Times Advocate, 1994-11-9, Page 23FR M l I ATF Times -Advocate, November 9,1994 Page 23
One Foot in the Furrow
By Bob Trotter
One foot in the seed drill?
He sat beside me in the
bleachers at the hog ring during
the weekly sale at the stock-
yards.
"You better be careful what
you write, mister," he said with
a sly grin. He was in the farm-
er's uniform: Kodiak boots,
jeans, a plaid shirt, a wool -lined
vest and a nondescript jacket. •
He wore a tractor hat and it was
not -- repeat not -- on back-
wards.
Wary, I looked him up and
down before seeing the twinkle
in the faded blue eyes.
"What have I done now?" I
asked, knowing I was going to
get a cute answer.
"Well," he said, "if you keep
on writing about no -till fanning,
you will have to change the
name of your column. You can't
have one foot in the furrow if
you're into no -till farming."
"I'll just have to call it one
foot in the seed drill," I replied
and we both got a good laugh.
He started talking about agri-
culture in the broad sense in-
stead of simply regaling me
with stories about the perils of
raising pigs and the problems
producing pork. In my experi-
ence -- and I have been talking
to and about farmers for more
than 60 years -- a pork producer
will talk about pork; a milk pro-
ducer will talk about dairying
and so on. Too few of them will
talk about the problems in other
areas of agriculture and only a
handful will talk about the big
picture.
One of his most thoughtful re-
marks had to do with the aging
of the farm population. A few
months ago, I wrote about the
problem older farmers have
when trying to pass the farm on
to the next generation.
"If your figures are correct
and there are 125,000 farmers in
Canada aged 54 or more, then a
great many older men and wom-
en are in a position to pass the
farm along," he said. "I have a
son who is never going to be a
great student. He might get a
high school diploma if I live
long enough but he loves the
faun and 1 would like to help
him.
"I want him to have the farm.
That's why this new move by
the Farm Credit Cooporation --
the Family Farm Loan Plan --
might be a dandy idea. I am
about to look into it and I hope
it is simpler than most of.these
government plans."
He chuckled, knowing full
well that it wouldn't be.
As I understand it, the new
Family Farm Loan Plan will ap-
prove a loan to a buyer of up to
90 percent of a farm's appraised
value. I said I thought the plan
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4-H
news
Exeter H club `Crazy
Crafters' create t -shirts
EXETER - The third Exeter II
4-H meeting was held on October
27 at Melinda Nethercott's. This
week the group tie dyed t -shirts in
primary colours. They were asked
"What is one thing that separates
from a 'good' picture or composi-
tion from a 'bad' one?"
The club decided on a club name
- they are now called the Crazy
Crafters.
The fourth meeting was held on
November 3 and the group was go-
ing to be working with leather.
They were asked "What one thing
that you would do to make a pic-
ture or design balanced or interest-
ing". Some of the things that you
could do are to add texture, three
dimension, colour, etc.
They discussed craft ideas for
projects, design basics, and the 10
guidelines for original composi-
tions. The members were to bring
four or fiv?geometric shapes to
this meeting to try and make a bird,
guyscoring a goal, or someone
dancing.
They talked about leather and
what animals you can get this from
and different ideas that you can do
with leather or suede.
The next meeting will be held on
November 10 at 7:00 p.m. at Me-
linda Nethcrcott's.
Usborne 4-H club meets
By Marcia Kirk
KIRKTON - Thursday, October
27, the Usborne Baking Buds 4-H
club held their first meeting, at Ann
Morley's. With over 10 members,
the agenda consisted of roll call,
electing the club executives, and
making oven -baked and microwave
brownies.
The members also had fun decid-
ing on a group name.
On Thursday, November 3, the
Usborne Baking Buds 4-H club
held theft, second meeting at Ann
Morley's The agenda consisted of
roll call, crossword puzzles and
making different kinds of muffins.
The next meeting is to be held
November 17 at 4:15 p.m. at Mor-
ley's.
Soil conservation measures
makes dollars and sense
HURON, SASK. - One Saskatchewan rural municipality has recog-
nized the economic advantages of soil conservation practices, and has
even put its money where its mouth is.
The Regional Municipality of Huron, about 90 km. northwest of
Moose Jaw, offers tax credits to farmers who carry out one or all of
three soil conservation measures: planting one-third mile of trees per
quarter section; planting 60 or more acres of grass per quarter section;
or planting one-quarter mile of grass run to replace a dirt run.
For each of these conservation measures, a farmer will receive a
land -tax rebate of 20 percent the first year, 15 percent the second year,
10,percent the third ycar, and five percent the fourth ycar.
" he tax rebate system benefits farmcrs and the land, but it's also of
great economic benefit to the R.M.," says Don Sloan, administrator of
the R.M. of Huron. "Without such conservation measures, many land
assessments will decrease. With the use of conservation measures,
however, land assessments will remain the same or increase.
"The advantages for everyone were just too great to ignore, so coun-
cil passed motion this summer to accept applications for the rebates.
Most farmers are very favorable toward the idea, as they know some-
thing needs to be done and the rebates will get them over the financial
hump. One farmer has already applied for the rebate, and seven more
have promised to get involved in the next year," says Sloan.
John Babcock, senior provincial soil conservation specialist, Sas-
katchewan Agriculture and Food, says he's delighted to see the grass-
roots incentives for implementation of soil conservation practices.
"It's gratifying when governments and Individuals at the local level
take responsibility for encouraging soil conservation. As Sloan says,
gvetyone benefits," says Babcock.
looked good in the brochure I
received but I didn't know all
the details.
