Terry Boland, Editor-in-Chief
OACC Elections
The
Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council (OACC), representing 24 non-supply managed
commodities, held their annual meeting in London, Ontario in April, electing Ken
Porteous, Ontario Tender Fruit Producers’ Marketing Board, to a second term as
chairman. Bob Down, Ontario Corn Producers’ Association, was re-elected as 1st
vice-chair. John Gillespie, Ontario Cattlemens’ Association, was elected to the
position of 2nd vice-chair. Don LeDrew, OCPA, was appointed as the new secretary.Spring and Farm Safety
Do you know how best to prevent accidents on the farm? Getting ready to plant the 2000 corn crop means a hectic time for Ontario farmers, but it also raises the issue of heightened awareness and increased caution about safety on the farm. From the dangers of farm machinery to careful use of crop protection materials, farmers need to review their on-farm safety programs to ensure all members of the family are knowledgeable of the care required in farming operations, and what to do if an accident occurs. There is a lot of important and useful information on all aspects of farm safety as close as your computer. Take the time to visit the Farm Safety Association on the Internet at www.fsai.on.ca and review the many fact sheets provided.
Murray Gaunt Recognition Event
On the afternoon of May 27 a very special event will be taking place in Wingham, Ontario. The management and staff of CKNX Radio will be hosting a “recognition event” for retiring farm broadcaster Murray Gaunt. For many of us who have known Murray over the years, this is a long time coming. His contributions to the political landscape and service to the farm community as farm leader and broadcaster are hard to match. We hope friends, farmers and members of the legislature and media will take the time to drop in to the station on wish Murray well in his retirement.
CKNX FAB Award
The CKNX Farm Advisory Board has awarded the 1999 FAB $1,000 bursary to Lucas Thacker, R.R.#4, Kincardine, Ontario. Lucas is a second year student studying for his honours degree in the Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences program at the University of Guelph. Does the name sound familiar? It should. Lucas was the overall $2,500 winner of the 1998 PROWL High School Essay Competition, writing an excellent essay on research and innovation on the farm.
Ethanol Vehicle Challenge 2000
By now most of you have heard of the 2000 Ethanol Vehicle Challenge (details on page 6 in this issue) coming to Canada for the first time. It’s an international event showcasing E85 vehicle conversions by North American universities and colleges. A number of events will be taking place from May 16-20 across Ontario (May 16, Parliament Hill; May 19, Queen’s Park; May 19, Golpher Dunes off-road; May 19, Commercial Alcohols, Chatham; and May 20, Dieppe Park, Windsor). Hope you can come out and watch the Silverado trucks go through their performances.