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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-02-22, Page 29FARM PAGE Show dells how to hold the line on costs "Keep Costs in Line in "79" -- that's the challenging theme for the 42nd annual Farm Show to be held at the Western Fairgrounds February 27 to March 2. The 1978 show attracted 36,885• visitors, making it Ontario's premier farm equipment show. This year more than 160 exhibitors and over four acres of space will combine in a kaleidoscope of the latest in farm equipment, machinery and services. Afternoon theatre programs each day will take a serious look at the problems, opportunities and future facing the modern farmer. Among the topics to be discussed are Canada's self- sufficiency in food production, the risks and practical experiences in expansion, • management for maximum yields and weed control. Friday, March 2 is "Policy Day" and Eugene Whelan, Federal Minister of Agriculture will be the' keynote speaker for the afternoon program. Written questions will be ac- cepted from the audience following the presen- tation. An ever-changing Huron County 4-H leaders attended the Provincial 4-H Leaders' Conference at Toronto recently. From left are Ken Mewhinney, RR1 Luckndw; Michael Rogers, RR5 Goderich; Gordon Lobb, RR3 Clinton; Sandy Bunker, associate agricultural represen- tative, Lambton County; Robert Hern, RR1 Woodham; and Allan Haugh, RRI Brucefield. (Photo Courtesy Ministry of Agriculture and Food) . I It depends which side of the bread the butter is on. It depends, too, on who pays for'the butter. Some years ago, many members of farm organizations in this country, specifically the National Farmers Union and the Canadian, Federation of Agriculture, lampooned marketing boards. They called these boards tools of the government and tools of big business. They feared farmers would lose their in- dependence if they organized marketing boards. Farmers have lost some independence in the market place but many have gained a great deal in financial independence through marketing boards. I'm not sure exactly where I , stand on the question of quotas and how quotas should be figured in the fine °-price of a farm product. I do know that marketing using quotas are in for some great problems in coming months. Every, consumer organization in the country is getting set to pounce on quota -setting. Quotas, for those who do now know, are just that: the marketing boards have the power to tell a farmer just exactly how much he can produce in tobacco, milk, chickens, eggs and turkeys. Naturally, these quotas become extremely im- portant, very valuable. There are about 40 marketing boards operating in this province. Only a handful operate under a quota system. A notable segment of the agricultural sector has consistently refused to form any kind of marketing board: beef producers. Fiercely independent, the beef producers in Ontario are no closer to a marketing board now than they were 20 years ago. Now comes Joe Casey, the Ontario co-ordinator of the National Farmers Union. He maintains beef farmers today could be providing . consumers with lower-priced beef if they had a marketing board. He is even " inviting consumers groups to take a serious look at how to achieve this desirable Letters are appreciated by Bob Trotter Eldale Rd Elmira Ont N3B'1C7 goal rather than just harp on the high price of beef when prices swing too high. I'm on Joe's side this time. Regular readers of this column know I favor marketing boards. Mr. Casey advised consumers to be wary of comments that "supply management's (quotas) time has come and gone," made by Henry Beben, past -president of the Meat Packers Council of Canada and sales manager for J. M. Schneider Inc. Mr. Beben doesn't like supply management. I 'r' doubt if he has much use for marketing boards of any kind. But they have surely done a great deal for farming. ,A few years ago I spoke at a local beef producers meeting. I said I was an advocate of marketing boards. You could have cut the air in that meeting with a knife. Those beef producers wanted no part of it. So when they get 'hassled for thehigh price of beef, I say let 'em take it. They have had 'Hun- dreds of opportunities to form a board which could go a long way to take the extremes out of their business. They