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The future is the focus for Ontario Farm Women’s Network B) (‘arol Rock "Women in Agriculture, Building the Future" u as the theme ot‘the second annual meeting and conference of the Ontario Farm Women‘s Network tOFWN) halt] in Mississauga at the end til March. In her address to the conference. Mini~ ster Responsible for Women's Issues Maxis Wilson. paid tribute to OFWN as their nicttthers deal with the economic and \tlLlelI challenges \i hich lace tarm women today. "I regard the faint women‘s network as a tratlhla/er a pioneering voice lor luritt w Mitten." Wilson said. "Farm women‘s |\\UC\ lile the need t'nr child care are \[ill'lll‘lg to take centre stage In large part that's line [it the pct‘xhtcnl voice that IIilx organt/atton has had in encouraging the policy. makers to recognt/c your very NpL‘L’lilI rtccds and Issues. and respond to them " In L'Ithlny. Wilson pledged her supA [NIH II! I'YTIIIEI tarm WOI‘ITCI‘I-N CUI'ICL'ITIN [U the attention nt cabinet and \pUCIIlU ministers. Deputy M|nhlcr nl Agriculture and l-oml. Rita Burak gave a report on the priority planniin process currently under tray lit the ministry. She pledged continu- tire sttppttt't III the lamil} turn] as the most viable urttt tn the itgri-l'tttul Industry today. lit in itdtllerent workshops. pamcipants learned how to I1FC\L‘I'II themselves and lIlL‘ll'tirgdllllilllltn's Thealstthezirdudchate on the PL‘\|IL‘|[IL‘ and loud sutcty l\\LIC. and reports on clttld care. chcral and provinâ€" ttal legislation attd the lL'L‘L'lllI) limited Canadian I'umI Wutttctt'x Network. M the annual itieettitg. Ilte board of tIll’L‘L‘lLlI\ presented an update on the progress III reciItnntendatioits made by Molly Mtliliee In her I‘JK-I report Women In Rural Lil'cr-Thc Changing Scene. To \[ItlltJIlllL‘ more action on some of the is- sues. delegates supported resolutions on tat'nt women's access to education and other stitiptti‘l programs, UFWN [1TL‘\Cltl\.‘LI Molly Mcth with a special award nl' acltteveitiettt tor the work she has done with farm women in Ontario, The twoâ€"9| executive and board ot‘ directors were elected. - Past President » Rennie Feddema - President - Donna Lunn - Vice President - Linda Millson - Secretary A Carol Rock Treasurer 7 Elizabeth Wagner Directors - Claire Belluz - North West - Anne McKenzie - North East - Marg Elliott - South West - Beverlic Nelson - Mid West and Niagara "The times, they are changing..." 7 By Chuck Bokor Is your organization relevant? Will it survive the decade? How will it look in the year 1000'? "Change". "leadership". "vision". "renewal". These are noljust the words of survival for rural organizations entering the 'Ulls, but of progress. They should not be treated Iiglitlyt Change is happening all around us. Famiing. the rural community. the entire agricultural industry: what changes have you seen in the last five years? The issues that come out of those changes, from food safety to water quality to economic sur- vival can be overwhelming. But that's what our organizations are here forum deal with the issues that affect us. Are they doing theirjob? All across rural Ontario. organizations are springing up in response to the chang- ing needs of its people. New organizations to deal with new commodities being intro- duced to Ontario; environmental groups concerned about our place in nature; educational organizations determined to bridge the gap between urban and rural All these groups are young and vital. They're listening and planning the organization's activtties bast on what they've heard. But what about the organizations that have been around fora while? The temptaâ€" tion is to fight the brush fires that always s it a (' March. April. May mutt - Jacky Schmidt - Central - Dorothy Middleton - East - Marie Rose Paqucttc - Francopho Eleven resolutions were passed at annual meeting. They covered a variety topics from land development in ME dlescx to adult training techniques ol‘o tario Ministry of Agriculture and F staff to Agriculture in the Classroom. Cara! Rock is the secretary of OFtt .\'. accompany change. This crisis nuna ment is necessary and importat 1, an sometimes dictated by our limited so ces. The future, however. is th tc w should look if we are to SUI‘\‘I - I ' decade; to progress rather than Stat one, The executive. chair. pTCM tent whichever name you call the pe plc‘ leadership positions of the organiI Ition these are the people who should .ng vision of the future. After looking i‘ the selves and their organizations. at it Iclt gcs taking place and the trends M II emerging, they must decide who the organizations is going. What shout \ .t I like in five to 10 years? What sho IIII it doing? Who will be its members? I m continue to do the same things at It Iii and confidently say we are vitu‘ I'o community? These are the qt tio people in leadership positions nt. t It‘s part of theirjob. Renewal does not happen by :t . mic or by spending all your time putnltg brush fires. It happens as a result E II lea ship with vision, resulting from Itppo tunities that are born out of Chang: E. Chuck Bokor is a rural leadership I I ‘t15 am Willi the Ontario Ministry rare and Food. Guelph. 2 a; s: 5;