Times-Advocate, 1983-02-23, Page 20Page 20
Times -Advocate, February 23, 1983
YOUNG DAIRY FARMERS PROGRAM — A number of Huron and Perth farmers graduated Thursday from a
Young Dairy Farmers Training program at Centralia College. Back, left, Leroy Bowman, Pete Luyten,Larry Berkhout
and Fred Waechter. Centre, CCAT director of student affairs Don Orth, Dave Ross, Brian Trommelen, Joe Ver-
voort, Joe Heuven, Chris Eichler, principal Doug Jamieson and course co-ordinator Brian Miller. Front, CCAT
director of continuing education Don Cameron, Barry Smith, Pat Rooyakken, Stuart Ghent, Troy Smith and John
Brandenhorst. Missing was Steven Butt. T -A photo
They call themselves the
Farm Animal Reform Move-
ment (FARM) and if that
isn't a contradictory
acronym, I'll sleep in your
manure pile.
They are a group of people
based, naturally, in'the Hew
Hess of Hay, who are
dedicated to alleviate and
eliminate abuses against
animals. As if farmers
haven't got .enough wat-
chdogs hovering over them
now, here comes another
bunch of do-gooders ready to
accuse farmers of all kinds of
dastardly deeds.
This organization opposes
beef feedlots, hog confine-
ment, broiler confinement,
laying hen confinement but,
most emphatically, the rais-
ing of all kinds of veal.
The reason for this opposi-
tion, says the Canadian
leader, Marlene Lakin of -
naturally - Toronto, is
because of the adverse im-
pact of animal agriculture on
human health, world hunger
and natural resources.
Good grief, Charlie Brown,
without the advances in
.agriculture practised by
Canadian farmers, a lot more
hungry people would be add-
ed to the list of hungry people
in this world.
Feedlot factory farms, saes
Lakin, account for half the
water pbllution. Her informa-
tion comes from a British
book called Animal Factories
which could hardly be class-
ed as an unbiased look at
agriculture in this country
today.
One cannot help but wonder
how many times this well,
intentioned gal has had
manure on her boots. In an in-
terview printed in Farm and
Country magazine, .Lakin
said she had visited pig barns,
dairy barns and hen laying
operations where "animals
were ill-treated".
This self-styled animal -
reform movement started in
the U.S. several years ago
and soon had 500 members.
Brochures to promote their
ideals have now been printed
in Canada and a boycott is be-
ing arranged against Burger
King for selling veal par-
magiana sandwiches.
The success of FARM may,
perhaps, be judged in the ef-
fects the boycott will have
against Burger King. Burger
King officials, particularly
Peter Vandeweg, emphatical-
ly denies his company uses
confinement -raised veal. The
veal comes from calves that
eat grass in the summer and
grain in the winter, he says,
and adds "people should get
their facts straight before
they throw sticks".
Amen, Peter.
it is organizations such as
this that could force farmers
to return to the methods used
50 years ago, where all her-
bicides. pesticideg and fer-
tilizers would be banned. It
fairly makes the scalp creep
to think of what could happen
if they have their way.
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For instance, do you want
to pay $4 for a loaf of bread?
Do you want to pay $12 for a
pound of beef? Do you want to
pay $8 for a dozen of apples?
Do you want to pay $7 a dozen
for eggs and $8 a. pound for
spareribs?
That is exactly what could
happen if farmers are forced
to return to the old methods.
And those figures could be
doubles in a few years.
Don't these people know
that a love of the earth and
God's creatures is the first re-
quisite for a successful
farmer? Why, even some ci-
ty folks understand that sows,
for instance, need warmth
and comfort to be good
mothers. They need to be pet-
ted and patted to producepig
litters. Dairymen will tell you
that a contented cow, called
by name,' and treated with a
kind word instead of a kid,
will out -produce the callously -
treated cow.
I could continue but good
farmers will know exactly
what I'm talking about. Let
those FARM members, this.
Farm Animal Reform Move -
Corn group
start drive
for members
A province -wide member-
ship drive has been launched.
by the Ontario Corn Pro-
ducers' Association (OCPA).
