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Times-Advocate, 1988-11-23, Page 30Page 14A Times -Advocate, November 23, 1988 Exeter Co -Op meets - The annual meeting of the Exeter District Co -Operative was held Friday night. From the left are director Stewart Anderson and general sales manager Bill Dyell of United Co -Operatives of Ontario, Exeter general manager Murray Insley, president Harvey Hodgins and secretary Cliff Hicks. Exeter Co -Op enjoys profitable year EXETER - "We have experi- enced a positive growth and a sig- nificant turnaround in margins." Those were the words of Exeter. District Co -Operative general manager Murray Insley at Friday's annual meeing at the South Huron Rec Centre. The financial report for the year ending on August 31,1988 showed a record in sales with an amount of $10;665,411. That's an increase of $1.5 million from the previous year, up by 13.7 percent. The turnaround referred to by In- sley came from net income of $54,196. For the year 1987 there was a deficit of $72,737. The manager said the first two months of the new year show "very positive returns". In the past five years, Co -Op sales have risen from $6,679,000 in 1984 to the more thanS 10 mil- lion recorded in the just completed year. Insley continued, " We have continued to try and- improve.our services as we added the Tru - Spread to our, dry fertilizer spread- ing this year. We were able to spread some 10,000 acres with a high degree of customer accep- tance. He concluded, " Members and customers are the life blood of our co-op. Bring forward your ideas and suggestions and continue to support your co-op with your pur- chases. Working together we can make Exeter Co -Op serve us bet- ter." The director's report presented by Gerald Nordemann indicated in- creases in purchases in virtually all product categories this,year. He continued, " We have had a very challenging year, but arc pleased your co-op has returned to profitability." United Co -Operatives of Ontario Zone 11 director Stewart Anderson reported his organization had com- pleted the fourth consecutive year of profit -savings. This year's net income was $2.41 million. Anderson said the independent co-ops across Ontario increased purchases from UCO in 1988 by 16 percent. The director said, "Our slogan for this year is Right From The start and for next year it will he Right For The Future. UCO general manager of sales BiII Dyell presented the full finan- cial report and Ken Pinder of Nor- ris, Homuth, Taylor, Pinder audi- tor's report. Dyell was also in charge of the election for directors in which Cliff Hicks, Wayne Shapton and Hans Brand were returned for an- other term. The other directors arc president Harvey Hodgins who was chair- man for the program, vicc- presidi'nt Wayne Ratz, Wayne Rowe, Allan Powe, Jim Windsor and Gerald Nordemann. Door prizes were won by Harold Kerslake, Nancy Kraemer, Marjo- rie Tuckcy, Ron Kraemer and Rita Ann Timmermans. All operations on ABCA agenda EXETER - The November 25 meeting at the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority has a full - slate of agenda items which cover Your Farm -Guard policy with The Co-operators protects buildings, contents, livestock, produce and machinery. For complete (arm insurance protec- tion, call about Farm -Guard today. Bob Lammie 00 the O co -open tots Insurance Services Exeter 472 Main Street -235-1109 IIIF 11(141 AUTO (rMIMIA( IAI FARM IRAVII virtually every aspect of A.B.C.A. operations. Earlier in 1988, the Honorable Vincent Kerrio released a report en- titled "A Review of Conservation Authorities Program". The report is a response to the concerns expressed by the Associa- tion of Conservation Authorities of Ontario in 1985 and makes rec- ommendations concerning Conser- vation Authority funding, member- ship and programs. The public has until the end of 1988 toprovide their feedback to the Report. Please see the last two pages of the Insight newsletter for Water meeting CLINTON - The Huron Soil and Water Conservation District is holding its annual meeting on De- cember 9, 1988 at 1:30 p.m. in the Clinton O.M.A.F. Boardroom. The District's activities involve a variety of tasks all directly tied to sustaining and improving our agri- cultural resourses. The District co- ordinates and provides guidance to the various county agencies in- volved in conservation. In order that all county conservation issues are properly addressed we require your involvement. i hope that all who are involved in conservation show up to support and provide the input required to maintain the direction of the Dis- trict's activities. HOT WATER... CLEANING POWER... Karcher power washers make their own hot water for 'ust" aennies a day, and clean 100% faster Cold and Hot Water Models to Choose From FREE DEMONSTRATION You pick out one of your toughest cleaning problems and we will come out and give you a free cleaning demonstration. Don't buy unless you give a Karcher a tryt Exeter, Ontario (319) 233.1115 Karcher Hotline 1.800.263.4268 Fro. Demo Contact: Don Soyas 1 further information on the review.. This report will be discussed in de- tail at the meting. A.B.C.A. projects, policies and resolutions which require the ap- proval of the Full A.B.C.A. Advi- sory Boards during 1988. A large number of these projects are the Conservation Area Master Plans which have been recommend- ed for approval by the