have suffered through half -a - dozen years of disastrously low prices. They are now riding high as every consumer knows. That high will last for a year or two, maybe until, the federal gove nment allows beef imp quotas to increa e, maybe until cattle herds get built up in three or four or five ygars. In the meantime, they'll take the hassling. They'll be accused of robbery and heaven knows 'what because the price ofbeef, ' remains high. The consumers, organizations will scream and yell at them and maybe we'll even have another in- vestigation of the meat packers. But the price of, beef will remain high and beef farmers will chuckle all the way to the bank to pay off the mortgages they were forced into buying when beef was so low. It seems to me something is wrong in a cycle of prices that keeps producers on the brink of disaster half the time. KUBOTA DIESEL POWE Find out how and "why at I DOES IT! FetaL LW SEAFORTH - AYR - CAMBRIDGE i 16 -HP 87100D with four-wheel drive . ® 3 cylinder diesel ■ 6 forward speeds, 2 reverse. ® Front and rear. PTO shafts, ■ D' DepentlablehydraufiETift system Huron County Kubota Dealer Vincent Seaforth, Ont. Farm Equipment Ltd. 527-0120 program of demon- strations and shows has been planned for • the laches. On Tuesday the preparation ,of chocolate Easter treats willbe demonstrated and Wednesday's program features a fashion show. On Thursday the topic will be flovVer arranging the easy way and a film program of travel and comedy will be presented on Friday. In the evenings the emphasis is on light and lively entertainment. The crowning of the Farm Show Princess and the Baking Queen and Princess takes place on Tuesday evening, followed by a_ Junior_ Farmerama variety show. An amateur con- test is the highlight of Wednesday evening's program and square dancing competitions are planned for Thursday night. Farm Show '79 spon- sored jointly by the Western Fair Association and the Middlesex Soil and Crop Improvement Association, offers four exciting days for the entire family. The show opens daily at 10:30 a.m. and activities conclude at .10:30 p.m. Free parking is available on the grounds, Is Lnd lunches will be served in the Progress Building cafeteria. The Top of the Fair Lounge on the third floor of the Grandstand offers a relaxing at- mosphere where full- service luncheons and dinners may be enjoyed during the show. Adult admission. price is $2 and children under 12 years of age ac- companied by.• an adult are admitted free. There is no extra charge for persons attending the theatre programs. Name Peppin Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Ken Lantz has announced the appointment of Arthur J. Peppin as director of.. the Agricultural and Hor- ticultural Societies Branch. Peppin will also serve as secretary - manager of the Inter- national Plowing Match and Farm Machinery Show. Peppin, who graduated from the Ontario Agricultural College in 1941, joined the public relations department of. the college in 1952 and became a member of the Information Branch of the Ministry of Agriculture and' Food in 1964. CODE RICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1979—PAGE 13A Fred Vodden, Hol -Den Farms, Clinton (left) became a member of United Breeders "Starlite 200 Club" at the unit's annual meeting. His cow sired by the United Holstein bull Roybrook Starlite, produced as a six-year-old in ten months, 11005 kgs. of milk and 426 kgs. of butterfat, which is more than 200 percent of the established average for her age group. Vodden was presented with a color photo of the bull by Harold 'Riney of Seagrave, Ontario who served on the unit selection committee when the Starlite bull was pur- chased. Holsteif s can be beef cattle too Feedlot operators and packers treat Holstein steers as second-class citizens, says Dennis McKnight, Kemptville College of Agricultural Technology. In many cases, this discrimination is valid because management of the raif, + 0 as a feedlot weight is handled poorly, he says. However, research conducted at Kemptville College shows that Holstein steers will perform as well as beef steers in the feedlot, if they are managed properly. Tests,, sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, demonstrated that most Holstein steers can achieve a Grade Al, when marketed at 450 to,500 kg