The Rural Voice - December, 2022

Rural Voice

The

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

December 2022

WORKWEAR FOR WOMEN Overalls get a new look and fit when designed by agronomist, Michelle Durnin

SETTLERS IN OXFORD Black settlers felt safe among Quakers says Otterville-based historian

RE-THINKING HOUSING Are you a backyard champion or community citizen encouraging housing for all?

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Contents

16

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 Website: ruralvoice.ca Publisher: Deb Sholdice

20 24

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

Columns

Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Keith Roulston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Kate Procter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Jeffrey Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Mabel’s Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Woodlots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Agrilaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Departments Ruralite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Business Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 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

DECEMBER 2022 • Cover Photo Michelle Durnin, Auburn Photo by Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot

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

• Deadlines: Jan Issue – Dec. 6

Advertising Sales: Shelley Kroes rvads@northhuron.on.ca

16 Housing Crisis Ideas

Production co-ordinator & Telemarketing: Joan Caldwell

February Issue – Jan. 10

Nancy Orr encourages people to be backyard builders to help solve the housing crisis in rural areas

20 A Safe Haven Oxford County was a safe haven for Black Settlers after the civil war

24 Workwear for Women

Michelle Durnin has made overalls more feminine with a better fit for farm women

28 A Christmas Wedding It was a “waste not, want not” life for Arnold Mathers’ parents after their Christmas wedding

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: $25 (12 issues) $45 (24 issues), includes HST Back copies $2.75 each.

Make cheques payable to: NORTH HURON PUBLISHING CO.

30 Recipes for Christmas Giving Nuts, caramel, chutneys and loaves make great Christmas gifts

38 Angus Sale Benefits Others A top heifer went for over $12,000 at the Bluewater Angus Sale to support WES for Youth.

All manuscripts submitted for consideration should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions. 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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Ruralite

•

Develop “crazy” ideas

Black Settlers

“Municipal councils often get caught up in what they can or cannot do. We decided to look at the tools we have to get housing in our

“It’s all part of

counties instead of focusing on the constraints.”

Canadian history and

~ Mayor Marcus Ryan on creating housing solutions at the former Maple Leaf

one we need to be

Food Processing plant in Thamesford. See page 16

really proud of.” ~Gail Lewis, Otterville-based historian, on the contributions made by Black settlers in Oxford County. See page 20.

JOKES ● PRESBYTERIAN: When you rearrange the letters — BEST IN PRAYER ● ASTRONOMER: When you rearrange the letters—MOON STARER

Word Play ● Every calendar’s days are numbered ● Once you’ve seen one shopping centre, you’ve seen a mall

● Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-toknow basis

● Santa’s helpers are subordinate clauses

FARMING IN DECEMBER I think using animals for food is an ethical thing to do, but we’ve got to do it right.

We’ve got to give those animals a decent life and we’ve got to give them a painless death. We owe the animal respect.

• •

~ Temple Grandin

As the leaves fall...

As winter approaches, Terry and Diane Hoover of Hoover’s Maple Syrup in Perth County visit their “trail marker Maple”.

These trees were important to Indigenous people who used them while traveling. Saplings were bent and tied to stakes or rocks using animal skins or wild vines. The direction the tree was bent would indicate the proper course to the traveler.

Photo by Bonnie Sitter

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

• Character is how you treat those who do nothing for you.

•People don’t fail. They give up.

December 2022 3

Lisa Boonstoppel-

W

ith a focus on climate and food, experts are saying the world needs another “green revolution” and a united strategy in Canada toward sustainable food. How will farmers produce more food while simultaneously cutting emissions?

With predictions Canadian greenhouse emissions will increase by 26 per cent to 137 megatonnes from our current 93 megatonnes each year, it seems an impossible task. Could part of the answer go back to Biblical times? Remember the story of Naomi and Ruth, when Ruth gleaned grains from a field owned

by Boaz? Admiring her loyalty and need, he told the workers to leave extra grain in the fields for her to gather. In October, wanting free corn for my rabbits, I took a wheelbarrow and “gleaned” the small, leftover cobs left on plants the combine missed from my field.

Is there any possible way farmers could leave a percentage of plants in the field for the industrious to harvest by hand to feed their own families? Is it a crazy idea, or a community-building, urban-meetsrural, eat-local idea?

Thoughts of food and giving at

Christmas

time

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

H

ackberries are an uncommon tree, Ian Jean of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority told me after I planted several alongside maples, oaks and Tulip trees in a new plantation. However, they are common along the Maitland River. Wanting to see how the Hackberry saplings might look one day, I followed a farm trail along the river and discovered 10 giant, productive Hackberries with their simple leaves, gnarly bark and gorgeous wine-coloured berries. These berries are eaten by robins, cedar waxwings and mammals and the trees serves as host for the Hackberry emperor butterfly. Humans traditionally mixed the fruit with fat to produce a porridge-like substance. It’s not something I’m likely to eat but growing food for wildlife is a way to give too.

4 The Rural Voice

T

his picture is a shout-out to all the farmers who worked long hours at harvest. This fall’s warm temperatures and sporadic rainfall allowed crops to dry in the fields to reduce the need for mechanical drying and associated high fuel costs.

This photo was taken along County Road 25 as the sun set over Lake Huron and it struck me that as drivers along the road, we were both getting a free show while getting our tasks done. Corn is a huge staple for many families and I love a good piece of roast turkey with stuffing, carrots and corn beside it for my Christmas dinner. Interestingly, I’ve seen more than one person announce on Facebook that they are not accepting Christmas gifts this year.

With the reality that we all have too much stuff and landfills get filled with the old as we splurge on the new, they said only gifts of “experiences” are welcome. That, or donations to a good cause.

I’m impressed by their foresight and save-the-planet goals and wish these forward-thinking planners and all of The Rural Voice readers the gift of family, friendship and faith this Christmas

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December 2022 5

Keith Roulston Keith is former publisher of The Rural Voice.

He lives near Blyth, ON.

When neighbours were closer This was the time of the year, when I was a kid long ago, that we got to know our neighbours much better.

With most of the outside work done (we didn’t grow nearly as much corn in those days), farmers turned to work in the barn. In our neighbourhood and others across Canada, they also turned to the weekly Farm Radio Forum broadcasts, originated when Huron County native Harry J, Boyle was vice-president of CBC Radio (back in the 1940s before CBC television existed).

Each week neighbours got together, listened to a group of

experts discuss topics of interest and carried out their own debates from which consensus was recorded and sent in to CBC. After that they got down to the serious business – playing cards, eating a lunch and exchanging news and gossip.

It was a time when nearly everyone still had a diversified farm: a few cows that they milked, pigs they fed skim milk after they separated the cream for the creamery, some hay fields and some crops, mostly barley, oats and wheat in our neighbourhood.

There were differences that you could see when you drove by farms (some people adopted combines sooner or switched to bulk-milk dairy farming), but generally neighbours seemed very similar – until they got together at the Farm Forum (or I suspect the Women’s Institute) and opinions were exchanged more freely.

When the topic of the night’s Farm Forum broadcast was discussed, you really got to see the diversity of opinion among neighbours. Although it was a time

To all our friends near and far, we offer our thanks and best wishes.

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6 The Rural Voice

when farmers shared work much more with community threshing bees or wood-cutting bees, suddenly you began to see how differently one neighbour thought from another.

When I first started dating the woman who became my wife, she lived in an area of Scarborough that had been turned from farmland to residential following World War II. Most neighbours had young families and they were close, as we had been on the farm. It was only after we were married and Jill’s dad moved to a newer house in a newer neighbourhood, that people became virtually strangers from the people who lived two doors away.

All these thoughts come to mind following the lessons we’ve learned from the COVID-19 epidemic. One revelation has been about how little we know about our neighbours.

In stories published about the truckers’ convoy that paralysed Ottawa last winter, for instance, I learned that a young neighbour who used to frequent our house when he was a boy, was an outspoken protester. Was he alone in his family in thinking this way or did others who are part of the neighbourhood have similar feelings?

Although I still have conversations with some of my farmer-neighbours, we aren’t brought together regularly as when we had the Farm Forum and Women’s Institute. As well, farmers don’t share work nearly as much as they did 70 years ago.

Now when I drive down our concession, there are still a few farmers with beef cattle on pasture, one farmer who has a dairy herd, and some pigs barns, but there are huge acreages of cashcrops – corn, soybeans and wheat – often grown by large operators from miles away who rent land from those who no longer farm. I’m lucky, though, because we still have someone living on every original 100-acre farm.

Times change and people change with them. Through social media people have contacts with people across the province and the world, which is good. Still I can’t help thinking something is lost when the old sense of neighbourhood disappears.◊

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

What your local council wishes you knew

I

t may seem like a long time ago now, but we all just went through a municipal election in October.

While municipal elections do not always garner the same flash and attention of their provincial and federal counterparts, people who volunteer to sit on our municipal councils deserve, at the very least, that we, the voters, take the time to educate ourselves and better understand our system.

I helped with our local allcandidates meeting, filling in at the last minute and not really knowing a

8 The Rural Voice

lot about what I had agreed to do. My role was to read the questions submitted by the people who attended the gathering and, as I understood, to try and eliminate duplication. That didn’t sound too tough – I thought I would be able to understand the questions and make sure the questions put to the candidates were at least original and not merely repeating the same thing over and over.

First of all, I was impressed by the number of people who came out on a wet, cold October evening – the organizers, candidates, and residents all deserve kudos for being there. It was very clear that everyone had a common concern and care for our rural community. While some were motivated by things they were upset about, and some were just curious – everyone wanted the best for our community.

When I read over the questions, it also became clear to me that many residents, myself included, needed a basic education about municipal politics – what is the role of council, the role of mayor, how do decisions

get made, who is allowed to run for council, where are the boundaries between federal, provincial, and municipal decisions, and how do we work together to achieve the most efficient government possible to help our communities thrive.

I have asked a few people who have been elected as municipal councilors for at least one term what they wish we all knew about municipal councils. The biggest thing that surprised me with their answers was how much they love the job!

They love meeting people, getting to know them, and having the chance to try to make our communities better places to live.

Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn told me “I probably get 10 compliments for every derogatory remark. Often I am thanked for doing the job because everyone knows somebody has to do it. The job can be tough at times but I believe it is one of the most rewarding jobs anyone could take on. What could be more rewarding than people trusting you with their money to provide the services they depend on every day?

Honestly, this is the best job going!”

This sentiment was echoed by other councilors I talked to.

Residents want to pay fewer taxes and get more services, and there are a host of social problems that land in the laps of municipal councils, who are asked to juggle the needs of their community within all of the constraints of money, provincial, and federal rules. Mayor Ginn explained that people need to understand that “municipalities are creatures of the province”. Municipal councils have their decisions governed by a lot of provincial legislation including the Municipal Act, the Planning Act, the Aggregate Act, the Forestry Act, the Drainage Act… you get the picture.

“Most of what we do is mandated, but there is a little room to wiggle.

Successful councils will listen to the public to determine the path forward,” added Mayor Ginn.

Municipal councils are also limited in what they can do by the amount of money they control. In Morris-Turnberry, using 2022 budget values, approximately 13 per cent of a ratepayer’s property taxes go to the

school boards and 29 per cent go to the county. The remaining 58 per cent is retained by the municipality.

Those funds are used to provide mandated services such as police, fire, snow removal, road maintenance, and landfill operations.

Because these services are mandated, council’s discretion on how the funds can be spent can be limited. MorrisTurnberry Mayor Jamie Heffer estimated that the municipal council has the ability to make decisions on only about ten per cent of total property tax dollars that are collected.

Mayor Heffer also said that residents should set realistic expectations considering the limited tax base in small rural municipalities, and remember to keep a “broader view of the local community that goes beyond municipal borders”.

Zoey Onn, formerly a councilor in Huron East, wished people knew more about how much research and thought goes into decisions that councilors make. “Every report that is brought to council is researched by staff to the utmost degree”. As well, council rigorously scrutinizes anything that is put before it before it is passed. A quick online search can bring up minutes of council meetings, budgets, and monetary decisions if you can’t attend the meetings and witness this for yourself.

Councilors also mentioned the power held by the mayor and the council. “The mayor does not rule the council, they do not get to vote unless it is a tie breaking vote. In essence the mayor is the public figure who brings forth the information supplied by the Chief Administrative Officer and runs the council meetings. To think that there is power in this position is incorrect and it is the collective power of the council that makes decisions,” said Onn. Central Huron Councilor Alison Lobb added “ratepayers have legitimate concerns and a good council has enough variety in its members that at least one person has experience or knowledge to help resolve the issue at hand. You certainly get to know your fellow

councilors, and appreciate their strengths. You learn to work together, with your staff, to solve problems. Another thing you learn is that your voice is only one and the council speaks as a whole. Once a decision is made, you must all

support it. And you learn to appreciate that rules are in place for a reason. If you want to change something it takes a lot of work and energy and you have to be prepared that your wishes may not prevail in the end.” ◊

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December 2022 9

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

The challenge of our times When growing up in rural Ontario, community was all around.

There were many neigbours within easy walking distance. When anyone new ventured to settle there, I remember my mother heading out with a casserole or an offering baked goods as a welcome.

Having been raised for much of her young life as a foster child, I can only imagine her actions were something learned, perhaps from my grandmother who shared one side the rambling, frame structure we all inhabited.

I only knew Grandmother Carter in her elder years, my father being

10 The Rural Voice

the youngest of seven. She always seemed aged and worn and it’s only in recent years that I realize she too was once young. There’s a photograph my sister No. 2 discovered, likely taken just prior to the outbreak of the Great War, depicting her as a striking, young woman, her auburn tresses piled high, a dark stone attached at her throat to the buttoned collar of her blouse.

Her family were Germanspeaking, Pennsylvannia Deutsch, but not of the Mennonite persusian, though they lived just south Tavistock in Oxford County, one of the first areas in Ontario settled by Mennonite families. Neighbourlyness in her time, I suspect, was more than a simple kindness but an essential ingredient for community success.

