The Rural Voice, 1988-05, Page 16COMPLETE LINE OF
ANIMAL FEED
— Hog — Beef
— Veal — Poultry
— Dairy — Pet
treleaven'�[
C
ee vvewed wed.
1 i ■
treleaven's
feed mill ltd.
box 182, lucknow, ont. NOG 2H0
519-526-3000
1-800-265-3006
14 THE RURAI VOICE
HISTORY REPEATS ITS
LESSONS ON THE FARM
The initial success of the Queen's
Bush Rural Ministry is a sign that the
farm activist movement of the early
eighties is coming of age.
While the farm -gate defence and
bank picketing were pure protests and,
by the nature of protests, negative,
they drew wide attention to the unde-
niable farm crisis. The more positive
Concerned Farm Women also began
by drawing attention to the plight of
farmers. But armed with their now
famous study of farm families, they
went on to seek solutions.
The stridency of that time has
faded as more participants have either
left agriculture or seen the futility of
farm -gate defence and demonstrations.
Out of the various actions, such
positive programs as the Farm Debt
Review Board, the farmer in transition
programs, home care, and, most
recently, the Queen's Bush Rural
Ministry were built.
While the remaining activists have
frowned upon these programs, ques-
tioning their adequacy because none
rescued a farmer already drowned in
his debt, initiatives like the Rural Min-
istry are positive and have the support
of the rural non -farming community.
It should be remembered that this
effort does not rescue farmers if they
are too deep in debt. But it does give
them a shoulder to cry on when in de-
spair and may give them the courage
to take a new direction in their lives.
The often maligned debt -review
process is not without results either.
Since it began operation in August of
1986 until the beginning of this year,
4,978 Canadian farmers have applied
for help, of whom 2,241 were already
insolvent. Nevertheless, no fewer than
974 arrangements were signed (34 per
cent) out of 2,835 completed cases.
This is an impressive result. Some
will argue that anything below 100 per
cent is not enough, but that remains a
matter of opinion, not of reasoning.
When banks or the Farm Credit
Corporation is mentioned, many acti-
vists see red. But while 23 per cent of
the institutions that gave notice of
intent to realize on security (i.e. seize
assets) were banks, machinery dealers
were breathing down their necks with
22 per cent while the FCC was a
distant third with just 15 per cent.
If we look at the type of farming
deepest in trouble, we find that during
the period of August 5, 1986 till
December 31, 1987, those producing
the major grain crops (42 per cent)
were at the head of cases completed
by the boards. They were followed by
mixed farming (14 per cent), beef (12
per cent), and swine (8 per cent).
It is somewhat startling to see that
mixed farming, about which it is
supposed that one commodity with a
high price will rescue another with a
low market price, is in second place in
the line of financial difficulties.
Ten years from now we will likely
look back upon this troubled time and
see that a number of young farmers
have risen out of its ashes, stronger
than ever. Many are here already and
they have the same attitude their
grandfathers had farming in the crisis
of the thirties. Their creed? "Don't
spend money you ain't got.""
These farmers will be working
more land with less manpower. This
means, of course, that there will be
fewer of them, as there were fewer
farmers after the Depression.
Their children and grandchildren
will not know the value of pay-as-you-
go and the cycle will repeat itself. Not
many people learn from history. Most
will agree with Henry Ford, who is
reported to have said that "history is
bunk." Those who think old Henry is
right will end up demanding new
transition programs.0
Adrian Vos, from Huron County, has
contributed to The Rural Voice since
its Inception In 1975.