The Rural Voice, 1999-11, Page 46PERTH
Andy DeVries, R.R. #1, Atwood NOG 1E30 Phone/Flex 519-356-2133
PCFA Office 229-6430 Fax 229-6269 e-mail: perth@ofa.on.ca
NEWSLETTER • The Rural Voice is provided to farmers
County Federation of Agriculture in Perth County by the PCFA.
Perth County Federation annual meeting held
The Annual Meeting of the Perth
County Federation of Agriculture
was held on Thursday, October 14 at
the Downie Optimist Community
Centre.
The following are the results of
the election:
President, Andy DeVries
First Vice -President, Allen Hughes
Second Vice -President, Burnell
Kipfer
OFA REGIONAL DIRECTORS
Perth South, Agnes Denham
Perth Central, Ed Danen
Perth North, Paul Verkley
WARD DIRECTORS
Blanshard — Scott Graham, Mirk
Rankin, Tim Shute
Downie — John Good, Mary
McIntosh, Ernest Vanderschot
N. Easthope — Marina Schmidt, Ivan
Stueck, Elaine Cook
S. Easthope — Vacant
Ellice — Rhonda Ehgoetz, John
Hicknell, Dave Smith
Mornington —Larry Biesinger
FullartoR — Willy Keller, Dave
McKay
Hibbert — Alvin Dow, Dave
Vandewaile
Support each other, President says
1 want to thank the directors of
PCFA for allowing me to be your
president for another term. It has
been a great pleasure to work
alongside you and I hope we may
continue to have a good working
relationship. Your commitment is
much appreciated and vitally
important for the future of agriculture
in Perth County. Let's continue to
have a strong united voice in
whatever Commodity you represent.
As commodity groups it is of
upmost importance to have a plan
and a vision for your commodity on a
county level as well as a provincial
level. You must have a good
understanding cf what the consumer
wants, and doesn't want, to eat.
We must not take our commodity
groups for granted because there are
those out there, as individuals as well
as organized groups who would love
to get us caught up in their visions
which would intentionally put the
wedge between us and cause division
among farmers. The farmer will
generally lose in the end.
There is a big need today for
people to pursue Agri -Business
careers, whether it be a career in farm
produce or supply and support the
farmers with their needs.
We need to educate ourselves as
well as our children to face the
challenges and changes that continue
42 THE RURAL VOICE
to arise in agriculture to be able to
make good and profitable decisions.
We need a good return on our
investments.
As farmers we need a good
understanding of what the
marketplace needs and wants. The
time has come where we must be
involved in the complete agriculture
food chain, from the farm gate to the
consumers' dinner plate.
If we as agriculture producers
don't look after our COMPLETE
food chain other groups or
individuals will do it for us and they
will walk off with the profits and the
farmer will be left with his mortgage
and bills that still need to be paid.
Yes we want independent farmers,
because they support our community
businesses and the.social structures in
our rural way of life. Continue to
support one another, in an ever-
changing world. Be involved in your
commodity group as well as the
Federation even when we don't
always agree, but work with each
other for the well being of the family
farm and the future -of agriculture.
Once again thank you for allowing
me to serve you as your President as
we're gearing up for the new
millennium. Let's together move
forward and equip ourselves to meet
the challenges of an ever-changing
agricultural community.0
Logan — Karen McLagan, Cecil Rose
Elma — Vacant
Wallace — Vacant
The following resolution was
presented and passed. It will be sent
to OFA to be dealt with at
Convention;
WHEREAS the Farm Products
Marketing Commissions mandate is
to ensure that marketing boards
operate for the benefit of producers
and the industry as a whole, and
WHEREAS past decisions by the
Farm Products Marketing
Commission have been unfavourable
to producers of farm commodities,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED
that the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture co-ordinate discussion
amongst all farm commodity
organizations concerning the
responsibilities of the Farm Products
Marketing Commission with regards
to the Farm Products Marketing Act
— the legislation which offers
producers collective marketing
powers for their commodities.0
OFA CONVENTION
November 22-23, 1999
International Plaza &
Convention Centre, Toronto
ELLICE TOWNSHIP
HISTORY BOOK LAUNCH
Sunday, November 14, 1999
Milverton Complex
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Program 2:00 p.m. - 3100 p.m.
For more information contact
Rhonda Ehgoetz 393-6888
PERTH COUNTY FEDERATION
OF AGRICULTURE
NOVEMBER DIRECTORS'
MEETING
Thursday, November 18, 1999
8:00 p.m.
Downie Mutual Insurance Office
Sebringville 8:00 p.m.
All members are welcome to attend.
We will be discussing the Resolutions that will
be voted on et OFA Convention
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