It’s my understanding that in the big city folks know little of their neighbours, beyond a passing nod in their direction, and the same largely holds true in even smaller urban centres. It was from one of these a family located some time ago to our

neighbourhood here in Dresden.

It was Marie who made the traditional offering of food as a welcoming gesture and I took up the position that the new family should at least be given a decent chance to settle in. To the new children next door, I immediately became “neighbour” – especially for the smallest, a mere whisp of a girl with boundless energy who, upon seeing me or sensing my presence, would as often as not rush over to give me a hug – though her mom and elder siblings discouraged the action and I did nothing to encourage it.

The mom offered the word “thankyou” a few days before they moved on and the evening before their departure, they gathered on our back porch for the first and last time.

We served a few snacks and Michelle raced about in her usual frenetic manner until making a critical misjudgement, slamming full force into the closed, sliding screen door and bouncing back a distance greater than her height.

She rose in an instance, pushed away the tears before they could emerge, and responded to my grin with a small, angry frown. The next morning, the moving van having arrived, she wouldn’t look my way.

Neighbours matter, community matters, as much today as ever before.

I had intendeded to write about the importance of moving toward a farmer-centric form of food production, a system in which farm families become the primary decisionmakers rather than being just lesser members of the “team” that is agriculture.

Yet in having considered the matter more thoroughly, I now see that working from the starting point of community – a community that embraces all its members – is more important.

That begins with neighbours and, as Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan envisioned, extends outward and moves beyond political lines drawn upon a map. His vision of the “Global Village” has indeed become a reality, though the village remains mired in discord – the challenge of our times. ◊

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December 2022 11

Mabel’s Grill The world’s problems are solved daily ’round the table at Mabel’s Grill.

“I gotta admit, climate change would have certain advantages,” said Cliff Murray the other morning as he took off his winter coat and gloves at Mabel’s Grill and blew on his hands to warm them up.

“Yeah, I hate getting on my heavy clothes to come to work these mornings – in the dark, no less,” said Molly Whiteside as she delivered menus to the guys at the table.

“Funny how quickly we forget what a great Fall we had – lots of sun and temperatures way above normal,” said Dave Winston, as he perused the menu. “If we start getting all Falls like that so I can get my corn off I don’t mind climate change at all.”

“Oh all this talk about climate change,” George Mackenzie scoffed, slapping down his menu. “Every year

is different from the year before and always has been!”

“I can see the head of the United Nations saying, at that big conference lately, we had to do more to stop climate change. Didn’t make much impression on you,” Molly said.

“What about the leaders of some of the island nations saying they were worried their countries would be flooded out by rising sea levels if the ice in the Arctic and Antarctic kept melting?” Dave wondered.

“First of all, I’ll believe it when I see it,” said George, “then if it did happen they can always move to some place that doesn’t flood.”

“Nice for you to say, living high and dry in Ontario,” sighed Cliff.

“Look, the weather has always been changeable,” George said. “I remember one year when I was a kid my parents got me a new toboggan for Christmas but we couldn’t use it because there was no snow at Christmas time that year.”

“Christmas is the one time of the year when people like to have snow,” said Dave. “My uncle and his family fly home from their Florida vacation

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just so they can have a white Christmas, then they fly back.”

“Not mentioning how much the gas burned by their plane added to global warming and lowered the chance of a white Christmas,” grumbled Cliff.

“Yeah, well, they save money by buying their Christmas gifts for their grandchildren in Florida where the taxes aren’t so high,” said Dave.

“Oh that’ll make all the difference,” Cliff said sourly.

“People are so much richer than when I was a kid,” said George.

“Back then, we’d get one or two gifts and that would be it.”

“Huh!” grunted Molly, “my sister and her husband came home for Christmas last year and they had to make three trips from the car to bring in all the presents. They had enough presents to spread over the entire 12 days of Christmas! It took them kids three hours on Christmas morning to open them all!”

“Well maybe people will cut back a bit on Christmas spending this year,” said Dave. “I mean people sure are complaining that their cost of food and fuel is up.”

“At least that would help climate change, especially if people don’t buy stuff made in China,” Cliff said.

“Huh, I’ll bet if they make any cutbacks it’ll be on food, not presents,” grumbled George. “The one good thing is that vegetarian food is even more expensive than meat!”

“I wonder if the high price of food will lead to a change in the Christmas music we sing,” wondered Dave. “I mean maybe people don’t sing about chestnuts roasting on an open fire if chestnuts get too expensive.”

“And people won’t be able to sing about a White Christmas if we don’t get snow anymore,” said Cliff.

“Speaking of Christmas songs,” said Molly, “I heard on the TV the other day that Mariah Carey has made $72 million from the song ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’.

Imagine that!”

“Good grief, that would be about $100 million in Canada,” said Cliff.

“Huh,” said George, “I guess she can afford to buy whatever Christmas presents she wants.” ◊

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Adapting to a future of disturbances From our quiet, grade eight classroom, we were accustomed to seeing through the window the familiar patterns on the rural road.

One fall afternoon, a house on a long flatbed trailer crawled into range.

The rolling edifice, complete with flashing lights and escorts, was tracked by every student, except Clayton, who must have been more studious than the rest of us. By the time he glanced at the window, the view was nothing but house. He jumped up and shouted, “a house, a house!”

I don’t know what will happen in the future. However, I expect that beyond 2022, our views and experiences will be increasingly unusual. We will hear more startled Clayton-type exclamations about abrupt disturbances and rather than returning to normal patterns. We will more likely be jarred by ongoing significant disruptions.

The James Webb telescope has sharpened scientific peering into the skies and expanded our understanding of the grandeur of the universe. Though we are an infinitesimal part it is where we belong. It’s only within the last century that humans have applied exceptional creativity to gain enough technological prowess to reveal the extent to which we are connected to stars and galaxies. Ironically, in this historical moment of being awestruck by the wonder of our existence, we are simultaneously the most chaotic species, with the potential to extinguish ourselves and other species.

In Canada, we’ve encountered fires, floods, hurricanes and

atmospheric rivers and yet livelihoods, to date, have bounced back rather quickly. Contrast that with farmers in Pakistan who do not have business risk management programs. Zain Haq, in the National Observer, warned that “soon, Pakistan, or another country in the Global South, will reach wet-bulb temperatures unsustainable for human life. Overnight, millions of people will die, not just be displaced.” Such disturbances will devastate farming and options for survivors in those areas and evoke contrasting Canadian responses to inevitable migrations.

Some humans assume they are more equal than others. An egregious example is the The Guardian news exposure of the super-rich, with intentions to maintain luxurious lifestyles through any disturbances that may arise. “Their extreme wealth and privilege makes them obsessed with insulating themselves from the very real and present danger of climate change, rising sea levels, mass migrations, global pandemics, nativist panic and resource depletion.”

The Bible’s insight is pertinent.

“To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). Perhaps too late, the super-rich will understand ecological principles.

Ultimately, their survival is also at stake. Hubris does not trump Earthsystem science.

According to The Guardian, “the polluting elite”, indulge in “highcarbon lifestyles to fuel the climate crisis,” while the V20 (20 vulnerable countries facing the worst impacts of the climate crisis) “proposes to levy a windfall tax on oil and gas producers, or on frequent flyers, to raise money for a loss and damage fund.”

Children intuitively understand that those who have way too much should provide resources to people in the V20, rather than grabbing more.

Johan Rockström, a scientist I fully respect, has methodically laid out the scientific risks of being too slow to arrest human generated greenhouse gas emissions and other human harms to the environment. He is now more urgent in his

admonitions. “By the time a global temperature rise of 1.5C is reached … it would mean that we would be handing over to our children and to all future generations, a planet that will be sliding irreversibly towards possessing fewer and fewer places to live.”

Recently, Ken Dryden opined in the Globe and Mail that “maybe, these past few years with COVID-19 have been a good dress rehearsal to prepare us for the climate change fight ahead.” Nevertheless, we’ve been reticent to accept our part.

Canadians act as though it is axiomatic that our lifestyles stay the same even as we carelessly ignore or interfere with the foundations of dynamic ecological stability. As a species we have yet to learn that we are an expendable part of life on Earth.

Let’s try to imagine what Mother Earth would type in a text to all people. “Why don’t you respect the limits of physics, chemistry and biology? You have the knowledge.

Listen up; especially those of you who consume the most and have power!” I’m tempted to include an “or else” in her reprimand but I’m guessing she would recognize that human agency can result in a range of outcomes from ethereal creativity to deplorable horrors. How we choose and act is up to us.

We can see the approaching challenge of adapting to more disturbances. Given that humans change reluctantly, it’s possible that being forced to adapt to climate and environmental crises will be the only way for us to do what is necessary for our species to survive. ◊

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Housing

Backyard champions vs. community citizens Nancy Orr said people need to be brave and creative to solve the housing crisis as local communities prove it can be done

I

f you are a homeowner, are you a in the development, ownership, backyard champion concerned maintenance and management of about your property values or a affordable housing in Goderich,” community citizen championing reads the website. housing for all?

Orr said Maple Tree has become That’s the question Nancy Orr, of part of the community, as did the Nancy Orr and Associates, asked Perth Meadows Housing in Listowel attendees at the Rural Talks to Rural which offers 36 units and 18 town Conference before encouraging them homes available for purchase via an to be “brave, creative and futuristic” as municipalities • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot try to solve the housing crisis. Rural Talks to Rural was held in October in the village of Brussels.

“I know for most of us, our wealth is tied up in our homes,” said Nancy, who wrote What Does It Take to Bring Affordable Housing to Non-Metropolitan Areas for her Masters thesis. “But that doesn’t mean others do not deserve a home,” she said, referencing the need to create more affordable housing.

As more and more municipalities address the housing crisis, she referred to three successful projects where local communities have embraced the vision of housing.

Maple Tree Community Housing repurposed a former retirement home residence into four three-bedroom apartments, two twobedroom apartments and six, one-bedroom apartments after two Goderich faith communities combined their skills and resources. “The Nancy Orr said municipalties housing corporation is a need to be visionary and community-based, faithcommunity led, not-for-profit imagine housing in new ways to corporation existing with the create affordable housing in express purpose to participate rural communities.

16 The Rural Voice

•

innovative system called the Equity Life Lease. Residents enter into an occupancy agreement that sets the redemption value of the lease and provides ownership.

With the agreement in place, the residents receive reduced monthly housing costs. “Rather than live off your investments and pay rent to a landlord, your investment is protected and your monthly costs are manageable,” states the Perth Meadows website.

The third innovative affordable housing solution Orr referenced was the Maple Leaf Development in Thamesford which is planning to repurpose an abandoned, 120-acre, former Maple Leaf plant into 800 new housing units with plans for a child care centre, commercial space and other amenities for families.

“It took a visionary council to see the possibilities for this site,” said Orr. Leading that council was Mayor Marcus Ryan who was at the Rural to Rural conference to share his perspective on affordable housing from a municipal standpoint.

He said for him, community goals are all about examining the “current state” and moving towards the “desired state”.

“I knew we needed to take an open-minded approach and examine what steps we needed to take to move from the

current state to the desired state,” said Ryan.

When Maple Leaf Foods closed the plant in Thamesford, it was a nightmare scenario, admits Ryan. “I was thinking smashed windows, weeds growing in the cracks and how it would undermine all neighbouring properties if it was not developed.”

A lot of “crazy ideas” were considered but once it was decided that the desired state was more housing,

Mayor Marcus Ryan said his council came up with a lot of crazy ideas as they searched for the best solution to create housing at the former Maple Leaf Foods plant in Thamesford. council focused on action versus problems. “Municipal councils often get caught up in what they can or cannot do. We decided to look at the tools we have to get housing in our counties instead of focusing on constraints.”

In that way, municipalities can make it possible for renters to buy, for kids living in their parents' basements to move out and for adults living in homes too large for them to move somewhere more manageable, summarized Ryan.

He encouraged everyone at the conference to develop “crazy ideas” to increase affordable housing which led to an hour of break-out sessions with participants filling a large board

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18 The Rural Voice

with their ideas.

In the group I sat in, participants learned about all the existing government programs and agencies already addressing the issue including: ● The Affordable Housing Development Toolkit created by Bruce County council (see sidebar) ● A pilot loan project just launched by Community Futures within the Saugeen Economic Development Corporation where new residents to Ontario and Canada can apply for a $20,000 loan as a down payment for a home (among other uses). ● Digitizing and streamlining permit processes ● The Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Building Fund Ultimately, said Orr, it's about accepting that gentrification has come upon our rural areas and labour is a concern and communities need more residents. To attract them, they need affordable housing.

However, long-term homeowners are often “conservative, skeptical and can be downright combative when it comes to affordable housing,” she said.

“We think people should just work hard and buy a home because that is what we did,” said Orr. “But we do not acknowledge that these thoughts and our actions might prevent other families from having a home, when they deserve one too.”

People who need housing are often people we see every day. They could be aging parents with nowhere to downsize, kids with nowhere to go or business owners that had to hang up their tools because they couldn’t find any employees, described Orr. Orr said it takes local action to make an impact. It also requires land, enabling policy, and changing existing rules. “Municipalities need to look at bylaws on height restriction, lot size, setbacks, parking, green space and footage and be willing to be flexible. They also need to encourage secondary units for dwellings. Be solution-oriented, flexible and responsive.”

She challenged the audience if they fit into one of four categories: ● Political will

● Community citizens ● Housing expertise ● Local champions Those with political will need to be brave, creative and futuristic, she said. “You could be an encourager versus putting up barriers.”

Local champions are people who share enthusiasm, do not shy from risk and activate leaders. “They do not give up,” she said.

Those with housing expertise could be from both the public and private sector who enable builders and provide skills and knowledge.

