The Rural Voice - August, 2021

Rural Voice

The

August 2021

THE MAGAZINE OF AGRICULTURAL LIFE ... $2.50 PM 40037593

DIGITAL AND DAIRY

SHINGLE GARDENING

Farmers need to build “digital barns” to store and maintain data, says expert

Farming and gardening on rocky soil at Keppel Creek requires patience and clever techniques

COOL SISTERS The Green sisters keep cool since reopening the family meat market after a fire destroyed it

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Contents The

Rural Voice THE MAGAZINE OF AGRICULTURAL LIFE

Published monthly by: The Rural Voice, Box 429, Blyth, Ontario, N0M 1H0 Telephone: 519-523-4311 Fax: 519-523-9140 e-mail: info@northhuron.on.ca

19

Publisher: Deb Sholdice Editor: Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot rveditorlisa@northhuron.on.ca

16

28

Columns Lisa B. Pot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Keith Roulston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Kate Procter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Jeffrey Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Mabel’s Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Woodlots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Agrilaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Departments Ruralite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Business Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Newsletters National Farmers Union . . . . . . . . . .58 Perth County Pork . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Grey County Federation . . . . . . . . . .60 Bruce County Federation . . . . . . . .61 Perth County Federation . . . . . . . . . .62 Huron County Federation . . . . . . . . .64

AUGUST 2021 • Cover Photo Shaelin and Shelby Green. Photo by Amanda Brodhagen.

• Deadlines: Sept. Issue

– August 10

October Issue– September 14

16 Back to Business Greens Meat Market opens up with a new and better facility

19 Robots Rule at Gar-N-T The Pletsch family is installing robots not just for milking, but also for feeding and manure cleaning

22 Build Your Digital Barn Jesse Hirsh urges farmers to build a digital barn to control their valuable data

25 Virtual Crop Tour Part 2 of the #SoilRoadTrip takes armchair viewers into Bruce County to check slugs and canola

Contributing writers: Keith Roulston, Kate Procter, Jeffrey Carter, Rhea Hamilton Seeger, Arnold Mathers, Donna Lacey, Melisa Luymes, Anne Mann, Nancy Fisher, Bonnie Sitter, Jeff Tribe, Amanda Brodhagen, Hetty Stuart and Bob Reid.

Mailed by: McLaren Press Graphics, Bracebridge, ON Advertising Sales: Shelley Kroes rvads@northhuron.on.ca Production co-ordinator & Telemarketing: Joan Caldwell Advertising & editorial production:

Dianne Josling PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40037593 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 429, BLYTH ON N0M 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca Subscriptions: $20 (12 issues) $35 (24 issues), includes HST Back copies $2.75 each,U.S. rates, $65.00

28 Keppel Croft Making friends is the real reason the Loneys garden near Georgian Bay

32 Growing to Donate The Uyls work hard in the garden to raise funds for orphanages

All manuscripts submitted for consideration should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Editorial content may be reproduced only by permission of the publisher. The Rural Voice makes every effort to see that advertising copy is correct.

However, should an error occur, please notify The Rural Voice office within 30 days of invoicing in order to obtain a billing adjustment.

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2 The Rural Voice

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Ruralite

“

•

Instead of painting a field like a

Robotics

single canvas, you can paint a masterpiece.

”

You can use specific strokes on each and every

“We will still be going to

field to achieve truly precise agriculture.

the barn but we’ll be

~ Digital Strategist, Jesse Hirsh on using robots in cropping

looking at a computer

for precision agriculture while speaking on digitizing the

instead of attaching

family farm. Story on page 22.

milkers for an hour.”

Gary Pletsch on how managing the farm will change as he installs robots for milking, cleaning and feeding in his new dairy barn.

Story on page 19.

English Lesson ● I’m reading a book about antigravity. I just can’t put it down. ● When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble ● When chemists die, they barium ● I stayed up all night to see where the sun went and then it dawned on me

FARMING IN AUGUST

“A good farmer is nothing more than a handy man with a sense of humus.” ~E.B. White

Farm gypsies Waddling down the pasture lane Affable wanderers ~Photo by Lisa B. Pot

•

Neil’s One-Liners (Wisdom and humour from the McGavin files)

• Why can’t life’s big problems come when we are 20 years old and know everything?

•

August 2021 3

Lisa B. Pot Lisa B. Pot is editor of The Rural Voice and farms in Huron County

Lawns for living, not status

L

awns became a status symbol in the 17th century when elite families of the European aristrocracy could display their wealth by the size of their “launde”, a Middle English word for “glade or opening in the woods.”

Only the rich had enough cattle, sheep or hired help to eat, scythe or weed the grass surrounding their homes.

Fast forward to 2021 and it’s not much different. Only the wealthy can afford large acreages with large

lawns, though keeping these lawns mowed is much easier with riding lawn mowers.

In Canada alone, we have over six million lawns equaling over 14,000 hectares of largely useless grass.

I say useless, because we now understand the dire situation of our native bees, crop pollinators and other beneficial insects. Farmers needs pollinators yet agriculture and its conquest of land, along with our use of sprays, have contributed to pollinator decline. So has mining and the growing number of humans on this planet.

All those humans want a home to live in. Outside that home, they want a nice, tidy lawn. Some lawn is necessary for sure ... it’s where we can sit outside, watch the kids play and create pathways to other parts of our property. However, we don’t need acres of lawn that extend down the ditches on both sides of our property. We don’t USE that space.

Why are we spending time and fuel mowing it?

Honestly, I cringe at the habitat-

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4 The Rural Voice

killing lengths of deadscape down farm ditches when we could be creating insect and pollinator habitat.

If we alter our lawn-status to embrace multi-specie-meadows or “laundes’, they will play an active role in pollinator regeneration. These pollinator lawns will become symbols of the the intelligent, proactive, creative, earth-loving, pollinator-blessing, habitat-healing people on this planet. Plus, they are sustainable, regenerative and beautiful while drawing down and storing carbon dioxide.

Confession: I have a LOT of lawn. I also love cutting lawn. And I very much admire neat homesteads with tidy flower beds and professional landscaping.

However, once you KNOW something and are aware that all that carefully-cut grass does little to promote pollinator success, those manicured lawns don’t look so pretty anymore.

So I’m changing my lawn. Last year, my family helped install a large cedar rail fence from the road to the field. The lawn behind that fence was left to become a naturalized meadow for native plants and insects to thrive, along with two honeybee hives. I mow a pathway through it so I can walk amongst the grasses and wildflowers. This area is literally teaming with bees, insects, butterflies and birds. I love it.

A large, winding perennnial bed was created in front with two-thirds of it dedicated to native plants.

One of the lawns at my farm is beside the shed, and we cross it to reach the horses and chickens housed there. This patch is full of white clover, birds’s foot trefoil, chicory and plaintain. I dislike the plaintain (an invasive) and while the trefoil and white clover are imports, they are considered ideal habitat for pollinators. This section of lawn is full of bees.

I mow the edges of this lawn and create pathways through it. The swathes of white and yellow are so pretty and the mowed parts keep it tidy.

I am excited about these changes but I have much to learn. First, I need to increase my knowledge of

Lisa B. Pot weeds and native plants so I can effectively manage these naturalized areas.

As I learn, I watch. I encourage everyone to do thes same. Sit on your cut lawn for 20 minutes. What do you see? Then leave a patch of grass unmowed for a few weeks and sit in it for 20 minutes. Again, look around you. What do you see? Ask yourself how you feel about the habitat you have created.

On my cut lawn, I observe an absence of life. In the meadows, I witness an abundance of life.

What I will do for my remaining lawn is something to consider. I’ve seen farms where the owners fence in their lawns and let grazers feed for the summer. That’s cheap lawn mowing! I’m not sure I want manure that close to my house, though.

I just know I want to change how I’ve done things. I don’t need all that lawn. In contrast, the pollinators don’t have enough flowers, grasses and wild areas to thrive. So why not give it to them? ◊

ATTENTION: ALL TIME IS RUNNING OUT! FARM PROPERTY Have you completed your 2021 OWNERS Farm Business Registration?

A requirement to get the farmland property tax rate is a valid Farm Business Registration (FBR) number. Contact Agricorp at 1-866-3273678 for more information.

To be eligible for the farmland tax rate, you must contact Agricorp and link all your farm properties to your FBR number(s). If you have any questions on the Farmland Property Class Tax Rate Program, contact Agricorp at 1-888-247-4999 or your OFA representative below.

Brought to you by the Huron, Perth, Grey and Bruce County Federations of Agriculture Margaret Vincent Joanne Hughes

(Huron & Perth) 1-800-511-1135 ext 1 (Grey & Bruce) 1-800-275-9551 ext. 2

margaret.vincent@ofa.on.ca joanne.hughes@ofa.on.ca

August 2021 5

Keith Roulston Keith is former publisher of The Rural Voice.

He lives near Blyth, ON.

unless a recession or pandemic means they get laid off at work.

Most urbanites are employees who often see the boss as a problem.

Farmers are self-employed, often employers themselves, dealing with finding and keeping good workers.

Naturally these differences can lead people to want different things from their political leaders. Political commentators often see rural voters as rock-ribbed conservatives, and they are, right now, with Conservatives representing most of Ontario’s federal rural ridings and Progressive Conservatives, provincially.

I thought it was that way myself when I was growing up with Progressive Conservatives winning every time there was a federal or provincial election. The PCs won every federal election in my riding for 40 years.

But voters were more flexible than I supposedly, as I discovered when I went to work as a summer student for A.Y. Mclean at the Huron Expositor in Seaforth in the summer of 1967.

There on his office wall was a photo of my boss at the United Nations

Who are these people, anyway ?

As I listen to talking heads on national media discuss the divide between urban and rural Canadians, I often don’t recognize my neighbours in the supposedly “rural personality”.

Oh I know rural people often have a different take on life than urbandwellers. Farmers’ lives are different than your typical town and city resident’s. They deal with the uncertainty of nature when drought or untimely rains can change a family’s future prospects. It’s a reality that seldom affects urbanites.

Nor are people in town at the mercy of fluctuating prices that make annual income uncertain. Usually they can count on a stable income

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6 The Rural Voice

with the future Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. It turned out Andy had been the Liberal MP for Huron-Perth from 1949 to 1953.

By then, too, Murray Gaunt, the popular farm director at CKNX Radio and Television, had been elected as a Liberal to represent Huron-Bruce in the Ontario Legislature. He and his successor, Murray Elston, teamed with Eddie Sargent in Grey-Bruce, Jack Riddell in Huron-Middlesex and Hugh Edigoffer in Perth, to paint the region that serves as the main circulation area of The Rural Voice Liberal red for two decades. They even got their turn in government when David Peterson was Premier.

But people turned against Peterson after he called a snap election. Just to show they couldn’t be typecast, the voters of the same area elected NDP members instead of returning to the PCs. They returned to form, electing PCs under the Mike Harris Progressive Conservative government, then turfed many of those members out, electing Liberals again under Dalton McGuinty.

So obviously, though they may tend toward voting Conservative, the rural areas of western Ontario have tried all three major parties, provincially, in the past few decades.

Federally, too, members like Paul Steckle won for the Liberals.

As well, despite our reputation as individualists, rural areas of Ontario have a tradition of collectivism that would get them branded socialists by today’s U.S. Republicans. From early pioneer days people learned there were some problems they had to gang up on. They got together for barn raisings and threshing bees.

Likewise, they started mutual insurance companies, co-op stores and credit unions. In the days before medicare was adopted in the 1960s, they even started co-operative health insurance companies.

The co-operative tradition has faded in recent decades as large equipment makes farmers more independent, but it only takes a neighbour in trouble to see it demonstrated as people set aside their own work and flock to help.

So please, urban commentators, don’t try to sell a simplistic definition of rural voters to me. ◊

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August 2021 7

Kate Procter Kate farms, hikes, canoes, and plays guitar in Huron County.

Lucky to live where we do “We are so lucky to live where we do” is a phrase I have heard many times over the past 18 months. I certainly agree and have often wondered how people living in close quarters in apartments in cities have survived being in lockdown. While it is true that they are probably more used to that way of life, it must have been very difficult, especially during the worst of the pandemic.

Regular readers of this column will know that being out in nature is one of my passions. I have been on the board of the Maitland Conservation Foundation for several

years, was formerly on the Maitland Trail Association board and a hike leader, as well as being a Scout leader in my younger days.

Sometimes it is good to look at your surroundings with the fresh eyes of a newcomer to appreciate all that you have. I was recently thinking about recommending an area to hike to someone who was experiencing our area for the first time. There is so much beauty in the Maitland River and its watershed it was difficult to pick just one – the cool green and peaceful trails all provide their own unique views of nature that change day by day throughout the seasons.

The Maitland River runs through our farm and has shaped my love of the outdoors. We spent countless hours in the river as kids – fishing, canoeing, and catching crayfish. It winds its way through many of my favorite places. We have camped on its banks and now my kids are carrying on my love of the river. It is usually peaceful and quiet in the summer after the spring floods subside.

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8 The Rural Voice

The Maitland was instrumental in helping settlers come to this area and many of the original settlements relied on the river, only to die away as railroads and roads allowed for safer and more reliable forms of getting around. William “Tiger” Dunlop changed the name of the river from Menesetung in the mid 180’s to “Maitland”, after Sir Peregrine Maitland.

Maitland had a celebrated military career and was involved in the Haitian Revolution, French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. In 1828, he became Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and from there, went on to further military service in South Africa and India. He has become known more recently as being one of the first proponents of the Indian Residential School system in Canada, in 1820 reporting to the Colonial Office his suggestion that industrial schools should be implemented as a way of separating children from their families in an attempt to “civilize” the indigenous population, as noted in John Milloy’s book, A National Crime: The Canadian Government and the Residential School System 1879–1986.

The Maitland River has fascinated many people over the years. John Hazlitt and Ted Turner have written a beautiful book, “The Power of the Maitland” (2011).

Hazlitt and Turner eventually researched and identified 78 dam sites along the “mighty Maitland”, presenting “historical facts and archaeological finds, providing insight into the economic and cultural development of the Maitland River watershed during the 19th century.”

Draining the land for agriculture has been a benefit to crops, but it forever changed the power of the river. Once the land was drained, winter melt water rushed to Lake Huron faster in the spring than when the water had to percolate through the soil more slowly, which kept the river water levels higher year round and made it more navigable.

The Maitland River Watershed covers 984 square miles and is composed of four main branches – the North Branch, the Middle

Kate Procter Maitland, the South Maitland, and the Little Maitland. Three of these branches come together around Wingham, with the fourth joining the main river closer to Goderich (Hazlitt and Turner).

Today, the “Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) is committed to work with community partners to enhance the health of the watershed. It is a community based organization dedicated to providing leadership to protect and enhance local water, forests, and soil” https://www.mvca.on.ca/.

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Maitland Trail The MVCA manages 4,600 acres of wetlands, flood plains, and river valley within its 28 conservation areas. These trails provide access to nature for everyone – fishing, hiking, bird watching are all enjoyed by people of all ages here.

The Middle Maitland Headwaters Restoration Project, the Watershed Resiliency Project, Conservation Area Infrastructure Projects, and the Memorial and Celebration Grove are all supported by funds raised by The Maitland Conservation Foundation (MCF). These projects not only enhance beautiful areas for people to enjoy year round, they also help to improve the health of the river and build resiliency throughout the watershed to the negative effects of climate change. More information can be found about all of these projects at https://www.mvca.on.ca/ foundation/maitland-conservationfoundation/. ◊

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August 2021 9

Jeff Carter Jeff is a freelance journalist based in Dresden, Ontario.

The Embrace Auntie Lorna and I have a long association. She and her husband, in the days before they had adopted a child of their own, had agreed to take my wee self and my older sisters away from the farm for a lakeside camping excursion.

I must have been little more than a toddler, given my dreamlike memories of the event, my first experience with a tent, sleeping on the ground; wandering about the shallow waters and the screams of delighted rage from my older sisters when they discovered the small, brown log floating to shore, something I thought at the time might well have escaped their attention.

I admitted nothing, silence being a prime defense.

It was my solo wanderings about the campground, however, that are best remembered. I learned, through trial and error, that if one travelled in a spiral configuration from a central location, always turning to the right in ever widening circles, one could return back to the centre in the same manner but by turning to the left.

These plodding journeys on short, fat legs seemed epic but must only have lasted an hour or so. There was consternation on my Auntie’s part upon our return but no doubt she felt some sense of relief that her nephew and nieces were brought back to their protected fold fully intact.

Lorna is a tiny woman and was most attractive in youth, blonde curls, fine features and an upturned button nose. Her wedding dress, for which she must have dieted prodigiously, was put on display at the 60th anniversary of the event and all who gazed upon its doll-like dimensions were awestruck and amazed.

She gave me her papers some months after her stroke, a malady 10 The Rural Voice

from which she was given little I offered some passing and likely chance of recovery by a health inappropriate comments as is in my professional with little understanding nature in an attempt to lighten the of her underlying nature. These speak mood. “Isn’t she a beauty?” I said, of her 23 mothers and of her “real” nodding toward the young staff mother, of the many places she lived member passing by with a rolling can and of the kind family in rural of trash in tow; a beauty certainly if Southwestern Ontario where she only for her career choice and ability found some semblance of stability. to smile when she’s at it.