Conservation. Lands Management Advisory Com- mittee. The Master Plans outline development and land use activities for Conservation Areas for the next five years. The meeting will also include the presentation of certificates to staff who have completed courses and the Years of Service Awards to staff and Directors who have worked with the A.B.C.A. for at least five years. Seminar set on corporations CLINTON - Are you involved with a farm corporation? Arc you seriously considering the incorpora- tion of your farm business? If your answer is yes to one of the above questions, then the upcoming semi- nar called "Understanding Your -Farm Corporation" is for you. This day -long seminar will be featured at two locations with the first one at the Brussels Communi- ty Centre on December 1st. The following day December 2nd, the same program will be presented at the Kirkton Community Centre. All members of the farm manage- ment team (all shareholders and spouses) are encouraged to attend. Numerous topics will be dis- cussed by the chartered accountant,s and lawyers who will be leading the discussions. Such items as "Under- standing Your Financial State- ments", "Taxation of Corpora- tions", "Shareholder Agreements" and "Bringing the Family into the Business" will be discussed. Of course, the strength of the day will the participants' questions. To enroll for either meeting plac- es, please call the Clinton O.M.A.F. at 482-3428 or 1-800- 265-5171 by Friday, November 25. Cost will be S15 per corporation plus S9 per person for a meal. Your attendance will provide an opportu- nity for a better working knowledge of your corporation. Plan 4-H awards In Seaforth school CLINTON - The 41st annual Hu- ron County Awards Night will be held on Friday, November 25 at the Seaforth District -High School in Seaforth starting at 8 p.m. Any interested members of the community arc welcome to attend this evening program which recog- nizes the completion of over 200 4- H pmjects by young people in Hu- ron County. Agministcr Jack Riddell is a brave man. He spoke to a group of journal- ists recently and he chastised there for the lack of agriculture coverage throughout this country. He point- ed to the London Free Press, the paper which recently discontinued the practice of have a full-time farm reporter on staff. Gord Wainman, an award-winning farm writer, was put on regular beat instead of working daily on the ag- ricultural news. He recently left the paper and nobody is the farm editor now. Ritideti blasted the CBS for its cutback in farm coverage on Radio Noon. He saved his most scathing criticism for the weekly newspapers in southwestern Ontario. He said these papers have a large rural audiencelandthe issues of the day arc simply not being reported in those weekly papers, an arca where farm news should be considered of paramount importance. I do no like to get into the same bed as politicians but I heartily agree with Mr. Riddell. 1 have said it before but it is worth repeating: Most weekly newspapers are quite content to car- ry' the bland, take -no -side stories from the federal and provincial agri- cultural ministries. These releases arc sometimes interesting and cer- utinly well-written. Few of them, however, touch on the sore points in agriculture today. They deliber- Planning for wheelchair trails PARKHILL - A group of citizens interested in developing wheelchair accessible nature trails in a conser- vation arca met recently in Parkhill and formed a committee to be known as "Wheels to nature". A number of individuals and groups have expressed a strong de- sire for accessible nature trails in southwestern Ontario and have not- ed that existing facilities are limited or non-existent. The Committee will meet with the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation at their annual meeting on November 25 to discuss the es- tablishment of accessible nature trails at, the Rock Glen Conserva- tion Area near Arkona. The Provincial, London and Sar- nia MIS Societies have given their enthusiastic support to the Com- mittee and the project. After the project is launched on November 25, the Committee will seek the support of service clubs, user groups and charitable founda- tions. The Conservation Founda- tion will assist with fund raising. Co-chairmen of Wheels to Nature are Nancy Glendinning of Parkhill and Charles Corbett, RR 2, Ailsa Craig. Glendinning is chairman of the M/S Carnation Campaign for Parkhill and North West Middlesex and Corbett is Reeve of McGilliv- ray Township and a member of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation. To vote on beef system TORONTO - Seven people have been appointed to a committee which will prepare for a vote on the beef marketing system, Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food Jack Riddell announced today. The committee was formed in keeping with a recommendation made in the Beef Marketing Task Force Report. The report, released last month, recommended that On- tario beef producers vote on whether they want a more regulated form of marketing. Dr. Ken McDcrmid, a formcr ministry executive director, will be the independent chairman of the committee. Other members are Vic- tor Wagemans and Graeme Hedley of the Ontario Cattlemen's Associa- tion, Martin Van Geffen and Carl Spencer of the Ontario Beef Produc- ers for Change, Inc., and Norris Hoag and Ken Knox of the Minis- try of