The last category is local champions who recognize that no one can do everything, but we can all do something. These are people who think outside the box, like the group of seniors Orr knew who sold their homes to create affordable and functional housing for themselves.

“Don't let perfection be the enemy of better, just get started,” concluded Orr. ◊ ● Editor’s Note: Read Housing Part 2 in the January issue of The Rural Voice

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History

Searching for family in Otterville • By Jeff Tribe •

Candleinscribed gravestones were meant to light the way for deceased Black settlers in Dalyce Newby is framed by the sign over the African Methodist Episcopal Cemetery just north of Otterville, also home to a church which served a vibrant Black community in the second half of the 19th century.

D

alyce Newby’s ongoing genealogical quest led to a peaceful copse of maple trees along a quiet county road, just north of Otterville.

“There must be Wayners in here,” she said, indicating the African Methodist Episcopal Cemetery and church site, a significant yet little-understood reminder of Oxford County’s rich African-Canadian history.

Black settlement, essentially pioneering in the area began around 1829, encouraged by local Quakers, whose abolitionist views were based on the interpretation all humans were created equal, regardless of sex or race.

Otterville-based historian Gail Lewis credits Joyce Pettigrew for initiating, leading and publishing related research summarized in her book A Safe Haven.

Contemporary interpretation identifies William Cromwell, a former resident of New York State who purchased a mill in the area, as instrumental in encouraging early Black settlement near Otterville, migration including a Wayner (or Wainer in the American spelling) who lived close by in their home state. Residents represented two main groups, those fleeing enslavement (nearby Ingersoll was a terminus for the Underground Railroad) or free Blacks escaping various levels of discrimination or persecution.

20 The Rural Voice

Oxford County

“It was an uncomfortable situation,” says Lewis, referring to blatant racism, fears free Blacks were taking jobs, along with repressive fugitive slave laws enacted in 1850 to appease slave-holding states for Ohio’s admission into the union as a free state. The threat of recapture in free states and return to enslavement was very real. Free Blacks were required to carry documentation verified by at least two white men in good standing, and were also subject to enslavement by unscrupulous means, as documented in the movie Twelve Years A Slave.

“Your freedom was always in jeopardy,” says Lewis.

Things were not perfect in Canada. However she says Blacks were respected as human beings with the rights to pursue the essentials of human happiness, particularly in a strongly abolitionist area.

“They knew they were safe within a Quaker community.”

Precise population numbers are hard to come by, given those escaping enslavement were leery of being identified via census, as Lewis describes it, “a white guy coming by with a book to record details.”

“A lot of people are going to run and hide.”

However, a plaque erected by the South Norwich Historical Society indicates numbers exceeded 100 “within

a few years” of the first settlers, and a school would eventually be established north of Otterville along Middletown Line. Although not segregated, its students were mostly Black says Lewis, while other schools in the area also included Black students on their enrolment lists.

A half-acre lot was purchased in 1856 and a white frame church built, with an attendant cemetery. Services and camp meetings were held through the early 1900s, and following the church’s disappearance, the site remains one of the few preserved Black pioneer burial grounds in the province. Its silent presence recalls significant contributions to the area including clearing and farming the land, road building and workers plying skilled trades.

The area’s Black population declined during the 1880s for a variety of reasons, notably slavery’s abolition following the Union victory in the American Civil War. It was rare for an entire family to escape enslavement, and many individuals moved back to reunite with their families, says Lewis. Others, including free Blacks, assumed things would be much better than they eventually turned out to be following emancipation.

“But a lot of them returned home.”

Others moved on in search of employment or to larger centres she continued, and others simply stayed and blended in, often as unobtrusively as possible despite what Lewis considers a fascinating heritage.

“It’s all part of Canadian history we need to be really proud of.”

Efforts to celebrate that history included historical designation and documentation, and following the theft of the original gravestones, identifying individual gravesites via a 2007 project directed by Dr. Dean Knight. Following struggles to locate them with digging equipment, retired educator Mae Leonard was summoned. A water dowser like her father (John Barham), Leonard practiced the previous evening over foundations in her backyard.

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She successfully identified a gravesite at a depth of close to two metres, adding a second children’s site nearby. With proof of concept established, Leonard identified graves throughout the property, subsequently marked with candle-inscribed stones.

“That was to light the light for them,” she explained.

Graves are concentrated at the back of the property, with the front Leonard believes, open for horse and buggy parking. The absence of a cemetery map and the original stones’ theft complicates identification, the passage of time a further challenge.

“There’s all kinds of Black history here,” Leonard summed up. “But unfortunately it wasn’t recorded.”

Newby’s connection to the Otterville settlement is illustrative. Her two times maternal great-grandfather Samuel Adams was a free Black who emigrated from Maryland to Bronte (Oakville) in the 1850s. Prospering as a blacksmith serving the sailing industry, he potentially supported the Underground Railroad through his brother-in-law James WesleyHill. Newby's father’s family ancestors moved from North Carolina to farm in Indiana, abruptly selling their properties at a disadvantage after a decade-plus and leaving with six other free Black families, she suspects under duress.

“That to me, means you’re being threatened,” speculating on intimidation from The Golden Circle, a Ku Klux Klan equivalent.

They relocated to North Buxton, a mixed (free and escaped Black) settlement near Chatham. Newby’s connection to the Wayners is through marriage.

Participating in a Civil War re-enactment at Otterville as a member of the medical corps (inspired by Anderson Ruffin-Abbott, the first Canadian-born Black surgeon), she was intrigued to discover two Wayner gravestones in a Quaker cemetery, along with numerous references in Pettigrew’s book.

“It’s not a simple history, the more you delve into it, more things come up,” Newby said, noting for example, slavery did exist in Canada, and a chronic lack of AfricanCanadian history in our educational systems.

“It’s not just Black history, it’s Canadian history. That’s sort of the whole thing, learning from the past so we can move forward.”

Heather Rennalls’ passion for sharing Black history was ignited by learning of the Otterville settlement, following emigration to Woodstock from Britain in 1992. An active member of the London Black History Committee and

Heather Rennalls (left) holds a copy of Joyce Pettigrew’s history on Black settlers in Oxford County.

Rennalls does live presentations and hosts her own website to share and support African‐Canadian history. Below, Dalyce Newby shows the graves in the African Methodist Episcopal Cemetery which are marked with these simple stones.

Confederate skirmishers advance to face advancing Union troops during a civil war re‐enactment hosted in Otterville. The U.S. Civil war was pivotal to a Black settlement near Otterville, rising tensions encouraging free and escaped Black persons to emigrate to the area, and again, for many to return following its conclusion and the end of slavery.

22 The Rural Voice

Ontario Black History Society, Rennalls created a traveling presentation on Oxford County Black history featuring the Otterville settlement, Ingersoll’s role in the Underground Railroad and abolitionist John Brown’s littleknown visit to the area. Brown was seeking finances and soldiers for his plan to raid the federal armoury at Harper’s Ferry, and subsequently end enslavement through armed slave rebellion. He reportedly stopped at I n g e r s o l l , Otterville and met with a member of the Tillson family, founders of Tillsonburg.

Rennalls’ efforts are summarized on her Heather’s Historicals website which also provides links to related organizations, events and employment opportunities.

“I do this just to get the information out there,” says Rennalls of what has developed into a personal passion. People tend to be both surprised and interested following inperson presentations, she says, indicating interest is there in a topic which has not historically been well addressed.

“Black people have been here for a very long time and made great contributions to this country,” she concluded. ◊

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Entrepreneurs

Pretty and functional workwear

M

ichelle Durnin says she is a risk taker who is willing to “try anything”, an approach which has stood her in good stead as she launches a new women’s work clothing business online.

Tired of wearing overalls that made her feel “frumpy”, slid off her shoulders and didn’t fit women’s curves, Durnin is now working with pattern makers, manufacturers and brokers to create her own line of workwear called Durnin Farm and Ranch Wear.

“I never pictured myself as a business owner but as I saw more women in business, I decided to run with this idea and have discovered I do genuinely love being an entrepreneur,” says Durnin from her farmhouse kitchen in Huron County.

It has been a pleasant surprise. She remembers watching her father manage employees on the family farm near Ancaster and thought “that wasn’t for me.” She decided to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Guelph and embarked on a career as an agronomist in Haldimand County. When she moved to Huron County to marry Marshall Durnin, she took on the job of Precision Ag Specialist with Delta Power before returning to her agronomy roots and becoming an independent crop consultant. She provides crop advice to the Durnin family and also helps in the fields, when needed.

Durnin has grown up wearing overalls and work pants and believes it gives women confidence when they wear something warm that makes them “invincible against the mud.”

She admits to being a “notoriously cold person” and was never the one who could ride her horses in jeans to look cute. “I always rode in overalls,” she laughs. However, most of those overalls were designed for men and she felt frumpy and uncomfortable. Plus, the darn straps kept falling down!

“I am a colourful person and I like to show off my personality and I started to think how great it would be to have workwear that fit and was in different colours,” says Durnin. As she met more farm women via her work as an agronomist, she also realized there were many women who literally never left the farm. “Like me, they probably have lots of nice clothes in there that never get worn because they have no place to wear them.”

All the more reason, Durnin thought, to wear clothes at home that fit right and make a woman feel confident. Taking the idea and making it a business required confidence as well. Though she doesn’t believe in moaning about the lack of women in 24 The Rural Voice

Michelle Durnin’s horse was up for some modelling shots so Michelle donned the rose‐grey coloured overalls she designed and sells to showcase how well they fit while being entirely practical for working with horses, livestock on any task on the farm.

Michelle Durnin has designed overalls that feel, look and fit right on farm women ● By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot ●

agricultural businesses, she does believe representation matters. As she did research into the possibility of running her own workwear business, she discovered online western boutiques run by women from their own homes. That fueled her courage to launch her own business.

Two years ago, she began looking for a manufacturer. Durnin actually started with the Amish community, hoping to find a skilled seamstress.

She discovered the Amish are really quite busy and couldn’t find a taker.

Then Durnin reached out to a relative who had worked in corporate apparel who provided a contact with a general contractor in the Toronto area who works as a liaison between designers and factories where the sewing gets done. The contractor also connected Durnin with a pattern maker.

“It took at least one year to finalize the pattern and source material,” remembers Durnin.

The pattern is key. To truly fit women, Durnin made some big changes from traditional men’s overalls. She pulled the bib up higher to cover and support women’s breasts. Next she designed a fitted waist and added seams in the legs to reduce bagginess and give the overalls a more tailored look. The strap buckles were designed so they wouldn’t come undone at inopportune times while the straps were made to be elastic so they could stretch. Instead of buttons at the sides, the overalls are fitted with zippers because “who has time for buttons?” she said. Finally, she designed smaller sizes to fit small women, while offering larger sizes as well, in both regular and long lengths.

Best of all, the overalls come in feminine colours including rose and grey, two-tone navy blue and twotone grey.

This year’s design revamp includes a cell phone pocket and syringe holders in the chest pocket for farm women and veterinarians to have a handy place to store them while needling livestock.

Durnin’s manufacturer required a minimum order of 100 and she

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We’d like to take this opportunity to wish our members and friends a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

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December 2022 25

Season’s Greetings We just wanted to say “Merry Christmas”, and “thanks” for calling on us this past year.

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RR 2 GODERICH, ON N7A 3X8 Tel.: 519-524-8096 Website: www.sharpscreekforge.ca Email: jim@sharpscreekforge.ca

26 The Rural Voice

Walton 519- 887-6428 (Shop) 519-955-1588 (Chad) • 519-524-3543 (Ron)

launched her new overalls in November of last year, just about selling out before Christmas. At $254 for an unlined pair and $287 for a lined pair, the overalls are an investment for a quality product.

As Durnin considers her business future, she admits that manufacturing in Canada is very, very expensive. She would like to have a combination of Canadian and overseas production to lower production costs. “It is nice to have some incountry production but at the end of the day, I want to ensure affordability as well,” said Durnin.

She also plans to expand the line to include coveralls, themed t-shirts and a few key men’s pieces.

Plus, she hopes to expand the line into local retail stories.

“There are still people who prefer in-person shopping experiences and, as you can see (speaking of where the farm is situated, far from town) I am really not in a central location.”

As Durnin considers what advice she could offer entrepreneurs, her first words are “try anything.” Before this, she was selling horse trailers from the United States into Canada, which provided the seed money for this venture.

“Do not be afraid of failing,” said Durnin. “I really don’t care what people think of me and I don’t worry if I fail. I think you learn so much from each experience that can be used for your next venture.”

Michelle Durnin (above) is an agronomist with an entrepreneurial spirit who designs Having said that, she admits any workwear for women which she uses and models for her social media campaigns. start-up takes a lot of capital and that Heather Durnin of Auburn (above, right) also wears the overalls and is proud of most clothing businesses take five Michelle’s business goals and achievements. years to turn a profit. A selfprofessed risk taker, she used the funds from one side-hustle to fund this one, but knew she still had the farm and her agronomy business to rely on. “I wasn’t risking the farm.”

As she moves ahead with dreams and plans for her workwear business, Durnin imagines a career where she is able to have a 50/50 balance with both businesses as the seasonality of farm work works well with a home-based business.

She loves her agronomy work but also finds real satisfaction in being in control of her own days and having the ability to create. “I feel fully responsible for my own success and failure and I feel that is a good type of pressure to have.” ◊ December 2022 27

Nostalgia

A “waste not, want not” world A Christmas wedding dress later becomes quilt blocks for a log cabin quilt that kept the children warm in their beds

M

• By Arnold Mathers •

other and dad were married on Christmas day Sack Dress Patterns”. The bags were also dyed blue and used to make men’s overalls. The versatile flour sacks were 1937. Mother’s wedding dress was dark blue often used as tea towels, pillow cases, diapers or aprons velvet, not the traditional white gown. The blue since it would be foolish to buy either of these when a velvet gown was carefully stored away in the closet to be ready supply came along with the flour. Artistic women saved and likely worn on their 25th wedding anniversary. often decorated their flour sack sewing projects with But it did not make it that long. Mother took her wedding dress apart when my sister was about five and made a beautiful little dress for her. The remnants of the gown were saved in a box and when my sister outgrew her dress it was taken apart and using some of the remnants it was redesigned to fit her once more. She wore that blue velvet dress to church for a few more years.