Yet Lorna could never quite settle And then to an older woman, one in one place for long. There was the with a kind, efficient air about her: old brick duplex near the big park, “They have to be polite here, don’t plenty of room for a childless couple, they? There’s no other choice.” followed by a succession of little “That’s right,” she replied and houses with an adopted child in tow. then, “I cannot understand what she Drama building upon drama all the is trying to say. She is a feisty one.” while; the trauma of one generation Auntie Lorna is fully self-aware revisiting itself upon the next, the but between her thoughts and words cycle unbroken. there’s a tenuous connection and so Yet it is with fondness I think of for any verbal conversation to take Lorna, and perhaps a place a great deal of great deal more. She patience is required. and her husband were Communication doesn’t fun to be around always require words, though I’ve seen though. them at their worst We had been when the dignity she sitting for some time carried had slipped. when Lorna hinted I should visit more quite broadly that she often. It’s a pair of was tired, and wished to my cousins who lie down. I felt provide the family’s strangely reluctant to support for the care leave, having finally our Auntie receives made an appearance. these days. I bless Finally, she stood, them for it. straightened to her full It was a pleasant, height, her eyes barely sunny June day when above mine though I sat I saw her last.We had slumped in my chair, a John Richardson picnic lunch under an difficult question in her awning set up in the cool, blue gaze. courtyard of the retirement home, a My aunt, as one may surmise, is a dismal grey space despite the efforts product of Canada’s system of to brighten it with potted plants. welfare; as were her four siblings.

Lorna didn’t like the garden Her cousin Marilyn had a different strawberries we bought — not sweet sort of life, raised by a woman in a enough by her reaction. She nibbled stable household whose children on the corner of a tuna sandwich were not taken away. While our paths though, offered an appreciative must have crossed before, I only got comment on a vegetarian dish to know her on a personal level a inspired by the subcontinent and little more than a year ago. sipped on lemonade. We spoke of her My daughter was with me. We son and of little things while looking were just minutes outside London through the book of photographs my and headed for home when we got cousins had made for her. Lorna the call. She wanted us to stop by; smiling broadly on every page, and wanted to give us things. she provided a rambling account of Marilyn grew up in a time when some subterfuge among her fellow trousers were becoming increasingly residents to get around the limits fashionable among women, though placed upon them. still treated with some degree of

Jeff Carter suspicion. She and her older sister embraced the trend and both travelling widely and embarked upon successful professional careers.

Marilyn worked in a male-dominated industry intent upon the modernization of Ontario’s transportation system. Neither married or had children though both appreciated the company of forwardthinking men and later in life established lasting relationships.

Marilyn told me she was the last of her line, a “well-to-family” in the village that her mother and Lorna knew so well.

I’ve long been told I look like a Richardson, though for many years I resented the remark.

My grandmother’s children were torn from her in 1936 as she was recovering from an illness requiring an extended stay in hospital. Her husband was away, likely working in the north. Lorna along with my mother who was the eldest at nine years of age and the others were either adopted or became wards of the state. No family members stepped forward, not the Richardsons, nor anyone else. Yet, grandmother persevered, taking work as a housekeeper, keeping tabs on all her children, and maintaining relationships wherever she could.

I never knew my uncle Jimmy, but was told he was a kind, generous man, the type who’d step out of his way to help when. The others I know more — all damaged yet resilient beings, having but little choice in the matter.

Marilyn gave me examples of the traditional Richardson plaid, a hard backed suitcase filled with photographs, and two 19th century images of Richardson men, the first and second generations to reside in this land we know as Canada.

It was mid-December, damp but not cold. We stood outside for a time following the visit, an awkward silence descending but then I was guided forward it seemed, took Marilyn in my arms, felt the cool, flickering flame of her body against mine and counted three heartbeats.

She died that January.

Inspired by the indigenous peoples of this land. ◊

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“How are you doing?” asked Dave Winston, giving Cliff Murray a comforting pat on the shoulder as he sat down at the table at Mabel’s Grill the other morning.

“Hanging in there,” Cliff said.

Seeing the questioning look on George Mackenzie’s face, Dave explained “His dog died.”

“Lulabelle?” George said. “Oh that’s too bad. She was a nice little bitch.”

“Hey George! Watch the language!” warned Molly Whiteside as she arrived at the table with their coffees just in time to catch the end of their conversation.

“What? You mean bitch?” asked George. “She’s a female dog.”

“Oh,” said Molly in surprise.

“That’s not the normal way I hear that word used.”

“What happened?” asked George.

“You know how she had a bad habit of chasing cars,” said Cliff.

“Yeah, I slowed down when I saw her coming one day and I thought she was going to answer that question of what would happen if a dog caught a car she was chasing,” said Dave.

“She nearly bit a hole in my back tire.”

“Well she’d been getting deaf as she got older and apparently she was chasing one car in one direction and didn’t hear that there was a truck coming the other way.”

“Poor thing,” sympathized Molly.

“Anyway, without a dog we have other amusements these days,” sighed Cliff. “We have this mulberry tree in the back yard and this mother groundhog has been bringing her four babies to eat the berries on the ground.”

“You’ve got to get another dog, quick,” said George.

“Jenn doesn’t mind. She thinks the babies are sort of cute,” said Cliff.

“Ah, yes,” said Dave, “you married a town girl, didn’t you.”

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couple of days,” said George.

“At least groundhogs will be cheaper to feed than a dog,” said Molly. “Just grass with berries for dessert.”

“Not if they start munching on his $16 soybeans,” said Dave, grimly.

“Still, dog food is expensive so you’ll be saving on that,” said Molly.

“Oh Lulabelle didn’t cost much to feed this time of the year,” said Cliff.

“Mostly she ate groundhogs.”

“The kind she left around the yard to ripen?” wondered Dave.

“Uh huh,” said Cliff. “I can tell you there was none of that exchanging kisses with Lulabelle this time of the year.”

“Well are you going to get another dog?” wondered Molly.

“I’m thinking about it, but it’s got to be a major investment these days.

My dad bought tractors for less!”

“What breed?” asked Molly.

“Oh I don’t care about pedigree,” said Cliff. “It’s not like it matters – like it was a ram for my flock or something. I’ll take the no-name sort.”

“The kind you used to pick up for nothing to help some farmer get rid of pups,” said George.

“Not anymore,” said Dave. “I saw in one of the farm papers that people were selling barn kittens for $500 apiece!”

George, choked on his coffee. “$500! For a barn cat? Must have been down near the city where people have more money than brains.”

“One of those towns north of Toronto – Uxbridge or some place like that,” said Dave.

“Makes me wish I hadn’t neutered my barn cats. I might make a better profit off them than from my cattle,” said George, wistfully.

“When people are paying so much for pets, it’s no wonder country vets are having trouble hiring vet school graduates,” said Dave. “They can work in some clinic, have all the animals come to them, never have to get up in the middle of the night and drive through a snow storm, and probably earn more on top of it all.”

“Well,” said George to Cliff as he prepared to leave, “good luck with those groundhogs. And remember, if you don’t want to borrow my dog I can always lend you my shotgun.” ◊

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Mel Luymes Mel Luymes works in agriculture and conser‐ vation and blogs at headlands.ca

Making connections with farmers Last month, I finally got back on the road. I was delivering field signs and making videos with farmers for the #SoilRoadTrip, covering the roads between Peterborough, Lion’s Head, Leamington and Niagara. It was an epic crop tour, and it was great to reconnect with farmers I hadn’t seen in a long time.

The last leg of the trip took me across the sand plains and Norfolk County, where I stopped in to see a vegetable grower who caught me up on his struggles having foreign temporary workers this year and last.

I had heard that the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) and Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) were wrapped up in red tape, but my blood boiled as he described the building permits, paperwork, arbitrary

regulations, delays and inspections that nearly cost him the family business he spent his whole life creating.

Despite all the funding for Foodland Ontario branding and Local Food Week, it seems as if our own bureaucracies are doing everything in their power to destroy Ontario’s horticultural sector. Despite 355,000 Ontarians losing their jobs in 2020 due to the pandemic, fruit and vegetable growers were still desperate for labour. Ontarians simply don’t want to do the work so, until the robots come, we have a choice: either we import all our produce, or we import labour. But, I digress.

As this farmer described the pettiness and downright arrogance of some of the “public servants” that had, essentially, bullied him, his family and his farm crew over the last 16 months, I was left with an overwhelming feeling of powerlessness. I can’t even imagine the frustration, anger and bitterness that growers like him continue to experience, all while grain farmers up here have a pretty decent time of it.

We’re disconnected – between counties, between commodities. And, let’s be honest, this pandemic has only exacerbated the gaps that were already here. Farm labour, local food, rural internet, and mental health

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14 The Rural Voice

(among many others) have long been issues that the agricultural community has been trying to address.

The pandemic has kept us apart.

But it gets me wondering if disconnection is the root of the evils and inefficiencies of bureaucracies too, ie. government Ministries not working together, policy staff utterly disconnected from the real-world of agriculture, etc.

I’ve got to know a few federal bureaucrats over the last year doing some contract work for one of their new programs and one of the first things I learned is, well apparently, they don’t like being called bureaucrats. I got on a Zoom call last month feeling extremely frustrated with them, but at the end of the call I only felt sorry for them. These are well-meaning people struggling dayin and day-out within the same pettiness and restrictions, like farmers do. They spin their wheels and don’t get traction either. But they do have job security, good pay and a pension … just saying.

This sense of helplessness feels, to me, like grief. We are told we have the collective power to determine how we are governed, but most days I don’t feel much sense of power to make things better. No matter where we stood on the health issues, the decisions made and the restrictions we faced over the last year and a half has had us all questioning our government, our freedom and our power.

It’s not only the grief of losing loved ones or not being able to see them, but sometimes I feel we’re having a collective existential crisis.

And it would be so easy for us to shut down and stay angry, stay bitter, block everyone out. Many do. But, we can’t let this grief and frustration take our lives, our love and our laughter away. It takes courage to keep our hearts open. For myself, I have to believe that we are all doing the best that we can. Even politicians and bureaucrats.

And if it is true that disconnection is what has us well-meaning humans spinning out of control, then maybe the solution is to reach out and connect? What would Ontario look

Mel Luymes like in 10 years if all farmers made deliberate, honest and inspiring connections between counties and commodities, with government policy staff, with neighbours and urban consumers?

It sounds exhausting. But so is spinning our wheels and dealing with red tape.

On the last Zoom call with the federal staff, I mustered courage and I spoke up about what had me frustrated. Instead of shutting down, I leaned in and was vulnerable. I shared with them how their actions were affecting my livelihood and my mental health. I thought it moved the conversation forward and helped us connect on a more honest level, as fellow human beings.

But the next day, a manager called me to say that was highly unprofessional (in her opinion) and I was not to speak out of turn again. I wanted to scream. (Well, after the call, I did.)

Still (ugh, teeth clenched!) I must keep my heart strong and open. I’m not talking about covering things up with a false positivity, puppies and rainbows.

This grief and powerlessness hurts. It is real and it hurts a lot. But we can’t build a better government with bitterness.

Anger won’t strengthen Ontario’s produce sector.

I hope that we can work through our anger and disappointment together, reach out to make new and real connections. Let’s start by standing behind our fruit and vegetable growers and our essential foreign workers. I think they could all use a big hug right about now. ◊

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August 2021 15

Processing

Rebuilt plant includes new smokehouse A fire destroyed the old plant but the Green family has rebuilt and reopened Greens Meat Market in Wingham with a new cutting room and smokehouse

A

fter a devastating fire last year, Green’s Meat Market in Wingham has been rebuilt. On June 24, 2020 a fire destroyed their processing facility, and forced the family business to relocate their retail offerings to Lucknow while they rebuilt. This year marks 50 years in business with the next generation taking over the reins with the sudden passing of John Green last fall.

Spokesperson Shaelin Green, the granddaughter of founders John and Arlene Green, says the series of events since the fire has made their family and team of employees

It’s back to business at Greens Meat Market as staff (below) make cuts while with Shaelin and Shelby Green (above) granddaughters of founders John and Arlene Green, taking over management duties at the new processing facility in Wingham.

stronger. “Shelby and I specifically have learned many new skills from the rebuilding phase and are now learning more and more about the business through reopening,” said Green. The granddaughters, Shaelin and Shelby have been instrumental in seeing the build through from start to finish and their brother Spencer has rekindled his interest in the family business and has helped through all the phases as well.

Opening the doors happened gradually, said Shaelin. On April 27, 2021 they had their test kill with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs inspection where they processed two beef and a lamb in order to have their license reinstated. They passed the test kill, but the plant needed a bit more work before they could officially begin operations again. “On May 11 we had our first official beef kill where we slaughtered 12 beef for our local producers,” she said. “This was a very special day for us as it was exactly 50 years to the day that our grandpa had his first ever kill operating as Green’s Meat Market in 1971.”

The next day, OMAFRA meat inspection signed off on the rest of the building making Green’s Meat Market fully operational again. The family and staff worked in the plant while keeping the retail store closed so they could get used to the new building, train new staff and ramp up production. There was a delay with the arrival of their fresh meat counters so the family pivoted to curbside pickup in June. Once the meat counters arrived, the doors were fully opened to steady flow of customers once again.

“Seeing how pleased everyone is with the new building has made us incredibly proud of all the hard work,” she said.

The grand opening was held on July 10 where the family held a community BBQ featuring their well-loved products and some sale specials that were exclusive to the event. “We are happy we chose to go with the more of a soft reopening route as it has helped us work through many of the kinks,” she said. “We are definitely most proud of the new cutting room and our new smokehouse.” The expanded space has allowed the business to set up equipment and a floor of the cutting room which is more efficient. One new feature that has received a lot of compliments from customers is looking through the glass window behind the meat counter where you can see the cutting room. Other benefits include the smokehouse. “The smokehouse has been running very efficiently and the product has been turning out amazing. Our further processing manager Jonathan has enjoyed the quicker smoking times and the beautiful colouring and flavour the

• By Amanda Brodhagen • 16 The Rural Voice

new smokehouse is producing,” she said.

The good news for area farmers looking for a place to send their animals to get processed is that Green’s Meat Market still has some availability for 2021. Shaelin warns that the spots are filling up quickly and they’ve already started accepting bookings for 2021.

“One of our obstacles at the moment is finding more meat cutters and butchers. Once we have more meat cutters and butchers hired and trained we would be able to increase

WINGHAM

our capacity for 2021 and 2022 even more!” she said.

Shaelin says staffing has been one of the most stressful, yet rewarding, aspects of the reopening. “It has been very rewarding for us though to start at the beginning of the process and now seeing our new employees thriving in their new roles,” she said.

“We are incredibly grateful for their resilience and willingness to work through the kinks of reopening with us.”

The response to the reopening has been positive, but it’s also made it

nearly impossible for the Greens to keep their existing products on the shelves and fully stocked in their Lucknow retail store. In the future, they hope to expand their product range, which might include making cold cuts in addition to their famous summer sausage.

“We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from our community and local producers who have allowed our family’s business to grow over the last 50 years, and who are the ultimate reason for our decision to rebuild,” she said. ◊

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18 The Rural Voice

Dairy

Robots replace “old-school” dairy barn The Pletsch family is embracing robotics and digitization for milking, feeding, manure cleaning and ventilation in a new dairy barn to be completed in September

F

Gary Pletsch, Tessa Trachsel and their boys, Jack and Jarden are looking forward to September when the cows comes home to a new barn at Gar‐N‐T Farms where robots will perform all the labour of milking, feeding and manure scraping.

rom shoveling feed and milking in a parlour three times a day, Gary Pletsch and family are going fully robotic with a new barn that will reveal just how robotic and digitized dairy farming has become.

With plans to bring the cows home in September to the finished barn just west of New Hamburg, Gary, his partner Tessa and their two sons will soon adjust from a timeconsuming, labour-intensive dairy system to one of computerized management where checking apps to control robots will be as important as watching cattle.

“We’ll still need to go to the barn but we’ll be looking at a computer instead of attaching milkers for an hour,” says Gary. “Obviously, we’ll also still be treating cattle ourselves but the robots will provide the information to tell us which cow and when the optimal time is for treating and breeding.”

The Pletsch family went with Lely robotics for milking, feeding and manure cleaning. While many new barn builds have one or two robotic systems, the Pletsch family is going for all three plus a computerized ventilation system.

This means all the major components of managing dairy cattle will be robotic, computerized and digitized.

“This is where the industry is going and it’s part of being ready for the next generation when it comes to succession,” says Gary. “Future farmers are looking for simplicity and ease so they can spend more time managing

the dairy instead of physically doing it.”

Gary worked with his dad in a very traditional dairy for years with long days of labour before purchasing his own farm in 2015. As herd size increased, he soon outgrew the existing facility. Knowing a new barn would be needed, he kept the old bank barn and its double-five parlour “as is” until this summer when the build began. The dairy cows were farmed out to other robotic barns to learn the ropes while the new, 120-stall dairy barn takes shape, incorporating much of the technology currently available.