"You can get only 40 percent
of the sale price right away," I
said because I remembered a lit-
tle from the brochure. "But you
can make arrangements for the
balance of 90 percent to be paid
over a five-year period. It
should give you enough to
spend at least one winter in
Florida if you pass the place
along to your son."
He grinned.
"Who the hell wants to go to
Florida?" he said. "I just want to
spend a few mornings having a
sleep -in when the cold winter
winds blow. Maybe a little time
to cuddle up...."
I know he is about the same
age as I am, well past the legal
age of retirement and both of us
laughed about cuddling up.,,As
seniors, we ire seen by the
younger generation as sexless
and dispassionate.
Both of us know that the
younger generation is full of the
stuff that we pile behind the
barn when it comes to assessing
the libidos of elders.
I hope he gets approval from
the Family Farm Loan Plan bu-
reaucrats. He should get it for
his sense of humor alone.
Tax seminar
CLINTON - The Ontario Minis-
try of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs is offering a Farm Tax
Seminar for farm families. The
seminar will be held Thursday,
December 1 in the OMAFRA sem-
inar room, Clinton beginning at
12:30 p.m.
John S.`McNeilly, Chartered Ac-
countant, Exeter will be presenting
farm tax principles that will help
farmers in year end tax planning
strategies. The registration fee for
the seminar is $7. Preregistration
is required.
Cash basis accounting has al-
lowed farmers much flexibility in
farm income reporting and tax
planning. John will discuss some
strategies in addition to making
presentations on personal, partner-
ship, and corporation taxation; tax
treatment of specific farm income
and expense items; utilizing farm
inventory provisions; claiming
capital cost allowance, and farm
losses.
In addition, an update on GST,
NISA and the $100,000 capital
gains exemption, which ends this
year, will be discussed. It is rec-
ommended that farmers begin
thinking about this matter now,
and not to leave tax planning until
their accountants are busy filing
income tax.
Deferred
payments
TORONTO - The Ontario Crop
Insurance Commission announced
November 3 farmers expecting a
claim payment for losses in 1994
can arrange to have the payment
deferred until 1995 for tax plan-
ning purposes.
The payments, made to farmers
enrolled in the crop insurance pro-
gram who suffer a shortfall in thc
yield of their crops, are considered
taxable income by Revenue Cana-
da. Under the claim payment de-
ferral option, however, eligible
tarmers can now report claim pay-
ments in the calendar year of loss-
es or the following calendar year.
"Farmers have asked for this tax
planning feature, and we're
pleased to be able to offer it to our
clients," said Greg Brown, General
Manager of the Crop Insurance
Commission.
Claim payments arc made if thc
producer harvests less than thcir
guaranteed production. Yield eval-
uators will visit each enrolled
farmer, and ask those eligible for
claim payments whether they pre-
fer to receive the payment in the
1994 or 1995 calendar year.
Producers who choose to defer
their claim payments will receive
the claim cheque for 1994 losses
in early January 1995.
Workshop
to be held
for farm
families
CLINTON - The Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs is offering a
two day workshop for farm
families who want to start
planning for retirement or the
transfer of a farm.
In Huron County, workshop
dates.are Wednesday, Decem-
ber 7 and 14 and February 9
and 16. Workshops run from
9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are
held in the OMAFRA seminar
room, Clinton.
Registration fee for the two
day workshop, including two
lunches and G.S.T. is $40. for
one person. Multiple registra-
tions from farms arc encour-
aged and reduced group pric-
es are available.
Registration is limited to 24
per course.
Seminars will be held by
OMAFRA staff along with
presentations by a lawyer, ac-
countant, and a farmer.
Topics include planning for
retirement, wills, power of at-
torney, business agreements,
and other legal issues; strate-
gies for the sale or transfer of
farm assets, financing a trans-
fer, developing family busi-
ness succession goals, family
communication and decision
making.
Two important topics of the
workshop are an in depth re-
view of the new power of at-
torney legislation and the
changes being made to the
capital gains exemption.
It is important for farm op-
erators to take a step back
from time to time to consider
their own personal planning,
as well as the business plan-
ning necessary for a success-
ful farm operation.
Personal planning is imper4
ative in order to create cer-
tainty for your future plans.
Thi course will help you
withperspnal and business is-
sues in light of the latest legal
'and tax rules.
Following the course, you
will be better prepared to seek
out and instruct your profes-
sional advisors.
For further information or
to register contact the OMA -
FRA office in Clinton.
Funds allocated for
sheep Industry projects
TORONTO - An Industry Devel-
opment Fund has been established
to help address the long-term needs
of Ontario's sheep industry, Minis-
ter of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs Elmer Buchanan announced
November 5.
"This fund is created at the re-
quest of the Ontario Sheep Market-
ing Agency as a transition program
between the National Tripartite Sta-
bilization Plan and the proposed
whole farm program," said Bucha-
nan.
The National Tripartite Stabiliza-
tion Plan (NTSP) for lambs was ter-
minated on February 28, 1994. Un-
der the new fund, which will be
administered by the Ontario Sheep
Marketing Agency, a total of
$33,670 is now available to the On-
tario sheep industry.
The Industry Development Fund
will be used by the Ontario Sheep
Marketing Agency for research,
training, extension, advisory, mar-
keting and promotion projects. The
first project will involve computer
software development to establish a
database of market information
from the 13 computerized auction
markets in Ontario.
"We're pleased to assist Onta-
rio's sheep producers as they move
towards a whole -farm safety -net
program for their industry," Bucha-
nan said. "Ministry staff are cur-
rently working with stakeholders,
other provincial governments and
the federal government to develop
the program.
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