The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-03-01, Page 31..h
FARM P
Farm agreement is useful tool
BY J.J. HAGARTY,
AREA COORDINATOR
AND FARM
MANAGEMENT
SPECIALIST
A young man slumped
down in a chair next to
my desk. He said, "Did
you ever have the feeling
of running along the bank
of a river trying to catch.,
up to a boat and the faster
you run the; faster the
boat moves? I've been
working for salary on
dad's farm for five years.
And in that time land has
tripled in value. One
tractor now sells for the
price of a 100 acre farm
five years ago."
He was a good com-
municator! I could see
his point and understand
his feelings. So I asked,
"Does dad know how you
feel?"
He no longer was such a
good communictor! He
didn't know what to say.
He looked uncomfortable.
After some fumbling he
made what was to him a
factual statement.
"A son just doesn't talk
to dad about taking over
the farm."
It takes a lot of courage
to open up some subjects.
It used' to be a sign of
courage to ask a girl for a
dance. And then to ask
her if she would like a
ride home, was even
more courageous. At
some point along this line
of brave deeds you faced
the risk of getting your
face slapped. The funny
thing later on was finding
out she was hoping all
along that you would ask.
How many dads are
doping sons will ask?
Maybe dad says to
himself, "I'll wait until he
has the courage to ask
about entering into the
farm business."
It may be one way 'dad
has of testing son's
maturity.
Today, very few farms
are sold outright to
family. The process is
more one of evolution
than revolution.
Evolution fits into the
scheme off things around
a farm. - Change is
gradual and growth of
plants, animals and
people is a natural thing.
However, it is useful to
have some check points
in the system. There
needs. to be some way of
setting goals and testing
progress.
A farm business
agreement between two
generations is a useful
tool. Each contributes
individually or jointly
owned assets, labour and
management to the
business. Net income is
split on some agreed
percentage. The
agreement is a useful
Standing water
usually means problem
Standing water on tile -
drained fields usually
means there is a problem
with the farm drainage
system, says Ross Irwin,
School of ° Engineering,
Ontario Agricultural
College.
Drainage lines of many
older systems are spaced
too far ,apart for today's'
management systems,
says Professor Irwin.
Wet patches between
existing lines are a
symptom of this problem.
"These areas .V of
standing water can often
be eliminated if you
upgrade' the system
through splitting," ' he
says. "Adding these
extra runs of tire. between
existing drain lines will
make the system more
efficient, and will remove
surface water faster."
Ponded water over tile
lines, and unusual holes
in the 'field, are often
caused by broken drain
pipes. •
"The drain pipe should
be dug up and
examined," he- says. "If
the pipe is broken, it
should be repaired. If it is
full of sand,_it.will have to
be replaced."
Finally, the drainage
outlets should be
examined. Outlets and
screens should be in
place, and repaired if
necessary. Also- • look at
the outlet for signs of
topsoil crumbs, red iron,
straw, and other in-
dications that a problem
is developing in the
system.
"Farmers should make
sure outlets are above the
bottom of drainage dit-
ches so the discharge will
be free and not, block the
system," says Professor
Irwin.
"A tile -drainage
system is a capital in-
vestment. To justify' its
cost, it should continue to
operate efficiently.
Keeping the.. drainage
systerrl open and func-
tioning properly is
necessary for good crop
production."
Miring speeds studied
An Ontario
Agricultural College
research project
measuring the milking
speeds• of dairy cattle
may lead to the
development of a national
sire evaluation program
for milk speed.
Studies conducted on
more than 4000 Canadian
Holstein -Friesian cattle
show that milking speed
can be genetically ---and
environmentally con-
trolled, says Dr. Ted
Burnside, Department of
Animal and Poultry
Science.
Until the mid -1970's,
there was no economical
method of accurately
measuring milk speed,"
says Dr. Burnside. "But
the Milk -O Meter, which
attached directly to' --the
milking system allows us
to obtain accurate
measurements of two -
minute yields under field
conditions."
This research, in-
volving field tests, was
sponsored by the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture
and Food. Tests were
conducted in herds
served by Western
Ontario Breeders Inc.,
United Breeders Inc.,
Eastern Breeders Inc.,
and the Quebec Artificial
Insemination (Al)
Centre. Dairymen
volunteered to par-
ticipate in the program.
The project set out to
determine the effects of
physiological factors,
such as the age of the cow
and the stage of lactation,
on milk speed. The
researchers also
evaluated environmental
effects, such as the type
of milking machine and
teat cup liner, the
vacuum level, pulsation
rate and the length of
time spent preparing
each cow.
"We found that the
environmental factors,
particularly the vacuum
level, played an im-
portant role in milking
speed," says Dr. Burn-
side.
"We also found that the
time spent preparing the
cow influenced its
milking speed. Results
showed a preparation
interval of 1.5 minutes
gave the highest two -
minute milk yield."
Researchers evaluate•
the two -minute ,m ilk
yields by taking into
account the varying
stages of lactation, ages
Trial date set
Kenneth B. Wright of
RR2 Seaforth, a Hullett
Township farmer elected
trial by provincial court
judge when he appeared
in provincial , court in
Goderich Monday on a
charge of attempting to
defraud the Ontario Crop
Insurance Commission of
about $4,162.
