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The Times Advocate, 2004-01-28, Page 44 Exeter Times—Advocate Wednesday, January 28, 2004 zkxna =CNA Editorial Opinion TIMES ADVOCATE PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing casts. Jim Beckett Publisher and Editor Deb Lord Production Manager &Published by Metroland Printing, rt Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Metroland 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850 Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • (519) 235-1331 EDITORIALS Careless drivers boggle the mind After a slow start, winter has hammered the area with a vengeance the last cou- ple of weeks, closing roads, schools, businesses and making driving hazardous. While those who live in the area are used to such heavy snowfalls, gusting winds and poor highway conditions, it's a mystery how so many people don't exercise caution when driving on the highways and in town. You'd think the numerous accidents this year and the fatal crashes before Christmas would be warning enough that people should drive slowly, keep their eyes open and, in really bad weather, stay home. Instead, we continue to see drivers cut each other off and pass on the highways during icy and poor visibility conditions. What's going through these drivers' minds as they put them- selves and others at risk with their negligent dri- ving? It's no surprise these people don't care about the other drivers on the road, but they're also showing a foolish disregard for their own lives. What's it going to take for people to smarten up? When will it stop? As if it wasn't tough enough for the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, they found themselves without beef earlier this week after fears of mad cow disease forced the quarantine of thousands of pounds of U.S. beef. At press time, there was a possibility all the meat, worth $83,000, was going to be destroyed. Something is seriously wrong with our system when people are afraid to eat red meat, but that's the world we live in now: people are sus- picious of their food, air and water. The troops will make do with white meat until fresh supplies of red meat are found. While it's a shame the soldiers will be inconve- nienced and the food will be destroyed when people all over the world are starving, at least safety precautions are in place to protect them. Better safe than sorry. About the Times -Advocate Enjoying the tastes of Huron County I had the opportunity to attend a meeting in Clinton last Tuesday about marketing the tastes of Huron County. The topic made me stop and think about the quality food products we enjoy here. Coming from a farm in the north end of the county, I can honestly say there was never a shortage of food on the table, espe- cially in the summer months when my mom diligently worked in the garden to provide the fresh tastes of corn, cabbage, lettuce, asparagus, tomatoes and potatoes. The list goes on, but I'm sure you get the point. I've done my share of planting, hoeing and picking as well, although I must admit it's not my favourite pastime. I much pre- fer the eating part. It is my opinion that you have not tasted a tomato until you have picked one fresh off the vine and served it up immediately. The same is true for strawberries and countless other fruits and vegetables. The freshly picked flavour is one all its own. You could say there's a bit of sunshine in every bite. The flavours change, but are no less palatable when the produce is canned, preserved and frozen in the fall, ensuring a variety of goods from the garden will be available throughout the year, stocked in the freezer and root cellar. Because of this experience I can appreciate the efforts of farmers who make their living produc- ing the food we eat every day. Their blood, sweat, tears and money goes into the production of that food and every time we eat, we should be grateful for the efforts of farmers. One of the points of the meeting I attended was to find ways to make sure some of the food we put on our tables includes locally grown produce so we can support the efforts of farmers who live and work right here in Huron County. When we choose to consume the prod- ucts of our neighbours, we can be assured they are using safe practices and the quality is second to none. Huron County has a variety of unique and wonderful products we should be taking advantage of. I encourage everyone to explore those products and flavours when they have the chance. Go to market gardens and take advantage of produce available at fair booths and displays in the summer and autumn months. Find out what is available throughout the year in our communities and ask local retailers and restaurateurs where they get the products they sell and include in their recipes. We can be proud of what is available in our own backyard. So the next time you go shopping, think about who created what you're putting in your cart and remember, `If you ate today, thank a farmer.' MARY SIMMONS PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS Address & Office Hours Times -Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Closed on Holidays. 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For example, Jim Beckett's e-mail address is <jbeck- ett@southhuron.com> Our general e-mail address is ads@southhuron.com. The Times -Advocate Team Publisher/Editor Jim Beckett ext. 109 Advertising Barb Consitt ext. 110 Reporters Scott Nixon ext. 105 Pat Bolen ext. 113 Mary Simmons ext. 107 Customer Service Sue Rollings ext. 101 Carol Powe ext. 102 Composition Department Manager Deb Lord ext. 114/103 Sharlene Young ext. 103 Jacky Westlake ext. 103 Accounting Staff Anita McDonald ext. 104 Cassie Dalrymple ext. 108 Ruth Slaght ext. 106 Carol Windsor ext. 111