelph,
Ontario N1E 6V8 (519) 824-4120 Ext. 3933
Fax: (519) 824-0813
Make cheques payable to
the University of Guelph.
Sponsored by: University of Guelph 8 OMAF.
4 THE RURAL VOICE
Gisele Ireland
Easy predictions for the new year
There are actually people who can
predict the future. We had a fine ex-
ample of it during this past year. It
was cal led the precision weather fore-
cast. One thing I was always sure of
when the announ-
cer droned his
predictions for
southwestern
Ontario was the
fact there was a
100 per cent
chance of rain
and night would
follow sunset.
Predicting what
will befall us in
1993 is a tricky
job, if you want
to tackle things
such as what
countries will
have earthquakes,
what famous marriages will split and
who will win what international
award. My predictions are fairly safe
to make and won't likely come back to
haunt me.
From past experience I know about
75 per cent of the population will have
a cold in the coming year. For women
it means taking a couple of Aspirins
and a hot drink before bedtime. For
men, it will take the same, plus a
gentle backrub, a poultice of fried on-
ions around their neck and the assur-
ance they won't need to go to the in-
tensive care unit at the local hospital.
In the heat of making resolutions,
50 per cent of the people will decide
to go on a diet. Some will actually
stay on it for more than 24 hours.
Those that lose, will eventually gain
some of it back, which means moving
the smaller clothes that are threatening
to cut you in two to the back of the
closet until the urge to diet strikes
again.
People will feel pangs of remorse
at their other unhealthy habits and de-
cide to reform themselves. They are
always avoided at social gatherings
because that's all they can talk about
and the listener gets the urge to stuff
them in the trunk of someone's car.
The elastic on your husband's un-
derwear will eventually wear out and
he will be in severe discomfort as the
under-gotchies slide and bind. It will
of course be the woman's fault for not
noticing during the laundering process
and the snivelling and whining will
force women into the men's depart-
ment at a local store to get them re-
stocked and speaking in their normal
lower tones.
There will be the propaganda of
another election. Again we will be
bombarded with promises and
assurances that will make us fall for a
"deliverer" out of the recession. Just
remember the sweet nothings and
dulcet promises before you made that
trip up the church aisle — they have a
lot of similarities.
People will continue to have
children despite the reports that it now
costs over a hundred thousand to raise
one to age 18. Children will continue
to fight with their siblings, defy
authority and eventually take over the
family car regardless as to how many
"new" child rearing books you have in
your library.
Couples who feel a little frayed
around the edges will feel compelled
to improve their love life. They will
make elaborate plans for a romantic
dinner, only to have it thwarted by a
major storm, and plan trips that keep
getting sidelined by things such as a
new washing machine and tires on the
car.
People will continue to buy lottery
tickets and get their money's worth in
daydreaming how they are going to
spend that mythical loot when it lands
in their lap. In the meantime, they
continue to tack down the grotty
linoleum, put new shocks on their
1980 car and keep cutting coupons for
savings in the grocery store.
Everyone in your community will
have either a flat tire or run out of gas
either on the 401 at rush hour or on
some lonely country road with no
signs of life for five miles either way.
The jack will of course be on the back
of the pick-up at home.
About the only thing I'm not sure
of is whether we will be able to get
our corn off before we plant the next
money -making acres. I can hardly
wait to see the innovative methods of
dragging a seed drill behind the com-
bine. For this, and other surprises, see
you in 1993!0
Gisele Ireland is from Bruce County. Her
most recent book, Brace Yourself, is
available for $7 from Bumps Books,
Teeswater, Ontario. NOG 2S0.