The Rural Voice, 1993-07, Page 56GREY
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER ' The Rural Voice isprovided toall Grey
-� County Farmers by the GCFA.
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1 P9
519-364-3050
These words have been the
headlines of all our media for quite
some time now. They may be just
trendy words like green, or sustainable,
or arc they a real attempt by the
Ontario NDP government to get their
financial house in order?
Our governments collectively,
federal and provincial, have an
accumulated debt of some $700 billion.
They find themselves in a situation not
unlike agriculture was in, in the early
1980s. The cash flow will not begin to
pay the interest on the loans, let alone
the principal.
Trying to raise revenue by taxation
and services fees has begun to meet
resistance. It is a situation where the
consumers will not pay any more or
will, in effect, cross-border shop or
move to fulfill their needs.
The social contract
Agriculture told society in 1981-82,
when farm gate defences and rallies on
Parliament Hill were taking place, they
should support our resource sectors,
farming being just one, or suffer the
same fate in the future.
The future is here, the chickens
have come home to roost.
We have, collectively, in agriculture
received an untold amount of help
financially through programs like
GRIP, NISA and Small Business
Bonds. Socially, programs like Farm
Debt Review and retraining help, have
made the restructuring a little easier for
some farm families.
It is now time for agriculture to
repay its debt to society.
We can help our urban neighbours
through this time of uncertainty. Not
with dollars, because farmers have
GREY COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
Township Representatives — 1992-93
ARTEMESIA
BENTINCK
COLLINGWOOD
DERBY
EGREMONT
EUPHRASIA
GLENELG
HOLLAND
Bob Brassington (Sylvia)
Harold Jelinski
Ed Farrar
William Cook
Harry Warmingtort (Jeannie)
Randy Woodhouse
George Black (Kim)
Pat Cardoza (Alan)
KEPPEL-SARAWAK Vacant
NORMANBY
OSPREY
PROTON
ST. VINCENT
SULLIVAN
SYDENHAM
R. #4, Markdale
R. #2, Durham
R. #1, Clarksburg
R. #4, Tara
R. #2, Holstein
R. #1, Clarksburg
R. #1, Markdale
R. #3, Holland Centre
NOC 1H0
NOG 1R0
NOH 1J0
NOH 2N0
NOG 2A0
NOH 1J0
NOC 1H0
NOH 1R0
986-2162
369-5302
599-2940
376-2429
334-3016
599-5656
986-2362
794-3559
Percy Moyer (Katherine) R. #3, Ayton NOG 1C0 665-7619
Vacant
Mark McCannell R. #2, Dundalk NOC 1130 923-5200
Wayne Cramp R. #2, Meatord NOH 1Y0 528-1023
Emile Hachey R. #4, Chesley NOG 1L0 363-6004
Vacant
52 THE RURAL VOICE
assets, not money, and I don't think it's
a good idea to throw money at a
problem. We must form coalitions, or
contracts if you will.
The Pork Producer's Marketing
Board has a trial ongoing where they
are helping the processors to be
competitive and keep jobs in Ontario.
This is only one example where
scratching each other's back will make
us a better and financially stronger
sector of the economy.
Perhaps other marketing agencies
and boards, including supply
management, should be leading in this
new way of doing business.
Agriculture being a base resource,
and as grass root as it gets, can help
society in this new restructuring.
Civil servants and bureaucracy will
find themselves displaced and
unemployed. They will not have the
money to continue supporting
agriculture to the extent we have
become accustomed, either with the
subsidies or at the grocery checkout.
Farming has 10 years' experience at
cost cutting and becoming more
efficient. We can share, and we must
share our expertise or suffer the
consequences.0
Ken Furlong
GCFA 1st Vice President
OFA
REGIONAL MEETING
Thursday, September 9,
1993
8:00 p.m.
Annesley United Church,
Markdale
GCFA
Directors' Meeting
Thursday, July 22, 1993
OMAF Boardroom, Markdale
8:00 p.m.
Members are welcome to attend