The trial will be held on
May 7. Wright is accused
of trying to make a
fraudulent claim on his
1978 white bean crop.
INCOME TAX RETURNS PREPARED
OPEN: IGION. - FRI. 9-5 & 6-9:00
SAT. - 9;00-5:00
�l on LAQiu, g.LAssoclates
FINANCIAL AND MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS
Ss ELGIN AVE. E.
O®ride
P.O. BOX 52.
524-4211
means in the transfer of
farm assets while the
junior member is ac-
cumulating assets and
working into the business
and the senior member is
phasing out of the
business.
GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, MARCH 1 , 1979—PAGE 9A
Brief presented to committee of government
OFA is "shocked" by government policy
"Shocked and
shackled" are some off
the words used by the
Ontario Federation of
Agriculture (OFA) to
describe farmers'
reaction to., Federal
Government agricultural
policy, in •their 'Brief
presented to a Committee
of the Federal Cabinet,
today in Toronto.
The 18 -page strongly
worded Brief, presented.
by OFA President, Peter
Hannam, accompanied
by representatives from
member organizations,
concentrated On four
major areas of discussion
' market development,
taxation, stabilization
and the Animal Con-
tagious Diseases Act.
Although it commends
the Federal Government
for its initial action in
some areas of these four
points, the Brief ex-
presses strong general
dissatisfaction.
Calling the present
tariff structure a
"meaningless means of
protection", the Brief
explains that most
bneJoot in the
furrow' byaut
What, you may ask, is an agrominium?
You didn't ask?
You're going to be told anyway: An agrominium is a
sort of commune where a developer divides a 100 -acre
farm into 10 -acre lots and puts 10 houses on it. The
owners .agree to continue to farm the 90 acres that are
left and, from the profit, pay the mortgage.
There are other definitions. On the surface, it sounds
good. It gives 10 families a chance to live in the
country and who could want anything more? It keeps
land in production.
So, why are we talking this week about
agrominiums? Because Ontario's intrepid Minister of
Agriculture and Food, William Newman has admitted
that he has agreed to a licence for a pilot project.
So what? So this: How many communes have been
successful? How many of those flower children of a
decade ago made a go of it on a commune?Didn't they
become weed -infested yards and rat -infested homes?
Haven't all the flowers gone?
I have been directly connected with young people for
a decade.I have worked side by side with them
teaching them to become journalists.
They have come and gone like ships in the night. I
have yet to meet one who could put up with the con-
ditions on a commune for any length of time. Oh, they
talk blindly about digging a big garden and growing
their own things and most of them wouldn't know one
end of a manure fork from a marijuana weed.
This generation of kids is so pampered, so used to
the good things of life they wouldn't last two days in a
hog barn. They are brought up with instant
everything: instant meals, instant recreation, instant
education, instant marriage and instant divorce. They
have been coddled and cajoled for so long they don't
know the meaning of initiative or hard work. Work is a
dirty word.
What is another definition of an agrominium?
Ten lots with a couple of untrained horses roaming a
weed -filled pasture. Let a group of city people or
urbanites move to 10 acres in the country and before
you can say agriculture, there will be 10 families
complaining about manure odors from neighbouring
farms. They'll be complaining about tractor noises at
of cows, and afternoon
milk yields. Using this T
information, researchers].re'yeiit
violence
are able to index cows for
in the ppiggery
Letters are apprec,aled by Bob Troller Eldale Rd Elm,'a Ont N38 2C 7
night, corn -drying operations in the morning and
smells at noon.
It is beyond my comprehension how the minister of
agriculture - who is supposed to understand farmers
and farming - can possibly explain why he would even
entertain the idea of licens ne, an agrominium
anywhere in Ontario. The original rumor was that the
licence was going to be issued for an agrominium in
West Gwillembury Township .in Simcoe County. The
agminister has denied that location.
I don't give a damn where it is supposed to be. It just
won't work. Legitimate farmers have enough
problems without contending with extra part-time
farmers.
I, personally, thinly Bill Newman really doesn't like
the idea any better than I do. At one time, he denied
the government was considering issuing a licence. But
he has since admitted that he has agreed to a pilot
project.
What happened? Did his cabinet colleagues per-
suade him? Was there a developer somewhere in the
province eloquent enough to get him to give it a try?
I own only two acres of land. I have trouble keeping
two smart horses inside the fences. I have trouble with
snow machine operators who think nothing of
careening across my property with a disdainful wave
of the hand. Last winter, my fence was broken twice
by these fools on their noisemakers.[ have heard that a
standard piece of equipment for cross-country
snowmobilers is a tough set of wirecutters. I believe it.
Can you imagine a few hundred of these
agrominiums scattered across Ontario full of big
families and weekend cowboys? What will they do to
serious farmers who have enough trouble making a
living now?
The time to stop such nonsense is before it gets out of
hand. Every farm organization and every ' con-
servationist and every one concerned about farmland
should tell the government in no uncertain terms that
the idea of agrominiums has been tried and found
wanting.
