The Rural Voice - February, 2020

February 2020

Rural Voice

The

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

BIG, BRIGHT IDEAS Burnbrae Farms becomes Canada’s largest solar-powered egg-laying farm with installation of 1,500 solar panels on three barns

WAR SHIP MEMORIES Oldest living Navy veteran in Huron County shares his memories of wartime duty on the HMCS Sackville

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Contents The

Rural Voice THE MAGAZINE OF AGRICULTURAL LIFE

20

24

28 16 Columns Lisa B. Pot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Keith Roulston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Kate Procter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Jeffrey Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Mabel’s Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Woodlots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Agrilaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Departments Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Ruralite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 News & Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Business Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Newsletters National Farmers Union . . . . . . .66 Perth County Pork . . . . . . . . . . .67 Grey County Federation . . . . . .68 Bruce County Federation . . . . . .69 Perth County Federation . . . . . .70 Huron County Federation . . . . . .72

FEBRUARY 2020 • Cover Photo Farm Manager Andrew Heuthorst.

Photo courtesy of Burnbrae Farms

• Deadlines: March Issue – Feb. 11 April Issue – March 10

16 Solar-Powered Egg Laying Burnbrae Farms uses solar power to save costs as they market three kinds of eggs

20 Five Million Fingerlings Siblings, Arlen and RJ, take over family trout hatchery

24 Encouraging Barn Swallows Two farmers use spare time to build nests and shelves to attract barn swallows

28 Confidence Needed to Train Horse trainers share their techniques at Grey Bruce Farmer’s Week Horse Day

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 Publisher: Deb Sholdice Editor: Lisa B. Pot rveditorlisa@northhuron.on.ca Contributing writers: Keith Roulston, Kate Procter, Jeffrey Carter, Rhea Hamilton Seeger, Arnold Mathers, Steve Bowers, Melisa Luymes, Anne Mann, Nancy Fisher, Dorothy Henderson, Bonnie Sitter, Gary Kenny, Jeff Tribe, Bob Reid and Geoff Dale Mailed by: McLaren Press Graphics, Bracebridge, ON Sales representative: Shelley Kroes rvads@northhuron.on.ca Production co-ordinator & Telemarketing: Joan Caldwell Advertising & editorial production: Dianne Josling PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40037593 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 429 BLYTH ON N0M 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca Subscriptions: $20 (12 issues) $35 (24 issues), includes HST Back copies $2.75 each,U.S. rates, $65.00

32 Production and Longevity American dairy farmer shares his opinions on profitability

38 Patrick Onions Remembers Oldest navy war veteran served on the HMCS Sackville

All manuscripts submitted for consideration should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs, although both are welcome. 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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ORTH URON

PUBLISHING COMPANY INC.

A division of North Huron Publishing Company Inc.

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Letters to the Editor may be sent to The Rural Voice, P.O. Box 429, Blyth, On N0M 1H0

Think carefully about what you feed volunteers The Editor, I read with great interest the article by Amanda Brodhagen in the January 2020 issue of The Rural Voice.

Several years ago the barn owned by my husband, Gerry, and I claimed the lives of hundreds of beef cattle.

Our wonderful neighbours came to help clean up the destruction when the heat of the fire had diminished.

I was prepared to feed over 25 men for a few days as they came to help clean up the carnage. On the first day, I put two large roasts of beef in the oven. My Women’s Institute friends came armed with pies and cakes. I was so grateful for the help. To my amazement the men could not eat the roast beef. Of course they were working amongst the dreadful burnt carcasses. I wasn’t thinking of the situation!

The next few days I served turkey with all the trimmings, roast pork and sausage.

No one had advised me what not to serve these hardworking men. I learned the hard way. If the barn claims beef cattle don’t serve beef!◊ – Brenda Love, Municipality of Huron South Huron County.

The deadline for the March issue of The Rural Voice is February 11, 2020

2 The Rural Voice

“

Ruralite

“I see it (the dairy economy ) as a

challenge. If you don’t manage your farm to

•

No Regrets

the highest degree possible every day, then

“The metallic glint on the

you might be the one to exit the business.”

feathers, and their engaging

”

~ American dairy farmer, Lloyd Holterman of Rosy-Lane Holsteins, speaking to Ontario dairy farmers~

{

}

FEBRUARY INSPIRATION

Don’t tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon.

little black eyes smote me with a wonder that I can never forget.” ~ Linda Glass Ward, on her passion for reviving the barn swallow population by building nesting platforms for barn owners ~

Where do these phrases come from?

BEST FOOT FORWARD When bowing to nobility, a gentleman would literally put his best foot forward, extending his leg to take a bow.

•

For the Lexophile:

Red little finches Perched on frigid branches Braving winter cold ~Lisa Boonstoppel- Pot

• He had a photographic memory but it was never fully developed • Those who get too big for their britches will be totally exposed in the end.

•

February 2020 3

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

Habits of successful farmers go mainstream

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If there is any segment of society that understands the importance (and profitability) of habits, it’s farmers.

Particularly ones who raise animals.

Animals thrive on routine and timely delivery of feed so in order to be profitable, the farmer must go to the barn every morning and every night. Usually the animals are fed before they, themselves, sit down for breakfast.

Whether chosen or forced on us by necessity, routines and habits keep us organized, functional, competitive and productive.

They also help us remember things we might otherwise forget.

For instance, Wisconsin dairyman Lloyd Holterman told Grey Bruce Farmers’ Week dairymen that he cleans and disinfects the maternity pen every single Thursday. I’m sure many dairy farmers have specific pen-cleaning routines but I suspect just as many determine clean-out day based on the quality of bedding in the pen.

Both options are acceptable but what I like about Holterman’s approach is knowing that “Thursday is the day we clean the maternity pen” means there is one less decision to be made that day.

That, I think, is one of the greatest benefits of creating habits.

I was reading an article on “20 Little Things Highly Successful People Do (and the Rest of Us Probably Don’t)” on Inc.com because I struggle to be, and feel, “highly successful”.

The article quotes Caroline Klatt, COO of Headliner Labs as saying, “Throughout the course of the day, you make thousands of decisions.

Some are trivial, like what song to listen to while you’re getting dressed,

and some are major, like how to handle a big crisis at work.

Eventually your brain reaches decision fatigue, which lowers the quality of all the decisions you make.

I try to eliminate as many small decisions as possible by sticking to routine. During the work week, I eat the same food for breakfast and lunch and stick to wardrobe basics to spend thinking about clothes and food as limited as possible.”

When I read that, I have to think of my dairy farmer dad whose morning habits were as predictable as heifers kicking off the milker. The stairs would creak at 7 a.m. indicating dad’s descent to the downstairs. He would put on a buttoned shirt (with mandatory sidepocket for his pens and notepad), along with green work pants, a brown vest (if it was cold) and his matching green coat. He would do chores, then come in, wash up and sit down at the head of the table at which point my mom (who loves cooking) would serve him corn flakes, eggs, bacon, toast and coffee.

Same breakfast. Every day.

My dad, I now see, was eliminating small decisions about what to wear and what to eat, leaving space in his brain for big decisions on how to run a dairy farm and contribute to family and community.

I suspect many people in his era were more methodical than my generation and the ones behind me who are inundated with choice.

Choice is a great thing and as a person who struggles with routine will tell you, I love being able to choose whether to have toast, a muffin, oatmeal, a smoothie, quiche or go out for breakfast each day. But sometimes, I do believe my poor brain could use a few more habits.

I was chuffed when one of my sporty friends posed a challenge to work out every day in January.

“Excellent,” I said to myself. “This will kickstart my exercise habits for 2020.” And it has!

A side benefit is that in order to fit a workout in every day, I had to finetune my daily routine. Turns out I did become a) more productive and, b) inadvertently checked off a few more of the “20 little things” list of successful people. Such as:

Lisa B. Pot 1) Work out in the morning: It activates your body and brain, creating energy for your tasks brain processing.

2) Surround yourself with joyful people: Early risers seem to imbibe sunrise cheeriness.

3) Know when you are most productive: If you are a morning person, use that time to get the most necessary tasks of the day done.

4) Track your habits: At the arena, I chatted with a friend who was filling in her bullet journal as both a time-tracker, habit-tracker, planner and journalling space for mental health. Efficient!

5) Get up and go to bed early: Creating sleep habits is key to being productive, happy and generally just nicer human beings.

You can search out the other habits of successful people on Inc.com but turns out, I could have learned these habits from farmers who generally live it rather than preach it. Whether they know it or not, they embody the habits of highly successful people. Well done! ◊

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6 The Rural Voice

Keith is the former publisher of The Rural Voice. He lives near Blyth, ON.

Don’t blame animals for climate change You could sense the collective embarrassment when a gentleman stood up at the Rural Talks: Climate Change in Huron County conference in Blyth last fall and told the audience, which included a good number of farmers, that if they wanted to help stop climate change, they should stop eating meat.

The thing is, how do you argue against someone who is quoting scientists without seeming like one of those people who denies climate change exists, when thousands of climate scientists say it does? Yet I sometimes wonder how comprehensive the data is that scientists use to come to this conclusion. I’m not alone.

According to the Canadian AgriFood Policy Institute (CAPI), most of the climate change literature about farming is out of date. Last fall’s report of the International Panel on Climate Change doesn’t mention “the Canadian agriculture sector has made significant progress in making soils in crop and animal production a net carbon sink, as well as reducing emission intensity from animal agriculture,” according to the CAPI study co-authored by Al Mussel, Ted Bilyea and Margaret Zafiriou.

The CAPI study says that greenhouse gas emissions from Canadian agriculture peaked in 2005, even though food production has continued to increase.

“Canadian beef production has become much less emissions intensive as a result of new genetics, increased feed efficiencies and better pasture management,” says the CAPI study. “Canada is now one of the lowest emitters for animal protein, particularly beef, in the world.”

And then there’s the fact that it’s

humans, not animals that have altered the world so extraordinarily as to change the climate by digging up the sun’s energy from millions of years ago, stored as coal and oil, and burning it. There was no climate change back in 1500 when the population of bison on the North American plains was estimated at between 30 and 60 million, each one burping and passing methane.

If animals burping after they eat plants is causing global warming, then we should celebrate the poachers in Africa who are killing elephants. A single elephant produces enough methane in a single day to power a car for 20 miles.

Have the scientists properly credited the grasslands that animals eat from for being among the greatest sequesters of carbon? Millions of acres of grasslands on which cattle feed are helping the planet, not hurting it. Much of this land is not suitable for growing crops, and even if it were, cultivating the land would diminish its stored carbon.

If farming is to be blamed for adding to climate change it should probably be the hallowed plant-based agriculture, not animal agriculture, that takes the blame. Prairie grasslands, that once fed animals and accumulated carbon in deep, rich soil, were ploughed to plant the crops that inexpensively fed the world and allowed human populations to soar into the billions.

Animal agriculture can even be part of the solution if we use our ingenuity to capture the problematic methane animals produce and use it as a natural fuel we’ll still need even as we transition to a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

But animal agriculture is too convenient a scapegoat. For one thing, the beliefs of groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which sees using animals for anything but companionship as unethical, are gaining traction. Then there’s the “blame somebody else so I don’t have to change” way of thinking that makes it convenient to push the guilt off onto someone we don’t know. Most urbanites never see a farmer, and after all they’re kind of backward, so it’s easy to blame them instead of ourselves.◊

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

Walking can even give you a feel for the people that make up a place.

When I walk across the Menesetung Bridge in Goderich (if I can take my eyes away from the amazing views), I enjoy reading the name plates of all the people who contributed to make the bridge restoration possible. Those people cared about contributing to something bigger than themselves; to a cause that was not about business, or their own bottom line, or return on investment. The names on those plates represent families, individuals, businesses long gone and those still thriving, as well as memories. They serve as a reminder of what makes communities unique and attractive – the intangible things like caring about restoring an old bridge, whose only purpose is to provide a place for people to get out in the fresh air, think about nature, history, and the people who came before.

Contributing to our local communities, whether through donations of time or money, provides the ultimate way in which to prove

Becoming one of 100 people who care to donate Walking is one of my favorite activities. Walking allows you to experience places in a more thorough way than if you travel along cooped up in a metal box. You can tell a lot about your environment when you walk – you experience the topography, the climate, the smells, the industry, or lack thereof. You use all your senses versus just watching the world spin by at 100 km/hr.

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8 The Rural Voice

that we care about something. It is easy to find worthy causes – the hard part comes in deciding where to contribute! There are so many worthy causes in our communities in need of support, especially as government funding dwindles. We can become tired of being asked for donations.