Agriculture and Food. The minister has also appointed Ken Knox, director of the Farm Products Marketing Branch, liaison person to the beef vote committee. Riddell has asked the committee to carry out several duties: to decide . who can vote, what question voters will be asked, when the vote will be held and how producers will be informed about the issues before a vote is held. "1 have asked the committee to re- port to me by December 15, 1988," Riddell said. The marketing report was pro- duced by a 16 -member task force representing various parts of Onta- rio's beef industry. it made 56 rec- ommendations aimed at achieving a long-term viable beef industry. r BE A REGULAR BLOOD DONOR Lanais«a 400,111 ately steer clear of controversy. That seems to be what weekly newspapers want in their pages: No controversy, no issues, no dis- senting voices. I am not suggesting that this col- umn is the best farm column in Ontario. Far from it. But is does faithfully present a rural point of new. Yet when I advertised in a publication which goes to weekly editors and publishers in Ontario, not one reply was received inquiring about this column. It is not expensive for them but they decided, in their wisdom, that they did not need it. As I write this, only 10 weekly newspapers are subscribing. Ten out of more than 300 in Ontario. As mentioned, it may not be the greatest writing in the world but the Ontario Federation of Agriculture presented me with their media award a few years ago. They think it is a good column. In addition, 1 was honored to be a judge in the annual Canadian Farm Writers Federation awards again this year. I was appalled. Only three -- count 'em, three -- entries were re- ceived from daily . newspapers. Which is a pretty good indication that daily newspapers, with one or two notable exceptions, virtually ignore farm issues unless the issue is detrimental to agriculture, such as an angry farmer throwing a dead pig on a bank's doorstep or milk being thrown away. The only daily newspaper that carries this deathless prose is that wonderful little city paper, the -aced e, sop Ro(u, trona Aa te"+"a Om M311 2C Stratford Beacon -Herald, a faithful subscriber for almost 20 years. Two or three Thomson papers have carried it for short times but they soon tire of paying me. "We can get stuff free on agriculture,' one Thomson editor said to me. "It may not be very good hut we don't have to pay for it." The notable exceptions in daily newspaper -- those which put an emphasis on farm news -- are the Kitchener -Waterloo Record, the Windsor Star, the Hamilton Specta- tor, the St. Catharines Standard, the Kingston Whig -Standard and the Owen Sound Sun -Times. And the weeklies which carry this column? Here are some in Ontario: The Brighton independent, the Col- borne Citizen, the Wellington Ad- vertiser, the Drayton Community News, the Exeter Times -Advocate, the New Hamburg Independent and the Nassagaweya-Halton Mirror. Thank the Lord there arc some ed- itors with an eye to agriculttirc. It is still the biggest sector of the economy. More than 32 percent of the gross national prcxiuce is gener- ated through agriculture and the food chain. What goes on out there in the hack forty should be of inter- . est to the whole nation. Unfortunately, most editors and publishers arc too short-sighted to emphasize it. If I was a farmer in Ontario, 1 would be hugging my weekly editor or publisher to get a good farm col— umn in the paper; not necessarily this one but at least one of some kind. Make it a Special Holiday with sturdy toys from your CASE IH dealer Authentic 1,16 -scale Case 560E Loader Backhoe Y $30.29 Authentic 1 16 -scale Case International 900 Planter Put a smile under the tree with these scale - model toys of real equipment They're die- cast tor durability and finished with tough enamel. See us for these and other special values of the season. Come in today while our selection is at its best `gr,', $45.06 Authentic 1 16 -scale Case International 3294 Tractor $45.06 ONLY Authenh,c 1 16 -scale Case International 7130 Tractor •Reicatu FARM EQUIPMENT LTD. Exeter Sales, Service & Rentals 235-2121 since 1932 Dashwood 237-3242 "It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas" Get in the holiday spirit early. Attend the following educational evenings at Centralia College. Make hand crafted gifts and treats The Great Cookie Caper Workshop designed to put you one -shop ahead of the Christ- mas rush. Participants do the baking in this "hands-on" work- shop. Then each takes home a selection of Christmas goodies to sneak into the freezer and bring out just in time for Santa. En- rollment limited to 12 people instructor: Gwen Dykeman, CCAT Instructor 1 Thursday, December 1, 1988 (7 - 10 p.m.) Middlesex Hall, Centralia College Fee: $10.00 plus supplies $15.00 Gifts From Your Kitchen Here's a workshop designed for those who like 10 "give from the heart Give sweet and savory morsels to those who love good food. Nothing pleases them more than tastefully selected gour- met items. Join us for an evening to learn more about these tempting surprises. Enrollment limited to 24. Instructor: Gwen Dykeman, CCAT Instructor 1 Tuesday, December 6 (7 - 10 p.m.) Middlesex Hall, Centralia College Fee: $10.00 To register and for more information contact: CENTRALIA COLLEGE Of Agricultural Technology Huron Park, Ontario NOM 1Y0 Tot: (519) 228.6691 Ext. 245