Gary admits he’s been “old-schooling” it for quite a while. There was lots of shovelling in the old barn and as to records, much of it was kept “in memory” or written in a little notebook in the barn before being transferred to a computer spreadsheet. At the age of 45, Gary grew up without computers. His first exposure was to a Commodore 64 in public school. His sons, however, have grown up with computers, smartphones and tablets. “I can be taught it and learn it but my oldest son is 13 and he has it figured out while I am still reading the manual.” Still, Gary is a person who embraces change. “I like change. I think it keeps everyone going.”

• By Gary West and Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot • August 2021 19

With that attitude, it’s no surprise that the Pletsch dairy barn is one of the first to combine all three of Lely’s robotic systems: robotic milkers, robotic feeders and robotic manure cleaners. Many are familiar with the robotic milkers which have dramatically changed the management style of dairy farmers in Ontario and across the world. Not everyone is familiar with the Lely Vector feeding system or the Lely Collector manure system.

Gary explained that the Vector is a self-propelled feed cart that loads itself, mixes itself and discharges feed … itself. “It drives around the barn and puts feed where it’s needed then tells itself when the feed is getting low and refills itself,” explains Gary. The benefit is the

cows get fed more often, with fresh feed rather than getting fed two or three times a day in traditional dairy barns. “It took us an hour and a half to feed before and we fed three times a day. So that was almost five hours a day just feeding,” recalls Gary.

The Vector eliminates all that labour and time and it beeps each time it visits the feed alleys. This alerts the cows that fresh feed is available which increases feed intake which will lead to improved production.

Gary, Tessa and the boys can monitor the whole process via apps on their phones.

While the robotic feed cart ensures cows always have fresh feed, the Lely Collector is working in the alleyways to keep the barn clean.

“It’s really a glorified vacuum

cleaner,” says Gary. The Collector has a 32-inch scrape, kind of like a squeegee, which funnels manure to a three-inch suck hole and bladder as it drives itself around the barn. When the bladder is full, or the Collector finishes its route, it drives to a discharge hole where it automatically empties and refills with water (it sprays as it goes). Then it will park, recharge, and launch again for its next programmed route.

Gary visited other barns that use the Collector and said he was pleased how chill the cows were around the moving robotic cleaner. “They were pretty nonchalant about it,” he says.

Like all Lely robots, the machine beeps as it moves, and cows soon learn the signals and move out of the way as necessary.

Lastly, the Pletsch family chose to go with an electronic system called Edge to control the lights and ventilation. It manages all the lights, air intakes, fans and baffles. Gary will input the parameters for temperature, moisture and static pressure and the Edge system will manipulate the barn to maintain those parameters. On warm days, it will suck in outside air and on cooler days, it will suck warmer air from a literal attic above the low ceiling so that the cattle don’t experience bursts of cold air during the cold months.

It’s quite a switch going from an older, manually-dependent barn to one of the most high-tech barns in the province. Certainly, it will

The new dairy barn at Gar‐N‐T Farms in Perth County was still very much under construction at the time of this interview but when it’s done, will be one of the most robotic‐driven barns in the province.

20 The Rural Voice

The Rural Voice: Celebrating and Teaching About Agriculture require a change in management but Gary is looking forward to all the data he can access to make timely decisions. For instance, the cattle will wear sensors in collars around their necks so the robotic milkers can track heats, rumination, overall cow activity and ketone levels. “I will know hours before a cow actually looks sick that something is off,” says Gary. “Same with breeding.

Instead of needing to see the sign of heat and wondering if the heat started hours before, the robots will tell me when the perfect time to breed that cow is. This is where the payback is … getting a cow pregnant on a single dose of semen is huge rather than missing the heat and having to milk her another three weeks.”

Technology is expensive but so was the price of lumber which increased by over 200 per cent during the build. The costs of new builds can be frightening but the laboursavings will give the family more time for their side-hustle -- a custom combining and trucking business.

Ultimately, Gary thinks the digitized and robotic barn will be great for family life. Instead of getting up at four in the morning to do chores, the family can rest until six. Also, they won’t be so tied to feeding and milking schedules which make vacation and extra-curricular activities difficult. “This is kind of the way dairy farming is going and I’m excited about it,” he said. ◊

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August 2021 21

Technology

• By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot

Build a digital barn to control data

Farm Credit Canada shared this “How to Digitize Your Farm” sketch by The Sketch Effect to supplement Jesse Hirsh’s talk on the philosophies, need and equipment required to develop a digital barn so that farmers can store, maintain and potentially monetize their own farm data.

D

igital infrastructure needs to be thought of as a digital barn, a place where data is stored, analyzed and maintained so that when new markets emerge, farmers are ready to participate profitably.

So says Jesse Hirsh, a digital strategist and futurist who shared his knowledge and experience in technology with farmers via an online webinar offered by Farm Credit Canada on their website. Hirsh says agriculture is as driven by data as any other industry and farmers need to be in control of it to be sustainable and profitable moving forward.

In fact, he says dairy farming is among the leaders in robotic technology (see accompanying story on robotics at the Pletsch dairy farm) from robotic milkers, to feeders, to manure cleaners. Robotics company Lely even has a robot to harvest and serve fresh grass to cows while measuring the quality of the grass, the quantity being eaten per cow and then correlating that data to cow health and milk production.

Will all farmers embrace how robots are changing farming? It’s a philosophical thing, says Hirsh. “Different farmers have different philosophies but everyone needs to start thinking about the digital farm and the purpose of your technology,” explains Hirsh. For some farmers, 22 The Rural Voice

digitization is about increasing efficiency and making more money. For others, it’s about value-add and sustainability.

For instance, John Deere’s Blue River Technology has a sprayer attachment that uses artificial intelligence to apply pesticides only where needed. This can dramatically lower input costs and increase overall efficiency. This concept also applies to nutrient management. “Instead of painting a field like a single canvas, you can paint a masterpiece. You can use specific strokes on each and every field to achieve truly precise agriculture.” Furthermore, Blue River Technology collects data allowing the database to identify different weeds and their resistance to sprays, as the weeds themselves evolve.

Hirsh reviewed a few robotic and digitized options farmers are adopting around the world. Naive technologies in France has a hybrid weeding machine that also uses AI but instead of applying pesticides, it uses a little blade to cut down weeds as they grow between the rows. These robots are cheaper than other attachments and much more mission specific. They require a custom map of the fields to be weeded and specific input on the weeds to be cut.

Data is always a prerequisite to accessing this technology.

Small Robot Company is a British company that has created a fleet of tiny robots. “Like ‘lawnmower’ tiny,”

says Hirsh. They are designed to about literacy and getting on the mini-Edge Cloud to use agriculture communicate with one another. One automation without being cut off or learning curve. It’s also about taking little robot sprays, another weeds and slowed by “craptacular” internet action. Hirsh urges farmers to learn another seeds but they “teach” each connections. He used Ubiquity gear how to manage their data by, as other about the field and have a series to set up a video system to monitor mentioned earlier, building their of “checks and balances” to analyze his animals and property without an digital barns. “Have you thought each other’s work to internet connection. It definitely about ways to minimize mistakes. takes some learning but the hardware protect and The benefit of and software are out there for farmers maintain your using robots for who want to control their own technology?”

To do it, he also cropping, dairy and technological destinies. urges farmers to other farming Hirsh also recommends using work together and ventures is labour devices like Raspberry Pi micro use existing savings. Like many computers which cost anywhere from software and businesses, the $10 to $50 and can use sensors to hardware to agriculture industry manage barn temperatures and increase their is facing a labour collect data that only the farmers internet efficiency. shortage. “Being able themselves can see. “Companies He referenced a to manage larger want to gather that data themselves Spanish group at fields and acreage for future products but you can guifi.net which with automation frees gather it yourself by building your physically laid out up humans to make own AI models. Before you say its their own fibre m a n a g e m e n t too crazy, there are a lot of tutorials o p t i c s decisions,” says out there to teach you,” says Hirsh. infrastructure so Hirsh.

“Pretend your farm is the only Jesse Hirsh they could share internet that matters and use Robots and data Digital Strategist and Futurist data and video technology to extend the internet collection also allow a m o n g s t across your farm. I have run an farmers to be more themselves. Other ethernet cable to the barn so at every transparent about farmers who wanted cheaper and place on my farm, there is wifi. Part their production practices, something faster connections have staged of Edge computing is just ignoring consumers are demanding to feel protests with tractors, taking over the internet,” concluded Hirsh. secure about food safety. “We still highways to demand better internet.

To learn about Edge computing live in a world where farmers can Others have created Edge Clouds and creating your own digital barn, farm the way they want but meaning, they created Clouds on you can watch Hirsh’s webinar at increasingly, the medium is the their own properties to create video h t t p s : / / w w w . f c c message and the process is the surveillance on their farms. fac.ca/en/knowledge/digitize-yourpurpose,” says Hirsh. “How you raise Hirsh himself created his own farm.html ◊ your crops and livestock is important to consumers and they will want to have proof.” % FINANCING FOR As more farmers embrace robotics 84 MONTHS that allow them to collect data, the value chain is being transformed by technology. “It used to be that the farmers had labour, equipment, feed, water, seeds and crop protection. But increasingly, the world of agriculture technology is collecting data and is data driven. This entire ecosystem depends on data from farmers to build their products. Either they (the From company) will NOT tell you how essential your business data is to their business model or they will be honest and provide some type of deal or business relationship.” Or, suggests Hirsh, farmers should store their data 702 MAIN ST. SAUBLE BEACH like grain in silos until the market (519) 422-ATVS (2887) price is right to sell their data. sales.atvdepot@bellnet.ca Ultimately, using technology is

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Armchair Crop Tour: Part 2 The progress of no-till winter canola and struggles with slug damage can be viewed on the #SoilRoadTrip app and crop tour in Bruce County John Rodges, teacher and farmer, stands in his field of winter canola. He wants to start a discussion about slug damage and control via the #soilroadtrip free app.

• By Melisa Luymes • Last month we published Armchair Crop Tour: Part 1 featuring crop stops in Huron and Perth Counties. This month, we offer Part 2 of the story by Melisa Luymes featuring crop fields to tour in the Bruce Peninsula.

T

his year, Ontario farmers will have a new app – #SoilRoadTrip– to explore fields across the province with cover crops, min-till, amendments, and innovation for soil health. This free app became available for iOS and Android on July 1, 2021. Signs will be installed at the featured fields, with a link to download the app to see field videos from the farmers themselves throughout the season. The app features directions to the field but, if travel restrictions are in effect, the entire tour can be done from a smartphone or from www.ontariosoil.net/soilroadtrip.

Bruce Peninsula hese next stops on the road trip will be a bit further out of your way, unless you are still touring from your armchair. Formed over millennia, the Bruce

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Peninsula is a breathtaking place to see. There is shallow soil over limestone bedrock with subterranean caves (called karst) that make it difficult to understand hydrology, and difficult to farm. There are several pasturebased cow-calf operations as you head up the Peninsula, and one that is featured on the #SoilRoadTrip app is Finley Cameron. He raises cattle with his wife Janice at the end of a “No Winter Maintenance” road and has installed several livestock watering sites that protect streambanks from erosion. On this app, he is featuring a concrete trough in his pastures along Barrow Bay Road that is filled with water pumped from the river by a solar-powered battery.

The stream banks are lush and green, a remarkable change in the few years since he installed the system.

“Those banks used to be bare and falling in the creek,” Finley remarks. He has seen the cattle walk the whole length of the pasture to drink from the trough, rather than go to the stream. The watering project was supported by the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association (BPBA), a community-based conservation non-profit. The BPBA has worked with farmers to install about 70 of these watering sites; farmers are seeing not only reduced bank erosion, but August 2021 25

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Continuing up the Peninsula, the landscape opens up into an expanse of flat ground. The Ferndale flats were once wetlands, later channelized and drained for agriculture. The soil type is variable but dark veins of high-organic-matter soil run through the flats. It is a place of extremes: the soil is friable and prone to wind erosion, while a heavy rain will put several hundred acres under water for days. Much of the historically pastured land of the Ferndale flats is now in corn, soybeans and wheat.

When you come to the flats on Highway 6, you’ll find John Rodgers, a farmer who teaches science. He also serves on the board of the BPBA and his farm is a hub for innovation and research.

On the #SoilRoadTrip, John is showing off his winter canola and even brings us to the middle of the field where several acres of low-lying black soil is bare, the canola killed from slugs feeding. Thankfully, it wasn’t near the road for the neighbours to see, but John brings us to see the damage anyway in hopes to start a conversation on the app about how to manage slugs. It is a problem that many no-till farmers face, depending on the year.

For John, canola is how he got into no-till; he often wanted it in his rotation, but spring canola seemed to be a dead end for him. With winter canola, he is hoping to no-till wheat into the stubble after harvest and diversify his rotation.

John also brings us to a twostaged ditch, visible from Side Road 10, that he hopes will solve some of the issues related to soil erosion on the bank of the municipal drains. He will also tour cover crops, his controlled drainage system and a phosphorus recovery project that he, the BPBA and researchers have been working on.

Just up the highway from John’s home place is land farmed by Carl Brubacher. Carl is a pork producer near Arthur, who purchased land on the flats about 10 years ago. This year he planted them all “green.”

After corn last year, he broadcast a

cereal rye cover crop at 30 lbs/ac in mid-November and crossed the field with the Curse Buster, which left the topsoil and residue relatively unmoved, but fractured any density layer and lightly incorporated the rye seed. He planted the soybeans on May 17 into an even stand of nearly foot-tall rye and terminated the cover crop immediately afterwards.

Carl says the beans went in smoothly and the cereal rye really helped to protect the soil. “It was a treat to plant driving around on green fields while parts of the province were having dust storms,” says Carl. “No one likes spitting up dust.”

Both planted green and with similar management over the last few years, Carl will be featuring both a Lion’s Head and Arthur field on the #SoilRoadTrip app, so we can see what impact soil type and weather have on the crop.

The app is a collaborative effort from farmers and organizations, coordinated by the Ontario Soil Network, which is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The Soil Network also hosts regular #LetsTalkSoil conversations to connect farmers about various topics and, since the lockdowns, these meetings have continued online. All are welcome and can connect on Twitter: @SoilNetwork or sign up at the same website you download the app: www.ontariosoil.net. ◊

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Gardening

Keeping it friendly at Keppel Croft The Loneys created a farm where friendships are as important as livestock • By Hetty Stuart

When Bill and Dawn Loney dig at their Georgian Bluffs farm, they find rocks. So pasture was the wisest choice which expanded to four acres of gardens using stone “funnels” to keep flowers watered.

W

hen Bill and Dawn Loney, teachers by trade, bought their Georgian Bluffs farm in 1977, they had a dream of creating a sustainable little community where friendships are as important as livestock.

Their new job as farmers included resurrecting an old down-trodden farm with poor soil and waist-high grass growing right up to the abandoned house, sharing it with the help of students. While Bill and Dawn are not as spry and energetic as they once were, their personalities have become seasoned and flavourful with time. They have faced major hurdles in the farming scheme of things, creating, in the process, relationships through their gardens.

But their steps are firm, their hospitality is unbeatable, and their imaginations as vivid as ever. Welcome to Keppel Croft Gardens!

We arrived after a night of gentle rain in June, fog softening the edges of the bluffs where apple trees grow abundantly. Late spring frosts will not touch the northerly sweep of the slopes, thus an apple orchard of many varieties grows with abandon. We sat under a flowering crab tree that was at least as old as the farm - dating back to the 1860s. Bees buzzed, and hummingbirds dove about us, while a chorus of spring birds and peepers sang in the 28 The Rural Voice

background. Lush vegetation made us relax into the greenery of leafy leisure: but, the truth we learned, was that every single plant, shrub and tree planted on this 76-acre parcel of farmland was wielded into place by a pick axe!

How indeed could a farm thrive in such poor soil?

Many years ago, this farm extended across the road to Big Bay Beach, “the skipping stone capital of Canada”, or so claims the sign. Rightfully so: the beach is a major source of smooth, flat, rounded stones, as was the farm “The shore came up in ancient shingle beaches,” remembers Bill. “The beach shoreline had been severed from the farm, but those smooth stones were as profuse on the remaining acreage as they were on the beach. My uncle, who plowed up the garden in the front, on the stoniest part of our farm, claimed the stones were as plentiful and large as potatoes.”

Very quickly, Bill and Dawn realized that their land would be good for nothing more than grazing. They first tried their hand at raising goats, and built a goat-house.

“But you know how goats are,” laughs Bill. “You need good fences.”

Their passion for Highland cattle became their next project. “We bred them with the Angus strain, and became

friends with each new calf - called them Gaelic names, made them into part of the family. Their horns were very distinct - long and slightly curved at the ends. They would walk to the neighbours’ gardens, and go across the road to swim in the bay. A neighbour down the road would pipe them home with his bagpipes.

Friends, neighbours, and volunteers of the garden invested with us, turning the venture into a co-op system. When the time came to butcher these lovely cows, I thought I would not be able to eat the meat, but it was so tasty and tender.” Bill’s love for their animals is palpable.

“We also raise sheep on our farm,” chimes in Dawn. “We’re expecting our shipment to arrive any day now.” They don’t winter their flock, the neighbour does that. “We raise Corriedale sheep, from New Zealand, my country,” she adds. The lambs, that look like teddy bears, are fattened for individual consumption cottagers along the bay will buy the meat. hen Bill begins to talk about the fowl that they raised, the stories turn to their biggest predators — foxes.