Other remnants of the dress became quilt blocks for the first log cabin quilt that mother made. Some log cabin quilts were beautiful fancy blankets made from old clothes that were almost worn out or no longer fit anyone. Those quilts were our bed covers on cold nights before central heating or the heavy blanket needed on a sleigh ride to town or to the neighbours.

Other very serviceable quilts were a patchwork of old overalls that were beyond repair, blankets that were retired from old age, dresses that no longer fit, hunks of aprons that had too many stains on the front for any proud housewife to wear and children’s duds that no longer fit.

The many-shaped patches of these quilts were the history of the families’ clothing. To this day we still have a couple of these pieces of the past. I must check to see if the quilt that has a piece of my mother’s wedding dress is still in the family.

In the 1930s and 1940s, flour and sugar was sold in 50 and 100 pound bags. Most families bought a lot of flour for home baking. The bags were sacks made from sturdy, off-white cotton with the name of the flour company or sugar company stamped on them in indelible dye. After the flour was all used, the bags were reused for a variety of purposes. When the stitching was removed and the fabric was flattened out the piece of cloth measured about two feet square.

That’s 61 centimetres for those of you who are metricated. The flour sacks were usually bleached to try to get rid of the printing on them and saved to be used later. Homemade lye soap and sunshine was the usual treatment. A lot of flour sacks ended up as The dark blue velvet wedding dress was to be saved for their 25th wedding anniversary, but Arnold Mather’s mom decided a new backing for the log cabin quilts.

In my research, I found that in the 1930s, a dress for his sister and pieces for a quilt to keep her children warm prominent magazine ran an article titled “170 Flour was a more practical decision.

28 The Rural Voice

came by mail. The papers were saved for many uses, mostly starting fires but also for wrapping up apples to store for winter and wrapping up dishes to take to family gatherings. It was also used as toilet paper, a definite improvement over the Eaton’s catalogue. When dad nicked himself while shaving, a bit of newspaper was his bandaid.

By the time that I was eight years old, we were on our second total house renovation so mother had purchased many gallons of paint.

Along with a gallon of paint came a bonus, two or three stirring sticks.

These were saved and came in handy for propping up windows or shimming doors or leveling up furniture in an old house that had uneven floors.

My first kite was made from butcher paper glued over a frame of paint stirring sticks. The tail was made from pieces of rolled up newspaper and tied with string. It was a combination of many of the saved bits and pieces. The glue was home made from flour and water — not very sticky, but it worked.

We truly lived in a “waste not want not” age. ◊

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embroidery to look like the real deal.

Some flour sacks were made into women’s underwear. A lot of housewives walked around with the GENERAL MILLS or ROBIN HOOD logo still faintly visible on their undies. Lots of farm families flew the Redpath flag on their clothes lines.

In the late 1940s, flour companies jumped on the bandwagon and began marketing their products in fancy bags with flowers and plaid patterns.

They charged a bit more but were highly popular in some areas.

Jars were another invaluable asset to farm families. They were used to preserve fruits and vegetables to can meats and sauerkraut and to store small items like buttons. No peanut jars were ever thrown away. Canning jars were a hot commodity at auction sales. Sealers, as the bigger and better jars were called, had glass tops, a rubber seal and a metal ring that tightened the jar. As I recall, sealers came in three sizes, pints, quarts and a three-pint size. The pints were used for pickles, crab apples and apple butter so that when they were opened the contents would all be used up before they spoiled because we did not have any refrigeration. The quarts were used for preserving pears and cherries and fruits that had a longer shelf life when opened. The three-pint (one and a half quart) monsters were mostly used for canning sausage and beef and head cheese. The greatest cost to canning was buying the rubber rings used to seal the jars.

They could not be successfully reused. Quite a lot of these are still around and are used for home decor and flower vases. The old sealers have mostly been replaced by mason jars that have more reliable sealing qualities.

Like most housewives of her day, mother saved paper and string.

When we took an animal to be slaughtered the butcher always wrapped our meat in butcher paper tied with cord. The grocer wrapped bread in paper and tied it with string.

The cord or string was saved in a big roll on a shelf in the kitchen.

The only newspaper that came onto our house was the Western Ontario Farmer, a weekly paper that

Licensed by the Ministry of the Environment

December 2022 29

Recipes by Nancy Fisher

Food gifts for Christmas giving

A

gift from your kitchen is a simmer and stir uncovered for 30 great option and can be just 45 minutes. Mixture should be the thing when you have a reduced and thickened. tricky person to buy for on your list.

You can preserve this as you On top of that there are all the would a jam following food safety gatherings, host gifts, teachers, guidelines. It should make about five coworkers, and neighbours to check 250 ml jars. othing is nicer to have in off your list. Whew it’s a lot! So I’ve your back pocket than a pulled together three quick and easy recipe that is quick to mix up, gifting recipes to give you a few more choices this season. uses pantry staples and makes a great gift or bring along. I Chutney is a condiment, originating from India, that is really love scones as they open to a lot of interpretation. are so versatile, plus Usually fruit based, it is enhanced by everyone loves them.

Many of my spices and preserved with sugar and favourite scone vinegar. It is a perfect vehicle for warm and spicy Christmas flavours, recipes make a big and not that much work to make. batch, but this small Serve it alongside your big dinners, batch is just enough for stacking on a or as a great addition to a leftovers sandwich. Granny Smith apples are a great choice for their crisp, Christmas chutney (below) tart flavour, grab some from a can be made with Granny local orchard and maybe include Smith apples, dried a few along with a jar of this cranberries and mandarins chutney! for a festive gift. Cranberry Christmas Chutney Ingredients: scones (bottom, right) are 5 cups peeled, cored and chopped nice with a cranberry glaze Granny Smith apples while Honey Roasted 170 g (1 ½ cups) dried cranberries (this was one of the Cashew Bars (top, right) are commercial bags for my recipe a good “pat in the pan” but you could increase this offering for nut lovers. amount to 2 cups) 2 mandarins peeled, separated into segments and roughly chopped remove any seeds 1 med onion peeled, chopped 1 ⅓ c apple cider vinegar 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon ground ginger powder 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon salt Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and

N

30 The Rural Voice

plate or in a pretty holiday bag. I added dried cranberries which are so easy to keep around and have a ton of uses. You can absolutely substitute the cranberries for other dried fruits, or even leave them plain. My own last minute inspiration was to make the glaze with some cranberry juice I had in the fridge. It was just a little pink and added a faint tartness to the sweet sugar.

Small Batch Cranberry Scones Ingredients: 1 cup all purpose flour ¼ cup white sugar 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ⅛ teaspoon salt ¼ cup cold butter 3 tablespoons milk 1 egg beaten ¼ cup dried cranberries Directions: Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a small bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture is crumbly. Beat the egg with the milk and mix into the dry ingredients. Stir in cranberries.

Fold and knead a few times in the bowl and then turn on to a baking sheet lightly sprayed with oil. Pat into a circle and cut into wedges or a long rectangle and cut into triangles.

The dough will be too sticky for cut out circles. Separate the shapes and bake for 12 - 15 minutes until golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. For a glaze combine about a 1⁄2 cup of powdered sugar with a small splash (1 tablespoon?) of cranberry or cran raspberry juice. Mix, adjusting the ratio of juice and sugar until you have a consistency that is pourable. Drizzle over scone and allow to set. Make approx 8 scones. veryone loves a good pat into the pan bar recipe. These can be made for gift giving, cookie swaps, or even just your own holiday cookie tin.

If giving as a gift it is a nice idea to write out the recipe on the card because this is one people are sure to ask for. This bar tastes really rich and indulgent, and people will always go for the cashews. And the best part is, it's another super simple recipe.

Honey Roasted Cashew Bars Preheat the oven to 350 F. Ingredients: 1 cup butter softened (not melted) ⅓ cup honey 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 ½ cup quick oats 1 ½ cup all purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup butterscotch chips ½ - ¾ cup unsalted cashews (whole

or pieces) 2 tablespoons runny honey Directions: Whisk together the soft butter, ⅓ c honey and vanilla until smooth.

Add oats, flour, salt and mix. Stir in the butterscotch chips. Spread into a 9 X 13” greased pan.

Sprinkle cashews over top and press down into the batter to help them stay in place. If your honey is not in liquid form, warm it slightly so you can drizzle over the surface

catching as many of the cashews as you can.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly before cutting. gift from your kitchen is a lovely way to show thoughtfulness this season.

Adding a personal touch like a recipe, additional ingredients, or some pretty napkins makes a great gift even better. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season filled with great food and great joy. ◊

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34 The Rural Voice

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Gardening seasons and have planted 37 native trees and shrubs. Hence the need for guards on the larger trees as we have a healthy rabbit population around here. Some of the small shrubs were severely trimmed back in October. I am hoping they had a good growing season and have developed strong roots to get them through the winter and provide a burst of energy to send new buds to replace the ones eaten.

Like so many other gardeners, my mind is already on the winter orders and the spring planting.

There were some successes that I Such a beautiful fall we had this hope to duplicate next year. The first year; it simply danced us into was the introduction of a heart-leaved November without blinking a aster, two prairie coneflower and one snowflake! We were able to get our Indian Pink. The aster was planted composter emptied, manure secured the year before and this spring put a and spread and some guards around very strong prolific show of pale our new plantings. lavender flowers. It was well We were busy these last two pollinated and I harvested a handful of seeds for next year, leaving some for the birds. The key to collecting the seeds is making sure they are mature and dry. Once they were getting wispy looking and ready to let the wind do its job, I clipped a handful of seed clusters. To separate the seed you have to put a small stone in the paper bag with them and rattle it around and that separates the seed from the cluster and loosens the chaff. They are gently covered with sandy soil in a 10-inch pot sunk into the garden.

There are 75 species of asters in North America. I believe the Michaelmas daisy or New England aster is the most readily identified with its Indian Pink boasts dark, red tubular flowers with yellow height and prolific interiors and blooms later into the fall. Zoned 5b to 9, clusters of purple the plant will require a sheltered area to survive but is blooms late in the worth a try. Other natives, like Prairie coneflower are season. These are pollinator equally intriguing and can survive our climate quite great magnets, as are the well.

Rhea Hamilton‐ Seeger is a skilled cook and gardener who lives in Goderich.

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wee white ones, heath aster, that we see as clouds along the roadsides.

They pop up and bloom late, offering great foraging for insects readying them for winter hibernation in the leaves and long grass.

We have Michaelmas in our garden and have earmarked several young plants for relocation in the spring. We don’t cut down any native plants in the fall, preferring to leave them standing as a food source for wintering birds and shelter for pollinators. We have counted quite a few finches grazing in the crowns of seed heads.

The next treasure this summer was a couple of Prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera). They have lovely fine wispy leaves (think fine marigold leaves) and grow a statuesque 25 to 80 centimetres (one to three feet) tall. As the name indicates the flower is a central cone and a flutter of drooping yellow or red petals around the base. It starts blooming in late spring and continues through to fall. What is not to like about that? They do well in hot and dry conditions, another positive.

Unfortunately, I may have planted them in the wrong space. I also planted some red dahlia tubers (our garden is not solely native but a healthy mixture) near them. Wow, the dahlias took off and the coneflowers simply waved at me from the crowd. They look healthy but no prolific blooms. This could be due to this being their first season. I shook the seed heads around the base of the plant and gently ruffled the soil after the dahlias were dug up.

Seedlings would be a good sign to see in the spring y last treasure is an Indian Pink (spigelia marilandica).

Even in November this sweet plant was setting out wee red buds. What a worker. When happy it can grow from 60 to 70 cm (24-28 inches) tall. It requires more than four hours of sun. It has dark red tubular flowers with yellow interiors and reblooms sporadically through the fall. I am pushing the limit as it does well in zone 5b to 9. Banana belt numbers! But our yard is nicely fenced and sheltered so I am hopeful.

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20

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I am also hopeful that it will seed out. I use mulch along the edge of the gardens. And this lovely plant is right in there. I have pulled the mulch back and ruffled the soil but planning is essential when working with native plants. If my pink comes through the winter I will move it closer to the hairy beardtongue, a companion plant. We plant with the intent for everything to thrive and be supportive of our pollinators. I have my fingers crossed it will come back next season and I will see tiny rosettes of new seedlings.

I have a second pot settled into the garden with a few yellow baptisia seeds. Last fall I started a pot of dark blue ones from seed I found in a landscape garden. I did not mark the pot and it took me a few days in the spring to realize what they were. It pays to mark the seeds you plant in the fall.

If you are looking at selecting the best native plants for your area, a good resource can be found at Pollinator.org a wonderful site with resources that target specific areas. I downloaded their Guide for Gardeners, Farmers, and Land Managers in the Manitoulin-Lake Simcoe. It covers Manitoulin, south to below Stratford and as far east as Kingston. It outlines briefly the lay of the land and then dives into “meeting the pollinators” before offering ideas for incorporating farmland, public land and home landscapes into pollinator friendly habitat. I can hardly wait until spring. In the meantime have a happy holiday and use the winter days for dreaming about new plants. ◊

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December 2022 37

Community

• By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

Angus heifer sells high to support mental health First tickets were sold to win the heifer and then the winner put the heifer back in the Bluewater Angus Sale

W

hen Cameron Hill of Grey County decided to donate one of his top heifer calves to the Bluewater Angus Sale, he was hoping it would earn a few thousand dollars for the chosen recipient – the non-profit mental health service, WES for Youth.

