Ontario's tobacco industry is faced with large scale reductions as a result of effective anti-smoking campaigns. Consequently, the number of Ontario tobacco growers has shrunk from 2,600 seven years ago to 1,700 today. The price of tobacco farms has dwindled accordingly. One farmer reported that a farm complete with a tobacco quota worth $1 million in 1982 is now worth only $150,000. But some farmers are coping by switching to a different product, reports Diane Francis of The Financial Post.
"Mickey" Murphy, a widow who has started a fish farm with her son Michael in the Delhi, Ontario area, has invested heavily in building tanks and other necessary equipment. Starting with a young fish stock four years ago, the Murphys are looking forward to harvesting 125,000 rainbow trout. They expect to make brisk sales and profits by selling to nearby restaurants, stock ponds and other outlets. A byproduct of this unusual farming method is fish "manure," which is an excellent substitute for chemical fertilizers. The Murphys plan to use this manure to grow organic vegetables which fetch a considerably higher price than those grown with chemicals.
It has been difficult and costly, but the Murphys are confident this switchover will save the family farm and earn them a good living. If successful, this example of making a transition in the face of changing market conditions underscores the possibilities in an open society and a free economy. One can only wish the Murphys well. (See Diane Francis "Her Switch from 'Sin' Crop to Fish Not Overnight Task", Financial Post, May 29, 1989.)
Add Your Comments
Parents and teachers want children to have the skills to make a difference. But what can we teach to help them survive their teen years, 20s, and 30s with convictions and charac... 
Why do so many of us have to work where the windows don't open? Engineers, architects, and lawyers have their reasons, but must workplaces be less humane than homes? 
In Santa Ana in California prisoners can buy a cell upgrade. In Dallas, Texas, underachieving children are paid to read books. These are, alas, some of the saner and less offens... 
SIX QUESTIONS . . . The new culture I am making is an attempt to say hold still and look at this. 
Our culture does not know how to deal with legacies. We either treat the dead with some combination of awe and fear, or we think of our forebears as unworthy of remembrance, to ... 
It may be the best worldview journal in the world! Already enjoyed your two free 'trial' issues? Subscribe now!
Harry Antonides is the founding editor of Comment. ... read more »