However, a new movement has sprung up across the country. I’m not sure who had the original idea, or even where the first meeting was held, but somewhere around 2015 someone started a “100 People Who Care” group and the idea has really caught on. The first gathering of such a community-minded group in Huron County was held in the meeting room of the Huron County Museum in Goderich in the spring of 2017. The group adopted the name “100 Women Who Care”, following the example of numerous other such groups across the continent.

The Huron County group meets four times a year. Each meeting includes learning about one to three local not-for-profit organizations, voting to support one of them, and writing a cheque for $100 to the organization that received the majority vote. The meetings take one hour. No one has to bake anything, request funds from family members or friends, take pledges, or donate items. The math is simple: If 100 people each make a $100 donation, the local community work receives $10,000.

These groups are attractive because they get right to the point.

No one is in the middle making a bunch of profit while kids traipse door to door selling stuff no one really wants so they can keep a few pennies for their cause. No one is watching while their hard work is auctioned off at a fraction of what it is worth. No one has to guilt family, friends, and co-workers into chipping in yet again for another worthwhile cause. All the money goes directly to the chosen charity – no money is skimmed off for administration, insurance, or contributions to a higher level of the organization.

The group is connected with other “100 Women/People Who Care” in name and meeting structure only.

Kate Procter There is no financial or organizational commitment to a higher governing body. The group collects the money and immediately hands it over to the recipient.

Cheques are made out to the recipient, not 100 Women/People.

Tax receipts are issued by the recipients.

As valuable as being present at the short and informative meetings is, people with other life commitments can still be involved. Members can either send in their donation with another member, or get it to Deb Shelley (preferably prior to the meeting) to be included in the group donation.

With a current membership of around 40 people, the Huron County group decided during the last meeting of 2019, that it was time to become “100 People Who Care”, 'to better reflect their welcoming and inclusive mindset. The group also agreed that it was time to consider seeking out other meeting venues, reflecting once again the desire to be inclusive and welcoming to folks throughout the county.

The Alzheimer’s Society, Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre, Women’s Shelter and Second Stage Housing, and Huron Hospice have all received funding through the group. They have also helped families purchase safety tracking devices for loved ones at risk of wandering and provided funds to meet the needs of high school students seeking a place of safety and friendship at a drop-in centre.

One of the great things about the group is that it gives participants a way to learn about the astounding, life-improving work that is being done in Huron County by so many people. This also provides a way to discover how to become more involved as volunteers, all of which makes a stronger, more resilient community.

The first meeting of 2020 will be held on Thursday, April 16th at the OMAFRA building at 100 Don Street in Clinton. Anyone seeking more information is welcome to find them on Facebook, call or text Deb Shelley at 519.270.9146, or email Deb at deb@debshelley.ca. ◊

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

The dog fight cure for upset farmers There’s always been dirty dealings within Ontario’s farming community, relatively little things for the most part, individual farmers putting the screws to their fellows.

Then there was the crisis of the early 1980s sparked by interest rates topping 20 per cent.

Through it all, the number of farmers has continued to fall at a steady rate to the point that the farming community is now a mere shadow of its former self, a minor member of a larger team that calls itself agriculture and genuinely endangered to boot. So, it’s been especially sad to have witnessed the shenanigans of the past three and a half years forcing farmers from their participation in the province’s processing vegetable industry at a time when more people, not fewer,

are needed on the land.

I grew up in Oxford County, about five or six miles north of Woodstock, an area that is currently represented in the Ontario Legislature by Ernie Hardeman. It’s an area of loam ground, some of the highest-priced farmland in Canada.

In the early 1960s, 100-acre farms were the norm. Statistics Canada put the average farm size in 1966 at 162 acres but where we lived farmers could make a go of it with just 100 acres, even less.

Mixed farming was the norm. It was common for families to have two or three livestock species. Hybrid corn was rising in popularity but it wasn’t until the 1970s that the drive toward cash cropping truly took hold.

There were neighbours, plenty of them. For the annual Christmas concert, the one-room school house, a quarter mile from our farm, would be filled to bursting. My grandfather had worked as the caretaker there and over the years amassed a gallon-jar of pencil stubs, the purpose for which he evidently never did discover, the collection having outlived him.

Living frugally was something that certainly wasn’t lost for his generation or my father’s.

The families I was most familiar with lived up and down the 15th concession. They shared labour and equipment. A single combine or corn picker would be used on multiple

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farms. Two or three farm families might even share in the purchase of a new piece of equipment, like the crimper that allowed my father and two other small dairy farmers in the area to speed up the harvest of hay by a day or two.

There were conflicts, of course, petty jealousies for the most part or perhaps an affair of the heart. I remember my dad grinning at a neighbour woman leaning forward from a second-storey window, cleavage generously exposed above folded arms – the implications of which were obscure in a young boy’s mind.

It is the remembrance of fellowship though that I remember best, however, not the things of conflict. The idea that by working together we all were stronger, and that conflicts could indeed be amicably resolved was key.

Every farm had a dog in those days, if not two, and they would roam the neighbourhood in a pack at times, something my father did not approve of. He went to particular lengths to keep our collie/shepherd male at home, once shooting across a 10-acre field to scare away little Frisky, a female that attracted admirers from miles around.

They’d run for days at a time and our dog, Sponger, would arrive home as much dead as alive.

My father used his 25-20 rifle which featured a fat, slow-moving bullet. He sighted with no support and fired and, after what seemed a second or two, Frisky dropped.

“Shit, I never thought I’d hit it,” he said.

I don’t know exactly what he conveyed to the neighbouring family but when dad returned, he said he was told that there was no need for an apology.

Dog fights were another occurrence but to my knowledge were never formally organized. Poor Sponger, who wasn’t the brightest mutt on the block, would occasionally take on two neighbour dogs that worked in concert. As Sponger attempted to deal with big Mickey’s frontal assault, the little collie Blackie would attack from the rear.

The two were always called off

Jeff Carter before things became serious and after all, two against one is never fair.

Another fight that comes to mind took place two farms down the road.

My dad was there. So was the fellow from the next farm down and the farm’s owner.

My father kept strangely silent during the interchange between the other two men. Both claimed their dog was the better, one a chunky, little German shepherd, the other a hound. It’s only in retrospect that I came to understand that the two men, though they shared equipment and labour, didn’t particularly like the other.

As a lad of perhaps six, I watched in fascination as the two animals tangled in a blur of fur and tooth, waiting for one to gain the upper hand. That never happened.

One of the neighbours, a small agile man, stepped forward and with a well-aimed foot strike separated the two animals and uttered the words, “that’s enough now!”

Conflict resolved. ◊

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February 2020 11

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

“So, on the weekend we were over at my sister’s – the one married to the small animal vet – and it’s getting dark and my brother-in-law says, ‘Google, turn on the lights’ and the lights come on,” said Dave Winston when the gang gathered at Mabel’s Grill one Monday morning.

“He’s got one of those home hubs,” said Cliff Murray. “I’ve seen Google’s really pushing them on TV.” “And their cell phones, too,” said Molly Whiteside as she filled the guys’ cups.

George shook his head. “Seems like only yesterday I didn’t know what people meant when they said Google, and now it’s everywhere?

“With you, it was only yesterday,” laughed Molly.

“My sister’s got a smart fridge,

too,” said Dave.

“What in heck’s a smart fridge?” asked George.

“It’s hooked up to the internet and it keeps track of whether you’re running low on milk or eggs or whatever,” said Cliff.

“Oh, I remember seeing that advertised on TV,” said George.

“There’s this refrigerator with a big screen on the door that says ‘Hello’ and the woman customer immediately tells the sales clerk ‘We’ll take it!’”

“Must be a rich shopper,” said Molly. “I’d have to think long and hard before forking over $3,000 to $4,000 for a refrigerator.”

“You’re kidding! That much?” asked George. “I can make a lot of grocery lists for that price.”

“Oh?” wondered Molly. “You make the grocery lists in your house, do you?”

“Your brother-in-law was pretty proud of all these gadgets, was he?” asked Cliff.

“Oh, he only managed to bring up the subject every minute and a half,” sighed Dave.

“Next time you see him, tell him

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all those smart gadgets could be listening in on his family,” said Cliff.

“Listening in?” asked George.

“I was reading that they’ve found some of these systems that are connected to the internet are collecting information about people’s preferences from things they say in their conversations,” said Cliff.

“I wouldn’t have one of those things even if I could afford it,” said Molly. “I heard that sometimes people’s cameras are even being turned on and take pictures of them walking around naked.”

“Now that’s a frightening thought,” said Dave. My brother-inlaw’s put on a lot of weight and it would not be a pretty sight to have him broadcast naked!”

“Probably his smart fridge keeps reminding him to order the snacks that make him fat,” said Molly.

“Yes, all this electronic stuff is going to make it even harder to stay thin,” said Cliff. “I hear even McDonald’s is using AI?” George looked bewildered.

“McDonald’s is using artificial insemination?”

Now it was Cliff’s turn to look baffled until he figured it out. “Not that AI, they’re talking artificial intelligence,” he laughed.

“Everybody’s using initials for everything these days and they’re using the same ones for different things,” grumbled George.

“Anyway, McDonald’s has bought this tech company that has a program that allows them to change the menus on their drive-thrus – say cold drinks instead of coffee on a hot summer day. They’re even talking about taking pictures of license plates so they can offer you a personalized menu of all your favourites when you’re coming up to the order window. Apparently, they’ve already noticed people are ordering more.”

“Oh, we really needed that!” said Molly. “We’ve already got a problem with too many people being obese and now they’re going to make it worse.” She turned to go back to the kitchen but stopped and asked, “Did you want your usual coffee and doughnut to take with you, Dave?”

“Ha!” laughed Cliff. “Mabel doesn’t need any fancy AI system.

She’s got Molly.”◊

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Mel Luymes Mel Luymes works in agriculture and conservation and blogs at headlands.ca

They absolutely need the space to be This past Christmas I blew the budget and bought my family a gift that might end up being one of the best investments for the farm as well.

I’m not sure what your first guess was, but no, it wasn’t more tile. Not soil testing either. Not more grain storage. Although these are all great Christmas presents.

I got us personality tests ... and jump-started a conversation.

Indeed. All the family and employees logged on and did a 15minute DiSC™ test that scored us in one of four quadrants. The y-axis places people according to their style: from fast to slow, from outgoing and direct to reserved and detail-oriented. The x-axis ranks people on their focus, whether they are people-focused or task-focused,

more social or more practical. So then imagine a pie divided into four: (D)ominant are those who are fast and task-focused; (i)nfluencers are outgoing and people-focused; (S)teady are detail-oriented and people-focused; while (C)onscientious are reserved and task-focused.

To review, D’s get things done, I’s are cheerleaders, S’s don’t rock the boat and C’s do it right ... the first time.

For those that know me, it probably isn’t a surprise that I’m an ‘i’ - outgoing and people-focused. I did the DiSC™ test a few years ago and I haven’t changed. While our behaviours and values will change over time, our personalities are locked in by the end of high school.

I suspected that most of my family was the same personality as myself because I generally like them and ... I think I have the best personality.

(Probably all of us think our own perspective on the world is the best, right?).

But I was surprised by the results.

Both my parents are Dominant (which explains most of my childhood) and us four kids are evenly spaced, one in each quadrant (which explains the rest of my life… kidding! Goodness, I’m going to get in trouble when they read this.)

Like all families that work together, there is some degree of tension at Luymes Farms. And it

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14 The Rural Voice

shows up in the petty things, so you don’t want to be a dolt and bring them up, right? You’re annoyed that someone didn’t put a tool back in its place or that someone is taking too long to make a decision about a coffee maker for the lunchroom. But petty things run deep and can pile up to a point that they can’t be shrugged off.

So, we talked. People warned me I would be opening a can of worms.

Yes, we opened something, but not that. We talked about our personality styles and how they played out in the petty things. We talked for a whole afternoon with a consultant in the living room, in-laws and all. We laughed. We cried. (Well, I cried.)

We were brave and I am so proud of us.

If you did the math, you might have guessed where some of the tension at Luymes Farms comes from. One of my brothers is (C)onscientious, working with another brother and two parents that are all (D)ominant.

Over the course of the afternoon, I came to see how his C-ness was critical to the success of the farm, but that he didn’t feel his C-ness was valued or understood because everyone else just wanted to get ’er done. While the Ds were rushing around, he’d feel the bulk of the responsibility to get it right. He’d examine every angle but feel demonized for playing the devil’s advocate.

Quick side note: I just learned that the devil’s advocate (advocatus diaboli in Latin) is a real thing. It was an appointed and paid position in the Catholic Church until 1983, to present evidence against candidates for sainthood. Since the position changed, the rate of new saints increased from about one per year to about 18 per year. (And I thought people were just becoming holier over time!)