“Honestly, I would have been thrilled if we made $3-5,000,” says Hill. So he was beyond thrilled when cattlemen and their families at the Bluewater Angus Sale –the longest continually-running Angus sale in Canada – purchased so many $50 tickets the heifer raised $9,000. “We had a few guys buy $500 worth of tickets, and then $400 and we kept going until we got down to single sales,” remembers Hill.

When the tickets were drawn, it was Wes Glennie of Glennie Brothers Angus in Saskatchewan who won the heifer. He had purchased four tickets online. When he was contacted, he told Hill to run the heifer through the ring. “That brought us another $3,100 when it was sold to Joel Thomas of SunRise Angus in Shelbourne.”

The total came to $12,500 which was donated entirely to WES for Youth. It was quite a day.

“This was the first year we ever picked a cause to donate to,” says Ron Teeple, long-time chairperson of the sale which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. There were 50 head of cattle in the sale which was held at the Cargill Auction.

Hill says he had a strong heifer crop this year from the 40-head cow/calf herd he’s been focusing on since 2009 on a farm southwest of Meaford. Hill and his fiance Elicia focus on straight, Canadian, purebred Black Angus genetics. “Driving around the countryside and seeing pastures with black cattle always caught my eye,” says Hill, who is also a pilot for Jazz Aviation LP

38 The Rural Voice

Hillbrook Heroine 12K, a heifer raised by Cam Hill raised over $12,000 for WES for Youth at the Blue Water Angus Club’s annual sale. Katherine Giffen (left), Bluewater Angus Club President and Laura Webb (centre), Chair of the WES for Youth Board stand in the ring with Cam Hill (right), the Bluewater Angus Club vice‐president and donor of the heifer. based out of Toronto. He uses only Canadian genetics, instead of mainstream genetics out of the United States, making his herd an outcross to the most popular pedigrees in Canada.

He was hoping the heifer would generate some buzz at the sale while helping the local community. The need for mental health support in rural communities is a real concern and “hard to come by” in Grey Bruce. “Especially for young people,” says Hill. The committee chose WES for Youth because of its online platform, which he believes makes it more likely youth will access the services.

“I know myself that if you want to get engagement from younger people, if you can’t do it via phone, they won’t go for it,” says Hill.

WES of Youth also celebrated an anniversary this year, it’s tenth. “We started as a local grassroots organization 10 years ago so having our roots highlighted and

remembered by this local effort is great,” says Emma Martin of WES for Youth. She said the money will go toward funding direct-serve counseling hours, which costs an estimated $160 per hour. WES for Youth offers counseling for free to youth aged 13 to 24, with no cost for online registration.

Jordan O’Connor, WES for Youth’s Communication Coordinator explains that the organization is a great resource for rural youth, who find it hard to access mental health services or who often have to wait for months to see a counsellor.

Another issue is capacity, with counsellors capping services at eight sessions. “We do not put a limit on our session so our youth can meet with our counsellors as long as they need.”

Referred from schools, other services, or friends, youth can access the counselling via e-mail to e-mail, messaging or video, at the youth’s choice. “A lot of youth are not

comfortable with face to face. That’s this generation; the way things are moving. So having an online platform is a big draw,” explains O’Connor.

She says youth come to WES for Youth for many reasons, including school concerns, family issues, friendship and relationship issues,

anxiety and LGBTQ issues. “We are also seeing an increase in youth just feeling uncertain and a bit lost. With the prevalence of social media and access to world-wide news, they feel overwhelmed. Sometimes it’s not even a specific issue, just this feeling of being overwhelmed by the world.”

WES for Youth provided over

1,500 counseling hours in 2021 and all counselors are professionals, with each having a masters degree.

Both the Bluewater Angus Sale and WES for Youth are thrilled with results of the sale. “With our 75th anniversary, this was the perfect opportunity to do something for our community,” concludes Hill. ◊

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December 2022 39

News

• By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

Sign and save the best land for agriculture Paul Vickers encourages Bruce farmers to sign the Home Grown petition to protect farm land from development

P

reserving agriculture and resisting the push to develop land around Thornbury was a passionate discussion for members of the Grey County Federation of Agriculture (GCFA) at their annual meeting held October 13 at Walter’s Falls.

“People do not understand how valuable the microclimate is around Georgian Bay,” said Randy McLeod of Clarksburg. “If the federal government is trying to reduce fertilizer usage, should we not be preserving the best farmland which provides the best opportunity for being profitable?”

John Ardiel of Ardiel Acres Ltd and the Ardiel Cider House, an apple grower in Beaver Valley said the area he lives in has the largest apple production in Ontario. “We depend on this special agricultural land, not just the soil, but the moderate temperatures of Georgian Bay.” He says Blue Mountain is putting “unbelievable development pressure” on agricultural lands.

“That seems to be falling on deaf ears around here,” said Ardiel. “It seems our politicians are not willing to preserve agricultural land.”

Farmers are in competition not only with urban dwellers but with developers who are eager to buy up bare and vacant farms to build, build, build. He feels politicians are more concerned about saving woodland and shrubland than saving agricultural land.

Paul Vickers, the Zone 2 Director for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), was in full support, saying “not one person in this room would disagree with you.”

He explained this is why the OFA is trying to educate Grey County politicians and planners to understand why this area is so critical to preserve for apple growing and 40 The Rural Voice

Hugh Simpson and Jackie Pennings of the Grey County Federation of Agriculture got in on the act during Baker’s Magic Show, the evening’s entertainer during the GCFA’s annual meeting held October 13 in Walters Falls. other agricultural interests.

“Grey County is behind the curve on development. We are working hard to implement better planning,” he added.

Vickers then revealed that over 300 acres of farmland are taken out of production each day. “We lose 319 acres per day to urbanization, roads and development. It is getting swallowed up fast.”

Understanding the definition of an acre is critical to helping urbanites realize how large this loss is. Many people cannot visualize what an acre is. Vickers says the way he explains it, a farmer can grow 50 bushels of wheat per acre which results in 3,000 loaves of bread. Multiply 3,000 loaves by 319 and that comes to over 950,000 loaves of bread lost every day.

When people understand the magnitude of the loss, they may be more willing to sign the farmland

preservation petition OFA has started to protect valuable farmland. It’s called the Home Grown petition and Vickers encouraged everyone at the meeting to sign it electronically and then explain the issue to their neighbours and get them to sign it too. The petition can be found at homegrownofa.ca “We can use this petition to show politicians how important this issue is,” said Vickers.

It was also mentioned how important orchards and farmland are for storing carbon and that the government should be recognizing farmers’ contributions with carbon tax credits.

Alex Ruff, MP for Bruce-GreyOwen Sound encouraged those present to share their best ideas because he would be willing to put forward a private member’s bill to protect the interests of agriculture in Grey County.

Other highlights of Grey’s annual meeting included: – A magical act by Steve Baker of Baker’s Magic Show. The former teacher says he spends many days on the road amazing those in health care,

business and schools.

– The Building Careers and Futures in Agriculture bursary was presented to Brinlee Pennings to support her education – A summary of the year was provided by GCFA president, Dianne Booker, who said youth is one of Grey’s main priorities and why they support the BCFA, 4-H and speaking competitions for students.

– Vickers highlighted the four key points of OFA’s strategic plan which are sustainability, consumer trust, farm viability and farmers as advocates and teachers.

He also advised everyone to sign up for Brinlee Pennings was the winner of the Building the OFA newsletter, Careers and Futures in Agriculture (BCFA) Bursary to called E-blasts, so they support her education. She accepted the bursary from can stay abreast of Michael Ryan of the Grey Highlands. current issues. ◊

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December 2022 41

News

• By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

Baseball uniforms should not be white Dean Ribey got the laughs from members of the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture at their annual meeting

C

hris Cossitt remains president of the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture (BCFA) and he received some life lessons from guest speaker Dean Ribey, who proclaimed he was there to talk about nothing, following the example of his favourite show, Seinfeld.

The salesman, husband, father and farmer raises 25 Angus cattle and crops about 400 acres a year. He says when he wakes up, he eats breakfast and then watches an episode of Seinfeld. “I start the day with a smile on my face and a chuckle in my belly,” said Ribey. It was his goal to give attendees at the BCFA’s annual meeting held October 28 in Chesley the same thing.

His first “Lessons Learned in Life” topic was that baseball uniforms should not be white. He shared a childhood experience when, at age of 13, despite having tummy troubles, his mom sent him off to be a team sport for a baseball tournament. He survived the first day with a mad dash off third base to hit the washroom but a trip to Dairy Queen was too much. “I was holding my rear end together as best I could but I felt something percolating and before I could control it, I filled my drawers like a two-year-old having a nap.” With a quick change, he was able to make it home but Ribey remains convinced that white pants for baseball is a bad idea.

His potty humour brought some chuckles as did his take on Hot Girl Summer. During COVID-19, Ribey said he missed people and the laughs he gets hanging around friends. He came up with a “crazy idea” and convinced his wife, Candy, they should post some pictures based on the Hot Girl Summer theme.

Expecting to see a woman in a bikini on cars for the photos Ribey was next 42 The Rural Voice

to share, the room erupted in laughter when the screen revealed Ribey himself in short shorts and a wet tshirt posing on his John Deere tractor. Apparently these can be found on Facebook, so search away.

With lots of laughs and a good meal, the members of BCFA did get some serious discussion in when Paul Vickers, Zone 2 Director for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, said war in Ukraine has highlighted how dependent the world is on fuel and how higher prices for “everything” has farmers, researchers and politicians searching for better options.

He credited Ben Lobb’s private member bill, Bill C-234, to eliminate the carbon tax on propane and natural gas used on-farm for things such as grain drying and heating livestock barns, which are critical to the security of Canada’s food supply, and the long-term sustainability of farms.

Vickers also thanked “mother nature” for the good fall weather which allowed corn to dry in the field. “Mother Nature helped us out a lot more than the Liberal government did,” he said.

Other key points from Vicker’s presentation include: – Farmers need to focus on the 4 R's (Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time and Right Place) to reduce use and dependency on nitrogen – Everyone should be encouraging their neighbours and friends to sign the petition to save agricultural land via the OFA’s Home Grown campaign. “We are losing 319 acres of farmland daily,” said Vickers.

“Once a field is taken out of production it is lost (for farming) forever.” He said petitions do make a difference and will help in the cause of farmland preservation – The Source Local Campaign continues to gain momentum. The

Dean Ribey OFA held four events where they shared samples of local food to generate discussion. Vickers described the Source Local movement as a “one-discussion-at-atime” campaign, which is slow but very effective.

– Vickers highlighted the Revive Fund, which helps farming and rural communities recover and rejuvenate from hardships faced during COVID19. This program offers the 51 county and regional federations the opportunity to apply for additional funding to plan, develop and launch new projects and initiatives in their local communities.

– Vickers also mentioned the rural wins he’s seen in the last year or so which include: rural broadband expansion, abattoir funding, rural mental health programs, the free from trespass act, rural infrastructure being built and financial support from risk management programs – He encouraged everyone to sign up for OFA’s weekly Viewpoint email which keeps members up to date on issues and what the OFA is working on.

Chris Cossitt highlighted some of BCFA’s activities this past year

which include commitment to farm education and farm safety. The BCFA is also committed to having a voice representing agriculture within Bruce County council. Also, to deal with the issue of “merging” when farms are bound into one roll number for taxation purposes which then causes financial issues during farm estate planning.

BCFA also continues with its doctor days, a recruitment strategy which invites doctors to visit the county for a day to see what rural living is like. The executive also conducted a poll to see if members wanted BCFA to become involved in the Deep Geological Repository (DGR) issue. Response indicated BCFA should not get involved and “we are respecting that”, said Cossitt.

Elections were held at the meeting with last year’s executive keeping their positions for another year. Chris Cossitt remains president; John Gillespie vice-president, Tammy Young second vice-president and John Rodgers past-president. ◊

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

Ukraine grain trades at cheap market values As geopolitical events continue to unfold, the effect upon grain prices cannot be underestimated. Market watchers are on edge in today’s political environment, with armed conflict ongoing in the Ukraine between two of the world’s largest grain shippers. When the conflict began, some time ago, the grain markets went into panic as there was so much uncertainty about shipping and new crop planting. As spring crops got planted and grain began moving from Ukraine (first by truck and rail and later by vessel as the Ukraine shipping deal was enacted) market prices faded substantially from the initial panic period experienced at the outset of the war.

With the Ukraine shipping deal in place, vessel shipments from Ukraine ramped up substantially, and during a small window of time, were almost equal to pre-conflict levels of shipment. To highlight this, toward the end of September Ukrainian ports shipped 12 vessels of grain in its largest single shipping day, totalling 354,500 mt. This was the biggest single shipping day since the grain shipping deal was enacted and is very good volume movement.

While the ability to ship in large volume has been good for Ukraine and for buyers of grain, Russia has not seen it so positively. Ukraine shipments are priced to move into the world market very competitively.

Buyers know that they have volumes that need to move and therefore Ukraine grain trades at the cheapest market values in the world – at distressed prices. Therefore the

48 The Rural Voice

market has been reluctant to buy Russian wheat, as its premium price to Ukraine restricts buyers interest.

As a result Russian sales are much below expectations and Russian movements are lower than even last year’s export pace. All the while, Russia has a record crop to move. It is suspected that due to the slow shipment pace from Russia and the competitiveness that Ukraine grain shipments posed to Russia, that Russian authorities started to indicate that they would not extend the Black Sea grain shipping deal as it came to expiry in mid-November.

Toward the end of October, the Russian Black Sea fleet was attacked by 16 drones in the annexed Crimean peninsula. Russia called this attack an act of terrorism, along with the accusation that the drones were from cargo ships that had been entering the region within the shipping agreement terms. As a result of this accusation, Russia announced that it would withdraw from the agreement and no longer guarantee safe shipment of vessels within the corridor.