Surely, we can learn something from the past. The
only successful commune in the last 50 years was
Findhorn and they had God on their side.
milking speed. This
permits identification of
sires with the ability to
produce daughters with
high milking speeds.
"We know that milking
speed is as heritable as
milk yield, fat yield and
conformation," says Dr.
Burnside. "This type of
sire evaluation would
allow producers to select
bulls to improve the
herd's milking speed.
However, more research
is required before this
type of program can be
initiated."
Research is under way
to determine the effects
of milking speed on
susceptibility to mastitis.
This project is being
conducted, on a co-
operative basis with the
Dairy Herd Analysis
laboratory, at
MacDonald College,
Quebec which has ex-
tensive facilities to
record leucocyte count in
individual cow Milk
samples.
Other projects involve
the study of the economic
significance of milking
speed, in terms of
reduced labor costs, the
association between
milking speeds and other
production traits, and the
ranking of Al sires on
milking speeds.
Tail biting and fighting
in the swine finishing
barn are usually sym-
ptoms of. another
problem, says Garnet
Norrish, Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food
swine specialist.
"Most tail biting and
fighting is thought to
develop becausethe
animals are under some
kind of stress" he says.
"These symptoms act as
an alarm system for the
producer.".
Stress can be caused by
overcrowding, drafts,,
excess heat, cold or odor,
limit feeding, an
unbalanced diet, un-
palatable feed, in-
sufficient water,
boredom, . anemia, and
internal or external
parasites.
"It is not easy to
prevent an outbreak of
tail biting or fighting,"
says Norrish.
"Although they usually
indicate management
problems, they can also
occur under excellent
conditions."
Some feeders try to
prevent these problems
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by docking pigs' tails at
birth. Although this will
avoid some potential tail -
biting problems, some
pigs will persist and
molest one another by
biting ears or mauling
each other.
Norrish suggests that
producers observe the
pigs closely to determine
what stress or problems
are annoying them.
"Simple cases of
bordeom can be solved
easily by suspending an
old tire in the pen, to keep
the pigs amused, he
says..
Sometimes, tail biting
or fighting is7 initiated by
one vicious hog. In this
case, the hog should be
removed, if possible, and
placed in a separate pen.
Detecting other causes,
such as feeding, com-
position of diet, and
ventilation, - r.equires
more careful observation
and planned changes.
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governments 'protect
tl}eir agricultural in-
stry with a tariff
structure, but the
"Canadian Government
continues to expose
Canadian farmers to
every cheap labour,
cheap resource area in
the world."
The result, it said, has
been the decline of our
best lands as well as the
decline of the fruit and
vegetable industry.
Hannam added, con-
sumers were now paying
for this lack of foresight
with the present high cost
of imported fruits and
vegetables; direct action
needs to be taken before
the 1979 planting season.
The Brief strongly
supports national
marketing boards, saying
they are an "essential
tool" providing orderly
and effective marketing
for Canadian products for
the benefit of both farmer
and consumer.
It adds, • the new
guidelines for the
National Farm Products
Marketing Council has
created "insecurity" in
the minds of farmers and
it "deplores" the fact that
"Farmers' interests are
commencing to be cast
aside as a result of inter-
ministerial political in-
fighting at -the Federal
Government level".
"We warn you (the
federal government),"
the Brief says, "if farm
marketing systems are
•shackled and destroyed,
food supplies and prices
will become more
erratic:"
The Brief, commends
the Federal Government
on the idea of creating a
Canadian Agricultural
Export Council, to im-
prove Canada's -export,
markets, but adds, the
OFA is • "shocked and
disappointed at hearing
of (the) intention to
establish this Council but
to emasculate it by
limiting it to an advisory
role."
"The last thing farmers
need is another advisory
council. Farnmers can't
live on advice, we need
action," the Brief states.
The Brief also calls for
the abolition of the
Capital Gains Tax
because of the "con-
tinuing inequities im-
posed on farmers far no
apparent useful pur-
pose."
It explains that
adequate stabilization
programs would improve
farm income, security
and provide steadier food
supplies. ,OFA will be
studying new Federal
and Provincial gover-
nment proposals at a
meeting of farmers on
March 21 in Toronto.
With regard to the
Animal Contagious
Diseases Act, the Brief
states, compensation for
loss of livestock because
of contagious diseases
should cover the farmer's
loss on income, the clean-
up expenses and the
replacement value of the
animal.
_ "Current government
policy is woefully
inadequate," Hannam
added.
The OFA is the largest
farmers' voluntary
organization in Ontario,
representing 90 percent
of Ontario farmers with
over 23,500 farm families
in direct membership,
plus 18 commodity
marketing boards, three
provincial co-operatives
and seven provincial
commodity and
education associations as
members also.
FARMERS
AND
HOBBY FARMERS
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Quotation on
FARMOWNERS:
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FLOATERS:
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EARNINGS:
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LIABILITY:
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GENERAL INSURANCE
46 WEST ST.. GODERICH
524-7878
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