The Rural Voice, 1998-07, Page 56GREY
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
44610th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
Email: bcfa@greynet.net 519-364-3050
The Rural Voice is provided to all Grey
County Farmers by the GCFA.
Farmers are the most industrious
people I know! Having lived on a
farm almost all my life, with the last
20 on a professional level, ie. co-
owner, operator of our own little farm,
I have encountered different ways in
which to make a buck!
Thinking back to when I was a
child growing up on a farm, I
remember my father doing all kinds of
sideline jobs, just to make a better life
for his family. These jobs were
everything from selling welders,
grinders, and miscellaneous farm
items, to buying a baler in partnership
with a neighbour, to welding old and
broken farm equipment for the
neighbours and the list goes on and
on. I guess what I am getting at is, do
what you do best and make sure you
have a market for the end result!
You can be raising the best stock
anywhere, but if the consumer does
not know you have that good stock
you will have trouble marketing it.
The other side of the equation; what if
the consumer does not want the type
of stock you produce? So why do you
keep producing? Many commodities
are covered by supply management,
and the minute you take delivery of
your stock, whatever, the day to
market is already pre -arranged. What
about the little producer or the niche
commodities? How do we get a toe-
hold in marketing our product?
A fine example of finding a
product that is wanted by the
consumer and using your farm or your
woodlot to provide income, is the
maple syrup industry. A local beef
club just recently awarded an Auburn -
area family, Commercial Producer of
the Year. They raise 55 cows, but
their biggest income would be arrived
Niche Marketing
at, by maple syrup. Bill and Suzanne
Robinson with their four daughters,
ages 13-21 operate a second
generation farm, which they
purchased in 1988 from Bill's father.
They have an annual harvest of 4,400
gallons of syrup. Suzanne does all
their own marketing of syrup products
and sells as far as the London area and
about 100 mile radius from their
home.
This is what I mean, about taking
advantage of what you have available,
and making it work for you! It may be
selling logs in your woodlot, raising a
different type of stock, providing a
service that's needed in your area, or
just doing more of what you do now.
Just because you have been raising
cows for the last 30 years does not
mean you have to keep doing the same
thing for the next 20! Take a look
what you have around you, what
changes can be made to improve the
farm productivity and ultimately the
bottom line!O
Submitted by Pearl Bumstead
Regional Director - Grey North
Can your farm business survive a disaster?
Disaster can strike at any time,
without warning. When a sudden,
unpredicted event hits a community
the impact is often devastating.
Last winter many farmers in
Eastern Ontario were made painfully
aware of the need for comprehensive
emergency planning. Changing weather
patterns and dependence of farmers on
electrical and natural gas supplies
could lead to increased frequency of
disasters throughout Ontario.
OFA encourages farmers to exa-
mine their own emergency response
capability. Planning now could help
avoid injury or loss of income later.
The OFA conducted an emergency
awareness survey at the indoor Farm
Show in February. OATI has taken
those survey results and prepared an
Emergency Preparedness Plan. One of
the benefits of an emergency
preparedness plan is the ability to
identify weaknesses within your
personal circumstances that can be
addressed prior to a crisis affecting
your operation. The first step to be
considered in designing your plan is to
IMPORTANT NOTICE!!
Deadline for Farm Business Registration is
AUGUST 31, 1998
in order to be eligible for the
Class 6 Farmland Designation and the 25% Property Tax Rate in 1999.
52 THE RURAL VOICE
do a risk assessment. Once you have
identified your key operations your
next step is to determine how you will
mitigate the risk arising from a
disaster.
OATI has included the following
topics for inclusion in your personal
emergency plan: • Insurance - what
does your insurance policy cover? •
Power outage • Water supplies •
Feeding/fodder • Health/safety
Test your plan! You have to test
your plan on a regular basis to confirm
it will work as you expect it to work.
Remember failing to plan is planning
to fail.
For your copy of the "Emergency
Preparedness Plan" fact sheet contact
our OFA office in Hanover or OATI at
1-800-ONT-OATI (1-800-668-6284.
If you have access to a computer
the information can be downloaded
from OATI's web site at:
www.oati.com. Email:
infooati@oati.com.0
GREY COUNTY FEDERATION
OF AGRICULTURE
Director's Meeting
Thursday, July 23, 1998
8:00 p.m.
OMAFRA Boardroom Markdale
Members are welcome to attend.