Behind his laughter and stories is a tight wire of frustration — who outsmarts who? Raccoons stole the eggs and killed the guinea hens, but did not eat them. Weasels slit the throats of 40 Buff Orpington chickens, and drank their blood. The foxes would come and steal the eggs, and laugh as they did so.

“Once,” says Bill, “I heard the “FOX-FOX-FOX” warning cry of the guinea hens. I grabbed the gun, and checked the rail fence where the hens were sitting. Two little ears perked up, over the grass. He ran like a shot through the gate, and sat in the field, watching me. I raised the gun, but my eyesight is going, the gun site is shot, and I am not a good aim. I took a pot shot in the general direction of the small orange dot. The dot jumped up, and split in too! One ran to the east, one to the west — it was two foxes! They both got away.

Later in the day, as I was working in the fields, about 75 feet yonder was sitting the handsome fox, watching me. We learned to live together.”

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August 2021 29

Bill is on a fox-story roll, and Dawn has been serving us fresh home-made bread and cheese with tea. We have moved into their breezy veranda, thankfully, as a neighbour had sounded the warning of a bear sighting. While Bill is a story-teller, I get the strong notion that Dawn often fills in the gaps of their life with her planning schedules, and hard work.

In fact, Bill eludes to the fact that he could not have run this farm without her vision, and the constant, backbreaking work that they share. It is obvious that his wife and their friends have become the top priority in this ever-evolving piece of land.

“We had to learn a kind of shingle technique to planting the gardens,” says Bill. “First, we had to excavate

the hole with a pick axe, screening out the stones. We lay down newspaper, then a plastic layer, over which the amended soil and manure came before the plant was inserted in the depression. The stones are then arranged from the stem of the plant, slanting upwards to ground level: in that way, dew is collected on the shale rocks and is directed towards the roots of the plants. We have very little rain here, so this gardening method keeps our gardens alive.” In this fashion, they have created four incredible acres of gardens, which include perennial borders, rock gardens, xeriscape gardens, and vegetables, all linked by paths. As Bill states, “We try to treat the land gently, and still get a profit.”

Visitors can wander through four acres of gardens connected by paths at Keppel Croft Gardens at Big Bay on the Bruce Peninsula. The gardens feature many whimsical and timeless attractions including the outhouse (named one of Canada’s top outhouses in Our Canada magazine), the glass hat ladies (admired by Bill Loney) and Keppel Henge, a working sun stone system that indicates the seasons by where the shadow falls.

30 The Rural Voice

Thankfully, there are some volunteers who help with the work.

“We feel we don’t own the land,” admits Bill. “We are like the Indians in that way — the land is only in our safe-keeping. We share it with others who love to snowshoe, ski, snowmobile, ATVs. We share with the little kids who want to know more about plants. There are also the city folk who like to sit in the midst of the shade and converse with the trees, and others who enjoy forest bathing… all are welcome. There are so many different types of people, and we learn from everybody.” They are able to host weddings, picnics and other celebrations.

The Loneys tapped into the WWOOFer program — Worldwide

Opportunities on Organic Farms of Canada — a part of an international effort to link visitors with organic farms. In exchange for free room and board, the young people work in the gardens, learning about organic agriculture, earning a report for their various agriculture/horticulture colleges. And of course, lasting friendships were made along the way. ne of their most impressive structures on their farm was built just at the turn of the century: their own Keppel Henge, a group of over 12 granite and limestone monoliths located on one of the wide, flat fields. Bill, a lover of stone and landscape, and his friend Steve Irvine, a lover of astronomy and history, are the designers behind this project. Irvine worked out the design so the slender central stone of granite casts its shadow on others to indicate the seasons as they pass.

Summer Solstice is celebrated in this meadow when the shadow thrown by the marker stone, lands on the Solstice Stone, right on time, every year. It has become a place of reflection and meditation.

Greenhouses, where succulents and native plants are for sale, are nestled beside a pen of exotic birds and fowl. There is also a gift shop and art gallery on the premises: preCovid days, an annual art show and sale happened every mid-July. The Bay boasts an artsy community, making the event well-attended. It would be remiss if mention is not made of “The Splendid Keppel Croft Outhouse”, a “loo” that was rated one of the top 10 Canadian outhouses by Our Canada magazine. Such structures play on the humour of the guests as well as the hosts, as do so many other whimsical garden designs and nostalgic decorations.

Originally, the property had been purchased to be farmed. Now, their passion for gardening and cultivating relationships has far exceeded any farming endeavours. Both Bill and Dawn exhibit a delightful enthusiasm for Keppel Croft Gardens. By the same token, Dawn says with quiet dignity, “When the time is right, we’ll be signing off with pleasure.” ◊

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August 2021 31

Gardening

Gardening for goodness Margot and Andy Uyl of Clinton quadrupled their vegetable garden to share vegetables by donation to raise funds for FOTOCAN orphanages • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

I

Margot Uyl gathers swiss chard, zucchini, beets and radish from the garden to make vegetable deliveries for customers who get fresh produce once a week in return for a donation to support orphanages operated by FOTOCAN in countries like Nicaragua.

32 The Rural Voice

n the morning, when slugs crawl away from the large vegetable garden Margo and Andy Uyl of Clinton have planted to support FOTOCAN orphanages, Margo stomps them. “With joy,”she adds with a laugh.

The couple made the decision to expand an existing garden plot into an almost 50 by 50 vegetable garden in a fundraising goal that started last year when the couple decided to have a spring sale to raise money for FOTOCAN. Andy, who works at Watson’s Home Hardware in Blyth, has been to Nicauragua many times to support the FOTOCAN orphanage in that country.

Margot, a teacher at Huron Christian School, joined him in 2020 to meet their “God children”. The couple supports six Nicaragua orphans year round.

When COVID-19 hit and travelling was banned, many mission and support trips to FOTOCAN orphanages were cancelled and consequently, financial support began to dry up. When the Uyls learned how the orphanage was struggling for support they decided to use their skills, hard-work ethic, new home and large property to raise funds.

“Andy essentially built a grow-op in the basement,” explains Margot. Under 25 feet of grow lights and supplemental heat, the couple grew hundreds of plants and hosted a plant sale in the spring which raised $2,000. That amount was generously matched by an anonymous donor and sent to FOTOCAN. Inevitably, a few tomato and pepper plants did not sell and Margot couldn’t bear to compost them.

“I said to Andy, I’ve had a lot of time since the school closed to think. I’ve been talking to God and I have an idea.” All Andy said was, “Oh dear.”

Consequently, the couple decided to enlarge the garden and extend the fundraising effort with a sort of Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) project where Margot and Andy grow the vegetables and deliver them to customers for a donation. The donations will be sent to FOTOCAN at the end of the growing season.

“We bought a tonne of seeds and set to work,” says Margot. The result is a gorgeous garden overflowing with goodness. Beets, corn, zucchini

and carrots fill the rows. They struggled with beans and potatoes this year and had to fence the garden from hungry rabbits. A vole-repellent machine was purchased to prevent plant damage. Slugs are serious pests, along with squash bugs and Margot has become quite fond of squishing non-beneficial insects. She also keeps a paintbrush on hand to help the zucchini pollinate because of the lack of bees. They plan to add a beehive to the property next year.

It’s a tremendous amount of work but Margot and Andy share the task together. “He comes home from work, we eat supper and then we work until dark.” The couple made the decision to eliminate television and internet from their lives so screens don’t usurp their time and attention. They are used to working hard and Margot shows me her wiry muscles which are quite astonishing for a woman over 60. “I’m strong,” she says simply. Not only that, she has boundless energy and enthusiasm for the project and life in general, it seems.

The proof is in the garden which is neat, tidy and marvellously productive. For more information on the donation-driven market garden fundraiser, Margot can be reached at mandauyl@gmail.com. ◊

Full of energy and motivated by a passion to help the poor, Margot (above) and husband Andy Uyl of Clinton spend every night in their garden, growing vegetables as a fundraiser to support FOTOCAN orphanages.

August 2021 33

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Daytrippin

Take a Break in Perth County Nature walks, vintage stores and farmers’ markets offer a full day of attractions

S

ometimes, much to my husband’s chagrin (he has gotten used to it over the years), I like to take a day to wander without any particular destination in mind - just jump in the car and head out, sometimes with the dogs, sometimes without.

On a recent quiet Saturday, we headed out with the dogs in tow to see what we could see and ended up

• By Deb Sholdice •

Not only is the store an eclectic mix of treasures but Hess Daun has the personality to make at stop at Fays in Sebringville a memorable experience as you take in the markets, natural areas, and fast food stops in pretty Perth County.

spending the day touring around the backroads of Perth County.

Nature Stop — Just off the beaten track, at the south end of Mitchell, lies a thriving ecosystem that is now a bird watching paradise. Thanks to the hard work of a network of organisations and volunteers, the Town of Mitchell has rehabilitated three abandoned sewage lagoons into thriving ponds that attract more than 200 species of birds, including many rare species. There are over 10 kilometres of level, grassy trails winding around the three ponds or you can watch the scene from the viewing stand near the trailhead beside the parking lot. Make sure you remember your zoom lens to capture the moment. 3890 Wellington St, Mitchell.

Curiosity Stop — In downtown Sebringville stands an unassuming vintage storefront with a small hand-lettered sign that hangs from a pole out front that reads simply “Fays”, with no other information to give a hint of what lies inside. As you enter, you find an eclectic mix of old and new, vintage and modern, artistic and gaudy. Owner Hess Daun is the first to admit that his store is “not for everyone, some people come in, take one look and leave”.

But for those who like a good treasure hunt, this little shop is packed from the floorboards to the rafters with antiques, memorabilia, curiosities and oddities.

I first found this store when I worked for a theatre company. We were often on the hunt for strange and specific props and set pieces to realize a designer’s dream for a play, and when it couldn’t be found anywhere else, Fays was often the place that could fill the request.

Daun and his wife have spent 20 years filling the building with anything and everything that captures their imagination: clothing, dishes, pop culture, art, trinkets, knick knacks, doodads and the odd whatchamacallit. But don’t expect it to be organized into categories, or actually organized at all. There are glass cabinets and shelves and the odd display rack, but inventory has grown over the years so that it is nestled and stacked into interesting piles.

It can be a bit overwhelming when you first enter the store, but as you start to make your way through the rooms, you’ll begin to find yourself lost in memories as you spy a toy from your childhood or familiar Pyrex dish that grandma used to bake an apple crumble in.

The experience can’t be rushed, so it is probably best not to pop in on your way to an appointment! Like any good curiosity shop, the owner is often as interesting as the merchandise and Daun has many great stories to share.

Without an internet presence, he relies on foot traffic so the pandemic has been particularly hard, but he says that during those lockdowns he missed the social aspect of the August 2021 35

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Market Stop — No matter where I go, I like to sample local food and produce. On our way into St. Marys, we happened upon this roadside market and stopped in to see what they had on offer. We definitely were not disappointed. There was a huge selection of their own in-house brand and other local goodies and I was able to stock up on one of my favourites, Stonetown Cheese’s Capri Ella goat cheese. The freezers were stocked with local meat and premade foods, including some lovely meat pies. A modified wagon has been fully stocked with every type of jam, jelly and preserve that could be imagined in southwestern Ontario. I chose an intriguing McCully’s Hill Farm Market brand Maple Fruit Chili Sauce that is every bit as delicious as it sounds. As is my nature, I often don’t purchase something when I see it and spend the next week regretting that decision. This time, it was the sparkling cider that I considered but now wished I had grabbed one to try!

Next time. 4074 Perth Line 9, St. Marys.

Ice Cream Stop — Once lunch has faded from memory and dinner isn’t yet on the horizon, I can easily convince my hubby that we need a pick-me-up on our travels. We spotted a local drive-in, Hearn’s, with a line-up in the middle of the afternoon, a harbinger of quality.

Hearn’s has been serving up ice cream to St. Marys residents in the same building since 1967. 327 Queen St. E., St. Marys.

Strolling Stop — When we bring the dogs along, we pick cooler days when they can lounge in the car while we stop into little markets and roadside attractions. In exchange, we find a few stops that they are interested in. There is a paved walking path that follows the Thames River from the downtown core out to the quarry. We parked near the quarry at a parking lot beside the tennis courts and then enjoyed an afternoon stroll to the downtown and back. The trail is easy, accessible and scenic. Walking past the quarry and the visible remnants of the industry

that created the “Stonetown” is like taking a walk back in time. While reading the plaque that told the history of the quarry, you could almost hear the clanging of the quarrymen’s sledgehammers and the din of the railcars and steam engines that moved the limestone out. As you move farther down the homes, the quaint stone cottages and the imposing stone downtown are postcard-perfect. Parking at various access points along Water St., St. Marys.

Beer or Rail Stop — Broken Rail Brewing isn’t easy to find, but once you know it’s there you will go out of your way to visit it.

Tucked away on Glass Street, it’s located in the historic St. Marys Junction Railway Station, a small station built for the Grand Trunk Railway back in 1858, making it an essential stop for railroad enthusiasts and history buffs. The patio was quite busy while we were there, with many people taking in the latest in craft beer on offer and enjoying the fare from a local food truck. While it may not be a feature that you normally look for in a brewery, it is located right next to a dog park which suited my furry companions very well!

Picnic Stop — You can’t spend a day driving around Perth County, and not end up in Stratford at some point. Since the park along the Avon River is one of my favourite places to eat al fresco and enjoy the atmosphere of a summer evening, we picked up some fish and chips from Madelyn’s Diner (377 Huron Street, Stratford) and found a picnic table to enjoy some people-watching while dining. Don’t forget to order a butter tart!

The crowds are a little lighter since the Stratford Festival is running only limited outdoor productions with their pandemic playbill, but the setting is extraordinary.

As always, between stops we kept to the sideroads and avoided the highways when we could. The rolling countryside of Perth County with its tidy farms and natural heritage was an incredibly relaxing way to spend an afternoon. ◊

On a day trip to Perth County one can visit (clockwise) the Broken Rail Brewing Company; historical St. Marys and a recreation trail called West Perth Wetlands featuring reclaimed lagoons turned natural areas for birders and nature lovers at the south end of Mitchell.

August 2021 37

Recipes by Carolyn Crawford

Should you put hot peppers in chili sauce?

E

ditor’s Note: Welcome to new recipe columnist, Carolyn Crawford, who is President of the Culinary Historians of Canada. Carolyn takes over from Dorothy Brown Henderson who has retired from writing the column. The Rural Voice thanks Dorothy for her brilliant contributions to this column over the past few years. have been in “quite the pickle” deciding what the topic of my first article for The Rural Voice would be. I do have a question that may open a “hot” debate here in rural Ontario: Are there any chilies in chili sauce?

I am not talking about sweet peppers (capsicum annuum) or peppers (piper nigrum) from a shaker or mill. I am referring to any kind of incredibly hot capsaicin-based chili pepper (capsicum chinense, frutescens or baccatum). Seeds from the peppers (which largely originated in tropical America), were collected from indigenous peoples during contact with Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the late 1400s. I am guessing they would have been a “hot” commodity when the Portuguese controlled the Straits of Malacca from the early 1500s to 1641 (when the Dutch took control) where much of the world’s spice trading was done at that time. In the late 1700s, the British focussed their attentions on this part of the world and in 1819 formed the British

I

38 The Rural Voice

East India Company. Along with tea, spices such as cinnamon, curry, turmeric, and peppers were shipped back to England. The version of chili sauce we think of in rural Ontario is made by many people with British ancestry. So, is it possible to suggest that “chili sauce should not have chilis in it” might be small world thinking?

While growing up on our family farm in Chinguacousy township in Peel County, we made what I like to call the “rural Ontario version” of chili sauce every harvest season. In the dead of winter, its pickled tomato-like flavour was reminiscent of the garden-fresh produce of summer. Our recipe, listed below, has chopped tomatoes, celery, onion, apple, and optional (so it says in the recipe!) sweet red or green peppers.

Apart from the other ingredients, salt, vinegar and sugar, the only flavouring is pickling spice.

What is in pickling spice? Are there hot peppers in it? Here is a list of ingredients found on the website for Club House, a spice company that

has been in production in Canada for over 130 years: “mustard seed, coriander, bay leaves, dill seed, fenugreek, cinnamon, ginger (contains sulphites), allspice, red pepper, black pepper, cloves, high oleic sunflower oil”. Apart from red and black pepper — which are listed towards the end indicating a smaller amount — there are no incredibly hot peppers on that list. Club House also has a recipe for chili sauce on their website which does not have any hot peppers in it either.

Iconic Canadian cookbook author, Elizabeth Baird, said in an interview on May 11, 2020, in the Culinary Historians of Canada’s YouTube Channel series “Behind Every Great Cook is a Great Mother”, that “for it to be called chili sauce it should have at least one chili in it”. My family would say that any number of chilies in it would spoil it. In looking at a cross section of community cookbooks across the country, it is safe to say that the majority have no hot peppers in it. But I think it all comes down to preference. If you

Most chili sauce recipes do not contain any actual hot chili peppers but using tomatoes, onions and apples from the garden can create an award‐winning sauce for winter cooking.

