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O.F.A. by Ron Jones Do farmers have a right to farm? The Ontario Federation of Agriculture thinks so and the O.F.A. Environment Com- mittee has prepared a discussion paper on farmers' rights, which is currently being circulated to all county federations. Farmers have _in- creasingly come under pressure from non-farm rural residents' to operate their farms less noisily, less smelly, less dusty, or, in other words, keep the park like atmosphere intact just like you see on TV. The O.F.A. wants feed-back on the topic. Any farmer with ideas and comments should forward them to the Simcoe Federation office at 49 Essa Road, Barrie. Royal Commission Reports According the reports the long awaited study of the Royal Com- mission of Food Price Discounting is now in government hands. The commission, headed by Judge Leach, Cayuga, was Set up following disclosures by then O.F.A. President, Peter Hannam, and opposition spokesmen in the provincial legislature that major food retailers and processors were demanding and getting cash discounts or kick backs from suppliers of produce. Growers who didn't co-operate didn't sell produce. Marketing Biggest Farm Problem Outside of the weather, marketing farm produce is the biggest problem the Canadian agriculture industry has. Like the weather, market returns for many farm products are just as unpredictable. in the annual brief to Simcoe County Council last December the S.C.F.A. pointed out that most of the agricultural products grown or raised in Simcoe County are marketed and processed outside the county, then tran- sported back in for our consumers. It doesn't make much sense from the con- sumer point of view and wants feedback certainly makes it more difficult for the farmer to control his marketing. The S.C.F.A. brief asked county Councillors to give special attention to attracting industries which process locally grown products. S.C.F.A. Back at Work Because of intense farm schedules during the summer, few farm meetings are planned other than those ab- solutely necessary to conduct the business of the Federation. Regular board meetings are held the first Thursday of each month, except July and August. Special meetings are held from time to time when the need arises. The next regular Board Meeting is on Sept. 4 at the Co- operator's Board room, 49 Essa Road, Barrie. All meetings begin at 8 p.m. and are open to the public and the press. Meeting agendas are generally very full, so anyone wishing to bring an issue to the attention of the S.C.F.A. Board is asked to notify Secretary-Manager, Robert Cowan, as far in advance of the meeting as possible. Blackbird Problems Crop growers in North Simcoe seem to have struck out in their many encounters' with government ministries over the crop depradation they suffer from blackbirds. A while back, in response to complaints that Ministry of Natural Resources' wildlife management schemes were contributing to increased redwing populations in Simcoe, the provincial government funded a research project that farmers hoped would eventually lead to some sort of bird flock management. However, now, many thousands of research dollars and thousands of crop. dollars later, government officials seem to have gotten cold feet and have with- drawn the funding for continued research.' Apparently the political backlash from exterminating excess blackbirds outweighs the lost farm income from destroyed grain Page 2, Wednesday, August 27, 1980 crops. What will be the political backlash when ROOM SIZE REMNANTS hames ght N-STORE SPECIALS on such famous eCoronet ¢Harding e Armstrong Peerless consumers are offered blackbirds instead of steak? ROBY'S 'SUMMER FAR HARDING TOURIANE as BE "WE WILL NOT Instant school Some schools are built more quickly than others. Foundations were laid last week and portable buildings trucked in and put in place in Penetanguishene across the way from Roby Reid KNOWINGLY UNDERSOLD" Corpus Christi School. ° Ste. Ann's School, a Catholic English six-unit school, is scheduled to be ready by next Tuesday. PEERLESS NIGHT FIRE Only $5.95 /sq.yd. PEERLESS HIGH PERFORMANCE Only $10.95 /Sq.Yd. YOU SAVE .00 Sq.yd. Lifetime guarantee on professional installation eMastercharge @Chargex Financing available sox ROO" 'CARPET MART | CARPET & VINYL nick SAL Midland 526-6991 526- 4217 | On Hwy 27, next to Zellers Plaza 4 | .