The Rural Voice, 1994-04, Page 62PERTH
John Drummond, President, R.R. 5, Mitchell NOK 1NO 347-2725
PCFA Office 229-6430
The Rural Voice is provided to farmers
in Perth County by the PCFA.
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
OFA on environmental issues
Agriculture's impact on the
environment is coming under ever
greater public scrutiny. Ontario's farm
groups have been on the leading edge
of pro -active initiatives across a whole
range of issues. Only by continued
efforts on environmental responsibility
can we expect to stay ahead of
regulation or legislation. The OFA is
convinced that Ontario farmers have
charted a course that will achieve
higher voluntary farm environmental
standards than anything that
government could realistically impose.
ENVIRONMENTAL FARM PLANS
(EFPs)
The Ontario Farm Environmental
Coalition (28 farm organizations) has
secured $9.6 million to help farmers
develop EFPs for their farms. Each
farmer's confidential EFP will set
achievable goals to maintain and
protect the environment on their farm.
ON-FARM ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPROVEMENTS
Recognizing that upgrades that
improve and protect the environment
are often non-productive and costly (eg.
manure and pesticide storage), the OFA
has recommended the establishment of
a combination grant/loan program to
assist with such improvements.
AGCARE
This coalition is Ontario
IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS
WHO SHOULD YOU CONTACT?
President - John Drummond, RR 5, Mitchell NOK 1 NO - 347-2725
1st Vice - Larry Biesinger, RR 4, Listowel N4W 3G9 - 698-2937
2nd Vice - Mary Mcintosh, RR 7, St. Marys N4X 1C9 - 393-6232
Sec-Treas - Agnes Denham, RR 1, St. Marys N4X 1C4 - 229-6430
Regional Directors:
Perth North - Paul Verldey, RR 1, Atwood NOG 180 - 356-9022
Perth Central - Kelli Crowley, RR 2, Gadshill NOK 1JO - 393-5716
Perth South - Mary McIntosh, RR 7, St. Marys N4X 1C9 - 393-6232
Township Directors:
Blanshard - Scott Graham, St. Marys - 284-1300
- Rick Debrabandere, RR 1, SL Marys - 229-6736
- Kirk Rankin, RR 7, St. Marys - 284-2884
Downie - Willie Erb, Stratford - 272-1147
- John Good, RR 2, St. Pauls - 393-5958
Ellice - Burnell Kipfer, RR 1, Sebringville - 271-3399
- Norval Priestap, RR 1, Sebringville - 393-6256
- Dave Smith, RR 1, Sebringville - 393-5908
- Greg Luyten, RR 2, Gadshill - 595-4260
Elma - Ron Bowles, RR 2, Atwood - 356-2366
Fullarton - Willy Keller, RR 1, Mitchell - 348-9753
- Bruce Morns, RR 1, Fullarton - 229-8735
- Susan Christie, RR 1, Mitchell - 229-8124
- Bill French, RR 2, Mitchell - 348-8749
- Ann Sebben, RR 2, Mitchell
Hibbert - Tom Melady, RR 2, Dublin - 345-2152
- Alvin Dow, RR 2, Staffa - 229-6508
Logan - Fred Jung, RR 2, Monkton - 347-2420
- Cecil Rose, RR 3, Mitchell - 348-8726
North Easthope - Wayne Schmidt, RR 1, Stratford - 625-8354
- Ivan Stueck, RR 1, Gadshill - 656-2379
South Easthope - Sharon Weitzel, RR 2, Tavistock - 273-0918
- Bill Klooster, RR 1, Shakespeare - 655-2504
Wallace - Rae Bender, RR 1, Gowanstown - 343-5804
58 THE RURAL VOICE
agriculture's voice on pesticide issues.
AGCare spearheaded the Pesticide User
Certification courses as a means of
keeping farmers current on the latest
crop protection handling methods.
OFA agrees with AGCare that farmers
must demonstrate responsibility in their
use of farm inputs.
MINISTRY OF NATURAL
RESOURCE ISSUES
The 1993 OFA Convention made it
clear that the MNR is a Ministry more
concerned with regulation than
conservation. We have had meetings
with Minister Hampton and Premier
Rae over these concerns. OFA is
working with Ducks Unlimited, Ontario
Federation of Anglers and Hunters and
the Ontario Cattlemen's Association to
try to redirect the efforts of MNR to
allow for a sustainable and multi-
useage approach to the management of
our natural resources.
ENVIRONMENTAL BILL OF
RIGHTS (EBR)
The EBR is now law. The OFA
advised Premier Rae to have the new
"Environmental Czar", who will
oversee the EBR, vetted by an all party
review. We continue to be skeptical of
the need for this legislation, and we are
pressing for a strengthening of the
Farm Practices Protection Act (right to
farm) in face of potential "whistle-
blowing" and nuisance complaints.°
ALL MEMBERS ARE INVITED
TO COME OUT ON
Thursday
April 28, 1994
AT
Downie Mutual Insurance
Office, Sebringville
8:30 p.m.
TO HEAR
Brian Cooper
Dean of Hospitality, George
Brown School of Hospitality