What’s the point? That the counter-position is an extremely valuable one, and no matter whether it is coming from a D, an i, an S or a C. The counter-position is not a person to win against or win over, but one to really consider. If teams are all one position or personality

Mel Luymes style, they might have less tension but they’ll make terrible decisions.

What it came down to at the end of the day was communication based on understanding the other’s style. To work well with a C or an S, you might need to schedule a meeting and then another meeting, with time in between for them to think about the issues at hand. An S will like smalltalk but a C probably won’t. To work with a D or an ‘i’, you might need to get clear on the information that needs to be communicated and make it very quick. Say it and then stop talking so that a D can get back to work, but an I could keep talking for hours about how to change the world.

My family might shoot me for writing this, but if this helps another farm family work better together, then it will not have been in vain.

This was a Christmas gift like no other. I have a new-found appreciation for my own strengths and gratitude for the (opposite) strengths of the rest of my family.

Thank goodness for our differences; there’s no one else I’d rather have on the team. ◊

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Poultry

Solar-powered egg farm is the largest in Canada

Burnbrae Farms raises one thing – eggs. However, they market different streams of eggs from their Nestlaid brand from chickens in colonized housing to Naturegg from their free-range chickens.

• By Jeff Tribe •

A

Toronto-based magazine’s investigation into the future of food has provided Burnbrae Farms President Margaret Hudson unpalatable food for thought.

In broad terms, the series contends consumers are going to have to get used to eating “weird stuff”, alternatives based on the looming challenge of feeding a burgeoning global population in a climate-challenged world.

A team of writers tackled topics including GTA restaurants currently serving grasshopper tacos, cricket gelato, mealworm protein balls, and patacones (deep-fried plantain) topped with marinated ants and “garlicky” crickets. The flavour profiles of roasted crickets (plain, barbecue, honey-mustard and chili lime) versus cricket protein powder was probed, along with research aimed at creating chickenless eggs and cowless milk, an organic pulled-pork alternative, and enhancing mock meat affordability.

Before conceding to a diet of creepy-crawlies or complex chemical concoctions, Hudson would like to respectfully counter with Burnbrae’s fresh approach to a familiar staple.

“We can get more innovative,” she summed up succinctly.

16 The Rural Voice

Burnbrae Farms goes solar and moves toward enriched colony housing and free-range options for different consumer demands Burnbrae Farms is putting significant investment where its own commitment to battling climate change and environmentally-conscious consumers’ mouths are with the construction of Canada’s largest solar-powered, egg-laying farm. It produces a natural, single ingredient: eggs, which are a fat soluble, bio-available vitamin and mineral-rich protein source in a highly-sustainable manner Early this October, Burnbrae celebrated the official opening of a four-barn (one starter pullet, one free-run layer and two free-range layer, each of the latter housing around 35,000 laying hens) operation in Norwich Township, near Woodstock.

The family business turned to Barry Ruby of Ruby360 to design a system with roughly 1,500 solar panels (installed on the roofs of three of the farm’s four barns,

leaving agricultural land available for agricultural production) with generation capacity comfort (500 kilowatts) and redundancies, along with high-efficiency motors, lighting and ventilation. Lithium ion batteries store around 770 kilowatts of electrical capacity, roughly 24 hours worth, for overnight operation or periods of limited sun, backed by a diesel generator which charges the batteries, if needed.

In practice, the solar panels have capacity to charge the batteries in the sun-challenged or higher-demand months of January and February, meaning they are typically charged by noon in lower-demand periods.

Resultant excess electricity is cheerfully channeled to an adjacent Burnbrae operation, helping lower its cost of production.

Importantly, beyond positive environmental and branding impact, there is a projected payback period, It is longer than a conventional operation perhaps, but the higher initial capital costs are offset by lower anticipated maintenance expenses.

“It’s good for our business and good for our environment,” said Hudson.

Joseph Hudson immigrated to Canada from Scotland, founding Burnbrae Farms (a Scottish compilation of burn (stream) and brae (hillside) in 1891 on a 100-acre property outside of Lyn, Ontario (near Brockville). Inception as a dairy operation evolved into egg production under Grant and Joe Hudson in the 1940s. Today, Burnbrae Farms is the largest integrated egg company in Canada, continuing a six-generation family business commitment to responsibly producing quality food for Canadians. Beyond a variety of traditional shell egg options, Burnbrae produces ‘cracked eggs’ (shelled liquid whole or fat-free original or flavoured eggs in convenient cartons) and ‘prepared eggs’, whole egg patties and a sixoption range of ‘crustless quiches’ (including cheese and ham, garden vegetable, meat lovers and spinach, ricotta and caramelized onion) ready in 90 seconds.

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February 2020 17

G

rant and Joe’s original efforts would be recognized today as cutting-edge free range. Their production moved indoors into what evolved into conventional caged housing, which significantly reduced exposure to disease, predation, weather inconsistencies, and bird aggression while enhancing egg cleanliness.

Conventional caged housing still provides the lowest cost of production, translating into the most affordable eggs, along with the lowest carbon footprint. Partly due to consumer sensibilities, the industry is migrating toward enriched colony housing, offering a compromise between the benefits of conventional cage housing and natural bird behaviour. Laying hens have access to a nesting area and night perches, producing a highly-affordable product in a setting which controls natural bird aggression and provides a cleaner environment for both hen and attendant humans.

Burnbrae eggs produced in this manner are marketed under the Nestlaid brand.

A free-run barn moves further toward a natural environment. An open concept offers free movement to birds with a scratch area on the ground level where they can forage and peck. The birds are free to either fly or walk up transit pathways to nests. This model is open to more bird aggression and the potential for piling, where birds may quickly smother and die. It is more expensive related to additional human management, lower bird density and a greater number of issues.

Free range builds on free-run with outdoor access when weather permits, although Burnbrae studies indicate birds statistically prefer the security of the barn. Outdoor exposure adds to the risk of disease and predation, contributing to the highest cost of production. This bar is raised higher with organic egg production which under the Burnbrae model factors in non-GMO, organic feed.

The resultant eggs are sold under the Naturegg brand, with additional appropriate free run, free range and 18 The Rural Voice

organic free range identifiers.

“We believe in choice,” said Director, Communications and Digital Marketing Sue Hudson. “We believe in producing eggs for everyone.”

The new Green Valley Farms label offered by Burnbrae Farms, moves that consumer choice into the

green energy realm. Having sourced Bullfrog Power’s renewable wind turbine-produced electricity for a decade, the Woodstock-area property adds a solar-powered component.

The one-two punch offers consumers free-range and enriched-colony eggs produced with sustainable, environmentally-friendly power 100

Burnbrae Farms near Woodstock has solar panels on three of its four barns to reduce energy costs. Inside the barns, conventional caging is moving towards enriched colony housing offering a compromise between cages and natural bird behaviour. Birds also have access to the outdoors in good weather.

per cent sourced off the hydroelectric grid, a forward-thinking approach combined with hen and consumerfriendly housing options.

“That was a strategic choice in this situation in terms of maximum appeal,” said Margaret Hudson.

However, to chalk up the solarpowered farm as just Green Valley branding would be erroneous and misleading. Burnbrae Farms has a lengthy history of operational responsibility and church and community volunteerism combined with leading-edge innovation. For example, Burnbrae answered concerns surrounding cholesterol with the launch of Omega eggs in 1996, backing that up with free-run egg production two years later.

“We’ve been raising birds in open systems for 20 years,” said Margaret Hudson, whose degree in environmental science has helped shape her life view. urnbrae also takes its commitment to lowering its carbon footprint seriously, targeting a five per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 through measures including lighting retrofitting and reclaimed heat.

Burnbrae has always looked outside of the box. Margaret Hudson feeling strongly that advancement comes through investment, alluding to the progression of super computers which used to fill an entire room, dwarfed performance-wise by her cell phone.

“I believe in the idea that industry needs investment to drive scale,” she said of what may be a relatable comparison to computation and green energy, ultimately reducing expense while increasing efficiency and scale.

“So, kind of putting your money where your mouth is to make it more viable.”

The power grid is in effect, an umbilical cord to the flock.

Physically cutting that cord by going off the grid is a frightening concept.

“You’ve got a very sensitive creature,” Hudson commented, “If a barn loses power for three or four hours, a whole flock can die. When I was growing up, the siren would go off and it was all hands on deck to get the power back.”

In practice, the system has performed to high expectations.

“It’s a bit novel,” said Sue Hudson, “But the power aspect of it has gone very smoothly.”

“And when you go there and see it operating, it’s really cool,” added Margaret with a laugh. “Ultimately, we are looking at other projects we can implement across the company.”

Speaking frankly, she said the solar-powered farm would be a much tougher sell inside a public corporation, answerable to shareholders and a board of directors, as opposed to the autonomous nature of a privately-owned family business.

“This is not a project for a public company,” Margaret indicated. “I think this is a bit of a passion project for the family in general.

“It’s not our quickest payback project, but we did it for a whole bunch of reasons,” she continued,

agreeing the visionary operation is providing a form of living laboratory, providing invaluable lessons on green energy production, efficiency and sustainability. “Which we can learn and apply to other areas of our business as we learn about this type of operation.”

The launch event generated considerable interest and praise, the project itself enhanced social media engagement across all Burnbrae platforms.

“People were definitely energized by the message, by the farm and by the idea of sustainable energy,” Margaret said, adding in conclusion, “We’re excited to have moved forward with an industry-leading initiative that kind of brings a different approach to the agricultural sector.

“It’s a huge point of pride for our company and our family.” ◊

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Aquaculture

Siblings return home to raise fish Arlen and RJ left jobs in Iraq and Waterloo and returned to the family farm to hatch fingerling trout grown for net-pen farms in Georgian Bay • By Amanda Brodhagen •

G

rey County is home to the province’s largest landbased

hatchery

and

producer of juvenile rainbow trout also called “fingerlings” destined for net-pen farms in Georgian Bay.

With a bag of mixed skills from years spent off their parents’ aquaculture farm near Hanover, siblings Arlen and RJ Taylor returned home in their late 20s to take over the family business which breeds, raises and sells five million trout fingerlings a year.

20 The Rural Voice

Jim and Lynette Taylor founded Cedar Crest Trout Farms near Hanover in 1986, but with government red tape it took them eight years for the building and permitting process. At age 53, Taylor was determined to make his dream become a reality and finally was able to open the hatchery in 1995. Today the second-generation family business is run by their children, Arlen and RJ. It was a pleasant surprise to the Taylors that their children would eventually come back to run the family business as they had no interest in being fish farmers. “I never thought my kids would end up farming,” said Lynette Taylor, but she’s glad they did. “We need more young people involved in farming,” she added.

Arlen and RJ’s journey back to the farm was a unique one. At 18, Arlen starting working in war torn countries in Africa and the Middle East. “My gift in life is using local resources to accomplish what needs to be done,” said Arlen. Selfdescribed as a fixer, Arlen worked as a consultant for private companies and government in post conflict emerging economies. Her last post

was creating child-friendly spaces for Syrian refugees in Iraq. RJ, on the other hand, found himself working in the science field applying his talents in communications and public relations based in Toronto and Waterloo.

After Jim bought two more hatcheries in 2011, he asked Arlen to come home to help, and she did.

With her background in logistics, she was able to add significant value to the family business. A few years later, Arlen asked her brother if he would consider leaving his job in Waterloo and move back to the farm and he agreed.

“We shared a vision to take the business to new heights, plus I realized that living in the woods is amazing,” said RJ. He admits that it took him moving away from the family farm to realize that he had a wonderful upbringing in rural Ontario.

RJ considers Arlen his best friend and business partner. “We have the same values and beliefs but are total opposites,” he said. Arlen describes herself as “blunt” while RJ refers to himself as the “diplomatic one” allowing them to balance each other out.

It’s thanks to these off-the-farm experiences that have led to the continued success of Cedar Crest Trout Farms. Both Arlen and RJ have been able to put their talents to good use as they make plans to grow and diversify their family’s business.

With the help of a mediator, the Taylors were able to successfully transition the farm to their children last year.

“I’m happy to see that Arlen and RJ are bringing new visions to the farm,” said Lynette. “We didn’t have the time, money or focus to think as far ahead as they have.” Lynette reflects on how hard it was to start from nothing. “I felt like a pioneer woman some days,” she said. When they moved to the property it was a fly-fishing club. They had to survey the property and build from scratch.

Lynette worked off the farm commuting to Elmira to help finance their hatchery dream.