Upon Russia’s announcement suspending the deal, Ukrainian officials stated that grain exports were impossible given the agreement’s withdrawal. Grain markets took these announcements very seriously and market prices rallied substantially over the next two days with what appeared to make Black Sea shipments no longer active.

The world reaction to Russia’s decision was rapid, sharp and united with accusations that Russia was weaponizing food and causing food insecurity, especially to the world’s most vulnerable. The head of the United Nations voiced his deep concern alongside other major world powers with international criticism of the withdrawal. As a result of the withdrawal, a major insurer of ships in the region announced a pause in issuing coverage for cargo ships – a condition which prevented any ships from entering the region.

It was only a matter of days before the tone from the Kremlin was walked back. Headlines emerged that Russian President Putin was not ending their participation in the

Black Sea Grain Export Deal; they were just suspending it. This statement, that was rather ambiguous, was further clarified when Putin said that they would consider a resumption of the deal upon an investigation of the attack on the Russian war ships in Crimea. After this announcement, grain markets sold off aggressively, eventually trading to lower prices than prior to Russia’s cancellation statements.

And while ships began loading again, and exports resumed, caution is still seen in the marketplace. Russia is still signaling that they may not be willing to extend the shipping deal deadline past the November 19/22 deadline. However other participants indicate a more favorable outlook – namely Turkey – whose defence minister is reported to have indicated that a year-long extension is being considered.

Some are optimistic about this news and others are pessimistic that nothing will be resolved for the balance of this year at minimum.

One thing we do know for certain is that Russia is vocal about their dissatisfaction. They don’t like sanctions against their exported goods, and they have a desire to move their record crop.

The Black Sea wheat will be important to many world buyers for the duration of this crop year and potentially beyond. The U.S. winter wheat crop is rated the worst it has ever been on record, at just 28 per cent good to excellent. Prior to this year the poorest rated crop was in 2012, at 33 per cent good/excellent.

Poor ratings in the fall do not always correspond to poor harvest yields.

What does translate into good yields is good rains, and so far drought remains in the region. ◊

Deadline for the January issue of The Rural Voice is December 6

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

Identify by shape and form of leaves Deciduous trees tend to lose their leaves in the fall. Most, anyway. All trees do lose their leaves eventually, but not in the same year as the leaf was produced. The larch family, which includes tamarack, are coniferous trees that do lose their leaves in the fall like that of our hardwood trees.

In this column, hardwoods are trees that are not coniferous or cone producing. Hardwoods are trees that have broadleaves, not needles or scales.

Leaves as a form of identification is actually one of the most inconvenient ways to identify a mature tree in the forest as the leaves are typically over 60 feet overhead and branches overlap.

The starting point of hardwood leaf identification is the understanding of the leaf forms.

Leaves can be either compound or simple. A compound leaf consists of one stem from the branch that holds multiple leaflets. Before I knew much about trees, I always thought of the leaflets as being individual leaves – yes, I was wrong. One of the most common compound leaves in our area is that of the ash family.

Simple leaves are just that — simple — one stem that is part of a leaf.

In discerning species by compound leaf, there are many factors to consider: number of leaflets, whether there is a terminal leaflet (a leaflet at the end of the stem like in the ash pictured), the shape and size of the leaflets, the arrangement of the leaflets on the stem, and whether the leaflets are hairy. There are also some species of trees that have doubly compound leaves such as the Kentucky coffeetree and some locusts.

Leaf and leaflet shapes are described using the same terms. I am not going to have room here to go over all leaf shapes but will cover what I believe to be the most common. Lanceolate, as it sounds, is shaped like a lance or stubby knife. A willow leaf is a great example of a lanceolate leaf. Ovate, which is fairly wide at the stem, even wider at the middle, but narrows in and comes to a point at the end. Beech is a good example of an ovate leaf. Lobed refers to leaves that have large protrusions that go from the midrib which can be pointed or rounded.

The leaf that I feel must be used as the lobed leaf example is a maple leaf. Of course, there is an exception to this, the Manitoba maple is a maple that has a compound leaf.

When describing the leaf shape, one of the key features is the leaf edge or margin. There are many types of leaf margins that I cannot include as this is a column and not a book of identification. Some of the common leaf margins can be entire, serrate, doubly serrate, crenate or scalloped, palmate, and lobed.

A tree that has leaves with an entire margin is believed to be a tree that is not well adapted to colder climates, I don’t have an opinion on

that as there are mixed examples of this in our area. Beech leaves are classified as smooth and do very well in our climate. However, many of the more southern species have entire leaves such as the magnolia so I believe the statement is quite debatable.

Many of our simple-leaved and compound-leaved trees have leaves or leaflets with serrated margins. I think serrated is an easily understood term for something with pointy teeth protruding from the edge. Cherry trees have finely serrate leaves, ash trees have finely serrate leaflets.

Doubly serrate leaves are those that have teeth on the teeth. This might be one of my favourite leaves. The elm leaf is doubly serrate and looks like a circular saw blade when on its side.

Crenate or scalloped leaves have rounded teeth along the margin like those of the cottonwoods. These leaves appear to have a bumpy look to their margins.

The term palmate can be used to describe the leaf as a type of compound leaf or type of leaf margin. As the name implies, the leaflets radiate out from the center point like fingers from a palm. My favourite example of this leaf is the horse chestnut. I know it isn’t a forest tree, but it is common enough to be considered an invasive species so I thought it would be a good example.

The final leaf margin is lobed.

Lobed is described above in the leaf shape paragraph as having large protrusions that originate at the midrib. Lobed can be exemplified by the oak family.

This column may leave you wanting more but I hope to have provided a good starting point for your leaf identification. ◊

Hardwood trees leaves from left to right: compound ash leaves, beech leaf; maple leaf and oak leaf.

December 2022 49

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

Supreme Court weighs in on a de facto expropriation Expropriation is the “taking” of land without consent of the owner, usually for some public purpose.

Full ownership of land can be taken.

An easement in land can be taken.

The party taking the land can be government. It can be a private enterprise authorized by government to take the land. Justice Cory of the Supreme Court of Canada wrote of expropriation in the oft-cited case of Toronto Area Transit Operating Authority v. Dell Holdings Ltd. from 1997: The expropriation of property is one of the ultimate exercises of governmental authority. To take all or part of a person’s property constitutes a severe loss and a very significant interference with a citizen’s private property rights.

It follows that the power of an expropriating authority should be strictly construed in favour of those whose rights have been affected. This principle has been stressed by eminent writers and emphasized in decisions of this Court.

There is a presumption that there will be no expropriation without compensation. Normally, expropriation of property may only occur in strict accordance with expropriation legislation, such as Ontario’s Expropriations Act, which provides for compensation to landowners. However, in some cases

50 The Rural Voice

government action outside of expropriation legislation may effectively result in a taking of property, which may entitle a property owner to compensation for the taking. This is known as a “constructive” or “de facto” taking.

The Supreme Court recently released a 5-4 split decision on constructive or de facto expropriation in a case involving the alleged taking of land in Halifax, Nova Scotia for use as a public park. The majority of the Court ruled that a claim by the landowner for compensation for a constructive taking could proceed to trial, which was the decision that had been made by the lower court in Nova Scotia but overturned by the Province’s Court of Appeal. The minority of the Supreme Court would have dismissed the landowner’s claim for compensation on the basis that the claim had “no real chance of success”.

The land at issue in the case had been acquired by the landowner over a number of years beginning in the 1950s, the total size of the property reaching 965 acres. The landowner’s intention was to secure development rights from the Halifax Regional Municipality and then resell the land.

In 2006, Halifax adopted a “Regional Municipal Planning Strategy” to guide development of land over the next 25 years that reserved a portion of the landowner’s 965 acres for possible inclusion in a future regional park. The Strategy also zoned the lands for future residential serviced development, but subject to future approval from Halifax in a “secondary planning process”.

The landowner attempted on several occasions to develop the property beginning in 2007. When Halifax passed a resolution in 2016 refusing to commence the secondary planning process necessary for development, the landowner sued the Municipality, alleging that its land had been constructively expropriated.

The landowner also claimed misfeasance in public office and unjust enrichment on the part of Halifax. The landowner said that Halifax had acquired a beneficial ownership interest in the development lands by exercising a

degree of control that had the effect of turning the lands into a public park at the expense of the landowner. The landowner alleged that members of the public were encouraged by Halifax to use the lands for hiking, camping and other recreational activities and that signs bearing the Municipality’s logo and phone number had been posted at the site.

The minority on the Supreme Court would have dismissed the landowner’s de facto expropriation claim without a trial (summary judgment) because the claim did not satisfy the two requirements for such a claim as set out in the 2006 Supreme Court decision in Canadian Pacific Railway Co. v. Vancouver (City): “For a de facto taking requiring compensation at common law, two requirements must be met: (1) an acquisition of a beneficial interest in the property or flowing from it, and (2) removal of all reasonable uses of the property”. The minority found that there was no material fact in dispute (required to avoid a summary dismissal of the claim) on either branch of the test.

First, Halifax had acquired no beneficial (ownership) interest in the lands. Second, according to the dissenting opinion, the “uncontradicted evidence” was that the landowner had been deprived of “no reasonable uses – let alone all reasonable uses – of its lands.”

The five-Justice majority of the Court applied the same two-part test from the 2006 Supreme Court decision, but came to a different result because it interpreted the test differently. On the first part of the test, the majority found that: “the Court in CPR did not use “beneficial interest” in the technical sense that it carries in the domain of equity.

Rather, a “beneficial interest” is to be more broadly understood as an “advantage” … what must be shown by the property owner can fall short of an actual acquisition by the state.”

On the second part of the test, the majority found that an intention on the part of the Municipality to take land constructively (i.e. de facto expropriation) could support a finding that the landowner had lost all reasonable uses of its land.

Agrilaw Applying this version of the twopart test to the facts of the case, the majority Justices concluded that “zoning which effectively preserves private land as a public resource may constitute a “beneficial interest” flowing to the state, as contemplated in CPR, where it has the effect of removing all reasonable uses of that land.” As there were material facts in dispute about whether Halifax’s zoning was preserving the landowner’s property as a public resource and about what effect that had on the landowner’s uses of the land, the majority set aside the dismissal of the landowner’s de facto expropriation claim and ordered that the claim could proceed to trial. ◊ ______________________________ 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 circumstance.

Merry Christmas!

MATTHEW RAE MPP – Perth-Wellington

CONSTITUENCY OFFICE: 55 Lorne Ave E Unit 2, Stratford ON, N5A 6S4 Phone: 519-272-0660 • Toll Free: 1-800-461-9701 matthewrae.ca • matthew.rae@pc.ola.org

Wishing all our valued readers a very Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2023.

From the staff of

The Rural Voice Magazine December 2022 51

People

• By Gary West •

Ramseyers celebrate 150 years on the farm

T

here are many farms in the Tavistock and Oxford County area that have been in the same family for years but very rarely is there a family history with the 6th generation living on the original farm homestead.

This is the case of the Ramseyer farm on Line 14 in East Zorra.

The family got together in October to mark the 150th anniversary of the farm and to celebrate this historic achievement.

Records have been kept throughout the years and the farm’s history is truly interesting.

Joel Ramseyer, being of Swiss descent and born in Stark County Ohio, U.S., immigrated to the New Hamburg area with his parents Joseph and Barbara Ramseyer. On March 19, 1872 he married Barbara, daughter of Nicholas and Barbara Schlegel and together they purchased 100 acres on the 14th line on November 2, 1872. Together they built the pre-existing barn in 1880 and the house in 1882. The farm has been passed down through the generations, from father to son until the present day.

Even though the Ramseyer name is now with the sixth generation, wives’ names who appear with their

Ramseyer husbands over the years include not only Schlegel, but also Bender, Roth, Bickle and Holtzworth to the present co-owners Travis and Cassidy (Kieswetter) Ramseyer, who follow parents Robert and Sherry Ramseyer to live as the next generation on the home farm.

An interesting note from Marg Ramseyer was that after studying the farm’s deeds from the 1800s, she noted that the school tax was listed at 25 cents and the land tax was $1.00.

Yet the dog tax was $1.50.

She commented with a smile, “how times have changed!” ◊

The Ramseyer family now has the sixth generation living on the original homestead in East Zorra and gathered recently to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the farm. Family members include (front, left to right) Marg Ramseyer, Paul Ramseyer, Helen MacKenzie (Ramseyer) and Don Ramseyer. (back, left to right) Travis and Cassidy Ramseyer, Cassandra Schacht (Ramseyer), Victoria Ramseyer, Sherry and Rob Ramseyer, Steve Ramseyer, Gail Yantzi (Ramseyer) and Joan Hergott (Ramseyer).

Gardener earns Ted Blowes community service award

T

he owner of a front yard at a home in Stratford has Stratford General Hospital orderly, who kept patients in recently received the Ted Blowes community service good spirits as he went about his essential work for 25 years award for his outstanding and colourful flower at the city’s hospital. He retired a number of years ago but at age 86, he still loves to dress up his front yard with colour gardens that adorn his Huron street home.

Bernie Van Herk is no stranger and aesthetics. to beautification awards. He has Van Herk will say he only got as helped the Festival city in being far as Grade 6 in school, but that did named the best in Canada a few not stop him from dairy farming with purebred Holstein cows in Perth years back and best exemplifies county’s Logan Township for many what beautification is all about. years before working at the hospital.

Van Herk might be small in He says he has always loved getting stature but he reigns tall when it his hands dirty while working in his comes to flowers of colour to gardens and enjoys bringing colour brighten resident’s lives who travel to the lives of motorists who pass by by his property. his house. ◊ Many will recognize him as the Bernie Van Herk

52 The Rural Voice

Advice

• By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

Whytes named outstanding farmers of the year

N

ick and Joan were named Outstanding Farmers of the Year by the Huron County Federation of Agriculture at their annual meeting held October 27 in Holmesville.

A full team of Whytes attended the evening to celebrate their parent’s/grandparent’s honour and it’s family that keeps coming up when talking to Nick about his years farming.

