Many articles and letters to the editor have been published on water quality and country odours. The vocal minority blames their perception of large livestock farms and wish for the return of the small farm.

Farms are like other industries, they must become larger to compete on price, quality and trace ability(sic) of food from the producer to the consumer.

In the last 50 years, consumer food costs have declined from approximately 20% to 10% of disposable income (April 8, 2002 Feedstuffs*) "Iowa corn yields averaged 56 bushels in the 1950's and 137 bushels in 2001. Labour to produce 100 bushels of corn has plunged from 53 hours in the late 40's to fewer than two hours"*.

The consolidation of industry is accepted e.g. cars, trucks, boats, hardware, food, grocery store, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc. Why is consolidation good for every industry except farms? The larger farms have the financing, knowledge and technology to use manure to replace rotect water quality.

However, I have a major concern for the quality of water. Hay Bay Genetics Inc. soil samples each field and a professional agronomist recommends the manure and/or fertilizer rate. Four to six times each year, we have the tile and runoff water tested by a qualified laboratory for nutrients and e-coli. Test results have proven the levels to be acceptable and safe.

I have been informed by local residents that some of the septic beds are on limestone and in some cases blasted out of rock. The lots vary in size and some are quite small with not adequate space for a septic bed. Last weekend, I drove the area counting the year-round family residences, summer cottages and converted summer cottages to year-round residences. There are approximately 270-300 homes or cottages from Rock Cross Road east to the points including Prinyer's Cove. Total waste including dilution liquid produced by 600 humans is equivalent to the total waste produced by 23,400 feeder pigs. Our farm on Kaiser side road averages 2,500 feeder pigs.

In view of the complaints three to four months before we had hogs in the barn and six to eight months before Hay Bay Genetics Inc. spread manure, I could see algae blooms in Prinyer's Cove, which relates to nutrient leaching into the cove. I strongly suggest the MOE dye test all the cottages and homes for sewage entering the cove. I know the dye test was conducted on cottages and homes on Lake Muskoka years ago. It was amazing the number of homes or cottages that did not pass the test.

I realize replacing septic systems will cost $10,000 - $20,000 per household. But we all must be positive no sewage is entering waterways. At Hay Bay Genetics Inc. we do our part to protect the water quality and we expect everyone to do the same.

Ronald F. Davis.
President of Hay Bay Genetics Inc.