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Siblings Arlen and RJ raise 5 million trout fingerlings a year at Cedar Crest Trout Farms near Hanover. Photos (clockwise) The fish are fed a special pellet ration; RJ checks on the fish eggs from their breeding program; fixing equipment is part of any farm as seen here in a summer photo of RJ and Arlen; a fingerling makes it way through through a grader; RJ talks about his business over one of the raceways at their home farm and a group of broodstock fish swim in the tank.

22 The Rural Voice

A

fter 50 years in the industry, Jim and Lynette continue to live on the farm, but are happily retired and have taken up vegetable gardening and honey bees as hobbies. Jim continues to act as a mentor to bounce ideas off of as their children bring new life to the family’s business.

Arlen said she likes the job because it’s not traditional and “you have to create and innovate,” she explains. To her credit, Arlen has sought out knowledge from industry experts. She has spent a lot of time talking to the “old boys” in the industry as she likes to refer to them.

“They’re just excited to pass along their knowledge,” she said.

While she has received some discrimination for being a woman in the aquaculture industry she has persevered. “I’ve never let it matter,” she said adding that she’s used to working in predominately male dominated industries.

The biggest challenge is not one of gender, but of age. Both Arlen and RJ are in their early 30s and have had situations where people don’t take them seriously. But they haven’t let that stand in their way of success.

With five locations, they are able to produce 5 million fingerlings a year which have a sustainable certification and are Ocean Wise recommended.

Thanks to their father’s foresight, the Taylors run a breeding program.

“It’s expensive to run breeding programs,” said Arlen. On their farm, they have some of the first families of fish that date back to the 50s from when rainbow trout were domesticated in Ontario. “They’re adjusted to our watershed,” explains RJ. People resources are the foundation of the Taylor’s business.

They pride themselves on creating a family atmosphere for their employees. With 14 staff, they have three couples, a father and son and a sister and brother that all work together. This past summer they also had four interns from Fleming College. “We are known for our staff parties,” laughed Arlen. One of their employees has been with them for 30 years and they sent him and his wife on a cruise to Alaska as a way to say thanks.

When Jim founded the business, it was in the early days of Ontario’s aquaculture industry. “The industry looked very different than it does today,” said RJ. “In the last 10 years net pen farms have boomed up North.”

There are a lot of different perceptions of aquaculture, especially fish farming. “Putting fish in a net pen is like putting cows out on pasture,” said RJ. “And better yet, there is finally enough research showing these farms actually increase the population of wild fish around them.” Net pens are large, floating, contained net structures that allow the fish to swim freely in fresh water.

Ontario’s aquaculture industry continues to see growth throughout the province, including in rural and Indigenous communities. Currently there are six farmed seafood species in the province: rainbow trout, pacific white shrimp, tilapia, barramundi, perch and Lake Whitefish, with rainbow trout accounting for the majority of production.

RJ and Arlen have embraced technology investing in new tech including a fish egg sorter from France and have an app from Greece that helps them manage their data.

The siblings have no plans to slow down and are already looking at diversifying their business through further processing and smoking apple wood fish and continuing with their pop-up shops when they have B-grade fish available.

Both siblings inherited their parents’ drive to see the aquaculture industry evolve. In addition to running their business, they spend a great deal of time volunteering to help advance the industry. RJ is the managing director for the provincial aquaculture industry association, and also participates in advisory groups for Ontario’s agriculture and environmental ministries. Arlen is part of the national team writing the animal welfare code for farmed finfish. Both give time and fish to local community activities, such as fundraiser derbies and children’s water festivals. ◊

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Conservation

Three ladders, two wires, seven shelves

A Minto horse trainer and a retired beef farmer use the winter months to build nesting sites for swallows • By Lisa B. Pot • Linda Glass Ward (above) installs a wooden shelf with pretend inda Glass Ward arrived at my farm with “fascia” on a garden shed to attract barn swallows which prefer to three ladders, a pail of screws, a lethargic build their mud nests five inches from the ceiling/roof on a secure drill and loads of enthusiasm to install shelf. The horse trainer is on a mission to conserve the dwindling barn swallow shelves in my horse barn. population of barn swallows (top, perched with tree swallows) ~ A few months back, she had sent me a story Ward photo by Lisa B. Pot. Swallow photo by Bonnie Sitter. about her passion for barn swallows. I countered back with my delight that in 2017, the year we Linda is a woman of action and she installed several grew wheat on the 10 acres behind my house, this field shelves plus old wire in the rafters of my barn. We won’t was the stage for daily aerial displays of acrobatic insect know until the spring how effective they are, but no effort catching. From my deck, I had the best seats in the house. certainly means no results.

When Linda found out I had a horse barn with an open Then, Bonnie Sitter chatted with George Adams, a 91door facing said field, she decided it was the perfect place year-old retired beef farmer who has raised $10,000 for to “experiment” with the shelves she has been designing to prostate cancer research selling tree swallow nests for $10 attract barn swallow nests. each!

I agreed. I remember watching barn swallow pairs In line with the growing urgency to conserve our building their nests on the old beams of our dairy bank diminishing bird species (the population of barn swallows barn. The disappearance of these old barns has affected the has decreased by an estimated 76 per cent over 40 years, barn swallow population. How exciting to think I could research suggests), and eager to propogate birds that do recreate these moments for my own kids in my wonders for insect control, Linda’s and George’s stories horse/barn/shed by giving swallows spots to build their are timely both ecologically and seasonally. Winter is, after mud nests. Until now, the only nest has been built on top of all, the best season to build and install these simple shelves a light bulb as swallows find it hard to make their nests to be ready for nesting season in the spring. Read on ... stick to the smooth, vertical boards of the shed.

L

24 The Rural Voice

• By Linda Glass Ward •

I

n the 70s, my school friend, Audrey was in the habit of “hanging around” a trail riding ranch beside the Humber River, near our school. I rarely went to the stables with Audrey because I had to take the bus home. One day arrangements were made for me to sleep over at Audrey’s home, and we went to the stables together, after school. Among the other fascinating animals at the ranch were cats, dogs, and several varieties of horses. It was there I saw barn swallows for the first time.

I saw them up close, flitting about the barn doors and windows, catching insects on the wing. I saw them perched on the edges of their nests, momentarily still. It was a chance to see a wild bird up close and I was enchanted.

This was my introduction to barn swallows. More recently I have become fascinated with them, and interested in their preservation. In the past several years I have been Linda Glass Ward (below) is on a mission to encourage farmers to create barn swallow nesting habitat in their barns and sheds to increase their declining numbers. This trio of nestlings (right) thrived in her own horse barn near Harriston. ~Barn Swallow photo by Linda Glass Ward.

observing their habits and have tried to establish a colony here on our 100 acres in Minto Township. I wish to encourage other people to assist barn swallows as well.

The first time we had barn swallow nests was in 2017. Since then, I have been trying to make nest sites more attractive to the birds.

Although statistics say the barn swallow population has drastically declined, in that year we had three times as many nests as the previous year.

I watched as the barn swallows came and left for about a week and a half before they started to nest in earnest. This was in April. I didn't record the day they started to sit on their eggs, although it became obvious. They stopped fighting over the nesting sites when the females began incubating the eggs. I did write on the calendar the day they hatched – June 20.

One of the nests had an egg in it as if the parents were planning a

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second clutch. Then one of the babies came back for the night. It flew away and that one lonely egg only had some feathers to keep it company.

Then, on July 7, the pair were. nesting again. The male was chirping so proudly and the female was in the nest on her one egg (so far). I had been looking at that one egg from Sunday until Friday. I was so excited! I hoped. I hoped. I hoped.

Yes, they had three more babies.

Barn swallows leave here to fly to South America on about August 25.

I look forward to their return every year. I hope to inspire people to make habitat available to them. Many of our old barns that housed them for over a century are disappearing.

Barns were ideal habitat and the population has declined by 90 per cent since the 1970s.

Do you have an open shed for horses or cattle or anything else for that matter? Barn swallows will build a nest on a light fixture, wire or even a nail if it is the correct distance from an open window or door, and the ceiling. A little shelf, some rough brick or a nail under a soffit will also suffice. Keep them five inches below the ceiling/roof. For more information, search for “Calling all Barn Swallow NestWatchers-Bird Studies Canada-Find out how to be a Good Barn Swallow Host (PDF).” ◊

• By Bonnie Sitter •

R

etired and living in Brussels, George Adams can often be found in his heated shop making nesting boxes for swallows and bluebirds. He makes a lot of them.

In fact he has been making and selling them at $10 each for enough years that he had raised $10,000 for prostate cancer research. He shares a big grin when he tells me the figure because he knows I will be amazed and I truly am!

George uses his own design and often cuts enough pieces to nail dozens of birdhouses together in a day. George is his own assembly line, so to speak.

The roof, like the rest of the box, is made of wood but George doesn't stop there. He recycles roofing 26 The Rural Voice

Former beef farmer, George Adams of Brussels, is a one-man assembly line constructing nesting boxes for swallows and bluebirds.

At 91, he keeps busy installing and cleaning the nesting boxes to encourage the bird population. ~Photos by Bonnie Sitter

shingles and each box gets the extra protection of the asphalt plus he dabs on roofing sealant so the nails won't rust.

The day I visited, someone was picking up two dozen boxes that were on their way to Toronto. It is easy to see why his reputation is spreading. Good deeds have a way of being talked about. t 91, George knows it is important to have a good reason to get out of bed each day. Before retiring into town he raised beef cattle and two of his hobbies were woodworking and fishing. I got to know George when I was his travel agent for major fishing trips with his buddies to the west coast and the arctic. At that time he told me about making folding Muskoka chairs and donating them to raise funds for the Wingham hospital.

His policy is to keep moving and give back. Before he heads to the workshop he rides his stationary bike in his basement and most days he rides five kilometers. He keeps track of the kilometers he rides just like he keeps track of the number of nesting boxes he has placed on hydro poles around the countryside.

The nesting boxes are not placed haphazardly on poles. He considers the height as he has to be able to nail the box to the pole. At his age, he also considers the steepness of the ditch as that makes it difficult for him to clean them out. He thinks ahead as he walks with a cane (which he made). Which side of the pole is also considered as he wants to avoid damage by the snow plow.

George not only puts them up, he cleans them out and his design makes it a fairly easy job. Some days he cleans out as many as 100. He records the roads where they are placed and checks them off as the process is completed. Sometimes friends ride with him to clean them out. Loss of habitat for swallows and other species is a concern. Bird populations are estimated to have dropped nearly three million in the last 50 years.

Fence posts are scarce these days and that is where birds used to build

A

nests. However, he finds during clean-out time that most of his nesting boxes are occupied.

He smiles again when he tells me people told him he couldn't put the boxes on hydro poles when he first started about 20 years ago. George put 25 up the first year and nobody said anything so he just kept making and placing them. It’s easier to ask forgiveness is what George says. If you spot him nailing one to a pole or cleaning one out, chances are he will

have a half dozen extras in his vehicle ready to sell and raise some more dollars.

George said to be sure to write that he uses donated wood. If you have wood that you think George can use look him up in Brussels. He will show you his workshop and most likely have a block of wood in his stove that was built in Wingham nearly 80 years ago. Don’t mind the sawdust, it means more birds will be getting new homes. ◊

February 2020 27

Equine

Horse trainers share their confidence in methods that work when training horses • By Lisa B. Pot •

Leadership, confidence and patience posts

Whether you use treats, gentleness or firmness, horses need to know you are confident and they can trust you as a leader. They follow a confident lead horse in the wild and when it comes to humans, they need you to fill that role say trainers at Grey Bruce Farmers’ Week Horse Day held January 5 in Elmwood.

H

orses need to build off your energy, not the other way around says Jason Irwin, of Jason and Bronwyn Irwin Horsemanship near Port Elgin.

Referring to nervous horses, Irwin says he’s seen people working with a nervous horse who walk up slowly, with shaking hands, saying “easy, easy, be calm, easy” and then say the horse is very spooky.

“No kidding,” laughed Irwin who showed no lack of confidence speaking to horse enthusiasts at Grey Bruce Farmers’ Week Horse Day held January 5 in Elmwood.

The event is hosted by Grey Agricultural Services.

“You want to be the leader and have the horse follow your guidance,” said Irwin.

Horse day featured trainers Jason Irwin and Ellie Ross of Wag and Train in Kitchener who had different ways of

28 The Rural Voice

training horses, though both believed confidence in your method is key.

Irwin said he gained his confidence from a neighbour who was a “character” and whose main goal was to keep him and his brother in the saddle no matter what.

“He would whip a soccer ball at us while we were on the horse and if we fell off, it was our fault,” said Irwin, laughing now. Another time, the “trainer” hauled off and hit his brother’s horse on the butt with a shovel.