“I grew up on the farm and I am happy to share that my great, great grandfather came from Scotland in 1840 and we were able to sell a farm to a grandson a few years ago. That is the seventh generation”, said Nick.

Soon turning 80, Nick had just come in from trucking corn and says one of his greatest achievements is having four children farming all close by.

“We are proud whether they farm or not,” he was quick to say.

However, he finds it joyful that when his family wants to have fun, they come to the cabin on the farm he and Joan live on. “We can see it from the kitchen table and it makes me feel so good knowing there are children, grandchildren and friends there swimming and having a great time.”

He gives credit to his forefathers saying “they did all the hard work clearing the woodlots” but is pleased that farming which “in his his blood” marries so well with conservation efforts they put in place.

“We haven’t used a mouldboard plow for 20-30 years and have used no-till drills since then,” he says.

Nick also appreciates the selfsustainability of the farm in terms of corn grown on the farm turning into chicken feed, of which their manure fertilizes the corn crop. Plus, wheat that is grown leaves straw which is baled to bed the chickens.

He believes volunteering is important. “Farming has been good to me and I think a person needs to take some responsibility for trying to keep it that way for all farmers. The federation does a great job of

lobbying goverment at all levels.”

Nick sat on the HCFA board for at least eight years serving part as the director of poulty and said it was beneficial to hear reports from the dairy, beef, pork and other sectors to learn what other farmers were doing.

Nick is quiet about other achievements but many were read off at the annual meeting, including: ▪ Joan served as a director on the Seaforth Hospital board ▪ Joan is a long-time volunteer for the Seaforth Agricultural Society ▪ Joan served as the Rural Reporter for the Huron-Perth United Church Women ▪ Nick and Joan won the Norman Alexander Conservation Award 1983 and won it again a year later ▪ They did C-team in the 1990s ▪ Nick was OAC class of 66A executive member at the University of Guelph

▪ Nick has served on the board of Huron County Federation of Agriculture and been involved for decades ▪ Nick was a scout leader from 196769 ▪ He served as Sunday School Superintendent and board member at Londesboro United Church for decades ▪ Member of Ontario Bean Producers Marketing Board in the 1980s ▪ Chicken Farmers of Ontario District 2 rep in the late 1990s and early 2000s ▪ Nick sat on farm review board in the 1980s ▪ Nick brought mustard farming to Huron County in 2000- 2008 ◊

Nick and Joan Whyte received a plaque for being named Outstanding Farmers of the Year at the annual meeting of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture.

A slew of family members were there to support them including: (back row, left to right) Kerri Whyte, Murray Whyte, Sean Whyte, Ian Driscoll, Nick Whyte, Connor Driscoll, Dave Whyte, Ben Driscoll and (front, left to right) Brian Whyte, Crystal Whyte, Nicole Whyte and Deb Whyte.

December 2022 53

The

Rural Voice

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

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

REAL ESTATE

DL Distributing

• Real Estate questions • Wishing a Market Value Analysis

Dave Mustard 519-794-3334 Authorized Dealer

(Free and convenient at your property)

• Buying or Selling?

“Welcome to connect with me anytime”

Gladys Munro Realtor®

Tough on Winter, Easy on You

Direct: 519.389.8242 Office: 519.396.3300 gladysmunro21@gmail.com 926 Queen St. Kincardine, ON

Email: dlmustard2@gmail.com 556735 Strathaven Road, Chatsworth, ON

KRAEMER CONCRETE LTD. Two Locations to Serve You!

Leadership in energy and environmental design

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Fax: 595-4903

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519-595-2343

84772 McDonald Line • Box 616 • Brussels

519-887-8763

Toll Free at 1-888-RING-KCL

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Choose from:

QUALITY METAL ROOFING, SIDING & TRIMS

519-363-3757

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The Better Choice, Plain and Simple

54 The Rural Voice

Hazelnut, heartnut, Persian and black Walnut, chestnut, hickory, pecan, pawpaw, persimmon, mulberry, fig and more.

979 Lakeshore Rd, RR3 Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario L0S 1J0 Tel: 905-YEH-NUTS (934-6887) Fax: 905-YEL-NUTS (935-6887) E-mail: nut.trees@grimonut.com Catalogue Site: www.grimonut.com

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

Profitable, Actionable, Advice Crop Planning SWAT Maps/Soil Sampling Variable Mapping/Scripts Cropwalker Newsletter

Jonathan Zettler CCA-ON, 4R NMS 519-323-7505 jz@fieldwalker.ca fieldwalker.ca

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

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

Merry Christmas We hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

Thank you for your business this past year.

Steiner Tractor Parts Supplier "Specializing in Older Tractor Parts ... ...and looking for tractors in any condition"

STEPHEN 519-523-4922 LONDESBOROUGH e-mail: ontariousedtractorparts@gmail.com

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

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

C E N T R E

PACKERS: WE BUILD Order Now

RUBBER TIRE PACKER SPECIALISTS

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

Full service to all boats and marine engines

ARGYLE Marine & Small Engines Inc.

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

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

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

B U S I N E S S

Check out The Rural Reading Room in this issue Great books that make wonderful gifts for any occasion 405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4311 December 2022 55

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

CONSTRUCTION -------------------------------------------Liquid manure tanks, bunker silos, foundations and pads. All are 100% engineered. Serving Ontario since 1968. De Jong & Sons Ltd. 519-348-0523.

-------------------------------------------DAIRY -------------------------------------------Screened bedding sand, delivered.

Call 519-625-8242 or 519-2741490.

-------------------------------------------FOR SALE -------------------------------------------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 2023. We now sell select Queen Bees raised under ORHBS program on a weekly basis. Order by Monday evening for Wednesday pick-up – during season. 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.

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

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 519-595-7775.

-------------------------------------------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 yearling rams and ram lambs. British bloodlines M-V negative, closed flock, GenOvis tested. Several bloodlines available. 519-233-7896.

-------------------------------------------Rabbit breeding stock. High quality genetics available in Ontario. Order your PS40 bucks and PS19 does today. CuniON@tcc.on.ca -------------------------------------------Red Angus/Simmental, Simmental and Red Angus heifers bred to calving ease Red Angus bull for Spring 2023 calving. James and Joan McKinlay 519-599-6236.

-------------------------------------------LOCAL FOOD -------------------------------------------The Market Shoppe – Your source for local since 2013, 7 Toronto Street South, Markdale 519-9864144. Find us on Instagram and Facebook.

-------------------------------------------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 -------------------------------------------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 -------------------------------------------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. 1-705-434-8187.

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56 The Rural Voice

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

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

WANTED -------------------------------------------Looking for pasture for summer 2023 in North Huron/South Bruce areas. Fence repairs ok. Contact Justin at 519-357-8272.

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

WANTED -------------------------------------------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 -------------------------------------------Round bales of horse or cattle quality hay picked up. Wanted t o b u y : small square bales of wheat straw, conventional or rotary.

Call Riley Gorman 519-321-1012.

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

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

DANNY’S

Custom Painting & Sandblasting 86362 Harper Line RR 1 Lucknow N0G 2H0 (just north of Zion Road)

-------------------------------------------UPCOMING EVENTS -------------------------------------------South Western Ontario Dairy Symposium, Wednesday, February 22, 2023, Woodstock Fairgrounds. www.dairysymposium.com.

-------------------------------------------Christkindl Market and Messiah in the barn, December 9 and 10, Friday 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday 2:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Glencolton Farm near Durham. For information and tickets: christkindlfarm.com -------------------------------------------WANTED -------------------------------------------Wanted to buy: looking for twospeed transmission for 2004 skidoo Skandic 550, wide track snowmobile. Please leave message, 519-371-4142.

-------------------------------------------Wanted - R6 Gleaner combine, running or not. Phone 519-3953320, leave message.

-------------------------------------------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.

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

May the Peace and Joy of God’s love through Christ, be with you throughout the coming year!

Greetings from Courtney Grain and Seed (2015) Ltd.

1563 Hwy#9 Mildmay, ON N0G 2J0 Ph: 519-367-3215 Fax: 519-367-3214 www.southbruceflooring.com

BERNIE McGLYNN LUMBER LTD. BUYER OF HARDWOOD BUSHLOTS Wholesaler • Hardwood Lumber 1563 Hwy#9, Mildmay, ON N0G 2J0

Ph: 519-367-5789 • Cell: 519-357-6621 sawmill@wightman.ca

Attractive IP premiums available for 2023 info@huron.com 519-482-8400 December 2022 57

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.

Brian Tammi wants to help NFU-O farm employers Inspiring people to become involved in local food production and offering his expertise on how to run a successful farm or farm-adjacent business is a life-long passion for Brian Tammi.

This winter, Brian will be one of several experts offering free online training on how to hire, train, and manage staff for small and mediumscale agricultural operations.

Brian says he didn’t know what he wanted to do for a living until he worked physically in agriculture.

Having previously worked in the culinary industry, he grew to love working with food. After landing his first part-time farm-worker job, he decided to pursue a career in agriculture.

He then gained farm experience working for seven seasons on Plan B Organic Farm before moving on to Paradise Fields, a farm he helped build from the ground-up. He spent five years at Paradise Fields, establishing a 10-acre orchard, a large processing facility, and a one-acre greenhouse, and training a crew of 15 people seasonally. He learned the business side of farming along the way.

“The people, the environment, the systems, the interconnection with communities; it all really spoke to me. Farming definitely gave me an

epiphany, moments of clarity, where I realized I really need to pursue this.’”

Brian is currently the operations manager for Humble Bee, an apiary and a honey and beekeeping equipment company. He also has staff consulting experience for farm and farm-adjacent businesses.

Brian helps clients with their business structure, staffing, and bridging the knowledge gap between modern agronomy in a more approachable, less jargony way.

“I really like seeing people’s farms, helping them understand what’s going on with their plants. I also like helping them understand staff dynamics so they can create a work environment as healthy as their soils,” he says.

Brian says when he was brand new to farming it was easy to gather basic knowledge, but as he honed his expertise, it was difficult to find answers to intermediate and advanced questions.

That’s part of why he likes to help others. He says having that guidance would have allowed him to be more efficient while learning how to communicate.

He also aims to alleviate barriers newer farmers can face.

“If they’re in any way not a white male, they can get side-eye or lesser service. You’re dealing with people who are encountering barriers to success...so I just help to relieve barriers that are systemic within agriculture and are really problematic for growers.”

Brian is an NFU-O farm worker member as well as the vice-president for Local 351 - Brant, Hamilton, Halton.

“The N F U-O is the home of anyone who cares about fairness and equality within the food system. It’s diverse and there’s a lot of youth energy and a solid base of older members,” says Brian.

Brian is eager to share his knowledge on growing food and sustainable agriculture businesses with anyone who is interested. Be sure to check out his NFU-O “So you want to be a successful farm employer” training sessions in early 2023.

National News/Events Local News/Events – Local 305 (GTA, Peel, York) You’re invited to “Christmas at the Farm” / the Grand Opening of “Trinity’s Well” in Palgrave, ON on Saturday, December 17 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Join us for an artisan market, live music, and wagon rides (weather pending), and more! More info at: https://www.rustyjaderanch.org/ trinitys-well

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

Perth County Pork Producers NEWSLETTER

Polly Hoekstra, President phoekstra@hotmail.ca / 226-580-0174 * The Rural Voice is provided to Perth County Pork Producers by the PCPPA perthcountyporkproducers@gmail.com

Pig Vaccines and Vaccination Timing – Part 2

By Greg Wideman South West Vets In our previous article, we scratched the surface of vaccine timing for pigs, reflecting on the fact that vaccination and boostering schedules are a very hot topic in general right now. This article will take us further into specific questions about vaccine timing for specific swine diseases.

Vaccinating to boost immunity of the sow, to protect the piglet Before we dig deeper into vaccine timing, an important characteristic of the pig should be explained… and it has to do with the placenta. Pigs have what is called an ‘epitheliochorial’ placenta, as compared to humans and some other mammals which have a ‘hemochorial’ placenta. For the purposes of our discussion, the key difference is that in humans, antibodies can cross the placenta from mother to fetus; in the pig, they cannot.

Therefore, the newborn piglet’s entire immune system is dependent on one thing: colostrum. This antibody and nutrient-rich first food is very important; a piglet that has failed to receive sows’ colostrum is a farrowing room emergency and this piglet becomes susceptible to many diseases, usually diarrhea as highest and first importance.

This type of immunity is referred to as “maternally-derived” and it can be strengthened by vaccinating sows before farrowing. We have many discussions about the best timing to give pre-farrow vaccines; suffice to say that the interval between vaccination and farrowing needs to be long enough for the sow to generate a strong immune response, and in time for these extra antibodies to be incorporated in colostrum.

We generally recommend no less than 14 days pre-farrow, and with activities in the farrowing barn often being organized by week number, we must be careful, for example, that the sows due to farrow at the beginning of week 50 don’t get

vaccinated at the end of week 48 (for an interval of seven to 14 days).

As amazing as colostrum is for preventing disease in piglets, this protective effect does not last for the pig’s entire life. And this is where piglet vaccination comes into play.

Vaccinating the piglet for lifetime protection Both colostrum and milk have antibodies which benefit the piglet. Immediately after weaning, the piglet enters a phase of reduced immunity as it is no longer receiving this passive form of immunity.

There are two ways for the piglet to develop its own immunity at this point: the first is by coming into contact and surviving its encounter with bacteria and viruses. This type of active immunity development is akin to what young humans do when they go off to kindergarten for the first time! Alternatively, we can protect the pig with another round of vaccination to prevent severe diseases. This is certainly the preferred approach for a few key diseases, listed below. For these vaccines to work, maternal immunity MUST wear off; otherwise, antibodies from the sow will neutralize the vaccine. So, the piglet is victim of a ‘catch-22’ – vaccinate too early and it won’t work; vaccinate too late, and the disease may have enough time to develop in the population. And unfortunately, this vaccination window is not the same for every disease.