Recipes

O

onions with mashed potatoes dabbed with butter, canned creamed corn and poured on top of that, our family’s chili sauce.

Another summer favourite of ours is what we called “Ripe Cucumber Pickle”. It was not something we entered in the fair annually, but it was perfect for hot dogs and hamburgers in the summer and on deli sandwiches over the winter.

This pickle, also known as “Million Dollar Relish” or “Thousand Island Relish”, can be found on the website www.healthycanning.com/thousandisland-relish and it lists Canadian Living as its original source. This recipe uses the above-mentioned turmeric and it, too, is of British origin. The healthy canning website itself is a wealth of information about canning.

Ripe cucumbers are often the forgotten ones in the garden. They are a golden yellow colour and often rather large. Their abundant flesh makes them perfect for grinding into relish. They are hard to get at a farmers’ market as the desired ones are still green and are sold before they ever ripen. The best supply is from your own garden and the trick is harvesting them just before the first frost in the fall.

Both my grandmothers made Ripe Cucumber Pickle from various recipes. My mother told me that she,

as a new bride, very proudly made relish and showed it off to my grandmother who laughed so hard that she could barely tell my mother that she was supposed to take the seeds out! Mum was disappointed because she followed the recipe which never mentioned removing the seeds.

While I enjoy looking at old canning recipes, I shy away from using them.Updated canning methods today are just much safer to use. We used to be able to go to our local “ag office” and get updated information about canning but the resources are extremely limited today. There is an American website which has some really good, updated canning recipes.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation is located in the University of Georgia: https://nchfp. uga.edu/publications/publications_ug a.html They have a 338-page canning guide you can consult. There are also some simple fact sheets you can print off yourself.

The Manitoba government has an excellent four-page guide in a printable PDF form for water bath canning along with a few recipes: https://www.gov.mb.ca/inr/pdf/pubs/ nhfi_basics_canning.pdf Happy and safe canning this season. Whether you use chilis or not, I hope you enjoy the fruits of your labour! ◊

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Here is our family recipe for chili sauce. I am quite sure this recipe originally included red and/or green peppers which no one in my family wants to use. Both my aunt and my mother and the original source won prizes at our local fair for their entries. My Mum tells the story of how the judge at the fair placed their entries in the top three and that the judge was sure it was the same recipe! Mum earned third place and my aunt, and her friend traded back and forth between first and second place year after year. When you have a great recipe, it is something to be shared but not everyone wants to share a prize winner. I say, enjoy!

Be prepared to spend an entire day preparing your chili sauce. It is a lot of preparation, but it will be worth it!

Chili Sauce Ingredients: 30 large ripe beef steak style tomatoes 7 large onions 7 large apples 1-2 full heads of celery with leaves 2 tbsp salt 3 cups white vinegar 5 cups white sugar ½ cup whole pickling spices, tied or sewn in a bag made with gauze Directions: Scald tomatoes briefly in boiling water to aid in peeling them. Peel and chop tomatoes into a large kettle.

Chop onions, apples, and celery or put through a food chopper. Stir into tomatoes and mix well.

Add vinegar and spice bag.

Simmer on medium low heat until the mixture thickens adding sugar when nearly cooked. More cooking equals thicker sauce — it is a matter of preference.

Stir and cook until sugar is well dissolved.

Remove the spice bag just before bottling and processing using the water bath canning method.

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August 2021 39

Gardening Rhea Hamilton‐ Seeger is a skilled cook and gardener who lives near Auburn.

Extending the gardening season About this time, smart vegetable gardeners are into their second sowing of vegetables that enjoy the cooler fall weather and do not mind the shortening days. I always thought these gardeners were a dedicated lot.

However, due to a family of bunnies in the back yard I have already sown

my second crop of peas and beans in the vain hope we might enjoy at least one meal of each. Maybe the bunnies have matured and moved on to other gardens.

While I reseeded, I was thinking of Niki Jabbour who is a dedicated vegetable gardener who makes eating from your garden all year look easy. I first heard Niki this winter speaking at a Master Gardener workshop, via zoom. She is the author of several popular vegetable growing books and is the creator and host of The Weekend Gardener, radio show, and founder of the website www.SavvyGardening.com. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia so I know she is familiar with the challenges of weather. Niki was easy to listen to, and laid out her topic clearly. She is a great communicator and that is evident in her book Manufacturer of Precast Concrete Products Complete Infrastructure Supply • septic and holding tanks • sewer • watermain • concrete structures • hydrants and valves • hydro vaults • plow blades

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Growing Under Cover, Techniques for a More Productive, WeatherResistant, Pest Free Vegetable Garden.

My experience with cold frames and row covers is limited. Klaus’s Mom had a cold frame along the south wall of the garage for her herbs, early salad greens and radishes. In the late fall she would work in a few pails of rabbit manure from their rabbitry and the old windows that fit so nicely over the frames were secured with hook and eye to the garage wall so excessive snow loads would not break the glass. As soon as the snow melted down enough in the early spring the windows were lowered to warm up the soil and seeds were then planted.

My Dad used a fine cloth over the broccoli and cauliflower to deter insects. It worked well and we often saw cabbage moths and the like fluttering over the cloth looking for a way to sneak in.

Niki has used both these methods and so much more for reasons that are so practical. While the wonderful photos in the book show everything from simple arrangements to quite elaborate structures for vegetable growing, all of her ideas can be used in super small gardens, or even containers on a deck or patio. Her materials are simple and can vary according to your budget. She offers tips on how to save money and is quick to suggest that you look to your local garden club or community vegetable garden group to share costs of rolls of shade cloth, or poly materials. She shows ways to start small with a simple row cover or mini-hoop tunnels. As you gain confidence you can graduate to a cold frame or something larger.

There are basic reasons to consider when looking at under cover gardening. The first is simply to grow more food. The covers help you control the environment in the vegetable patch such as snow, hail, wind, cold, and heat. You are essentially creating microclimates.

You can reduce pest problems using covers at certain times of the season.

With all of this in mind you can plan out harvests all year round. It also

Gardening allows you to grow the world — by extending the season you can try crops that you only see in the grocery store and that helps save the environment if you can grow it rather than seeing it shipped from around the world. And then there is the savings on your grocery bill!

This handy book starts quite simply with the basic question “What type of protection does your garden need?” It could be something as simple as a temporary cloche to protect individual plantings from cold; a bit of nine-gauge wire and a length of floating fabric goes a long way in protecting your crops from pests or creating a simple micro climate; or something a little more involved like a mini greenhouse.

On the matter of cold frames she has tried a number of materials for both the boxes (wood, brick or masonry blocks, or straw bales) and the lids or sash — old windows being the easiest and the most readily available, Niki recommends that the glass be replaced with plastic (either polycarbonate or polyethylene). I loved her idea of using an old shower door made with tempered glass, which would make a very generous

cold frame. She also covers the easy ways to insulate your cold frame from lining it inside or outside, burying it or covering it.

There is a chapter on the larger structures of polytunnels, bioshelters, and geodesic domes and chapters dedicated to growing under various types of covers and, of course, watering setups and strategies.

Disease and pests as well as pollination issues are covered. And here is where good photos are so helpful. You can describe a problem in the clearest of terms but a photo of the problem, whether it is of an insect or damage from disease, says so much more.

The second part of this book outlines what vegetables love covers and she includes all my favourites and so much more. Besides the regular planting instructions Nikki also goes into cover strategies that both protect from creatures and, for some, simply extend the season and thus your enjoyment of eating from your garden long after others have put theirs to bed for the season. ◊

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Markets Scott Krakar is a Grain Merchandiser with LAC Inc., Hyde Park, 519‐473‐9333

Top-heavy wheat leads to flattening Much of the Ontario wheat crop has experienced more field lodging than we have generally seen for many years. There are varying degrees to which the wheat is down, ranging from areas where nitrogen overlapped, to entire fields almost completely flat.

Downed wheat never looks pretty and brings an urgency to get the wheat off the field so that quality is maintained. Lodged wheat has poor

dry-down ability and therefore has a higher risk of sprout damage, mildew and further fusarium infection, as well as other potential quality challenges.

There is a lot of chatter as to why the wheat crop’s standability was so poor this year. Generally, the thought seems to be that because the wheat was established so well in the fall, it tillered out nicely and produced lots of wheat. Lots of grain in the heads has made the wheat top-heavy and therefore the crop was susceptible to the heavy downpours and wind that flattened so many acres. While downed wheat is never what anyone wants, it may indicate that we have a strong yielding crop in the field. As some say, “a 60-bushel wheat crop doesn’t lodge.” From this, and from the general health and appearance of the wheat all season, most people are expecting a good wheat crop this harvest. Early expectations were for a large, potentially record-breaking crop through much of the growing season, but with the late season dryness experienced in some areas the chatter is that we might see a crop

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that is just average in many regions.

So far as of this writing, very little wheat has been harvested but it appears that quality issues do not seem to affect much of the crop.

With wheat quality you can never be too confident until it is harvested, and rains are forecast through mid-July now that the crop is ready to harvest.

With the wheat crop coming off early in some regions due to early maturity and the lodging problems in the field, many are considering second-cropping soys this year. This year it seems that there has been more interest in double cropping as moisture levels in the field seem to be sufficient for establishment and rapid growth. Lots of combines have been followed by drills already, more so than has happened for a long time.

As long as the weather co-operates to provide a decent end to the growing season, with where prices are today, it is likely going to be profitable, assuming the crop finishes before frost.

Grain prices are in a full-swing weather market. This is a phrase that characterizes extreme market sensitivity to weather events and forecasts and usually has a lot of volatility. Volatility is definitely on display. The USDA planted acreage report released on June 30 surprised the market, similarly to what the March 31 prospective planting report did, in that the USDA printed lower corn/soy acres than market players expected. Market expectations were for large acreage increases, which were not demonstrated in the data.

Prices for grains and oilseeds responded positively to these reports and limit up price movement occurred prior to the July 4 holiday in the U.S. When markets came back and reopened after the holiday, rains were occurring, and forecasts were for more to come. From these precipitation events corn then fell limit down and soys were only a few cents away from limit.

The grain market is caught between some regions developing very well, and some areas being in a great production risk. Western regions are in drought conditions, with some areas in extreme drought.

Reports from the west use phrases like crops are “hanging on by a

Markets thread” and “disaster in the making”.

Eastern regions are doing well, with crops developing and advancing towards what appears to be a solid crop. While the market remains fixated on day-to-day weather that always changes, what does not change is the need for record yields in order to maintain ending stocks.

Analysts point to the fact that the majority of the acres that were added to corn plantings are in regions that are the most drought stricken. These areas of note are Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. The question that comes from this is: can the U.S. achieve record national yield, with so many acres in drought conditions?

If the U.S. national corn average matches the previous record of 176.6 bushels per acre, the ending stocks to usage ratio will be just below nine per cent. Such a low-ending stocks ratio has only occurred four times since the 1960s. If yields are equivalent to last year’s crop, at 172 bushels per acre, then ending stocks would fall to the second tightest on record.

It is similar with soybeans.

Twenty-three per cent of the U.S. soy crop is in Minnesota and the Dakotas.

The USDA is currently estimating 50.8 bushels per acre as the U.S. national average yield. With the drought affecting a large swath of U.S. production it may be difficult for this yield to be achieved. If soy yields drop slightly to 50.2 bushels per acre, which is last year’s yield, then ending stocks would fall to levels not seen since 2013/2014 when soy inventory was record low. ◊

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Woodlots Donna Lacey is a forester with the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority

Netting bats in the swamp As a forestry professional I spend most of my time observing forests and all of the wonders associated within them. As one would guess, this is most often during daylight hours. Occasionally, I have gone out at night to listen for nocturnal birds calling to gather a more complete inventory. I do use the inventory quest as a bit of an excuse, as I really enjoy owls and find it a real treat to listen to them. I have attended and run a few Owl Prowls trying to lure either Great Horned Owls or Screech Owls to return our calls or even fly over. Many of the Prowls that I led were really just night hikes with only my recorded owls calling.

During the warm summer months my work in swamps and other types of wetlands has been full of many wonderful experiences and way too many mosquito bites. Mosquitos prefer shady, damp places and cooler temperatures, conditions often found in swamps. As sunlight tends to cause mosquitoes to dehydrate, many of our mosquitos are active from dusk to dawn and rest during the day.

What could possibly draw me, a day time worker knowledgeable about mosquito feeding habits, into the swamp from dusk into the night?

How about an invite from researchers to accompany them on one of their bat netting nights.

If you have ever had a conversation with me or read one of my articles, you may have promptly learned that I have a bit of a snake phobia. Conveniently for my trip out bat netting (catching, measuring, and releasing) I do not have any bat phobias though many people do.

What is the benefit of bat netting?

Bats are known as an indicator species. The presence of bats in an 44 The Rural Voice

area is an indicator of ecosystem health, as bats are sensitive to poor water quality since some of their food sources have an aquatic life stage. Deforestation or the removal of roosting sites will result in bats no longer residing in an ecosystem. The removal of fence rows and the use of agricultural pesticides will also displace our bat species, as they are insectivorous. Climate change may also be affecting our bats due to the extreme temperature shifts that we see in each of our seasons. As a responsible forest manager, I have a keen interest in the presence or absence of indicator species.

For the bat netting, two bat conservationists led me along the trails to the two netting sites that they had previously selected for tonight’s activities. I felt like I was watching a documentary following these two researchers with all of their gear.

Bat netting captures native bats so researchers can monitor population numbers as well as check on bat species, sex, weight, bald patches and wing length. During this night’s netting, they caught two pregnant big brown bats.

Clearly, they were well prepared and adept at this task. I like to be helpful, especially when people take me out on their scientific field days or nights in this case. However due to concerns over possible contamination of their gear during a pandemic, I entered the forest empty-handed.

Each of the two netting stations had two mist nets set on retractable poles. The upper net was likely at 20 feet with the lower net being at six feet. They were difficult to see in the dark.

With the nets set we had to wait until it was fully dark. Following the onset of complete darkness, the nets were checked at 15-minute intervals to ensure that any bat captured does not suffer undue stress. As we awaited the first check of the nets, the researchers set up their gear for recording information. I hoped my failed Owl Prowls would not bring

Woodlots the team bad luck. As if reading my mind, they casually mentioned that on their previous two nights netting they did not catch any bats.

Nevertheless, I remained hopeful they netted many bats of different species as that would indicate that the forest is healthy.

Heading to the first net, I couldn’t see anything aside from the items highlighted by the researchers’ headlamps. As we approached, I saw a lump within the net. We got a bat!

Actually, there were two bats in those two nets at the first site.

The bats were carefully removed from the nets and placed into cloth bags to be carefully carried to the measuring station. At the measuring station each bat had the following information recorded: species, sex and condition of organs, weight, bald patches, and wing length. We had caught two pregnant female big brown bats. It is important that I mention that the season for netting bats is set to avoid catching pregnant females too late in their gestation.

It was such a cool experience! The first female was a feisty one, fighting every move they made to measure her — just gnawing away at the glove of her captor.

Along with the catching of bats, acoustic monitoring was also taking place. Ultrasonic microphones with recorders were deployed and the recordings were then analysed by soundwave to determine which species is present. These recordings can also indicate the abundance of each species. I encourage anyone that is given the opportunity to sit out in a natural area with an ultrasonic microphone to listen to the bat activity that is happening around us. I was astounded to sit and listen to a world that I could neither see nor hear without the recorder.

Sitting alone in a dark swamp can be a little bit creepy. Sitting quietly for a long period of time affords the opportunity for nature to feel comfortable with your presence, and it seems as if everything starts moving. With my overactive imagination, I was thinking of how many snakes could be slithering over my feet. Good thing I didn’t mind all of the bats that were over my head. ◊

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Agrilaw John D. Goudy is a partner in Scott Petrie LLP Law Firm, and also farms north of London.

The mystery of the missing will(s) Estate administration can be contentious and complex. Family dynamics and emotions often ignite and drive disputes and litigation between executors, estate beneficiaries and others even where the true last wishes of a deceased relative would appear to be clearly stated. There are many formal requirements for making a valid will in Ontario. A failure to fulfill even one of those requirements can provide an opening for a will challenge and costly litigation.

In a case recently decided by the Court of Appeal for Ontario, a dispute over the future of an estate farm property boiled down to legal formalities and a scenario that could make for a mystery novel (or at least a short story).

The deceased farm owner allegedly signed two versions of the same will, only one of which was witnessed, and neither of which was available in original form at trial. By the time of the appeal, the original copy of one of the wills had been found, but it was not enough to convince the Court of Appeal that either will should be accepted.

Instead, the rules of intestacy (where a deceased has no valid will) were to apply.

The farm owner was a bachelor with no children; he died in 2015.

He had executed a will in the 1990s naming his parents as sole beneficiaries of his estate, but they had both pre-deceased him. Absent a subsequent valid will, the farm owner’s estate would pass to his brother (50 per cent) and the two daughters of his deceased sister (50

46 The Rural Voice

Agrilaw per cent jointly) in accordance with the provisions of the Succession Law Reform Act: “Where a person dies intestate in respect of property and there is no surviving spouse, issue or parent, the property shall be distributed among the surviving brothers and sisters of the intestate equally, and if any brother or sister predeceases the intestate, the share of the deceased brother or sister shall be distributed among his or her children equally.”