“Well, that horse went the length of the arena, bucking as hard as he could,” remembers Irwin. “We really got darn good at holding on and if you were alive at the end of the program, you passed.”

Eager to learn how to train horses, young Irwin was given a horse training video series by Ray Hunt. “It was

three VHS tapes on how to start a young horse under saddle and I would watch those tapes, go and try it on our horses, and watch the tapes again,” remembers Irwin, growing up on his parent’s beef and horse farm.

He wore out the tapes as he developed his own system for training horses based on Hunt’s methods.

By the time he was 18, the Irwin family had sold off their cattle and were focusing primarily on horses.

Irwin fine-tuned his skills in coltstarting competitions and then Liberty training.

“That really taught me to watch the colt to know what it is going to do before it does it,” remembers Irwin.

Irwin then outlined what horse owners need to know before sending their horse for training ... or choosing to train it themselves.

“It is important to start with a horse you think you can have success with,” said Irwin. This may seem incredibly obvious but he remains surprised by some of the animals he is asked to train.

“Someone will bring in a horse and say it bites, kicks and fights but they bought it for the grandchildren,” says Irwin. “I didn’t realize how many grandparents hate their grandchildren!” he joked.

A horse should have the basics and its owner should have a sense that the horse can be what they want it to be.

Also, horse owners need to take honest stock of their own abilities.

“Ask yourself if you are a good rider.

If you know, deep down, that you aren’t, it’s not a black mark against you. It just means you may not be the best person to train that horse.”

Ask yourself how you handle stress. A young horse is already stressed. If it bucks or bolts, and you clamp down to stay on, you are throwing “gas on the fire”. A stressed rider will stress the horse while a calm rider will calm a frightened horse down. This is obvious, says Irwin, but adds that not every horse owner really assesses their own skills.

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get a proper education, you cannot train your horse once a week and expect results.

When sending a colt or horse to someone like Irwin, he says there are things your horse should already know. Irwin expects the animal to be halter broke and can stand to be tied.

He wants them to be calm when being touched all over their body.

“And I want them to respect my personal space.” Irwin says he can train these skills but they take time and there is only so much a colt can learn in a day before it freezes, locks down or turns off.

Sometimes Irwin gets half-trained colts where the owner tried to start training and soon realized he or she was overmatched. That’s okay, says Irwin, but “be honest about it.” This gives the trainer a heads-up on the best way to train the horse In his line of work, Irwin says he sees five kinds of horse personalities.

1) The quiet, respectable and wellmannered horse. This is rare.

2) The trained but rude horse: This is the horse that tries to push you out of the way. Basically, this horse needs a firmer hand and everything becomes a “yes or no” with that horse.

3) The respectful but scared horse: This is the horse that backs up in the stall and prefers to be away from people. This horse will need more patience, less firmness but a lot of confidence. It needs to draw on your confident energy to learn and be confident.

4) The rude and scared horse.

“This is usually a horse that has been really, really spoiled,” says Irwin.

This horse might run the owner over or bite and kick, while the owner lets them do it thinking they are just being “friends.” This one is hard because being too firm makes it scared, but not firm enough and the horse will run over you.

5) The dominant horse. This is a horse that has not been handled much, might be feral and is willing to stomp you if it feels you are a danger. “But you probably won’t run into that kind of horse around here,” says Irwin.

Once he has decided what kind of horse he is working with, Irwin prefers to work his colts with a 30 The Rural Voice

snaffle bit in a round pen. “This way I can focus more on riding than steering and the colt can’t pick up a lot of speed if it decides to go running,” says Irwin.

Then he uses sensitizing and desensitizing techniques. Sensitizing

• People want their horses to like them. But in a herd, there is a pecking order and you need to be the leader. You do not have to be mean to your horse to be the leader. Think of this situation: You are riding and a transport truck comes by. If that

Jason and Bronwyn Irwin, Jason and Bronwyn Horsemanship in Port Elgin

Ellie Ross, Trainer and Animal Behaviourist at Wag & Tail in Kitchener

is asking the horse to do something, and as soon as it responds, releasing the pressure to reward it for learning.

Desensitizing is creating a stimulus until the horse does not respond. An example of this would be putting a saddle on and off, on and off, until the horse stands quietly.

“It’s all about effort and reward, says Irwin. “We aren’t looking for a manouevre to be performed perfectly at the beginning. You are just looking for a good, honest try. You want to reward for trying, not completing.”

Other tips Irwin offered include: • Train your horses in multiple places. You want the horse to learn that not only does it have to listen to you in an arena, it has to listen to you everywhere.

• Arena training teaches finesse.

Trail riding offers exposure. Do both.

• Natural horsemanship is great but people get too fluffy. “People want to look their horses in the eye, connect and ride into the sunset. But often they look their horse into the eye and get tossed over the fence.”

There needs to be a balance.

horse is not confident in you, it will get scared and make its own choices which might mean jumping in front of the truck. If it trusts you as leader, it will still be scared but it will trust you to get through it.

• When someone asked how to connect with a horse that does not want to be caught, Irwin suggested catching them sometimes just for a treat. Or a scratch. So that they don’t associate being caught with having to work.

• If a horse doesn’t pay attention while on a lead rope, extend the rope and walk backwards. As soon as the horse looks away, walk in the opposite direction. Quickly. “Your horse will soon learn to keep his eyes on you because he realized every time he looks away, that sneaky bugger (you) disappears!”

• Irwin uses spurs but doesn’t recommend others use them unless they understand that spurs are meant to be rolled, not poked. “If you use them like a harpoon and poke, that’s bad,” says Irwin. “I wear spurs to get them used to spurs. Not to scare them.”

F

ollowing Irwin’s talk, Ellie Ross, the Director of Animal Behaviour and Applied Training at Wag and Train, Inc., in Kitchener, talked about using understanding and treats to train horses.

“One of the most common things I see is that the horse and the rider have a misunderstanding. Often horses try and try because they want to do the right thing. But they get frustrated,” says Ross.

The only way horses can communicate is with body language so it’s imperative to watch it and learn.

Also, owners should check their horses for medical issues. Ulcers and other painful afflictions explain a lot when a horse is acting up.

Also, examine the horse’s environment. She shared the story of a veterinarian who was called in to assess why there were behaviour issues with Royal Canadian Mounted Police Horses. When the veterinarian visited the stables, he saw each horse stall had solid walls with bars in

front. Horses could not interact and were not given enough time to graze and socialize. He made them rebuild the stables.

“There was a transition time because these horses had serious social deficits. There was biting and injuries,” says Ross. However, the majority of behaviour issues diminished over time.

When it comes to training, Ross believes in using treats even though a lot of people highly object to it.

“The principles of behaviour are this easy – any behaviour that gets rewarded gets repeated,” says Ross.

“I use treats as that reward.”

She is very careful how she does it. Any horse that asks for a treat, doesn’t get one. “If a horse invades my space when looking for a treat, he is being rude and obnoxious and doesn’t get one. The horse learns when his head is close, good things do not happen. When his head is over there (where it is supposed to be) good things happen.”

It’s all about thinking how to reward good behaviour, even when

they display bad behaviour.

For instance, if a horse doesn’t like to go though water, allow it to rest after being in water. “Horses want to get out of work. They want to rest. If you teach a horse that going through water means it earns a rest, you will find they will actually go into water to earn that reward.”

For a herdbound horse, treats can work amazingly well. First, work the horse five feet away from the herd.

Give it a piece of licorice. Then lead it 10 feet away and reward it.

Gradually, the threshold increases.

Another specific Ross discussed was pawing. “This is a common behaviour and can be very destructive,” says Ross. You want the horse to learn patience.

“A patience post is a lost art and it needs to happen. Horses need to be tied up for long period of time so that they learn to cope,” says Ross. “They learn to realize they are tied and get to rest while their buddies are working. Tying for long periods of time as a training tool is very effective,” she concluded. ◊

February 2020 31

Dairy

Breed for health and longevity, not type advises successful U.S. dairyman • By Lisa B. Pot •

The American approach to profitable dairying

Lloyd and Daphne Holterman own and operate Rosy-Lane Holsteins, an 1,100 milking cow dairy herd near Watertown, Wisconsin. Holterman focusses on production and profitability and had many opinions and management strategies to share with dairy farmers at Grey Bruce Farmers’s Week Dairy Day held January 6 in Elmwood.

B

y breeding for health and longevity rather than type, one American dairy farmer says he has been able to eliminate antibiotic use in his lactating cows.

“We do not think antibiotics are bad. We have cut them out to cut costs and improve performance,” says Lloyd Holterman of Rosy-Lane Holsteins near Watertown, Wisconsin.

With a production-oriented, cost-savings approach to dairy farming, Holterman says he’s been able to remain profitable in the volatile American dairy industry.

This cross-border perspective was shared with dairy farmers at the Grey Bruce Farmers’ Week Dairy Day held on January 6 in Elmwood. The yearly, week-long event is organized by Grey Agricultural Services to educate farmers in the region.

Passionate about agriculture and determined to remain 32 The Rural Voice

profitable while milking almost 1,100 cattle in outdated housing, Holterman says being able to raise and milk older cows is the key to making money.

He used genetics to achieve this goal and commented that he could talk about genetics all day. However, the focus of the talk was on reducing antibiotic usage while still achieving higher production and better financials. It’s important to note he eliminated antibiotics among lactating cows but still uses medicine on calves and dry cows.

Holterman says he started dairy farming in 1980 on a real “fixer-upper” in a dairy economy that he described as very unforgiving. “You can’t make money every year but you’d better make money four out of five years or else it is time to exit the business and make room for someone who can do it better than you.” Holterman says they had a dismal 2017 but a great 2018 and 2019.

Holterman is clearly decisive, vocal about his opinions, determined and passionate about cattle. He said the dairy farms he toured in GreyBruce were beautiful but wasn’t afraid to add American farms don’t benefit from government subsidies. “A lot of us in the United States envy your system but we do not have it.� elying on teamwork from his wife Daphne who manages the accounting, public relations, and animal-care-advocacy plus two managers who are transitioning into the business, the couple also manages two other farms. “We have a lot going on but we think life is full of opportunities.�

Holterman says the farm’s overall goal is to produce 1.7 pounds of milk per pound of dry matter. The Wisconsin average is 1.4 pounds and Rosy-Lane cattle produce just short of 1.7 pounds. Another goal is to average $875 profit per cow before taxes.

He says it starts with people doing quality work. Cows are milked 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the farm and that requires intense management. The things every dairy farmer knows – big stalls, fresh air, good nutrition, lots of space (don’t overcrowd), fresh water and excellent ventilation are all key to raising a healthy cow.

Holterman thinks another key point is limiting movement around calving time. Cows about to calve are moved to a pack-bedding pen on his farm and then they are left alone. “We try not to assist for calving because when we interfere, that leads to metritis which leads to ketosis which leads to displaced abomasums,� said Holterman. “We have gone eight to nine years without a single case of ketosis and that’s because we have the right kind of cows that calve easy and we breed for calving ease. It has big payback over the long run.�

The calving area at Rosy-Lane is quite small but over 1,300 cows calve in it a year. “We steam clean and disinfect that area every Thursday and in the summer, if there have been a lot of calvings, we do it twice a week,� says Holterman.

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Bovikalc to avoid milk fever. Upon calving, both the cows and calf are fed within 30 minutes. Holterman admits with staff at the farm 24 hours a day, this goal is easier to accomplish than for smaller farmers.

“There are advantages to being bigger,” he says.

Holterman then showed a picture of his favourite cow on screen. The moderate-sized cow would not win a dairy show but Holterman says she had produced over 100,000 litres of milk in her lifetime all while never getting sick, never having mastitis, catches on the first try and doesn’t need her feet trimmed.

“If I had 1,100 cows like her, it would be an easy life,” laughs Holterman. This is one of the cows he flushes to build up his herd.

After calving, the cattle move into the milking stream based on speed of milking, versus transition feeding.

“We haven’t fed a transition diet for 23 years,” says Holterman. “Again, we leave them alone. Why are robots so successful? The cows milk more and perform at higher levels because you stay out of their way.”

As to antibiotic use, Holterman says the goal at Rosy-Lane is to eradicate diseases such a mycoplasma, Staphylococcus aureus mastitis, Streptococcus agalactiae mastitis, bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) and Johnes in the herd.

Part of that process involves shipping most infected cows. “We used to separate the cows with staph aureus but once we got down to 10 per cent of cows that tested positive, we decided to get rid of them. The cost savings of not having to deal with those diseases has been tremendous,” he says. The farm vaccinated its way out of Johnes.

