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The Citizen, 2006-07-13, Page 21Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd. WE ARE READY FOR HARVEST RECEIVING • Hard Red Winter Wheat • Soft Red Winter Wheat • Soft White Winter Wheat • Hard Red Spring Wheat Off-Farm Trucking Available at reasonable rates Call us for preharvest application of Roundup or TouchDown:—.1 We have a high clearance unit with 120 ft. boom Walton 519-887-9261 1-800-786-1476 Stylist at work Scenes such as this were prevalent in Blyth last week as dog owners prepared their friends for the show and agility trials during the annual Bluewater Kennel Club event. This black and white cocker spaniel gets some attention from his owner (Carol Burns photo) Stick With the Classifieds. If you're shopping for something special, keep looking in the Classifieds. Every week, you'll find a great selection of listings for everything from apartments for rent to things to buy and see. The Citizen THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2006. PAGE 21. OFA Commentary Some ideas on optimizing government contact By Ron Bonnett, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture There will always be a need for interaction between farmers and governments — as long as we operate under the present democratic system. That interaction is not always at the provincial and federal levels. We must use all available tools to enhance this interaction. Farmers must work with politicians who are the lawmakers, the people who ultimately establish the rules and regulations for agriculture, not only in this country but in the international trading scene. Our role is to provide advice and influence to ensure that sound decisions are made. Because the majority of government people find agriculture and its terms a foreign language, farmers must be prepared to help them understand our industry. Without this approach, farmers can expect to face rules and regulations that are unproductive for agriculture. Farmers need to be willing to take the time to meet with politicians to explain the industry's needs. One tool that we need to use is the political party structure that exists in this province. Farmers have an opportunity to get involved in the political process that reviews and elects the people ultimately responsible for running the country: This begins at the local level with elections of riding associations. There are two key components to this local involvement. The first is to provide input into the policy process and the second is to help select the women and men who will carry the party banner during elections. This gives OFA and its members the opportunity to not only influence the message, but also help decide who will be carrying that message. All parties have a policy development process that, one way or the other, has connections to the grassroots local organizations. It is not uncommon for a resolution put forward by a local farmer at a riding association meeting to work its way through the resolution process and become part of a party's agricultural election platform. Equally important is the need to make sure that the right people are elected. Most voters have no influence on the name that is on the ballot locally or who is selected as party leader. Farmers who chose to get involved at the local level can become part of this choice. Four or five votes at an nomination meeting can separate winners and losers. Getting the right people on the ballot is a critical part of the electoral process. Involvement doesn't guarantee the results the farming community might want, but through the democratic process, farmers can ensure their message gets public attention. By participating in the political process, farmers are more likely to be given an opportunity to speak out on issues as they arise. Grassroots involvement in party level political activism by farmers is a way of reaching the policy-making individuals from the various parties. From this level, the positions put forth by farmers can be debated, non-farm people will be informed and involved, asking questions and gaining a more complete understanding of farming's issues. Farm organizations like the Ontario Federation of Agriculture must take advantage of every available opportunity to discuss agriculture's issues and concerns with participants at political party events. This approach puts OFA's members in contact with the politicians who play a role in deciding what policies and programs will be available to agriculture. At the provincial level, OFA is developing policy positions that we believe should be part of every party's agricultural platform. TheSe positions are being used by some as the template they will work through the system. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture wants to use every tool available. When farmers get involved at the rank-and-file level of party politics, they are sowing the seeds of success. Huron East ponders future of piece of local history By Carol Burns Citizen staff Do the stone gates at the old Hwy. 4 entrance to Vanastra have any significance to you? The gates mark the entrance to the former air force base. Huron East deputy mayor Bernie MacLellan thinks they don't. "I don't think anyone even knows that they are there," stated MacLellan in support of his motion that the gates be delisted as a historical monument and removed at the Huron East council meeting on July 4. These gates were declared a historical monument in recognition of the development of radar in Canada on the air force base, and the training of American and Canadian service men during the Second World War in the use of radar. The road through the gates was closed to traffic several years ago. The gates, and the land surrounding them, are owned by the township. The gates require significant repair by a stone mason. The cost is expected to be about $5,000. "I have called several stone masons and asked them for an estimate," stated clerk-administrator Jack McLachlan. "No one has gotten back to me." MacLellan's motion was to have a plaque mounted elsewhere - possibly on new gates that lead into Vanastra - that commemorated the RCAF base's history. His motion was defeated, but council is left with the task of deciding what to do with the gates. Sharon McClure and Bill DeJong advocated highlighting the gates' significance with a sign on the highway to the north and south of the gates. Bill DeJong suggested that council had no difficulty spending money on beautifying Seaforth for the Communities in Bloom contest, and fixing up the gates and planting gardens around them would make them more visible. At the end of the discussion, McLachlan was directed to continue trying to find a stone mason to repair the gates.