For two decades prior to his death, the farm owner had been assisted in his farming operation by a long-time friend. In 2009, he named the friend as his attorney for property and personal care. In 2013, the legal assistant of the farm owner’s longtime lawyer prepared a draft will naming the friend as the sole trustee of the farm owner’s estate and the beneficiary entitled to inherit the farm property. The friend asked the Court to determine that the 2013 will was valid so that she would receive the farm. The farm owner’s brother opposed the request on the basis that there was no valid 2013 will.

At trial, two copies of the 2013 will were marked as exhibits. One copy – Version 1 – had the farm owner’s signature but no witness signatures. The other copy – Version 2 – had the farm owner’s signature as well as the signatures of two witnesses. Both copies were marked “Draft” as the will had only been sent to the farm owner by his lawyer for review and comment; the farm owner had never attended at his lawyer’s office to revise and/or execute the will. However, the friend claimed that Version 2 had been signed by the farm owner and witnessed prior to his death in 2015. The brother claimed that Version 2 was signed by the alleged witnesses only after the farm owner’s death once the friend had discovered that Version 1 would not be valid without the signatures of witnesses.

The friend testified that, after the farm owner’s death, she had searched for a will. She said that she had found Version 1 in a filing cabinet in the farm owner’s house and took it to

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August 2021 47

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CANADIAN CO-OPERATIVE WOOL GROWERS LIMITED Serving Ont. Sheep Producers Since 1918

Due to the Coronavirus we are only accepting wool deliveries on a consignment basis.

FINAL PAYMENTS ON 2020 WOOL CLIP ARE BEING ISSUED We apologize for any inconvenience.

For more information contact:

WINGHAM WOOL DEPOT

John Farrell R.R. 2, Wingham, Ontario Phone/Fax 519-357-1058 farfieldfarm@gmail.com

48 The Rural Voice

Agrilaw the lawyer’s office where she learned that the lawyer had no fully executed copy of the will. During the visit, the lawyer’s assistant made a copy of Version 1 and returned the original to the friend. The lawyer’s assistant also advised the friend at that time that Version 1 was not valid because it was not signed by witnesses. The friend further testified that, after her visit to the lawyer’s office, she found the original Version 2 will on top of a kitchen cupboard in the farm owner’s house (not in the filing cabinet where she found Version 1). Version 2 was signed by two witnesses and would be valid. In fact, the Trial Judge found that Version 2 was valid and ruled in the friend’s favour.

No original of Version 1 or Version 2 of the 2013 will was produced at trial. However, between the time judgment was rendered following trial and the hearing of the appeal, the friend located the original of Version 2 of the will and asked the Court of Appeal to allow it to be admitted as “fresh evidence”. The Court rejected the request, finding that the new evidence would not change its conclusion that the friend had failed to prove the validity of the 2013 will. The Court of Appeal found that the Trial Judge made a key error in failing to appreciate the relevance of the evidence of an expert in handwriting called by the farm owner’s brother. The expert testified that the farm owner’s signatures on the two copies of the 2013 will – Version 1 and Version 2 – were identical. Without being able to produce the original of Version 1 and, in doing so, prove that each of Version 1 and Version 2 was signed (separately) by the farm owner, the friend failed to overcome the appearance that Version 2 was not signed by the witnesses until after the farm owner’s death. ◊ ______________________________ John D. Goudy’s law practice includes real property and environmental litigation, expropriation law, energy regulation, and regulatory offences.

Agrilaw provides information of interest to the farming community, not legal advice. Readers should consult a legal professional about their particular circumstances.

MARQUARDT

FARM DRAINAGE LTD ESTABLISHED 1968

“Being On Top Of What Goes Below” We provide: • Plastic and concrete tile installations

• Competitive pricing

• Land clearing, ditch excavation

• Personal service

• Erosion control contractor

• GPS, surveying, mapping and installation

• Free estimates

• Drainage knowledge and expertise

Steve Cronsberry (Owner) 5483 Fifth Line Minto, Palmerston marquardtfarmdrainage.com

I

1-888-534-0393

I

519-343-3233

of providing professionally designed and installed drainage systems.

YEARS

When outside,

be bite wise Ticks can cause Lyme disease Mosquitoes can cause West Nile virus The risk of getting sick from a bug bite is low.

But why take chances? Protect yourself and others:

Use bug repellants approved by Health Canada.

Wear long-sleeved tops and pants. Light colours are best.

Limit time outdoors during dawn and dusk.

Check your body for ticks.

Check your pets as well. www.hpph.ca 1-888-221-2133 August 2021 49

Gerber Meats Ltd. 519-699-4441 2513 Greenwood Hill Rd., Millbank, ON N0K 1L0

• Custom Butchering • Freezer Beef & Pork for sale

Grass Fed Beef

Pastured Pork

Roasting Chickens - Whole, halved or pieced 20 lb beef & pork variety packs Whole, half and quarters beef & pork

The McQuail Family - Lucknow www.meetingplaceorganicfarm.ca 519.528.2493 meetingplaceorganicfarm@gmail.com

• Free Range Chicken • Black Angus Beef • In-season Vegetables for the BBQ 5857 Hwy. 89, Harriston

519-338-5381 Reg. Hours: 9 am - 7 pm ~ Closed Sundays

www.steckles.ca

*Freezer Beef

$/lb.

hind quarters front quarters side of beef whole beef

$4.79 $4.39 $4.59 $3.99

*Freezer Pork

$/lb.

half or whole

$2.59

* Cutting, wrapping, freezing included in pricing

100% grown here ~ start to finish

77697 Orchard Line, Bayfield 519-482-1666 Please follow facebook/Instagram for updates & operating hours

Local...Quality...Delicious Local Beef • Pork • Lamb • Poultry Specialty European Meat Products

Open Tues. - Fri. 9 am - 5 pm Sat. 9 am - 3 pm

Offering • fruit wine, hard ciders, fruit liqueurs & fruit spirits (Schnapps) • baking • preserves • sweet ciders & fruit juices • seasonal fruit & so much more

Your source for Local since 2013

• Local meats & produce • Frozen soups and meals made from scratch

180 Brock Avenue, Hensall

519-262-3130

A truly Ontario grocery store

www.metzgermeats.com

Celebrating local entrepreneurs and products at

See you at the Farm!

50 The Rural Voice

7 Toronto St., Markdale

519-986-4144

Meadowview Farm & Apiary Grass-fed Beef

Chicken

Available to order by the side or mixed quarter.

At the farm store: Assorted cuts & patties

Available to order fresh At the farm store: Frozen, Whole or in pieces (Drumsticks, wings, breasts)

Clare and Gwen Gerber 91104 Holmes Line, Wingham 519-357-4347 or Cell: 519-357-8339 • Honey • Beeswax • Candles • Nucleus colonies

We take immense pride in the quality of our Wagyu beef.

We know that once you have tried our Wagyu you will be hooked on the incredible taste of this special product.

Available in 10­18 lb. variety boxes

For product details, availability and pricing contact us.

Web: grazingmeadowswagyu.com Email: tim@grazingmeadowswagyu.com 519­357­5807

Bentinck Packers Ltd. CUSTOM SLAUGHTERING and RETAIL Conveniently Located 5 Minutes from Hanover Curbside pickup please call ahead to place your orders Specializing in Fresh Beef, Pork and Lamb Products

Customized gift baskets, freezer packs & meat trays

Reg. Hours 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Tues. - Sat.

381488 Conc. 4 NDR, Hanover ~ 519-364-3538 ~ www.bentinckpackers.ca

August 2021 51

People

Have wrench, will travel

I

t was almost 25 years ago when farm mechanic Byron Lindner bought an old “Astro” van and began doing farm calls as his own business called “Farm Tech”.

He was then, as he recalls “very young and energetic” and after working 20 years as an Apprentice and then as head mechanic at Stratford Farm equipment in Stratford, he decided it was time to be his own boss. The young entrepreneur started out small and as reputation grew, he amassed close to 500 customers.

Lindner says he was one of the first independent mechanics to travel the roads and do farm calls and lead the way for many more in the Perth, Waterloo and Oxford county area.

He would be the first to tell you that he spent many long hours at all times of the day and night trying to fix tractors, combines and equipment, to keep farmers running when the weather was good and the pressure was on.

Along with his wife Sharon, the father of two and the grandfather of four says the work was both challenging and rewarding. One farmer who worked with Byron said, “Byron has the right

By Gary West personality to go along with the exceptional natural mechanical knowledge and ability that just make an equipment breakdown that much easier to cope with.”

Today Byron works out of a van that looks like an emergency fire or ambulance vehicle as it goes down the road. He bought it from New York where it was actually at 9/11 after the twin towers were hit.

Byron will say he is starting to slow down but he still does enjoy fixing the older tractors that a lot of newer mechanics don’t have a lot of knowledge on. He always feels a challenge to get those old tractors up and running and it’s fun to watch the excitement in an older farmer’s eyes to see his tractor running like never before. ◊ Byron Lindner

Lisa Thompson named new Agriculture Minister Lisa Thompson, MPP for Huron-Bruce, former education minister and government and consumer services minister, has been named as Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. She replaces veteran MPP Ernie Hardeman who served in the portfolio for the past three years and earlier from 1999 to 2011 in the Mike Harris government.

He represents the rural riding of Oxford and has been the representative since 1995. The Rural Voice’s Amanda Brodhagen anticipates having an exclusive interview with the new minister on her farm near Teeswater with the story to appear in the September issue. ◊ 52 The Rural Voice

Staehli racing 5,000 metre at Tokyo Olympics

Julie Anne Staehli

J

ulie Anne Staehli, who was raised on a farm near Lucknow, is making her home town proud after being chosen to represent Canada at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. Staehli is the daughter of Cathy and Mathew Staehli of Lucknow and the town is encouraging her with decorated porches, banners and signs.

At the time of this article, Julie Anne had a race in California before heading to Japan. Her Olympic 5,000 metre race was on July 30 with 45 women competing in two heats and finals to take place on August 2.

To make the Olympics, she had to meet the standard of 15 minutes, 10 seconds which she accomplished three times! Cathy Staehli said she ran a 15.02, then 14.49, then 14.57 minute race in Portland, Oregon.

Formerly a 3,000 metre steeplechase runner, Julie Anne switched to the 5,000 metre because the Olympics doesn’t offer a 3,000 metre race. The postponement of the 2020 Olympics actually worked in her favour, giving her more time to train for the longer distance.

The Rural Voice plans to interview Julie Anne after her Olympic experience to write about her journey from farmgirl to Olympic athlete! ◊

The

Rural Voice

Business Centre To place your ad call: 519-523-4311 or email: rvads@northhuron.on.ca

MANUFACTURING B STEEL ROOFING U SIDING & TRIMS S Full service to all boats and marine engines

ARGYLE Marine & Small Engines Inc.

33973 Church Camp Rd., Goderich 519-524-5361 Email: argylemarine@cabletv.on.ca

519-363-3757

2051 Bruce Rd. 19, R.R. 1 Chesley, ON N0G 1L0

Also Supplying Other Building Accessories

Maitland Welding & Machining Est. 1991

• In-shop & on-site millwrighting • Custom fabrication • Steel & industrial supply sales

63 North St. Wingham

Leadership in energy and environmental design

Ph: 519-357-2727

Devon Henry

Fax: 519-357-4769

84772 McDonald Line • Box 616 • Brussels

www.maitlandwelding.com rstute@maitlandwelding.com

devonjhenry@hotmail.com 519-505-2473

KRAEMER CONCRETE LTD. Two Locations to Serve You!

5595 Road 130 Brunner N0K 1C0

220 Industrial Park Dr., Brussels N0G 1H0

Fax: 595-4903

Fax: 887-8764

519-595-2343

519-887-8763

Toll Free at 1-888-RING-KCL August 2021 53

I N E S S

C E N T R E

Horse & Livestock Car, Utility & Recreational any design, hitches trade-ins welcome super after sales service

www.beloretrailers.ca 324025 Mount Elgin Rd. Mount Elgin, Ontario N0J 1N0 Jamie Belore

phone: 519-485-5358 toll free: 1-877-247-7227 fax: 1-519-485-6129 jbelore@gmail.com

SALES & SERVICE INSTALLATION & PARTS

Rissler KEITH SIEMON FARM SYSTEMS LTD. 81987 Perth Rd. 180, R.R. 4, Walton 519-345-2734 (anytime)

www.keithsiemonfarmsystems.com email: keithsiemon@tcc.on.ca For Free Planning and Estimates

B U S I N E S S C E N T R E

Farm Drainage STEVEN NIXON • GPS • Plastic • Bron Plow • Surveys • Maps Glen 519-291-0709 cell Dennis 519-276-9292 cell

Newton, Ont. 519-595-4545

Serving the area since 1999

Broker WILFRED MCINTEE & CO. LIMITED

Bus: 519-357-2222 Cell: 519-531-0252 Email: nixon@execulink.com Web: www.stevennixon.com 318 Josephine St., WINGHAM, ON N0G 2W0

2 CRAWFORD ST., WINGHAM $450,000 MLS# 40134022 Well cared for 3 bedroom home with main level hardwood flooring. Second floor with 3 bedrooms and 4 pc. bath, finished basement with 3 pc. bath, family room with gas fireplace, gas furnace and central air. Paved driveway. Relax on the large deck with gazebo, large storage shed.

PACKERS: WE BUILD RUBBER TIRE PACKER SPECIALISTS

Order Now Also large fold-up steel drum packers, lawn & estate rollers, custom manufactured

Unique Ironwork Benches, railings, gates, furniture and more One-of-a-kind functional art Visit our website at

www.workingiron.ca allan@workingiron.ca 36854 Dungannon Road, Dungannon

RR #2, Arthur, Ont. (519) 848-2799

STEFFEN WELL DRILLING 519-531-0355 TEESWATER, ON

mike@steffenwelldrilling.ca

• Agricultural & domestic water wells • Well Cleanouts • Pump Testing • Camera Inspection • Irrigation Wells • Dewatering Services

54 The Rural Voice

519-529-3434

37452 Glen’s Hill Road, RR 2, Auburn, Ont. N0M 1E0

Tel. 519-529-7212 Snowblowers, Quick-attach Buckets, Sweepers, Woodsplitters, Crimper Rollers, Land Rollers, Stone Windrowers, etc.

Website: smythwelding.com Email: info@smythwelding.com

WE WANT YOUR GRAIN! Download the London Ag App for FREE (Real-time scale tickets, contracts, cash bids and more.)

• Corn • Wheat • Soybeans • Feed Grains • Feed Ingredients • Food Quality Soybeans

CASH & FORWARD CONTRACTS Call us today for Quotes Scott Speers Richard Smibert Scott Krakar Matt McKillop Alex Kissler 1615 NORTH ROUTLEDGE PARK UNIT 43 - LONDON, ONTARIO, N6H 5L6 519-473-9333 Toll-Free 1-800-265-1885

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

AUCTION -------------------------------------------Elmira Produce Auction – Hay and Straw Sales every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Consignors and buyers welcome. Call Lloyd Martin 519664-3356, 7400 Reid Woods Drive, Elmira.

-------------------------------------------BEES -------------------------------------------We now sell Select Queen Bees raised under ORHBS program on a weekly basis. Order by Monday evening for Wednesday pick-up, $40 each or buy 10+, $37.50 each.

Martin’s Nursery and Bee Supplies, c/o Emanuel E. M. Martin, 42661 Orangehill Rd., RR 1, Wroxeter, ON. N0G 2X0.

-------------------------------------------CONSTRUCTION -------------------------------------------WE POUR: liquid manure tanks, bunker silos, foundations and pads.

All are 100% engineered. Serving Ontario since 1968. De Jong & Sons Ltd. 519-348-0523.

-------------------------------------------CUSTOM BALING -------------------------------------------Custom big square baling, rotocut, $1.15 per foot, no knives; $1.25 per foot with knives. Also custom combining. 519-377-2303.

-------------------------------------------CUSTOM WORK -------------------------------------------Janmaat custom bale wrapping.

In-line wrapping any size round bale and any size square bale up to 6 1/2' long. Call Cody at 519-9553384.

-------------------------------------------Custom stone picking. Let us harvest rocks so you can harvest crops. Serving Grey, Bruce, Dufferin and Wellington Counties.

Call Brendan Martin 519-503-1101. brendan.martin870@gmail.com -------------------------------------------DAIRY -------------------------------------------Screened bedding sand, delivered.

Call 519-625-8242 or 519-2741490.

--------------------------------------------

FARM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE -------------------------------------------IH 82 pull-type combine with p/u stored inside, $1,200. 519-3762719.

-------------------------------------------FARM FRESH -------------------------------------------Arranhill Garlic Farm, Table Garlic, Scapes and Shallots plus Garlic Seed for fall planting. 110-12 Conc.

East, Allenford. 519-270-0022.

Email: acowan@gbtel.ca -------------------------------------------FARM SERVICES --------------------------------------------

FOR SALE -----------------------------------———— For prices on forage peas, forage pea mixtures, cover crop mixtures and fall rye, Contact Courtney Grain & Seed (2015) Ltd., 225 Hwy. 21, RR 1, Ripley. Phone 519-3952972. Ask for Carmon or Mitch.