For mastitis control, Holterman says at their farm, they needed to look at it differently. First off, they consulted an expert to find out what they could do better. “Turns out the bacteria we were treating did not respond well to antibiotics. The expert advised putting the cattle on fluids, both in the rumen and in the veins. It worked.” The ones that didn’t respond to this treatment were shipped.

“It’s all about prevention. We use EndovacBovi, we scrape cow alleys

What was once a fixerupper (above) has seen a lot of improvement since Lloyd and Daphne Holterman took over the dairy farm in the 1980s, growing it to a milking herd of almost 1,100 cattle. Their favourite cow (right, middle) which they flush extensively is a moderate-sized cow with excellent feet and legs, production and fertility. The Holtermans also raise their own heifers (right).

three times a day, we add fresh sand twice a week and we breed for mastitis resistance,” says Holterman.

Vet costs were reduced from $186 per cow to $92 per cow.

When choosing bulls, Holterman said at one time they went heavy with Oman. “People warned us to be careful with him because wisdom of the day said he needed more type to create longevity. In reality, what we needed was cows that resist disease and lameness. Oman gave us cows that had great calving ease, high fat and protein,” says Holterman. “You won’t see his daughters at the Royal Winter Fair but you will see them in

the most profitable herds in North America.”

Bulls currently being used at Rosy-Lane include Crimson, Legacy, Solution, Rome, Windu, Singer, Media and Avatar.

“When breeding, you need to have a strategy and put some longevity and production into your choice,” advises Holterman. “Spend money on genetics and you will do well,” he concluded. ◊ February 2020 35

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Service

A salty sailor of WWII Vintage

Patrick Onions

Patrick Onions of Ripley is now 93 and the oldest living Navy veteran in Bruce County.

He still walks the veteran’s parade every year and remembers, with great pride and passion, the year he served on the HMCS Sackville (above).

A

s the November snow fell thickly on our shoulders at Wingham’s Remembrance Day service, an old WWII Veteran caught my attention as he carefully placed a poppy on the Cenotaph wreath to honour his father. Though his back was bent, his stride was strong, and his eyes were bright. Curiosity led me to ask after his identity, and later, this same Patrick Onions shared his story with me.

At 92, Patrick is the oldest living Navy veteran in the area, and his ship, the HMCS Sackville, is Canada’s oldest warship. Their stories are intertwined in such a way that 75 years later, Patrick still speaks with great passion and pride of his war-time duty on the HMCS Sackville.

For three generations, the Onions family served on the Navy: his grandfather, in England, was involved in designing the first diesel engines in the world. His father later sold the diesel engines in Southwestern Ontario. Both of these men served during the wars with courage and sacrifice. And Patrick Onions followed in their footsteps.

When WWII broke out, Patrick’s father secured a job in Montreal as an engineer, however, the language barrier prevented Patrick from continuing his education. With his father’s permission, he enrolled for special training at the HMCS Magnificent in 1944, under the assumption that the training would actually be a continuation of high school.

38 The Rural Voice

Patrick reported to the naval headquarters, completed his medical, was outfitted for a uniform, passed roll call, and then enquired of the officer the location of the school.

The next words sealed Patrick’s fate for the rest of his life: “School?! You’re in the Navy, Son. Period.”

At 16, with school forever behind him, Patrick’s Navy career had begun. In January of 1945, he started basic training at the naval base in Sydney, Cape Breton, where he remained until after V-E Day. One of his first duties he had been requested to do left a deep impression on his young mind: “A tramp steamer came in, and I was told to go over and give them a hand,” Patrick states, tears rimming his eyes. “That’s when I realized the war was for real.”

He paused as he remembers. “I was unloading heavy bags from this ship. Turned out that they were body bags.

Two merchant ships had been sunk by German U-boats operating out of St. Lawrence…” There were 23 ships in total that had sunk in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, after Germany had developed long range submarines capable of crossing an ocean.

In May 1945, Patrick joined the crew on the small warship corvette, the Sackville. War on European soil had

• By Hetty Stuart •

just ended, but it continued to rage on in the Atlantic. Less than a week later, the Sackville worked its final major role as a Navy ship.

“We got a report that there were two submarines heading in an easterly direction towards Europe, mainly Norway,” remembers Patrick.

Two infamous German submarines, the U-190 and U-889, were spotted near Digby, N.S. A huge flotilla of ships – the Sackville as one of them, intercepted these submarines. The Sackville took several enemy officers on board.

“As a young seaman coming face to face with the enemy, I remember the utter disrespect and arrogance they showed towards us. As we escorted them towards the ward room they spat at our feet.”

The submarines were docked at the armament depot in Dartmouth.

Despite the fact that cameras were forbidden for crew members on the Sackville, Patrick used his small Brownie to photograph himself and his friend, dressed in civilian clothing, standing upon the docked subs. These photos, he says proudly, are some of his most prized possessions. he Sackville had turned into a cable salvage ship in 1945.

During the war, these cables had been laid on the ocean floor to detect submerged metallic objects, namely submarines. The cables were laid down at the main harbours and on the fishing grounds from St. John’s, NL, to Boston, MA, often causing fishermen to lose their nets – sometimes full of fish. Patrick and his crew were now hauling up these cables to salvage the valuable lead covering on them.

“It was a nasty, dirty, stinky job sometimes they were covered in rotten fish guts and seaweed.”

Patrick says. He still grimaces when he thinks of his time as a labourer on the Sackville.

In addition to apprehending the two subs, other episodes stand out vividly in Patrick’s mind. “The Sackville is a ship of nine lives,” he chuckles. “One of the scariest, most desperate incidents happened through the winter of 1945-46 with the buildup of ice on the upper decks.”

They were a good distance from

T

homeport and bucking heavy seas, back, still shrouded in memory. “It’s with spray flying over the ship and a remarkable that the Sackville steady buildup of ice forming on the survived the whole war!” he steel deck. The steam hoses came exclaims. out, and every available man

By April, with the Navy now in chopped away with axes at the layers disarray, and “the Old Salts” waiting of ice, but it continually got ahead of for discharge, the Sackville was them, resulting in the ship listing towed down to a commercial dock in towards starboard. The corvette is Dartmouth. Navy personnel came notorious to roll, and at each roll, she aboard to decommission the ship, dipped even further starboard. The remove the papers, and take down men got tired of chipping the ice – it her flag, “which I somehow was all they could do to just hang on. commandeered,” comments Patrick, To fall overboard would have been slyly. certain death.

In packing his gear, Patrick had an Finally, they entered port at extra kit bag that he filled with some French Cable, listing badly. It took a of the wire splicing tools and other supreme effort, not only from their tools that held sentimental value. He crew, but also another ship to get also took some trivial artifacts and enough ice removed before the decorative items from the ship.

Sackville could return to even keel.

Unfortunately, the kit bag was stolen, Another time, a hurricane swept perhaps someone thought that the on sea, nearly ending the lives of flag was in it. He had, however, both crew and ship. The Sackville hit hidden it carefully with his clothing. the hurricane dead-on, wind On a naval reunion trip in Digby in screaming and waves crashing, 2001, he and his wife visited the causing violent motion of the ship.

Sackville, and returned the flag to the The crew were on the helm for ship. over 48 hours while the storm raged and the captain stood on the The HMCS Sackville bridge above yelling orders down the voice pipe.

“Why he never got washed off the bridge is a mystery,” declares Patrick.

The fires went out in the galley, there was no food to eat, and the ship threatened to shake itself apart every time the propeller came out of the water. The ship became completely water logged.

Did the old corvette itself give a “We all feared for our survival. bit of a chuckle, a slight movement Some of the crew thought that our of its great girth in response to the fate had been sealed and quietly got youthful 17 year-old turned “Old drunk.”

Salt”? I’d like to think there was The ship was corkscrewing and some connection. After all, when rolling her decks under water making asked if he regretted his time in the it impossible to hold her steady.

Navy, Patrick answers with a strident They would slide down the back of a voice, “Not one bit.” giant wave, and be met by another In 1983, the Sackville, Canada’s giant wave that would engulf the oldest warship, was declared ship.

Canada’s National Memorial Ship.

Eventually, the crew managed to Patrick Onions, who resides in keep her bow into the winds. As the Ripley, is one of the last remaining winds abated, they headed back to crew member alive. He turned 93 in homeport to dry out. Patrick sits January. ◊ February 2020 39

Recipes by Anne Mann

Family Fun Day in the kitchen

W

hen the winter wind keeps you inside use the opportunity to share some fun in the kitchen. I am always surprised at how much young people like to participate in the magic of food preparation. It’s a great time to introduce them to a variety of foods in their original form and let them help to transform them into meals and snacks to enjoy together.

Cracking eggs for breakfast, peeling cucumber or carrots for lunch gives them new interest in that food.

Something as simple as peeling and deconstructing a pomegranate can be an activity for little hands resulting in a wealth of delicious and nutritious seeds to eat alone or add to salad or whatever you please.

Applesauce Homemade applesauce is a simple way to get even the youngest children involved in the kitchen. I put a bowl of water on a low table and a container of apples to be washed with a cloth to soak up the water underneath and let the little ones wash the apples before I cut them into the bowl to microwave. We leave the skins on and later help them to turn the handle on the food mill to make applesauce. If you do not have a food mill get them to peel the apples with a vegetable peeler before you cut them into the bowl to cook.

When they are soft your helpers can do some mashing.

Applesauce Cranberry Muffins Apples and cranberries are always good together. Sometimes I use a little leftover cranberry sauce in place of some of the applesauce.

These muffins are a little sweeter and more like cupcakes so kids enjoy them.

1 cup whole wheat flour * 1/2 cup all purpose flour * 2 Tbsp hemp seed or ground flax seed (optional) 2/3 cup white sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries,

40 The Rural Voice

Anne Mann (above) has two little helpers with busy hands to help create Snowman Cupcakes which are fun and tasty. She encourages little ones to help to discover the “magic” of food for such things as quesadillas (above). chopped or 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries 2 eggs 1/3 cup canola oil 1/3 cup yogurt or sour cream 2/3 cup applesauce *You may replace both flours with 1 ½ cups of gluten-free all purpose flour and 1 tsp of xanthan gum Directions: Mix both flours, flax or hemp, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and xanthan gum if using.

Stir in eggs, oil, yogurt and applesauce until blended.

Add cranberries and mix until incorporated.

These muffins are a little runnier than most so do not be alarmed.

Fill paper-lined muffin pans using a 1/4 cup measure or a 2 1/4 ounce scoop or use a 1 ounce scoop and fill mini muffin pans. Makes 3- 4 dozen small ones.

Bake at 365°F for about 20 minutes for the minis and 28 - 30 minutes for the regular ones. Muffins are done when they spring back when lightly touched.

Makes 11 -12 muffins Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes Every occasion becomes special when you add some pretty cupcakes.

These are probably my most requested contribution to family

Recipes parties and group activities. I always have a package of grated and measured zucchini in the freezer from the summer abundance but if you do not there is usually fresh zucchini at the store throughout the winter. This popular cake adapts without much trouble to a gluten-free version.

1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 cup margarine 1 3/4 cups white sugar 3 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups GF all purpose flour (can substitute regular flour and omit the xanthan gum)* 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum * 1/2 tsp GF baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1/2 cup sour milk, buttermilk or yogurt 2 cups grated zucchini, unpeeled (may use frozen) 1/4 cup chocolate chips *you may substitute regular all purpose flour for the gluten-free and omit the xanthan gum Directions: Sift flour with xanthan gum, GF baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.

Beat oil, margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light.

Mix in sifted flour mixture alternately with the sour milk, beating after each addition.

Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Fill paper lined muffin pans ¾ full using a scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup. You may also use a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan or two 8 inch round layers.

Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes for cupcakes and 35 – 45 minutes for cakes.

Cake is done when it springs back when lightly touched and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Snowman Cupcakes Whatever your theme you can find so many ideas online for ways to decorate cupcakes. With the popularity of the movie Frozen we made snowman cupcakes. Little ones for the smaller kids and marshmallow topped full size

cupcakes for the bigger folk. Just mix a few melted chocolate chips or chunks into about 2/3 of a cup of your butter icing and use a piping bag or a small sandwich bag with the corner cut out of it to make the eyes and arms. We cut up orange Swedish fish to make carrot noses.

Butter Frosting This butter frosting is based on the bakery fluffy white frosting we used for our slab cakes except I have substituted butter for most of the shortening. It has a lovely flavour and is very stable at room temperature. It can be easily tinted to your favourite colour for special occasions.

