The Milk Producer - April 2011 - (Page 28)

PRODUCERPROFILE By Dan Woolley Ahead of the curve Hall of Fame dairy producer’s on-farm innovations led to leadership roles provincially and nationally M ore than four decades ago, before supply management, over-production and imports often forced dairy producers to dump milk, recalls Bill McCurdy, a long-time prominent fixture in Nova Scotia’s dairy community. With supply management, the Canadian industry is envied by farm organizations around the world, he says. “If supply management were lost, we could return to those days,” warns Bill, who was recently inducted into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame. The induction recognized him as an industry leader and innovative dairy farmer, reputations earned after he took over the family farm in Old Barns near Truro in 1959. The farming innovations he adopted led to his leadership roles. By 1970, after several productivity improvements to his on-farm operation, Bill could afford to take some time away from it. “I started attending farm organization meetings and I saw things that needed changing,” he says. In 1981, he accepted an appointment to the board of the Nova Scotia Milk Producers Association (NSMPA), predecessor of today’s Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia (DFNS), and was elected NSMPA chairman the next year. In turn, he was appointed as NSMPA’s representative on the Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee (CMSMC) from 1982 until 1988, when he was appointed to the Nova Scotia Dairy Commission. Bill later represented the provincial dairy commission on the CMSMC for five years until 1994. His work included sitting on a study committee examining ways to bring all the prov- inces together to represent the dairy industry by maintaining one voice for the administration through national quotas. Gained perspective During this time, he got the chance to travel coast to coast and learn how each province administered its milk supply management system. Bill believes that gave him “a good perspective on the industry Canada-wide. I got to know people like Grant Smith and Ken MacKinnon of Ontario.” Getting to know that era’s industry leaders helped him understand “where we had to go.” Fellow Nova Scotia producer Barron Blois, who later served as both Dairy Farmers of Canada president and DFNS chairman, “was a real asset to me. At that time, he just started to get involved nationally. He has a tremendous ability to address people on controversial issues without irritating them.” Bill’s experience in national dairy policy has made him a staunch supply management supporter. It makes the Canadian dairy industry “the envy of the world in terms of farm organizations.” The efforts of farmers and strong public and governmental support have made the marketing system possible, he says. “It has allowed us to get our revenue based on a cost of production formula. It puts our industry on a very firm footing. That is why it is one of the leading commodity organizations in Canada. “There is no doubt in my mind that our supply management system is very, very important. I just hope it is secure as we go forward.” Bill also believes supply management is important to the entire agricultural sector. Much of the infrastructure that supports agriculture—feed companies, implement dealers and so forth—would not likely be around without a supply-managed dairy industry, he says. “Our rural communities, organizations and churches are highly dependent on dairy farms and the role they play in the socio-economic life of rural Canada. It would not be the same for them without dairy farms,” Bill says. Canada has relatively steep production costs, he notes. “With trade liberalization we would be competing against New Zealand and the southern U.S., but we couldn’t because of our climate and our cost of production. Without this system, even our security to have quality, safe dairy products would be in jeopardy.” Asked his opinion about the recent unsuccessful court challenge by two dissident producers to the DFNS administration of quota volume and price, Bill responds: “In my opinion, we have spent most of my generation’s time getting to the point where one voice represents the dairy industry. If there are individuals who can’t work through their differences with the organization we have, supply management is in trouble.” Threat from inside If supply management breaks down, “it will be very dangerous for the Maritimes. It is not just the world that is a threat to us. We are a threat to ourselves.” 28 | April 2011 | MilkPRODUCER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - April 2011

The Milk Producer - April 2011
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Dairy Update
Industry Roundup
DFC Promotion
Cover Story
Producer Profile
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Calf Rearing
Markets
New 'N' Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - April 2011