-------------------------------------------Rosco grain bins for sale – 19' and 14' diameter. Parts available. Used grain bins wanted for parts or reuse. Closed Sundays, 519-3383920.

-------------------------------------------Martin’s Nursery & Bee Supplies Etc. Large selection of flowering trees, shade trees, fruit trees and hydrangeas and other shrubs. We have the plants you need to make a living “privacy hedge” or snow fence or windbreaks. Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, White Spruce, Pine and Cedars. Also… a Complete line of Bee Supplies for the commercial or hobby beekeepers. Order your (Nuc) Bees for spring 2022. We now sell select Queen Bees raised under ORHBS program on a weekly basis. Order by Monday evening for Wednesday pick-up – $40 each or buy 10+, $37.50 each. We stock all wooden-ware (bee-hives) foundation, assembled and unassembled frames, smokers, suits, jackets, gloves, mite treatments and some extracting equipment. Honey containers, jars, pails, custom built wooden-ware.

Come visit our nursery and bee supplies store Monday to Saturday at 42661 Orangehill Rd., RR 1, Wroxeter, ON N0G 2X0, one concession north of Wroxeter.

-------------------------------------------SPALDING: Maple, odd shaped logs, bricks, weathered doors, windows, rails, stones, etc. Wm. J. Miller 86106 St. Augustine Line, RR1, Lucknow, ON N0G 2H0.

-------------------------------------------IRON & STEEL -------------------------------------------DISCOUNT STEEL: New second grade steel sales; 1" - 8" square tubing; 7/8" - 14" round tubing; Rectangle tubing, discount plate; New and Used I-Beams; Bar grating, rebar, angles; Custom cutting, welding, punching.

Listowel. Phone Aden 519-5957775.

--------------------------------------------

EGGER FARMS CUSTOM BALING

• 3x3 Bales Automatic Acid Applications, Roto Cutter.

Individual Bale Wrapping 6' bales

Call Fritz: 519-292-0138 -------------------------------------------FIREWOOD -------------------------------------------Screened hardwood slabs – 16" cut $30 face cord, 10 cord deliveries or pick up in Auburn. huronfirewood.com Call 519-5243493.

------------------------------------------FOR SALE -----------------------------------———— Ferguson 35 tractor in excellent condition, 3PH, always stored inside, used to clip paddocks. Also included Mott mower used to clip paddocks, excellent condition, great for small estates that don’t want a big tractor, $7,000. Also 8 cedar posts, 519-6660525.

-----------------------------------————

Discount Steel Great for barn posts, stabling or other build-your-own projects

Custom Welding & Machine Shop Custom Stabling Mfg. Open Tues. & Thurs. ~ other days by chance John A.M. Martin 1467 Grey Ox Ave., Lucknow

August 2021 55

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

LIVESTOCK BEDDING -------------------------------------------MIRACLE FIBER Livestock Bedding.

Also, coarse wood mulch for horse and cattle walkways, wet areas around water troughs and bush lanes. Also available is dairy pack starter bedding. 1-877-773-8004.

Sittler Grinding. Rick Sittler.

-------------------------------------------LIVESTOCK FOR SALE -------------------------------------------Suffolks - purebred Ram lambs.

British bloodlines M-V negative, closed flock. Several bloodlines available. 519-233-7896.

-------------------------------------------Limousin bulls, open and bred females available. Smart Limousin, Meaford 519-372-7459. smartlimo @bmts.com www.smartlimousin.com -------------------------------------------LIMOUSIN – quality breeding bulls for sale. Delivery included.

Posthaven Limousin, John Post.

519-766-7178. www.posthaven limousin.com -------------------------------------------Simmental yearling bulls and Mature Simmental bulls. Red and Black.

James and Joan McKinlay 519599-6236.

-------------------------------------------Red Angus/Simmental, Simmental and Red Angus heifers bred to calving ease Red Angus bull for Spring 22 calving. James and Joan McKinlay 519-599-6236.

-------------------------------------------Rabbit breeding stock. High quality genetics available in Ontario. Order your PS40 bucks and PS19 does today. CuniON@tcc.on.ca -------------------------------------------PERSONALS -------------------------------------------Retired farmer, young 72, good physical shape, Owen Sound area, seeking companionship. No internet service. 519-794-2735.

-------------------------------------------REAL ESTATE -------------------------------------------Selling or buying farmland, residential or commercial. All properties needed. Call Greg or Dwaine Nicholls, Brokers for GA Nicholls Realty Ltd. Greg 519-2910507, Dwaine 519-492-2002.

--------------------------------------------

RESTORATION -------------------------------------------The Olde Tyme Radio Centre – antique radios, clocks, gramophones, telephones; sold/restored. (vintage autoclock radio, speedometer, tachometer repaired). Belgrave 519-357-4304, www.oldtymeradio.ca -------------------------------------------RETAIL & GIFTS -------------------------------------------Stitches with a Twist – 404 Queen St., Blyth, 519-523-9449. Yarns, needles, notions, patterns, books and lots more yarn.

-------------------------------------------SERVICES -------------------------------------------INCOME TAX FILING FOR CORPORATIONS and late filers – for farms, small business, truckers and individuals. Will make house calls in the North Huron, Perth and surrounding area. Call Shirley in Wingham – cell No. 1-705-4348187.

-------------------------------------------Cronin Poured Concrete Ltd. Since 1976. Liquid manure tanks to 200'.

Heights of 8'-14' (1-pour). All jobs engineer specifications/inspections - guaranteed. Best firm quote in Ontario. Mark Cronin, 519-3489062.

Cell 519-274-5000. www.croninpouredconcrete.ca -------------------------------------------Firearms and hunting training.

PAL & HUNTER ED. Ongoing courses available. Certified instructors. Call Greg 519-8879622 or 519-291-0507.

--------------------------------------------

SERVICES --------------------------------------------

56 The Rural Voice

The deadline for the September issue of The Rural Voice is August 10, 2021

DONALD A ANDREW ACCOUNTING

Accounting & Income Tax Services for FARMS, BUSINESSES & INDIVIDUALS 296 Ross St., Lucknow

Ph. 519-528-3019

Specializing in on Farm Pest Management Serving Southwestern ON, Golden Horseshoe, GTA Email: info@sgsltd.ca

519-692-4232 www.sgspestmanagement.ca

GLAVIN BARN & COMMERCIAL PAINTING FARMERS repaint your faded coloured steel FREE QUOTES ~ FULLY INSURED

RR 1 Crediton, Ont. N0M 1M0 (near Exeter)

Call: Jim Glavin 1-800-465-4725 519-228-6247 Eugene Glavin 519-228-6801

CLASSIFIED WANTED -------------------------------------------Scrap Cars Wanted – 20, 30, 40 yd. scrap metal bins available. We sell quality used auto parts. Wanted to buy – scrap cars, trucks, farm machinery, heavy equipment.

Kenilworth Auto Recyclers. 519323-1113.

-------------------------------------------Round bales of horse or cattle quality hay picked up. Call Riley Gorman 519-321-1012.

-------------------------------------------Farmland – Long or short term.

Cash rent, share crop. Contact Paul at Hill & Hill Farms, 519-2333218 or 519-525-3137 or email: paul.hillhill@tcc.on.ca -------------------------------------------Young farmer looking for land rent, sharecrop, or custom work opportunities. Good environmental stewardship and professionalism.

Short and long term. 519-200-7845 or hundt.chris@outlook.com --------------------------------------------

Rural Living Country Quilting Piece a quilt you love, we can quilt it! ** Custom Machine Quilting **

Fabrics, Quilts & Much More

For the quilting enthusiasts, we have everything you need.

Cottons, flannels, fleece, wools, books, patterns

519-392-6046 3855 Bruce Rd. 4, 5 kms. N. of Teeswater

Fabric, Quilting Supplies, Ready & Custom Made Quilts

August 27th ~ Fabulous Friday ~ “L” Day

519-625-8435 heather@thequiltplace.ca www.thequiltplace.ca

84849 Ethel Line, Brussels, ON

3991 Perth Rd. 107, Shakespeare, ON

www.countryquilting.ca

20% off lines, lions, llamas, lime, lemon, etc.

Check Facebook for store updates or visit our website sanityhill.ca

519-887-9456

August 2021 57

Rural Living

A Country Guide for the Rural Homestead

National Farmers Union – Ontario NEWSLETTER Phone: 1-888-832-9638 E-mail: office@nfuontario.ca Website: www.nfuontario.ca

Strong Communities.

Sound Policies.

Sustainable Farms.

“Going Whole Hog”: Fred and Ingrid de Martines of Perth Pork Products When it comes to niche farming and marketing, there are three things you need to know: your product, your customers and your worth.

For Fred and Ingrid de Martines, their product was a no-brainer: “Pigs.

It always had to be pigs.”

And the rest fell into place over time.

The two moved to Canada from the Netherlands and started what is now Perth Pork Products, located between Stratford and Sebringville, ON in 1979. Fred is a certified swine specialist who brought his European training and experience with him to raise high-quality pigs while also raising a family.

“When I came here in 1979, I couldn’t believe what these pigs looked like,” he says. “They were skinny, no meat, just a big bag of bones. So I started my own breeding program and my own herd.”

On 100 acres of land, the farm hosts rare and heritage breed pigs, wild boar, and some small crops, including grain and corn.

Their customer base comes largely from high-end restaurants, small butcher shops and direct sales.

“The key to niche marketing is a consistent product. Most people’s mistake is they start cutting corners to make it cheaper – but a cheaper product is not necessarily what customers are after. They’re looking for the same thing over and over and over again.”

That’s why the way the pigs are raised never changes, says Fred.

They’re raised humanely, without any antibiotics and their feed is grown right on the farm.

Despite being approached by bigger supply chains, Fred always turns them down in favour of maintaining full control over the business. In light of growing popularity and success, Fred was told

it was time to “get bigger or get out.”

Confident in his existing business model, he knew what to do next.

“I’ll show the world that you can make a living on 100 acres.”

However, looming government regulations can be an obstacle to retaining that full control on a small family farm.

Part of Ontario’s proposed strategy to address invasive wild pigs includes phasing out import, possession, transport, propagation, buying, selling, leasing, or trading of live Eurasian wild boar and their hybrids – directly affecting processors and consumers of wild boar in Ontario like Fred and his family.

“It’s a very sad thing when the government comes in and says ‘no’ for no good reason at all,” Fred says.

With only a handful of farms raising wild boar in the province, he says that responsible farmers are not the ones causing the problem and that his farm has never had an escape that went unaccounted for.

“I’m just hoping the government stays out of it so that we can provide Canadians with wholesome food without being pushed into doing things that we don’t want.”

Fred spent years learning the insand-outs of not just farming, but also farm marketing – learning from chefs and studying the restaurant industry

to determine what his margins needed to be and interacting with media professionals to get his name out there. At the same time, he says he always prioritizes making time to build relationships with his customers, talking face-to-face and offering farm tours.

“You need to get that education. I couldn't find a college that would give adequate training. Plus, if you're running a farm yourself, and you've got four little kids, you sure as heck don’t have time to go to school. It’s tough, but it can be done.”

With a successful business up and running, next steps were to ensure its longevity. Fred and Ingrid’s son, Mark, and his family, took over the farming side of things four years ago.

“I’m very proud of the fact my wife and I were able to do a successful succession of our farm.

We’re working on the next generation, and then (the farm) doesn’t live and die with just Fred and Ingrid.”

As far as the future of farming goes, Fred’s advice if you’re looking to break into the industry is to pick one or two things, know them well, and do them well, because you’ll never be good at everything.

“Be very focused, but at the same time, it has to be fun. You’re only going to live one life, so make sure you enjoy it.”

Coming Events Local 340 (Waterloo/Wellington) — Local 340 is hosting their annual summer social on Saturday, August 21 from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Heartwood Cidery in Erin, ON. A meal featuring ingredients from NFU member farms will be served. The summer social is always a great time to connect with other NFU farmers in the area and enjoy some friendly conversation, food and music in a beautiful setting. Free to attend and all welcome, though spaces are limited so please register in advance on their Eventbrite page or contact Local 340 president Caitlin Hall: hallcaitlin@gmail.com 519-820-1891.

A subscription to The Rural Voice is one of the benefits of being an NFU-O member 58 The Rural Voice

Stewart Skinner, President stewart@stonaleenfarms.ca / 519-492-2990

Perth County Pork Producers NEWSLETTER

* The Rural Voice is provided to Perth County Pork Producers by the PCPPA perthcountyporkproducers@gmail.com

Local Pork Products Available BBQ season is here – fill your freezer with local pork products!

Order today from: Tanya and Darryl Terpstra 519-291-7603 Dave and Ruth Kloostra 519-347-2619 or visit Leis Feeds in Milverton Open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to noon

BBQ services for large groups are also available, Contact: perthcountyporkproducers@gmail.com for more details.

Pork Supplied By: Perth County Pork Producers August 2021 59

St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9 Grey County Federation 446 10th519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551 grey@ofa.on.ca Website: greyfederation.ca of Agriculture * The Rural Voice is provided toEmail: OFA Members in Grey County by the GCFA

Newly-formed Agricultural Advisory Committee holds meeting Following are excerpts from the official Grey County Ag Advisory Committee minutes: In the fall of 2020 Grey County Council sought applications from the public for their newly-formed Agricultural Advisory Committee.

Grey County recognized that Agriculture and Food are significant sectors in Grey County’s economy.

This committee is to serve as the voice of Agriculture and advise Grey County Council, they will communicate between agriculture groups in Grey County.

The committee was formed and meetings have begun. The most recent meeting of the group was held on June 17, 2021. There were several topics on the agenda including Forest Management Bylaw (Scott Taylor, Planning), Climate Change Action Plan Update (Scott Taylor, Planning), Age Friendly Community Plan (Scott Taylor, Planning), Cycling and Trails Master Plan Update (Bryan Plumstead, Tourism), Abattoir Research Update (Philly Markowitz, Economic Development) and Agricultural Specialist High Skills Major partnership project (Philly Markowitz, Economic Development).

There was also a guest speaker (Wesley Wilson) at this meeting from Ontario Barn Preservation (OBP): Surplus Dwelling and Protection of Heritage Barns.

Wesley explained the planning policies that impact the preservation of Ontario barns and possible solutions to encourage barn preservation. The OBP is in the process of developing a contractor and trade database to connect people who need to do restoration on a timber structure or heritage barn with experts in the field. The OBP Board members are mainly architects and engineers across the province who have expertise in

timber structure and barn preservation. Planning staff will connect with Mr. Wilson and colleagues from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and will look at policy updates in an upcoming County official plan amendment.

Other comments and suggestions included: • older barns that remain on a farm can continue to be used for farm uses • considerations for renovating or changing the purpose of old barns • allowing for larger surplus farm dwelling lots with a barn to encourage small scale farming or community-supported agriculture initiatives • as hay and livestock are removed from old barns, building deterioration accelerates • insurance companies frown on hay storage in barns • preservation of attached silos • repurposing silos to cell or internet towers After the presentation the following motion was made by the Agricultural Committee: Moved by: Councillor Robinson Seconded by: Councillor Soever That the Grey County Agricultural Advisory Committee endorses the mandate of the

ShedTalk 2021 GCFA is continuing to host member forums throughout 2021. If there is a topic you would like to have covered at one of these events, please email: grey@ofa.on.ca with your suggestions. We look forward to hearing from you.

Ontario Barn Preservation which advocates for change to the surplus farm dwelling severance policy to avoid unnecessary demolition; advocates for heritage barns; and does not advocate for mandatory preservation, but encourages voluntary preservation, reuse, and restoration where possible and provide Agricultural Advisory Committee June 17, 2021 resources to support those; and That the Grey County Agricultural Advisory Committee recommends to Grey County Council that Staff reports take into consideration barn preservation, when appropriate; and That as these reports are presented to Grey County Council, that these reports be provided to the Grey County Agricultural Advisory Committee for comment, engagement, and education. Carried A voice for agriculture in our communities is very important not only to the farmers but to all residents of Grey County. The Agriculture Advisory Committee’s next meeting will be held in September. Details can be found on the Grey County website. ◊

Grey County Federation of Agriculture

2021 MEETINGS • August 12 • September 9 • October 13 (AGM)

DUE TO COVID-19 GCFA Board Meetings have become conference/video call format.

Please contact the office if you are interested in taking part.

Grey Federation of Agriculture

* The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Grey County by the GCFA.

60 The Rural Voice

• November 11 • December 9

@ GreyFedAg

Email: bruce@ofa.on.ca website: brucefederation.ca

NEWSLETTER

446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551 * The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Bruce County by the BCFA

BCFA Bursary available to help local students Any opinion expressed is that of individual County Directors or Representatives and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture or Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

With less than two per cent of the population involved in primary agriculture, the farm industry is finding it harder and harder to attract tomorrow’s leaders and star employees in agriculture fields, as few young people are exposed to the vast opportunities in agriculture.

The Grey Federation of Agriculture and the Bruce Federation of Agriculture, have long been sponsors of Ag education, and have given out awards at every high school in Grey/Bruce for students pursuing agriculture in postsecondary education. Recognizing that this was not enough, they have created Ag Career education opportunities. These have included in the past the Career Fair that was held in conjunction with the Chesley Agri Fair as well as in-school talks and demonstrations to promote agriculture and related industry careers.

