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The Huron Expositor, 1985-07-31, Page 12•••••••••• •'•••••••••••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •- • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • `• Al2 -- THE HURON EXPOSITOR, JULY 31, 1985 Canada's food supply uncertain, says MPP BY JACK RIDDELLM.P.P. Canadian complacency about the future of agriculture is jarred in this revealing book about the economic and environmental dangers of neglecting our most important resource - land. In this book Gary Fairbaird, commissioned by the Agricultural Institute of Canada, explores the problems and offers some suggestions to improve our future prospects. Productivity of land currently being farmed may be in jeopardy unless proper conservation methods are employed. This is illustrated in the prairies, where organic matter which took 10,000 years to build up has been depleted by almost one•half in some areas, in only 70 years. Other factors which determine our land's productivity are erosion and farm practices such as summer fallow, which increases the extent to which erosion takes place. Concen- trations of potato crops in the Maritimes and modern agricultural technology have been the soil's worst enemies, . Fertilizers and pesticides both harm and help agriculture. Organic farming is an alternative, but also has its problems. The author suggests that more research is needed in pest control. If we curtail such research Investments often turn There's an old saying, "A fool and his money are easily parted." But this can happen to anybody, not just plain fools, unless some basic precautions are taken. Many Canadians have been impoverished because they are talked out of their life savings 'by people offering investment opportunities with great potential for growth. In fact, many of these fantastic -sounding investments turn out to be illusions. A cardinal rule you should follow before you invest your money in the shares of any company is investigate. If a representative of a stockbroking firm has approached you, before you do any business with them you should check their credentials. Ask to see their licence to sell securities, Each province has a Securities Commission which licenses people to . sell gess TOYS, SPECIAL OPEN. Tlll AUGUST ✓e5 CRAFT 20% SUPPLIES Off ALL CHILDRENS 20% CLOTHING OFF includes already low RED TAG Prices Wood & 34 .MAIN STREET, 5. .SEAFORT'H CASH REGISTER, TABLE, ??iOOoo 2 TIER CLOTHES .REI; RACK 70 00 2000 fat Knits Mon., 'Wes., WED. 9-6 THURS., FRI. SAT 9-5 •9-9 now, our options 'in the future may also be limited, One of the most insidious problems at hand .s land use. Urban growth is' encroaching gradually on rural and other developmentslre aestablished oand. Once n such land it is lost to agriculture forever. Why be concerned? "In 1930 federal authorities estimated that I the nation had 142 million hectares of potential agricultural land. With that, one economist calculated Canada should support 250 million people. Today, however, we have less than one-half that amount of farm land in production supporting one-tenth of that potential population," says the author. After closer study scientists have found that Canada has only 42,000 square kilo- metres of Class One farmland. Class One soils have no significant cropping limits. Class Two soils are limited in the types of crops they can support or require special conservation practices. Class Three soils have moderately severe limits, and Class Four soils have severe limits. Class One, Two, and Three soils are considered prime foodlands. Almost all Canadian cities have sprung up out to be illusions it stocks and bonds, or the shares of mutual funds. As well, you should investigate the company the salesperson claims to represent. In the securities business there are two long-established industry associations which closely vet their member -companies. One is the Investment Dealers Association of Canada, Which represents 72 brokerage firms. Its head office is in Toronto and it acts as the self-regulatory body for the securities industry. The other organization is the, Investment Funds Institute of Canada, also based, in Toronto, which performs the same self- regulatory role for the mutual funds industry. Just because a company holds a member- ship in one of these industry associations is no guarantee your investment with that firm will have an assured growth or rate of return. However, your money will enjoy greater safety than if you entrusted it to a non-member company. After you have ensured the individual handling your account is trustworthy, and the company behind the individual • is reputable and has a financially stable record, there is another important step you should take. You should keep track of your investment. If you are investing through a stockbroker, don't hesitate to call him if he hasn't been in touch with you for a long time. Brokers have a tendency to pay much more attention to a client who has a $100,000 account than one with only $10,000. Unless a great travel distance is involved, you should physically meet your broker two or three times a year at least, and make a habit of calling him on the telephone at least once a month. If you are investing in mutual funds there is far less need to maintain contact with either the mutual fund company or its sales representative. The whole purpose of a mutual fund is that you have pooled your