Here are some further comments about specific swine diseases: PCV2 (circovirus). This virus is still present on any farm where we have tested for it, even farms with excellent cleaning and disinfection.

Vaccination is extremely effective to prevent disease. Generally, vaccine is

given within a few days of weaning, in a short window before natural infection can occur.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.

This respiratory bug is very common in Ontario, causing coughing, mortality and slow growth in finishers. Even Mycoplasma-negative farms should consider vaccinating piglets as a very inexpensive insurance policy against severe disease. Two doses of Myco vaccine generally more effective than a single dose, and they work best if given after weaning.

PRRS virus. PRRS vaccination of piglets is becoming more common as producers deal with the frustrating cost of PRRS and experience some relief using vaccine. PRRS vaccine is often given at the same time as PCV2 and Myco vaccines, and works best if given four weeks prior to exposure to ‘field’ strain of PRRS. PRRS vaccines are live vaccines, so immunity is extremely long-lasting, even after a single dose.

Ileitis (Lawsonia). A severe latefinisher form of this disease has traditionally been controlled with infeed antibiotics.Vaccination can be very effective, but the window between maternal protection decline and infection can be very short. Of all the vaccines, ileitis vaccines need the most care in getting the timing right.

No two farms are the same, and so any general comments about vaccination should be reviewed with your veterinarian for applicability to your farm. Vaccines can have tenfold returns on investment, especially PCV2 and PRRS vaccines—not to mention sparing many animals the negative experience of disease.

However, proper timing and administration are required to ensure they work as well as possible. ◊

Season’s Greetings! from the Perth County Pork Producers Association If you are looking for a Christmas ham – be sure to contact: Tanya and Darryl Terpstra 519-291-7603 or visit Leis Feeds in Milverton ~~ Custom orders are available ~~

December 2022 59

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

Grey Federation of Agriculture holds AGM On October 13, 2022 Grey County Federation of Agriculture held its 82nd Annual Meeting.

The event was well attended with members and guests filling the hall at Walters Falls Inn. After an excellent meal, the group was entertained by The Steve Baker Magic Show.

Michael Ryan, representing the Building Careers and Futures in Agriculture Bursary committee presented cheques to this year’s recipients: Kristy Blankers (unable to attend) and Brinlee Pennings.

Brinlee then thanked the Bursary committee as well as Grey and Bruce Federations of Agriculture for creating the bursary for agricultural students.

For the business side of things, GCFA elected their executive and board of directors for 2022-2023. The group for the upcoming fiscal year are as follows: Past-President, Hugh Simpson; President, Dianne Booker; first Vice-President, Keith Reid; and Executive Director, Karen Gorman.

Directors include Allen Hughes, Paul McQueen, Kevin Raszmann, Jackie Pennings, Lindsey Coles, Mark Nicholls, and Michael Ryan.

This year the board has some

exciting plans for new initiatives for promoting agriculture. We look forward to working on behalf of our members. As always please contact our office if you have any concerns. ◊

Hugh Simpson and Jackie Pennings joined in the act when Steve Baker of Baker Magic Show performed at the annual meeting of the Grey County Federation of Agriculture held October 13 at Walters Falls.

Season’s Greetings!

The Grey County Federation of Agriculture would like to extend best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all OFA members and farm families in Grey County and thank you to everyone for their support this past year.

Brinlee Pennings was all smiles for winning a bursary from the Building Careers and Futures in Agriculture (BCFA) bursary which supports students pursuing an education in agriculture.

Michael Ryan, Grey County Federation director and member of the (BCFA) committee, presented the award.

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

60 The Rural Voice

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

446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551

* The Rural Voice is provided to NEWSLETTER OFA Members in Bruce County by the BCFA BCFA Annual General Meeting held recently

Bruce County Federation of Agriculture recently held its annual general meeting. President Chris Cossitt shared successes and challenges over the past year, including our projects highlighting farm safety, working with all levels of government on agricultural-related issues and the medical student tour.

As always, we welcome new board members, so please contact us if you would like to join.

Paul Vickers discussed the OFA’s Strategic Plan and their key priorities: Sustainability, Consumer trust, Farm viability and farmer advocates and leaders.

Recent priorities have been Avian Flu, fertilizer tariffs and carbon tax, activists and government regulations.

Paul gave an update the OFA initiatives: Home Grown, Source Local, Farmer Wellness and Revive Fund. Their interactions with local government as well as media were also discussed.

Attendees were entertained by Dean Ribey as he enthusiastically discussed three life lessons he has learned over the years.

The board moving into the new year representing BCFA is as follows: Past President, John

Happy Holidays!

Rodgers; President, Chris Cossitt; First Vice-President, John Gillespie; Second Vice-President, Tammy Young.

Directors are Joe Detzler, Allan Smith, Lorne Underwood, Thomas Lennox, Les Nichols and Serena Lamont. ◊ Paul Vickers updated members about work being done at the Ontario Federation of Agriculture at the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture Annual Meeting.

Bruce County Federation of Agriculture president Chris Cossitt, left, chatted with Robert Rodgers at the annual meeting.

The Bruce County Federation of Agriculture Executive and Directors would like to wish a Merry Christmas and a healthy, prosperous and Happy New Year to all the farm families in Bruce County and thank you for your support this past year. * The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Bruce County by the BCFA.

December 2022 61

Perth County Federation of Agriculture Email: perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com Website: www.perthcountyfarmers.ca Office: 1-833-229-6834 Julie Danen, President: 519-801-9200

Perth Harvest Gala returned to an in-person gathering As harvest has wound down and the clean-up is done or close to being finished, we were blessed to be able to share a meal with our fellow farmers and farm businesses. The 2022 Perth Harvest Gala saw a return to in-person gathering in Stratford full of laughs, comaraderie and a few awards.

Over 300 were in attendance to celebrate. As an industry we are strong and even stronger when we work together. During the past few years, we continued to help in our communities and help our neighbours and friends. The future is bright for agriculture. It may not be the way it is today, but it could be influenced by new technology and ways of thinking.

On November 19 the Perth County Federation of Agriculture had the pleasure to recognize Heather Robinson with our Agriculture Recognition Award. Heather has always been an active member in the agriculture community. It started with her becoming a 4-H member which led to becoming a 4-H dairy leader.

This then led to becoming a member of the local Perth County Dairy Committee and also a member with her local agricultural society. She was integral in developing the original Dairy Days for students into the multi-commodity ifarm program that

Perth County Federation of Agriculture

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

it is today. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was involved with the adopt-a-calf program with a class online. This allowed youth to not only ask questions, but also watch as the calf grew. All of her community involvement and willingness to give back makes her a pillar in our community. Heather, we cannot thank you enough for all that you have done and continue to do!

Every year the Perth County Federation of Agriculture board has the honour to award two scholarships of $1,000 to a student in second, third or fourth year of college, university or trade school who is active in our community and is also part of the OFA family. This year saw many applications and we commend all those who applied for all that they do in our community to help strengthen and improve it for the future. This year’s recipients are Elizabeth Drake and Jessica Brock.

Jessica is the daughter of Mark and Sandy Brock. She is in her second year of study at the University of Guelph studying Food and Agricultural Business. Through her education she is learning how to market herself and the industry that she is passionate about. After graduation she hopes to return to the family’s sheep and grain farm

operation to be able to dive further into the work of social media and continue to share the realities of food production.

Elizabeth, the daughter of Tom and Dorothy Drake, is a fourth-year student at Wilfred Laurier University studying economics and with a minor in psychology. Since 2021, she has had the opportunity to do two internships with Parrish and Heimbecker’s grain division.

Growing up she watched her father start his cash crop and livestock operation as a first generation farmer.

Over the years she has taken the opportunity to expand her experiences and learn about other agriculture sectors. In the future she hopes to help guide farmers through farm welfare economics that includes utilizing the needs of farmers and society to expand programs and products for the food system in Ontario.

We look forward to seeing you at the 2023 Perth Harvest Gala. We wish you all the best for the holiday season and a prosperous New Year. If you know of someone you would like to nominate for next year’s ag recognition award we encourage you to submit them to our email.

–Submitted by Sara Wood OFA Director-At-Large

Season’s Greetings!

The Perth County Federation of Agriculture would like to extend best wishes for a

The AGM will be held in January.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all OFA members and farm families.

Please watch for more details to come! * The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Perth County by the PCFA.

62 The Rural Voice

Index AG Hayter Contracting Ltd ........13 Agri-Solve Inc ....................Cover 4 Allied Associates ........................41 Argyle Marine & Small Engines..55 Artisanal Chicken Program ........41 Axiom Mutual Insurance ............29 Bau-Tec Industries Inc................25 Bear Tracks Inn & Restaurant ....35 Belore Trailers ............................55 Ben Lobb MP ................................9 Bernie McGlynn/SB Flooring ....57 Bervie Supply Energy Ltd ............7 Bio-Ag..........................................39 Boonstoppel, Dave & Elly............17 Canadian Co-op Wool Growers ..13 Chalmers Fuels ............................11 Courtney Grain & Seed..........15,57 CropQuest Inc ..............................9 CT Environmental ........................14 DeDell Seeds................................21 DJ Henry Homes & Renos ..........54 DL Distributing ............................54 Dundalk District Credit Union......13 Easy Lift Doors Ltd ......................12 Elder Enterprises ........................43 Elma Steel & Equipment Ltd ......23 Farm to Table ..............................37 Fieldwalker Agronomy ................55 Gaffney Electrical..........................8 Gerber’s Workwear ....................26 Gladys Munro ..............................54 Green Valley Heating Inc ............17 Grey Bruce Farmers’ Week..32,33,34 Grimo Nut Nursery ......................54 Hanover Honda ..........................39 Harold Jones Enterprises ..........55 Hayter & Associates Inc................6 Hill & Hill Farms ..................Cover 2 Holiday Shopping ..................43-47 Howick Mutual Insurance ............11 Hunter Steel Sales..............Cover 3 Huron Commodities ....................57 Keith Siemon Farm Systems ......55 Kingwood Bins ............................10 KMM Farm Drainage ..................26 Kraemer Concrete Ltd ................54 LAC ..............................................55 Lakeside Shelving & Racking ....15

Lands & Forests Consulting........21 Lesperance, Adam ......................19 Lisa Thompson MPP......................7 Live Landscape ..........................35 Mapleview Agri ..............................5 Marquardt Farm Drainage Ltd ....11 Martin Farm Wagons ..................51 Martin’s Nursery ..........................36 Matthew Rae MPP ......................51 Midwestern Equipment................19 Millstone Crop Services ..............41 Morris Sachs Silo Construction ..23 Nature’s Wave Inc ......................63 Nuclear Waste Management ......36 Ontario Used Tractor Parts ........55 Parker & Parker Ltd ....................14 Ridgeway Metals ........................54 RT Bolton & Son ................Cover 4

Rural Voice Books ..............Cover 6 Rural Voice Greeting ..................51 Schmidt’s Farm Drainage ..............7 Schweiss Doors............................18 Seed Directory ..............................2 Sew & Save Centre......................31 Sharp’s Creek Forge ..................26 Silver Creek Nursery ..................37 South Easthope Mutual Ins ........25 Steffen Well Drilling ....................55 Superior Barn Painting ......Cover 5 SWO Diesel ........................Cover 3 Townsley Barn Painting ..............56 Triple P Consulting ......................31 Trouw Nutrition ............Back Cover Usborne & Hibbert Mutual ..........18 Waddell Engineering Ltd ............17 WD Hopper & Sons Ltd ..............29

DEADLINE

for the January issue of The Rural Voice is December 6

December 2022 63

HURON

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

County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER

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

Whytes receive the HCFA Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture Award

Nick and Joan Whyte won the HCFA Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture Award for 2022. Erica Murray, executive member of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture presented the award at the Annual meeting on October 27 in Holmesville. Pictured are Nick Whyte and family members who were in attendance.

The Annual Meeting of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture and the OFA Huron Regional Meeting were held in Holmesville on October 27.

Delegates to the OFA Convention in November are Shawn O’Rourke, Murray Workman, Paul Klopp, and Carol Leeming. Alternative Delegates are Neil Vincent, Ralph Deweerd, Larry Plaetzer and Lori Gordon.

In consideration of the vacancies remaining for convention a motion was passed for the HCFA to fill the remaining positions.

Results of the elections for directors were: Ashfield/Colborne/ Wawanosh, Marinus Bakker; Bluewater, Paul Klopp; Central Huron, Larry Plaetzer; Huron East Shawn O’Rourke; North Huron, Ian Scott; South Huron, MorrisTurnberry and Howick are all vacant.

Huron County Federation of Agriculture

BOARD MEETING There is no Board Meeting in December The next meeting is January 23, 2023 at 8 p.m.

Directors at Large: Rob VandenHengel, Erica Murray, Jeff Klomps, Joan Vincent, and Murray Workman.

Current commodity representatives are: Beef, Harvey Hoggart; Grain Farmers, Mike Colclough; Chicken, Ralph DeWeerd and Egg, Matt Denys.

The HCFA President and VicePresidents will be selected at the next HCFA board meeting.

Farmer Wellness Initiative 24/7 counselling to farmers and farm family members, free year­round 1­866­267­6255 farmerwellnessinitiative.ca/ Frequently asked questions: farmerwellnessinitiative.ca/faq/

Senator Rob Black was the guest speaker for the evening and spoke on his road to the Senate. He gave a review of issues that are facing agriculture and rural communities and ended his talk with time for questions. ◊

The HCFA Board of Directors wish all its members, families and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We look forward to seeing all that 2023 brings!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Teresa Van Raay from Huron County who was acclaimed as Director At Large for a second three-year term on the OFA Board of Directors.

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

64 The Rural Voice

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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.

Hidden Gems of Huron County

Hidden Gems

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County

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