The fledgling organization
is pushing hard to have a solid
membership base in time for
spring planting. Regional
meetings are planned for
March to elect a board of
directors. Delegates to the in-
augural provincial meeting,
slated for the end of March,
will also be chosen at the
regional meetings.
"I'm confident Ontario's
corn producers will want to
join the OCPA," president
Max Ricker said.
Members of the OCPA will
be able to participate in the
federal Advance Payment
program. Under this pro-
gram, farmers receive in-
terest free loans. The•loans
cover the period from when
the crop is stored, to when
is sold. Grain corn producers
are eligible for loans of $70
per tonne to a maximum of
$15,000. Depending on the in-
terest rate a farmer is charg-
ed, and the terms of his loan,
farmers who gflalify for the
full $15,000 can save more
than $1,000 in interest
payments over a six month
period.
As well as Advance
Payments. the OCPr1 plans to
act as a spokesman for its
members, lobbying for
government policies to help
corn producers. The associa-
tion also has plans to reduce
the inconsistencies in handl-
ing and drying 'charges at
elevators; develop grade
standards; create a
marketing program: and
develop new markets for On-
tario grain corn. - •
Ralph Barrie, president of
the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture I OFA I, said the
OFA fully supports the OCPA.
"Any group that makes one
area of agriculture stronger
helps every farmer eventual-
ly," he said, "Corn producers
have needed an organization
like the OCPA for a long
time."
County meetings are now
being organized across the
province. Membership forms
are available at county
OMAF offices. Membership
in the OCPA costs $25.
ment, work with humane
societies and the SPCA,
organizations working within
established legislation, before
causing farmers more un-
necessary headaches. ' -
Riddell calls on province to assist, farmers
Wants some farm debts .writton off
The. province will -have to
cover a portion of farmers'
outstandingdebts iftheyare to
survive the recession, Liberal
agriculture critic Jack Rid-
dell said Thursday.
"The only salvation for
many of these farmers is a
writeoff of some of their
debts," the Huron -Middlesex
MPP said. "High interest
rates at this time are not the
major problem. Farmers
have so damn much debt,
they can't service that debt.
"Some of this debt should
be written off. If the farmers
go out of business, what are
they going to do with the
land?"
Agriculture Minister Den-
nis Timbrell has rejected the
Liberals' call for a govern-
ment subsidy to guarantee
farmens long-term credit at
eight percent, arguing that
farmers' debts total $5 billion.
The Liberals place that
figure at $2 billion, Riddell
countered.
While Riddell did not say
how much debt the province
should write off, he said it
would cost Timbrell . $80
million a year to give Ontario
farmers an eight percent in-
terest rate.
"That's not a lot of money,
he said. Agriculture provides
one in five of Ontario's jobs
but receives only one percent
of the provincial budget, he
said.
Ontario spends $252 million
each year on agriculture
while picking up $428 million
(
in revenue from tobacco
taxes alone, Riddell said.
Farmers gave Timbrell
some time to prove himself
after he was appointed
minister a year ago but time
has run out, Riddell said.
"Dennis has become a little
disappointing."
Timbrell has introduced no
new programs in the last
year, merely extending the
Ontario farm adjustment
assistance program introduc-
ed by his predecessor, Lorne
Henderson, Riddell said:
"He really hasn't address-
ed the economic plight facing
farmers."
Timbrell has failed to
strengthen foodland
guidelines or provide a young
farmers assistance program,
the Liberal agriculture critic
said.
Farmers do not like to take
subsidies but with commodi-
ty prices so low and no in-
creases in sight, they need
government help, Riddell
stressed.
Many farmers in his area
will be unable to plant this
spring unless they find capital
in a hurry and others are
diversifying and planting a
little bit of everything in the
hope that prices of one or
Overhead: "I'd say I was
pretty fit for a man of 60. First
thing in the morning I bend
down and touch my slippers
50 times. Then, if I feel like it,
I get out of bed and put them
on."
more of the crops will rise.
Many Huron -Middlesex
farmers will be planting
kidney beans, soybeans and
Your
business
white beans for the first time
this 'year.
Riddell did have praise for
Timbrell's globetrotting ef-
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