money with hundreds or thousands of others, and the fund is being managed by a professional portfolio manager. The mutual fund form of investing is for the long term, and therefore you shouldn't become too concerned about fluctuations in the stock markets from month to month. However, it is still important to remain informed about your fund. By law, mutual fund companies have to send you an annual report and a semi-annual report on the fund in which your money is invested, These reports should be informative and clearly written. If there' is some further information you may wish to have, don't hesitate to write, to the company's head office. Etr3ONTARIO ARCH OF DIMES on productive agricultural areas and present expansion consumes even more good quality farmland. Over a third of Canada's Class One land is within two hours' drive of the centre of Toronto, and more than one-half is within one hours' drive of some major metropolitan centre," he says. Climactic conditions greatly affect the productivity of soils in various regions in Canada. Urbanization is posing a threat to the Niagara fruit belt, the best area in Canada for growing fruit such as peaches, pears, and cherries. There are many underlying economic forces contributing to these • problems. Solutions will not be easy. The future of agriculture in Canada is in our hands. W e must act now to make farming economical, provide farmers with a stable income, increase agricultural research, and turn research discoveries to practical use. Our urban society must begin to develop a conservationist philosophy. A better under- standing of agricultural issues could be gained through education. Writes the author, "The costs for such efforts can be steep, but as previous chapter have made clear, the profits for society as a whole are large." We have a long way to go, We must take that first step. °°°WIN A TRIP FOR 2 TO LAS VEGAS courtesy of MOBILE OIL SPRAYING! • TRIP TO BE BOOKED THROUGH BAUER TRAVEL THAT'S RIGHT! Everyone who has their vehicle oiled by us, in the month of August will receive one chance to win. Example — 5 Vehicles. 5 chances to Vo in. 1 Days and 3 'Nights and Air Fare Cash Value '800°° *TRIP FOR 2 CAN BE TAKEN ANYTIME BETWEEN SEPT. 1, 1985 AND MARCH 31, 1986 CALL NOW FOR DETAILS!! YOU COULD WIN!! Lk. No..188209 N O W IS THE TIME TO HAVE YOUR VEHICLE OILED! During the summer months is the best time to have your vehicle oiled. The hot metal of your vehicle combined with our SPECIAL OIL TREAT14ENT will create a bond that will protect your vehicle from rust throughout the winter. CHECK OUT THE REST....THEN CALL THE BEST: MOBILE 4IL SPRAYING DUBLIN CALL WARREN BENNEWIES 5-2$62 •'• • • • • • ••• • • • • • • • • • • • • Women's Institute recognizes need to support youth Every year is the year of the youth as far as the Women's Institute is concerned. Right from the start the W . I. realized that all youth activities would need to be supported. W .L members have always acted as 4-H leaders and provided monetary support to the 4-14 Clubs. Many W .I. branches provide financial support for the Fair Queen Contestants as well as providing prizes for youth activities at their local fairs. Perhaps one of the biggest contributions that W .I. `makes is through its scholarship program, from the $1,200 Helen M. Mc- Kercher scholarship to someone who is pursuing further education in the Home Economics field to local scholarships several of the W .I. branches provide. London Area awards three Maryn Pardy scholarships each year. As well, Elgin County, Huron County, Middlesex and Oxford Counties each provide scholarships to girls who have had a successful 4-H background and who are furthering their education. On a provincial basis there are four regional scholarships in Ontario. The one that London Area is really interested in is the Dorothy Futcher scholarship, established in 1950 in honor of Mrs. Futcher from the Middlemarch branch, Elgin West, who had been F.W .1.0. President. Each of these, plus the county ones, are worth $200 each. As well FW I0 provides 15 $300 MacDonald Entrance Awards to those taking the Family and Consumer Studies course at the University of Guelph. There is also an International Scholarship to train young women from underdeveloped countries so they may go back and train their own people. To ensure the leaders among our youth are further trained F. W . t.0. has also donated to the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program. W.I. members in the London Area have also helped raise funds and assist with Ronald McDonald House, War Memorial Children's Hospital, Flags for schools. gym and playground equipment for schools, 4-H exchanges, Family and Children Services and camps for Diabetic children. Many W .1. members throughout the year provide assistance to the youth in their community whether through provision of transportation, a shoulder to cry on oras a sounding board for new ideas. The W .I. is undoubtedly a friend of youth. The Classified word for today is BOATS bot: a small vessel with or without a deck, propelled by oars, paddles, sail or power. Go on a seafaring adven- ture through the Classifieds and sail away to the good life. We have sailboats, cabin cruisers, motorboats and canoes. all affordably priced. Buyers and sellers meet every day in the Classifieds. Find what you need and sell what you don't need in the Classifieds. 4 Huron .xpositor = .�2 -0240