1/2 cup butter, softened 1/8 cup non-hydrogenated shortening or more butter 4 cups icing sugar 2 Tbsp corn syrup 2 tsp vanilla pinch of salt 1/4 cup water or milk, as needed to desired consistency Directions: Beat butter and shortening with half the icing sugar until light.

Add corn syrup and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

Slowly beat in remaining icing sugar, adding a little of the water if it becomes too stiff for the mixer.

Add remaining water a little at a time as needed and continue to beat for at least 5 minutes until light and fluffy. At the bakery we beat this frosting for a full 10 minutes.

Quesadillas For lunch or snack or dinner these are quick and versatile and kids of all ages love them. It used to be difficult to find nice fresh, soft corn tortillas that did not contain any wheat but they are becoming more readily available in the grocery store so these are making a comeback at our house!

4 - 8 inch soft tortillas (corn tortillas for gluten-free) 2 cups shredded Cheddar, mozzarella or other cheese 4 slices bacon, cooked Garnish with chopped green onions if you have them Accompaniments: sour cream, salsa and guacamole Directions: Cover 2 tortillas with cheese.

Crumble bacon over top.

Place remaining tortillas on top and press lightly.

Bake in 375°F oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and tortillas are starting to brown.

Cut in quarters and serve with sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

Serves 2 - 3 Guacamole Let your kids help you make some homemade guacamole. This is a pretty basic, but balanced, guacamole recipe that I got from my sister.

When we make a little guacamole to go with nachos or quesadillas for the kids we will omit the jalapeno pepper. Since we also have some that are not fond of tomatoes we even make it without the tomato .... so sometimes we just have mashed avocado with a little lime and salt and pepper to accompany our Mexican inspired meals and this is just fine!

If you have leftover cooked peas you can mash them right in to use them up and boost the protein value.

1 ripe avocado, flesh removed and diced 2 tsp fresh lime juice (lemon will also work) 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 - 2 Tbsp red onion or 2 green onions, chopped 1 Jalapeño pepper, finely chopped without seeds 1/3 cup fresh tomato, seeded and finely diced 1 Tbsp fresh coriander, chopped or 1/2 tsp dry (optional) 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste Directions: Mash pulp from avocado with lime juice immediately because avocado turns brown quickly.

Add garlic, onion, pepper, tomatoes, coriander and salt.

Serve with quesadillas or raw vegetables or tortilla chips. ◊ CORRECTION: The Recipes column in the January issue of The Rural Voice was incorrectly titled as recipes from Nancy Fisher when in fact, those were recipes by Dorothy Henderson. My apologies Dorothy! ~Editor Lisa

February 2020 41

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RALPH FEELS SPECIAL Seaforth-area author Fran Hook, and illustrator Pattie Armstrong tell the continued adventures of Ralph, the stuffed door-stop dog and his creative friend Stephanie who gets him singing, dancing and joining her for tea parties. $10.00

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YESTERDAY: The Search Continues Huron County author David Turner returns with volume 2 of his tales about growing up in rural Ontario with stories of one room schools, bicycles, party lines, gravel roads, steam threshers, and black and white TV. $23.95

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER It’s back to the barn again for Dr. Dave, with the final installment in his best-selling Adventures of a Country Vet series. Set in the rural Kootenay region of British Columbia, Dave introduces readers to a diverse mix of the funniest, cheekiest, and sometimes just plain exasperating animals—and owners—you’ll probably ever read about. $23.95 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.

February 2020 43

Gardening Rhea HamiltonSeeger is a skilled cook and gardener who lives near Auburn.

New shrubs to try ... or avoid It has been a crazy winter so far.

When there is a foot of snow I can occupy myself with projects around the house but when I see no snow and the temperatures are hovering above freezing, like so many others I want to get out there and start cleaning up. This is a bad idea as the winter is not over and my plants and creatures still need the coverage. So I have been clicking away at the garden sites. Proven Winners have posted their top picks for annuals, perennials and shrubs. Like so many other gardeners I am on the lookout for new plants or improved varieties of my favourites.

Years ago I planted a snowberry shrub, Symphoricarpos albus, for my Mom. She always talked about the wee white berries in her grandfather’s garden. I suppose in hindsight, knowing that it is a member of the honeysuckle family, this should have given me a clue on how it spreads. I resorted to pulling it all out when its root suckers began to run rampant through the garden.

Neither shade nor dry conditions were a deterrent.

Since snowberry shrub is a native species, I wondered if it might be worth another look. Common snowberry is an important browse for deer and the berries are an important food for grouse, grosbeaks, robins and thrushes. Bears also eat the fruit.

This shrub provides good cover and nesting sites for game birds, rabbits, and other small animals. The pink flowers attract hummingbirds, but are mostly pollinated by bees. The leaves are eaten by the Sphinx Moth larvae.

Since it is a valuable plant for wildlife I think planting it out in the woodlot would be a better location.

This might prove to be a good way to 44 The Rural Voice

draw deer away from raiding our garden.

Usually I spot new shrubs and plants and discover they are labelled for a warmer zone. Such is the case of Pearlbush, Exochorda racemosa.

It is a very pretty shrub, which can tower up to 10 feet high, and is covered with delicate prolific white blooms in early spring. Often used as a hedge, it is drought tolerant but has no fall colour. It is perfect for Zone 4-8. But I am trying to be more conscious of what we plant and since it is native to China, it might become nuisance. I think I will give it a pass.

The last shrub that caught my eye was called Funshine, Abelia grandiflora, a brightly coloured round shrub with vibrant yellow green leaves and new foliage coloured with marmalade and caramel tones. It has a compact growth, and matures out at roughly three feet high and two feet wide.

Wonderful! My only drawback is that it is hardy in zones 6-9. It does look like Gold Flame spirea, which I can grow here.

The spirea family of shrubs is quite popular for foundation plantings. Gold Flame spirea grows to the same height as the Funshine shrub and sports the same colouring.

You can prune spireas late in the winter or early spring, as it blooms on new wood. Since it is quite bushy it is easier to prune before it leafs out so you can see where branches cross over or grow inwards. Always cut back to a connecting branch, main trunk or bud. The best growing conditions for spirea include full sun or very light shade, and well-drained

soil that has been augmented with a bit of well-rotted compost. These shrubs don’t need a lot of fertilizer but I think it pays to give them a good start. This shrub variety has a range of sizes and shapes making it useful in landscaping. It is important to consider the mature size and give it enough room. Dead-heading encourages new blooms and, like many other plants, it just looks better when groomed a bit. We had a greenleafed, pink-blooming spirea which became overgrown. We pulled it out and planted some salvaged roots which are looking fine.

The next challenge is caring for our juniper shrubs along the driveway. Decades old, they have quite a few brown branches this winter. We started with three, lowgrowing, one-gallon shrubs which now cover an area about ten feet square. I wade through this green mass to prune out branches and the rabbits have flourished under the thick branches. While I have been eyeing flowering shrubs, the best replacement, if it comes to that, is planting junipers again. They have proven to be hardy under all weather conditions, take little maintenance and stand up to excessive snow loads along the drive. A gardener could not ask for more. An unforeseen perk is that you can carefully trim out a few greens for Christmas arrangements without leaving unsightly holes in the shrub.

Here is my advice: don’t be mucking about in the garden this month, take the time to cruise the seed catalogues and make plans for when we can all get into the garden.◊

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Advice • By Lisa B. Pot •

Empty bunk syndrome costs money Candace Schiestel talks efficiency, chop length, refusals and fibre when feeding dairy cows at the bunk

H

igh levels of refusals at the bunk cost money but the most frustrating thing nutritionist Candance Schiestel sees on dairy farms is empty bunks.

Speaking to dairy and beef farmers at the Forage Focus 2019 conference in Stratford on December 5, the first thing Schiestel urged was for farmers to feed enough and make sure the feed is pushed toward the cattle.

Candace Schiestel (right) a nutrionist with ADM “Anytime there is an Animal Nutrition out of Woodstock holds a forage empty bunk or whenever the length that is way to long to be effective in dairy feed is out of reach or sorted forage rations. She shared this picture with farmers out, that can lead to less who grow forages at the Forage Focus conference milk production,” she told held in Stratford on December 5. the crowd. Although it’s obvious advice, it needs to be said because it’s the into a silo, then processed coming out, then mixed in a TMR. easiest thing to fix.

Other advice Schiestel offered at “When you see a lot of ‘nests’ or Forage Focus included: bare areas on the floor, those are • Plan how to use forages in a signs the feed has been sorted,” said year: Feeding fresh forages is risky Schiestel. “Also think of timing. The and yeast inhibitors may need to be so farmers should take inventory, do cows are highly motivated to eat up added to the mix. assessments and have enough feed to to two hours after feeding so that’s • Reduce competition at the bunk: last through harvest season so that the time to be pushing feed in.” Also When you have too many cows and the new forages can ferment. Also, this can prevent cow injury for when not enough space, you end up with have strategies in place for years cows can reach their feed, they don’t cows slug feeding. A cow who isn’t a when there is poor quality or poor need to push and shove to get it. boss cow will grab as much as they yield. “Have a back-up plan and be Chop length of forages is another can thinking they may not get creative in sourcing feed,” she issue Schiestel sees on farms. another chance. Meanwhile, the advised.

Reducing sorting of feed has a lot to aggressive cows are grazing along • Consider the efficiency of your do with chop length as longer pieces the length of the bunk looking for the TMR system: “Look at your route. give cows more opportunities to sort best meal.

Are you using multiple tractors and feed out. If cows are sorting, it means • Changes at the feed bunk can multiple people,” she asked. Creating they aren’t consuming what the improve profitability: Based on a mix can get very complicated and farmer thinks they are consuming. financial analysis on many farms, inefficient and it’s worth the farmer’s Schiestel highly recommends the feed costs account for approximately time to consider how to streamline use of a shaker box, such as one 10 per cent of gross milk revenues. the process. designed by Penn State University.

Identifying ways to improve the • Use water in the ration: Water This gives farmers a visual of how quality of feed, how it is delivered can help reduce sorting and Schiestel short or long chop lengths actually and the amount that cows eat and recommends adding it. However, she are. Sometimes chop length is too digest can improve profitability on acknowledges that it can be risky in long and sometimes, it’s too short the farm.◊ summer with feed overheating. Mold considering it is first processed going February 2020 47

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Quality • Service • Trust Residential • Commercial • Agricultural 48 The Rural Voice

News • By Shawn Loughlin •

Beef producers applaud protection act ward-winning auctioneer Kevin McArter is now the president of the Huron County Beef Producers, succeeding Elliott Miller.

The switchover took place at the Beef Producers’ annual general meeting held January 15 at the Brussels Legion. McArter, who has served the past two years as the organization’s first vice-president, has now taken over its top spot.

In the final president’s address of his term, Miller highlighted the ebbs and flows of the previous year, saying that while gains had been made, Ontario’s beef producers still face significant challenges with processing capacity, mainstream vegetarian pressure and the need for consumer outreach.

He said that during his time as president, he was happy to see the outreach and educational campaigns initiated by the Beef Farmers of Ontario and its partners to work to get Ontario beef into the hands of Ontario consumers.

He also said Huron County producers are lucky with the resources at their fingertips. Whether it be a world-class sales facility in Brussels Livestock or various local abattoirs, Huron County producers

A

The 2020 executive of the Huron County Beef Producers is (left to right) Advisory Councillor Harvey Hoggart, new president Kevin McArter, pastpresident Elliott Miller and Secretary-Treasurer, Kittie McGregor. Miller was presented with a framed print for his two years of service as president.

are set up unlike many other Ontario beef farmers with resources right in their own backyards.

The provincial government’s Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, he said, is also a step in the right direction.

Miller said the act not only protects

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farmers, but hopefully it will lead to a productive dialogue between farmers and the community and lead to an understanding of what goes on at an Ontario livestock operation.

The Huron County Beef Producers plan to put forward a trio of resolutions at the annual Beef Producers of Ontario meeting next month in Toronto.

The first came from Doug Scott, who put forward a resolution suggesting that with the rise of “Beyond Beef” products, the government punish any advertising that serves to denigrate beef.

Scott also put forward a resolution he has proposed for several years about ID tags for transporting animals. Ron Stevenson suggested a resolution that would make premise ID mandatory in Ontario. That move, he said, would bring Ontario in line with many other provinces and also correct Scott’s ID tag issue.

Those three resolutions will be raised at the annual general meeting for the Beef Farmers of Ontario on February 19-20. ◊ February 2020 49

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• By Shawn Loughlin

Farmerette stories to go on stage An adaptation of local author Bonnie Sitter’s Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes will soon be on stage at the 4th Line Theatre near Peterborough thanks to a bit of serendipity.