liveweight, at 15 to 15 months of age. "To achieve these results, producers must start with healthy cattle that • are castrated and dehorned as calves. The steers- should be fed a minimum of 25 to 30 percent grain and corn silage." Several American studies support the Kemptville data. Tests prove,. that dairy steers can grow faster than British beef breeds, but they have less fat cover, a lower dressing percent, and lower degrees of marbling, when fed the same diet. However, in all the studies, Holstein steers yielded a higher per- centage of carcass weight in boneless trim med retail cuts, says McKnight. "This is the most important 'fact to consider.'' The key to success with Holstein steers seems to be in the diet. Studies Established 1876 McKILLOP MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY HEAD OFFICE: 10 MAIN ST., SEAFORTH, ONT. Mrs. Mprgaret Sharp. Sec. Treas. Ph, 527-0400 FULL COVERAGE Farm and Urban Properties Fire, Windstorm, Liability, Theft Various Floater Coverages Homeowner's, Tenant's Package, Composite Dwelling DIRECTORS AND ADJUSTERS Ken Carnochan, R.R.44,,Sealorth 482-3354 Lavern Godkin, R.R.R1, Walton 527-1877 ROSS Leo hardt, R.R.HT. Borrioholm 345.2234 John McEwing, R.R.41, Blyth 523,9390 Stanley Mcllwain, R, R.42, Goderich 524-7051 Donald McKercher, R.R.*1, Dublin 527.1837 John A. Taylor, R.R.41, Brucefield 482-7527 J.N. Trewartha, Bo, 661, Clinton 482-7593 Stuart Wilson. R.R,l I, Brucefield 527-0687 AGENTS James Kelys, R.R.H1, Seaforth Writ. Leiper, R.R.011, Londesboro 527.0467 523-4257 CALL AN AGENT OR THE OFFICE suggest that Holsteins should be fed more grain than British -type steers. "This will increase the grade and marbling score, and improve the daily gains and feed conversion," says McKnight. For more information eed-i-rrg--pragra-m- for Holstein steers, contact Kemptville College of Agricultural Technology, Animal Science Section, Kem- ptville, Ontario KOG 1J0. a:. Smile Boasting his car could bb induced to Turn on aadime if reduced to,— He stretched his luck In front of a truck... Ten -cents doesn't do what it used to! CLAY — SIIo.Unloaders Feeders Cleaners Stabling: Leg Elevators Liquid Manure Equlprnent Hog Equipment BUTLER — Silo Unloaders Feeders Conveyors FARMATIC — MIIIs Augers, etc. ACORN — Cleaners Heated Waterers WESTEEL-ROSCO Granaries B & L - Hog Panelling LOWRY FARM SYSTEMS RR 1, Kincardine, Ont. Phone 395-5286 WATER WELL DRILLING "79 YEARS EXPERIENCE" • FARM • SUBURBAN • INDUSTRIAL • MUNICIPAL • • FREE ESTIMATES • GUARANTEED WELLS • FAST MODERN EQUIPMENT • 4 ROTARY & PERCUSSION DRILLS "OUR EXPERIENCE ASSURES LOWERCOST WATER WELLS" - WELL DRILLING LIMITED 4 Rotary and Percussion Drills PHONE 357-1960 WINGHAM Collect Calls Accepted "ONTARIO'S FINEST WATER WELLS SINCE 1900" Participate in Canada's Employment Tax Credit Program. 1'1�e la:nli)It)V'ment'1'ax Credit Program vv'IS int ro(iliee(11V,the Government of ('itna(la to stimulitte emi)lnynu'nt in the priv'tt(' sector. In ('ss('n(•(', \s-e're encouraging. - .vou to expand your vVork force by J)' V'i(lin•i2; a utx hreak for Foul• htisin(';ti. The 1)ott'ntiiil iulntiitl tits credit for f'ilt'h new ('mildly('(' is over there is no limit to the number nl n('«- C1111)luy'(S vim hirer Now, I)1' 11Slll•L; 1111' 2'Xl)1'I'iV l('1' \\'e'V(` l;'nine(1 so flu', tve've changed the program to make it even more rp to 33' i nx►m tax credit. Th('.I1mxinlurn term for the tux credit .hits heen increased from nine to 12 month; for raeh new employee. -Mit rneitns U) to :1:11 .i(''I) 'mut'(' til\ credit. . (;rvater eligihilit�: We have e\1)anl.led the number itnd'types of businesses eligible to benefit. Now almost every busi- ness quit's been 111)erlt ing. in (`ilna(la for vveal•ormore ('all,loin in, V ider choice of new employees. \ow, dlmost nn.yone who's tmernployeil ilnd registered nt <t ('iulalla Employment ('entre for n rnirii mm 01 tk eligible. mininnmi Of red tape. We've simplified the proeellure, so y'nu can (lo the y'hole thing from beginning -to end, with,just two �lnl'lt' i)al�l' foals. full (lelitils on the pt, Tanl, contact an}' ('itnalfu Rnlplo\'rnent ('entre ('anatl't \tanpoWer ('entre. E%WLOYERS:' CAN YOU IGNORE POSSIBLE TAX CREDIT OF $3,000 OR MORE? Employment and Immigration Canada Bud Cullen, Minister Emploi et Immigration Caned§ Bud Cullen, Ministre