Update on the Dryer Post....

Well it appears that the squeaky wheel does get grease every once in a while.  I received an email today from Devolder Farms Inc. (a grain bin and crop dryer supplier) that yesterday CSA extended the April 1, 2012 deadline to January 1, 2013.  While this deadline extension is well received by both farmers and dryer suppliers, it still doesn't address the issues discussed in my previous blog.  We'll continue to lobby both industry and government to help address these issues and work hard to ensure Ontario grain farmers remain competitive.

This is no April Fools joke!

What's so important about April 1, 2012, well let me explain.  For those grain farmers that may not be aware, new grain dryers and burners manufactured after April 1, 2012 will no longer be CSA (Canadian Standards Association) certified.  So what does that mean to the average grain producer?  It now requires you to jump though a few more hoops and spend extra "hard earned" money.  Under Ontario fuel regulations, any supplier of either propane or natural gas cannot supply fuel to a crop dyer or burner unless it has a CSA  or a T.S.S.A (Technical Standards&Safety Association) certificate.  With CSA certification no longer available after April 1, 2012, Ontario grain farmer's only option is to go through the T.S.S.A certification process.  This certification process occurs after the dryer or burner has been field install by the supplier.  Listed below are the requirements to receive field approval for a gas fired crop dryer or burner after installation.

• Submit an application for Field Approval four weeks before the expected inspection date along with all the supporting documentation and a deposit fee of $500 plus HST.
• The engineering review takes 20-30 business days once all the proper documentation is received
• T.S.S.A. field inspection of the equipment occurs to insure the equipment meets the manufacturers specification and meets the required Ontario fuel standards.  This is scheduled 5-10 business days after the engineering review.
• This inspection is bill at $150 plus HST per hour billed to the nearest 15 minutes.
• In situations that require expedite service the hourly billing rate is doubled.

You can view the whole T.S.S.A Field Approval document here http://www.tssa.org/regulated/fuels/fuelsField.asp

My concerns as a grain farmer include:

• higher installation cost
• greater subjectivity based on individual inspectors with the lack of a national or provincial standard to follow
• longer installation times and greater paperwork

In the next few days I will provide some more details on why this has happened and what we can do as grain and oilseed producer to fight back.

 

Another year and a new job!

As I begin my third year at the Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) as a director representing District 9 (Perth County) I find myself very excited to be taking on a new role at the Board of Directors.  This past week I was elected as 2nd Vice Chair by my peers which brings both new responsibilities and greater commitments.  I'm very excited and look forward to helping advance our grain and oilseed sector in Ontario and nationally.  My goal with this blog is to bring issues forward that effect grain and oil producers and help educate our rural/urban neigbours that may not understand our business.  I feel a lot can be learned by just sharing our stories from around the farm and openly discuss "why we do what we do"... so here's to our future journey together down my quiet country road.