Times Advocate, 1994-12-7, Page 10Page 10
Tines -Advocate, December 7,1994
Ethanol sales strong at
Exeter Co -Op Gas Bar
Ethanol makes up about half of gasoline sales at pumps
By Heather Vincent
T -A Staff
EXETER - Ethanol pumps in-
stalled in June of 1994 at the Ex-
eter Co-op Gas Bar, have
claimed at least 50 percent of
customers says Gas Bar manager
Mary Masse. Ethanol comprises
a guaranteed six percent of the
fuel in the pump, the remaining
94 percent is comprised of regu-
lar unleaded gasoline. This is a
small percentage compared with
E85 which contains 85 percent
ethanol, used commercially in
Brazil.
The ethanol used at the Co-op
is derived solely from Ontario
grown corn.
"It's helping out the farmers",
said Masse. The sale of ethanol
assures the farmers of a better
price for corn when it is used in
this way.
The ethanol choice is also better
for the environment. There is no
waste in the process because the
corn co -product is used to feed
livestock in turn producing hu-
man food including meat and
milk.
"Personally, I feel it has no ill
effects at all", said Bob Hum-
phries of the Ministry of Ag-
riculture and Food who has been
using the fuel in his own vehicle.
Ethanol blends have received the
approval from the Ministry of the
Environment to carry the Eco
Logo as a sound environmental
choice. When ethanol is mixed
with unleaded gasoline, it results
in a cleaner burning fuel.
Ethanol is a benefit for ve-
hicles, keeping the carburetor
and gas tank clean. Gas line anti-
freeze is not required when using
ethanol because the alcohol ab-
sorbs any water in the line.
Masse said the most common
misconception about ethanol is
once you start using it, you can't
switch back to regular unleaded
gasoline. She stressed this is not
the case, the two are inter-
changeable. Most automobile
manufacturers now include eth-
anol as an acceptable fuel for
their vehicles.
"I feel it has no ill
effects at all"
From an environmental stand-
point, ethanol is a renewable
product which can allow man-
ufacturers to eliminate the use of
toxic octane enhancers in Ca-
nadian gasoline. Using fuel eth-
anol can mean a reduction in the
the carbon dioxide emission.
Arguments against the ex-
tensive use of ethanol include
the concern over the resulting
expanded need for nitrogen fer-
tilizer use. Bob Down of the
Ontario Corn Producers ex-
plained greater ethanol pro-
duction will not necessarily
mean producing more crops. The
sale of corn for the manufacture
of ethanol would instead provide
a local market for surplus, elim-
inating the need to export. This
keeps profits in Ontario.
The local Shell gas station
does not supply ethanol. Shell
feels that ethanol blends provide
"no overall benefit over straight
gasoline," says the technical bul-
letin.
Mary Masse of the Exeter Co -Op Gas Bar says the sale of
ethanol assures the farmers of a better price for com when
it is used in this way.
OFA re-elects president
for hisfifth term in office
TORONTO - Roger George has been re-elected to
his fifth term as president of the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture (OFA). George has a livestock and cash
crop farm near Powassan Ontario in Nipissing District.
Joining him in vice presidential positions are Bruce
County incumbents Tony Morris of Mildmay and Ken
Kelly of Paisley.
Ed Segsworth of Halton Region and Alvin Runnalls
of Dundas were both re-elected to the OFA executive
committee along with newcomers Sharon Rounds and
Mary O'Connor. Sharon Rounds is a cash crop and
grain elevator operator from Oxford County and Mary
O'Connor operates a beef feedlot in Waterloo Region.
Both are serving their first term as OFA executive
members.
Over 400 farm family delegates attended the annual
convention which was highlighted by an Ontario pro-
vincial leaders debate on agriculture.
"The OFA is looking forward to a challenging and
productive 1995," said OFA president George. "Onta-
rio farmers are prepared to take on international chal-
lenges, diversify domestic markets and show consu-
mers and politicians alike that agriculture is an
economic force, not a cottage industry. The OFA's
1995 leadership team is well poised to make sure that
the needs of Ontario farmers are at the political fore-
front in the 12 months ahead.
StiI2G. $50 Off.
Nuff Said.
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One Foot in the F
By Bob Trotter
Farmers processing their own meat products
How many fanners out there re-
member FAME?
It was a venture doomed to fail-
ure. It began about 35 years ago
when a group of farmers in south-
western Ontario pooled their re-
sources to buy property and build a
hog processing plant. In fact, I
think the original plans encom-
passed the processing of poultry
and beef as well.
I believe it even went so far as to
purchase some acres just south of
Highway 401 near Cambridge. If I
remember rightly, a few earth mov-
ers were brought in and ground-
breaking began.
But it died. Farmers Allied Meat
Enterprises -- FAME -- died a-
borning.
The idea of farmers processing
their own meat products has re-
surfaced time and gain over the
years. So many farmers think that
meat packers are making huge prof-
its at their expense but when the
hard facts are learned, few ripoffs
by packers are evident.
All we have to do is look at how
many major players in the meat
packing game have gone belly up
in recent years. Burns and Gainers
are classic examples.
Now, we have a group of farmers
in southwestern Ontario, pork pro-
ducers mostly, talking about the
partially closed Pillsbury Plant in
London, Ontario, as a site for a ma-
jor hog -handling facility.
I wish them all the luck in the
world because they are going to
need it.
They have been working quietly
for almost two years, according to
Gerry Long, a producer in Dela-
ware who has been named as chair-
person of a co-operative investigat-
ing the project. Plans include
canvassing more than 400 produc-
ers of pork to see if they would be
interested in investing money to
buy the Pillsbury plant.
It's common knowledge that the
farmers involved produce about 25
percent of the hogs produced in On-
tario and, if successful in raising
money, the group could quite possi-
bly go farther afield to interest al-
most every hog farmer west of To-
ronto. Only three hog processing
plants are operating in Ontario
these days, in Toronto, Burlington
and Kitchener, and hog producers
in the area around Toronto and Bur-
lington become fewer every year
simply because land is too expen-
sive for agriculture in those areas.
Their idea has merit.
And, as one of the interim direc-
tors has said, the plant would give
producers increased control over
their own destiny.
One of the major reasons for ac-
quiring their own plant would be to
explore greater opportunities in ex-
ports.
STARTING AT
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