Secondly, the federations created a standalone bursary, that to date has been able to give out 24 scholarships to students attending a variety of education programs related to Agriculture with hopes of returning to the agricultural field.

The Building Careers and Futures in Agriculture (BCFA Bursary) is a financial assistance program for students entering or currently pursuing a post-secondary education with an emphasis on agriculture.

The program is available to students seeking a post-secondary school agricultural career or agriculturallyoriented educational opportunity.

Students interested in this financial support for their education are asked

to apply no later than August 31, 2021 by emailing the required documentation to bcfabursary@ gmail.com or by completing the online application found at bcfabursary.com Required documentation with the student’s application include: one page cover letter addressed to the Building Careers and Futures in Agriculture Bursary Committee written by the student, explaining educational goals and their plans for a future in agriculture; a résumé including a list of community and agriculture-related involvement and accomplishments; a most recent

transcript (high school or college/university); proof of enrollment (letter of acceptance or timetable if current student) and letters of recommendation (from a mentor, employer, volunteer organization community leader, etc.) (maximum of three references please).

A member of the BCFA Bursary Committee will notify the successful applicant on or before October 1, 2021. They will receive their award at the Annual General Meeting of their respective county to be held in October 2021 (virtual due to COVID-19 in 2021). ◊

Bruce County Federation of Agriculture

2021 MEETINGS • August 23 • September 27

• October 25 • November 22

DUE TO COVID-19 BCFA Board Meetings have become conference/video call format.

Please contact the office if you are interested in taking part.

Bruce Federation of Agriculture

@ BruceFedAg

* The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Bruce County by the BCFA.

August 2021 61

Perth County Federation of Agriculture Email: perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com Website: www.perthcountyfarmers.ca Sue Shafer, Office Administrator 1-833-229-6834 Sara Wood, President: 519-272-5525

Food for Thought through the eyes of a teenager I have recently seen the “Six by Sixteen” commercial by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. I first heard about the Six by Sixteen program in 2017, when I was in Grade 8. I thought knowing how to cook healthy and balanced meals was something that everyone learned in the home while growing up.

In our home, cooking and preparing meals from basic ingredients was something we took great pride in and challenged each other to outdo each other with our flavors and presentations. As I entered high school at St Michael’s Secondary School in Stratford, I enrolled in the food programs in both Grade 9 and 12. I observed that not many of my classmates had any meal preparation abilities, nor knowledge of where food came from, let alone how to plan and prepare a basic and healthy meal.

This school is not considered a city school and many of the students are from small communities and yet have little knowledge on how to prepare a basic meal. When I would talk to some other people in high school, I found that they would often eat out instead of cooking. As much

as I love eating in a restaurant, I love a healthy home cooked meal more.

Cooking your own food makes you enjoy it that much more and working with basic natural ingredients gives you more control on what is in your meal and possibly where it came from. I feel that foods class should be a compulsory course for high school students. It is a life skill that all teens need to know as they enter adulthood. Everyone should know how to cook meals to provide for themselves or for their families. This course will teach students how to cook foods like casseroles and homemade soups and not just hotdogs or chicken nuggets.

It will also provide information on more healthy options rather than frozen pizza or chicken nuggets.

This course will also show students how to know that you are getting good food that is grown locally. There are many labels to indicate that it is a local product. An example is dairy products made from Canadian milk have a blue cow on the product. There is also the amazing opportunity to learn how to shop and support local businesses on a budget. With the pandemic, we

know that supporting local and small businesses is more important than ever. These are just a few reasons that foods should be a mandatory course.

I feel that people think that learning how to cook is hard and time consuming. It can be time consuming, but it does not always have to be. There are so many meals and even desserts that are healthy.

The six by sixteen website sixbysixteen.me, is a great resource for people to find healthy meals and desserts that support our local farmers. For those who do not have the option to take a foods course in their high school career I feel the Six

by Sixteen challenge can help teach an important lost art in our society. ◊ – Submitted by Josy Terpstra Proud member of a PCFA family Perth County Federation of Agriculture

BOARD MEETING Thursday, August 12 If you would like to participate or have an item for the agenda, please contact: Sue Shafer at 1-833-229-6834 or perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com

Vote for OFA’s next Provincial Director representing Huron-Perth OFA members in Huron and Perth counties will soon be casting their vote for a new Zone 7 Director to represent their interests on the provincial Board of Directors.

Watch your mailbox for a package from OFA containing election details, candidate information and options for submitting your vote.

OFA members can begin casting their vote on Monday, August 16. Voting closes on Thursday, September 10, 2021.

The newly elected Zone Director will serve in the position for a three-year term, beginning immediately following OFA’s 2021 Virtual Annual General Meeting on November 22, 2021.

Your 2021 election candidates include: Julie Danen Erica Murray Ethan Wallace Your active involvement in this election process will help ensure the Board of Directors represents your interests as an Ontario farmer. Thank you for your vote.

For more information, please contact your local Member Service Representative at 1-800-511-1135 or visit ofa.on.ca.

All Candidates Meeting Please join us for a virtual All Candidates meeting (via Zoom) on Thursday, August 26 at 8:00 p.m.

Register by August 24 by emailing perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com in order to receive the Zoom meeting link. * The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Perth County by the PCFA.

62 The Rural Voice

Index A.G. Hayter Contracting Ltd..........34 Agronomy Advantage ....................26 Argyle Marine & Small Engines ....53 Backyard BBQ..........................50, 51 BDO ..................................................4 Belore Trailers ................................54 Bernie McGlynn/SB Flooring ........45 Bester Wood Products ..................45 Bio-Ag ............................................21 Boonstoppel, Dave & Elly ..............24 BP Dust Control ..............................15 Buddsteel Architectural Products..34 Bushell’s Auto Sales ......................17 Canadian Co-operative Wool ........48 Chalmers Fuels ..............................13 Cliff’s Plumbing & Heating ............15 Clinton Skating Club ......................40 Cover Crops....................................24 Cross Country Eavestrough ..........48 DJ Henry Homes & Renos ............53 Easy Lift Doors Ltd ........................12 Egger Farms ..................................55 Fieldwalker Agronomy ..................26 Gerber’s Workwear ........................53 Greenfield Global ..........................42 Grey-Bruce Construction ..............43 GRK Products ..................................8 Hardi ..............................................27 Harold Jones Enterprises ..............54 Hayden Water Wells Co. Inc ..........43 Hill & Hill Farms ....Inside Front Cover Honey............................................2, 7 Hunter Steel Sales Ltd ..........Cover 3 Huron Commodities ......................43 Huron Perth Public Health ......46, 49 JA Porter Holdings Ltd ..................40 Jennifer Cook & Associates Inc ....46 Keith Siemon Farm Systems Ltd ..54 Kenpal Farm Products Inc ............26 Kingwood Bins ..............................47 KMM Farm Drainage ........................6 Kraemer Concrete Ltd ..................53 Kuepfer Farm Drainage..................54 LAC ................................................54 Lakeside Shelving & Racking........27 Lands & Forests Consulting ..........45 Live Landscape ..............................41 Local Travel ..............................29, 31 Maitland Welding & Machining ....53 Mapleview Agri................................18 Marquardt Farm Drainage..............49 Martin Farm Wagons......................36 Martin’s Nursery ..............................6 Marvin L Smith ..............................43 McIntee Real Estate - Steven Nixon ..54 Morris Sachs Silo Construction ....24 Nature’s Wave Inc ..........................57 Nuhn Forage ....................................5 OFA ..................................................5 Preserve & Store ..........................9,11

RBC Ag West ........................Cover 5 Ridgeway Metals ............................53 Royal LePage - Steacy Den Haan ..21 RT Bolton & Son....................Cover 4 Rural Living ....................................57 Rural Voice Books ................Cover 6 Rural Voice Subscription ......Cover 5 Sauble Beach Motorsports ..21, 23, 47, 48, 14 Schmidt’s Farm Drainage ..............13 Schweiss Doors ..............................13 Sew & Save ....................................41 Sharp’s Creek Forge ......................34 Signature Crane..............................15 Smyth Welding ..............................54

Somerville Seedlings......................45 Steffen Well Drilling ......................54 Stops Along The Way............Cover 7 Stratford Agri Analysis ..................13 Superior Barn Painting ..........Cover 4 SV Enterprises................................63 SWO Diesel ............................Cover 3 Townsley Barn Painting ................56 Triple P Consulting ........................36 Trouw Nutrition................Back Cover Waddell Engineering......................48 WD Hopper & Sons Ltd..................39 Williams Drainage ..........................48 Working Iron ..................................54

PROTECT YOUR BARN! Recycling is a good thing, right?

Not always. You have spent good money trying to get the stale, dirty, moisture laden air OUT of your barn, so please don’t recycle it! Make sure it continues on its journey up, past your eave.

VENTILATION SPECIALISTS CHIMNEYS INLETS HEAT EXCHANGERS photo: 20" wall chimney

Enterprises

SV Enterprises R.R. #1, 4580 Road 140 Sebringville, Ontario N0K 1X0

|

519.275.1608 sventerprises.ca August 2021 63

HURON

42 First Avenue, Clinton, Ontario N0M 1L0 519-482-9642 or 1-800-511-1135

County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER

Vote for OFA’s next provincial director representing Huron-Perth OFA members in Huron and Perth counties will soon be casting their vote for a new Zone 7 Director to represent their interests on the provincial Board of Directors.

Watch your mailbox for a package from OFA containing election details, candidate information and options for submitting your vote.

OFA members can begin casting their vote on Monday, August 16.

Voting closes on Thursday, September 10, 2021.

The newly-elected Zone Director will serve in the position for a threeyear term, beginning immediately following OFA’s 2021 Virtual

Annual General Meeting on November 22, 2021.

Your 2021 election candidates include: • Julie Danen • Erica Murray • Ethan Wallace Your active involvement in this election process will help ensure the Board of Directors represents your interests as an Ontario farmer. Thank you for your vote.

For more information, please contact your local Member Service Representative Margaret Vincent 519-482-9642 ext 1 or margaret. vincent@ofa.on.ca or visit ofa.on.ca.

From the history files ....

Website: www.hcfa.on.ca Email: ofahuron@tcc.on.ca

Upcoming Events August 2 - Civic Holiday!

August 19 & 20 - Tentative date for Huron County Plowing Match. Contact Brian Wiersma e-mail: brianwiersma3@gmail.com August 20-22 - Bayfield Fair. Visit: bayfieldfair.ca for details. Please note that all events are subject to change in line with local Health Unit guidance.

August 27-29 - Zurich online Bean Festival.

Details at beanfest.ca August 28 - Huron County Beef Producers Drive-Thru Steak BBQ. Contact Harvey Hoggart 519-482-9157.

Huron County Federation of Agriculture

BOARD MEETING August 23 - 8:00 p.m.

This is expected to be a virtual meeting.

Contact us if you would like information to join this virtual meeting.

Huron County and Perth County Federations of Agriculture will host an

ALL CANDIDATES MEETING

for the OFA Zone 7 Director election virtually

August 26 - 8:00 p.m.

If you are wishing to join this meeting contact margaret.vincent@ofa.on.ca or ofahuron@tcc.on.ca / 519­482­9642

Send in your nominations!

To celebrate the 75th anniversary year of the HCFA many former presidents attended the 2016 Annual Meeting. Back row, from left: Doug Fortune, Marinus Bakker, Bill Wallace, Jack Stafford; second row, Henry Boot, Steve Thompson, Chris Palmer; third row: Nick Whyte, Brenda McIntosh, Gerry Fortune, Paul Klopp and Neil Vincent and front row, Carol Leeming and Joan Vincent.

Save the dates for Annual/Regional Meetings The Huron County Federation of Agriculture Annual Meeting will be held virtually on Friday, October 22 at 8:00 p.m.

Please contact the office if you are interested in joining this meeting.

This is an opportunity to discuss resolutions coming from Huron County to the OFA convention. Resolutions that are time sensitive can be submitted sooner. We will also have elections for the HCFA board at this meeting. ************ The OFA Regional Meeting will be held virtually on September 15 at 8:00 p.m. (please note date change) This meeting will include updates on current OFA issues and ongoing efforts, in addition to elections for OFA Policy Advisory Council members, Delegates and Alternates to the 2021 Ontario Federation of Agriculture Convention in November. margaret.vincent@ofa.on.ca 519 482 9642 ext 1

The Huron County Federation of Agriculture is collecting nominations for the Huron County Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture Award.

When sending in your nomination please include the name, address and phone number of the nominee. Your nomination should include an explanation for the nomination such as the person or group’s contribution(s) to agriculture and rural life in Huron County.

Send nomination to the HCFA office.

DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 Please call before visiting the HCFA office to determine if the office is open.

Please be assured that we are still available to address your concerns by telephone: 519-482-9642 or email: ofahuron@tcc.on.ca

The Rural Voice is provided to all OFA members in Huron County by the Huron County Federation of Agriculture

64 The Rural Voice

Exeter

Hanover

Stratford

Cameron Charlton 519-235-0467

Dalia Hopcraft 519-364-2523

Jim Mezei 519-271-8015

Joel Bishop 519-235-0269

HarrisonTodd 519-364-2358

Josh Coffey 519-274-0902

“The Magazine of Agricultural Life”

$20

for 12 issues

$35

for 24 issues

Call in and pay by credit card or mail in a cheque made payable to North Huron Publishing The Rural Voice 405 Queen St., P.O. Box 429 Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 519-523-4311

Summer Reads

The Rural Reading Room Specializing in Rural Living & Local Authors

~ great books for all ages

BUILDING BETTER BATHROOMS This book will guide you through design criteria for each primary accessible component of a washroom and change room. You will see what “batter bathrooms” look like, how they measure up and, most importantly, you will learn why doing it right really matters. $45.00

OF BANDS AND BUDDIES: The Adventures of our 1960s Rock 'n' Roll Bands This book depicts stories from rock 'n' roll bands of the 1960s that originated from Goderich, Ontario. Read about the adventures the Concords, the Mojos and the Del-Reys. $15.00

THE FORGOTTEN LEGEND This book tells the story of forgotten legend John Wilson (Jack) McLaren from his birth in Scotland to his early years in Canada, becoming a soldier in WWI, his business career after th war and his eventual retirement to the community of Benmiller, ON where he passed away in 1988. $59.95

HORSE GAMES & PUZZLES For the young person who loves all things horses, this book has 102 brain teasers, word games, jokes and riddles, picture puzzles, matches and logic tests in 130 pages of fun. $14.95

THE BARNYARD READAND-PLAY STICKER BOOK Stories of farm animals and activities, plus the chance for kids to create their own stories with 80 reuseable vinyl stickers. $11.95

THAT FREEDOM MIGHT SURVIVE STORIES OF HURON COUNTY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR (Author David Yates)

From pacifism to war to peace and remembrance That Freedom Might Survive is a collection of fascinating stories covering Huron County’s vital contributions on land, air, sea and the homefront during the Second World War. $25.00

EVEN COWS GO TO HEAVEN Linda Knox tells the often funny story of her father Melville Knox who was born near Stratford, trained at Ontario Veterinary College, and practiced veterinary medicine in Grey County for many years. $14.95

PRESERVING THE SEASON 90 delicious recipes for jams, jellies, preserves, chutneys, pickles, curds, condiments, canning and dishes using them. $24.99

Check out huroncitizen.ca for more books Total

Qty.

BUILDING BETTER BATHROOMS OF BANDS AND BUDDIES THE BARNYARD READ-AND-PLAY STICKER BOOK THAT FREEDOM MIGHT SURVIVE THE FORGOTTEN LEGEND HORSE GAMES & PUZZLES EVEN COWS GO TO HEAVEN PRESERVING THE SEASON

$45.00 $15.00 $11.95 $25.00 $59.95 $14.95 $14.95 $24.99

Total for Books Shipping & Handling $9.00 Add 5% GST on subtotal Order Total

Send cheque or money order for full amount to: Books: North Huron Publishing P.O. Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 or call and pay by credit card 519-523-4311 MAIL BOOKS TO: Name:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ______________________ Code _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Phone: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Prices subject to change with increases in wholesale prices, postage, taxes, etc.

Please refer to current issue for correct figures. Incorrect payment will delay delivery.

FREE FR EE

Hiddddeenn G Hi eem ms ooff H Huuro ron C Coouunnty ty S Suummeerr 202211 20

Hidden Gems of Huron County

You won’t want to miss our Summer issue featuring: Ghost Towns of Huron County The Bounty of Huron Lake Huron Views - places to explore and enjoy Artisans of Huron County ...and much, much more!

Our print version is distributed FREE at tourist information booths, town halls, retail outlets, accommodations, and restaurants throughout the county and beyond!

Online version available at

stopsalongtheway.ca

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DAUPHIN FEED & SUPPLY LTD. Dungannon 519-529-7951 800-665-5675

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Walton 519-887-6023

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YANTZI FEED & SEED Tavistock 519-655-2033

Elora 519-846-5354 800-265-5354

HOLSTEIN FEED MILL (2015) LTD. Holstein 519-334-3424

THE HITCHING POST (2019) LTD. St. Marys 519-284-2360