The book tells the stories of numerous farmerettes, a collection of young Canadian women who stepped up and farmed all over the province during the farm labour shortage caused

by World War II. Sitter worked on the story with Shirleyan English.

The story of how Sitter came to know about the farmerettes dates back several years when she found a picture in her late husband’s possessions. She had never heard of the farmerettes and decided to investigate further, and once she began looking into it, she was immediately interested in learning all she could.

Connecting with numerous farmerettes from all over the province, Sitter wrote an article for The Rural Voice that would serve to connect her not only with many farmerettes, but with English, who would eventually become the co-author of her book.

English, who was a farmerette herself, saw the article and then wrote a letter to the editor. She said she was moved by the story and then told her own story about working on the Sitter farm in Thedford in the early 1950s.

That was the connection Sitter was looking for and the two women soon connected.

English told Sitter that the summer of 1952 was the best summer of her life and that she looks back on that time very fondly.

Once Sitter and English began working together, collecting stories, letters and photographs from living farmerettes, the pair committed themselves to a tight deadline. Sitter gave English no choice in the matter, telling her they had to write a book and they should aim to finish it within a

News year. Due to the advanced age of so many farmerettes, they wanted to pen the story as soon as they could, so as many women who lived the farmerette life as possible could read it.

The book has proven to be a success and has served to connect Sitter and English with farmerettes even after its publication. However, it was when the book was sitting on a coffee table in Stratford that its second life was about to begin.

Some friends of Sitter’s in Stratford connected with friends of theirs, members at 4th Line Theatre, who took an interest in the book. They would then bring the book to Kim Blackwell, who didn’t take any convincing at all to know the book could easily be adapted into a play that would be a perfect fit for the theatre. When Sitter was first asked about it, she was excited, but not surprised. So many of the stories, she said, were very cinematic, so she thought very early on it could work as a play.

The play is slated to be part of the 4th Line Theatre’s 2022 season. Sitter said she hopes the play will one day be produced at the Blyth Festival as well in her home in Huron County. ◊

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

Trade details would affect futures markets As we came into the new year, two key events occurring in January could be impactful to the grain markets. These were the long running U.S./China trade agreement signing and the January 10 USDA reports.

In regard to the U.S./China trade agreement, media reported that market prices were volatile as political situations developed.

Shortly after the U.S. military made the strike in Iraq against the Iranian military general Soleimani, it was reported that China stated that it would not sign the U.S. trade deal

because of the action taken. From this announcement the grain markets traded lower, just to recover again when China shortly thereafter announced that they would sign the agreement nevertheless. The agreement, when ratified, would be for trade of a massive volume of goods, estimated to be between $4050 billion of U.S. products.

The details of the trade deal, once signed, will likely not be made publicly available. The Chinese government would be hesitant to make declarations about the commodities and other goods that they are intending to purchase, as such details would rally the prices of these goods immediately in the futures markets. While it is not expected that such details would be released, some movements within China are indicative of their future needs. China, for many years now, has had a desire to increase ethanol production and blending in their gasoline in an attempt to lower air pollution in their cities. Recently they announced that they are planning to

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52 The Rural Voice

delay this ethanol policy, which was to require 10 per cent ethanol blend in gasoline if it was enacted. The reason cited for this change is the lack of domestic corn supplies sufficient to produce such ethanol volumes. Chinese state-owned reserves are down sharply from years past when the government was a large holder of corn. The government of China reports that it owns about 56 million tonnnes of corn, down from the about 200 million tonnes that they once owned in temporary reserves in 2017. Total China stocks, including private corn ownership, is reported to be down about 27 million tonnes from peak inventory levels a few years ago.

From the ethanol discussion in China, market anticipations are for China to need fewer imports of corn and potentially higher volumes of ethanol, if they are to tackle their air pollution problems in their urban centers. Not only does China have a great need to tackle air pollution, but they remain in need of meat imports, as their hog herd has been greatly diminished due to disease, as has been well-publicized.

Finally reaching an agreement on Phase 1 between China and the U.S. should be good longer term for market prices through trade; that is as long as the deal holds, and China sticks to the deal. U.S. media has reported that U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods will remain in place until at least the U.S. election this upcoming fall and tariffs will only be reduced as long as China complies with the terms of the accord. Such terms include the protection of U.S. patents which have not previously been protected in China. Furthermore the U.S. treasury secretary has asserted that U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods will remain until a Phase 2 trade deal is reached. What details Phase 2 would entail are certainly unspecified as we still donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to have a clear indication of what the Phase 1 trade agreement will entail. This uncertainty has led some market watchers to believe that the signing of the Phase 1 may be symbolic only, and trade progress is still elusive.

The USDA January 10 reports were widely anticipated and viewed

Markets to be potentially large market movers. This expectation came from the thought that the USDA would recognize the effects of last fall’s late season freeze, the large amount of unharvested acres and harvest losses in their numbers, therefore lowering production estimates. This of course was the expectation from the producers side and some farm analysts. The report numbers came out disappointing for this bullish crowd. Along with the report numbers, the USDA released a special note with the report, stating that the acres that were still unharvested were still anticipated to be harvested, and therefore were included in production numbers.

This procedure is in keeping with their regular policy, however they did make special mention that there were more corn and soybean acres in the field than normal. From this the USDA did mention that they would be resurveying the five Northern states that had been greatest affected.

These include Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

U.S. ending stocks of corn were reported higher than the average trade guess in the January report, but ending stocks are still falling and are the lowest expected in three years.

Over the past three years ending stocks have been in excess of two billion bushels in the U.S. and current expectations are for endings stocks to be below 1.9 billion bushels. While this drop in stocks is not overly significant, it may be a catalyst for a move higher with increasing demand and the potential for cropping concerns this upcoming year. ◊

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Tom Lobb was a true champion of the woods The natural ecosystem features of southwestern Ontario have lost a true champion with the death of Tom Lobb on January 7 of this year.

Tom grew up and farmed in the Maitland Block of the former Goderich Township near Clinton (now part of Central Huron). Perhaps through a combination of his experiences farming, hunting and exploring the nearby Maitland River corridor, Tom developed a very strong interest in all aspects of the natural environment. He became one of the most accomplished naturalists I have ever met and what makes that more amazing is a majority of his knowledge was self-taught through his own research and field study.

Tom’s knowledge of a wide variety of organisms (i.e. plants, fungi, amphibians, reptiles and birds) was second to none in our area. In fact, many resource agency biologists and university researchers would contact Tom with questions about species occurrences in his area and often enlisted his help with their projects in Huron County. I doubt there are many species atlases or inventories compiled within the Huron County area in the past 30 years that didn’t have some input from Tom Lobb. Of course this was all on a volunteer basis. I know for a fact that Tom volunteered thousands of hours of his time with the various projects and organizations he was involved with.

I’ve known Tom for many years and worked with him closely on a wide variety of initiatives during my career with the Ministry of Natural Resources; particularly in the last 15

Woodlots years of my career, when I was Stewardship Coordinator with the Huron Stewardship Council. We could always depend on Tom to help out, as long as we could schedule things around seeding, spraying and harvest.

Tom was a very quiet, shy man. I know initially it was very difficult for him to speak to groups of people, but his passion for the natural environment helped him to overcome his shyness and over the years he helped to deliver hundreds of educational presentations and outings.

I always liked Tom, thought highly of him and am saddened by his passing.

The term 20/20 refers to clear vision, but I’m afraid my vision for resource-related topics for the year 2020 is anything but clear (sorry for the bad pun).

The resilience of our natural ecosystems is being challenged in many ways. It seems we’re experiencing more extreme weather events. Recently we’ve seen frequent weather and/or climate related disasters such as fires and floods in parts of Canada and around the world. We’ve just had record rainfall – in January of all months! I’m sure that won’t help the water quality crisis in Lake Erie.

The biodiversity of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is being pressured, not only by climate change, but also by various invasive organisms. I hate to be like Chicken Little, but I can’t help but wonder where and when the next crisis will appear. We need strong leadership and support from our resource agencies to help build and restore resilience in our landscape so it can deal with these pressures.

Unfortunately, agency capacity has been compromised by fiscal pressures and top down mandated change along with loss of expertise to retirement and attrition and not enough jobs for young replacements, let alone opportunities for them to be mentored and gain experience.

Markets for our resource products remain vulnerable to political nonsense, such as recent tensions with China. It will be interesting to

see if the new trade agreement to be implemented soon between Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will end the ongoing softwood lumber disputes that have negatively affected the Canadian industry for years.

A draft of the provincial government’s proposed Forest Sector Strategy is currently posted on the Environmental Registry with opportunities for comment until February 5. Developed after over a year of consultation with various stakeholders, it is mostly geared towards northern Ontario and Crown forests, but there is mention of private forests and rural Ontario.

Hopefully there can be some spillover benefit for our southern Ontario forests and forest industries.

I talked to a consultant recently who told me that logs from much of the ash they were selling were going into containers and being shipped to China. Surely it would be more efficient and beneficial to our economy if those logs could be processed into lumber or even secondary products such as furniture right here in Ontario. Could the Forest Sector Strategy provide opportunity to deal with this sort of situation?

Some interesting forestry statistics from the draft strategy: • Ontario has 71 million hectares of forest which is about 17 per cent of Canada’s forests and 2 per cent of the world’s forests • Roughly 66 per cent of Ontario is covered by forests. In 2017 the forest industry generated $16.6 billion in total revenue, exported $6.5 billion worth of forest products (including some manufactured wood products) and contributed $4.9 billion to the provincial GDP. • Also in 2017, the forest industry created 155,000 direct and indirect jobs. Surprisingly 17,700 of those direct jobs were in the GTA and 5,300 were in southwestern Ontario • The volume of timber harvested currently is less than 60 per cent of what was being harvested in the year 2000. Consequently, current harvest is significantly below annual allowable harvest, indicating potential for forest industry growth. ◊

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

Trespass to Farm Property In 1980, the Ontario Legislature enacted the Trespass to Property Act in order to remedy a number of perceived shortcomings in the existing Petty Trespass Act (first enacted in 1834 as the Act to provide for the Summary Punishment of Petty Trespasses and other offences), including the inadequacy of protections for farm landowners.

The Ministry of the Attorney General noted at the time that the existing law did “not deter trespass onto land under cultivation even though significant farm losses are caused by trespassers.” The Petty Trespass Act required that before a person could be prosecuted for entry on agricultural land, the person must have had notice that trespass is prohibited, or the land had to be enclosed or posted with signs. The Ministry further noted that modern agricultural techniques to maximize crop yields had resulted in the removal of existing fencing from fields and orchards, and that maintaining signage on large open areas was impractical.

The Trespass to Property Act prohibits entry onto premises “that is a garden, field or other land that is under cultivation, including a lawn, orchard, vineyard and premises on which trees have been planted and have not attained an average height of more than two metres and woodlots on lands used primarily for agricultural purposes.” Entry is also prohibited on premises that “is enclosed in a manner that indicates the occupier’s intention to keep persons off the premises or to keep animals on the premises.” A key element in both prohibitions is that no notice or posted sign is required to prohibit entry. Entry is prohibited by

virtue of the agricultural use of or the enclosure of the land.

The Ontario Court of Justice recently heard an appeal from a conviction under the Trespass to Property Act related to a farm property. The appellant and others had been hunting coyotes with the use of hounds and snowmobiles when one of the hunters shot and wounded a coyote. The appellant followed the wounded coyote’s tracks across an old split rail fence with barbed wire (in poor condition in places) onto a woodlot area in the neighbouring 96-acre farm property beyond the fence, and there shot the animal.

The owner of that neighbouring property happened to be walking trails on his farm at the same time, and heard the gunshots. He confronted the appellant and told him to leave the property. The landowner viewed the entry as a trespass, and he was also concerned for his safety given that a firearm had been discharged on his property.

Although the appellant had permission from 90 per cent of the landowners in the area to hunt, he did not have the permission of the owner of the land where he shot the coyote.

The appellant was charged with trespass under the Act, and convicted following a trial.

On appeal, the issue was whether the appellant’s entry onto to the property beyond the fence was a trespass in the absence of a notice or posted sign. At trial, the Justice of the Peace found that no notice or sign was required because the land was bounded by a split rail fence and barbed wire, which indicated the owner’s intention to keep persons off the premises, and because the land was “in part a garden, in part a field, or other land that is under cultivation.” The appellate judge upheld the conviction. He found that, though the Justice of the Peace didn’t specify it, the land was a woodlot on land used primarily for agricultural purposes and so no notice of sign was required. The judge also agreed that the land was enclosed in a manner indicating an intention to keep persons off the property.

In making that finding, the appellate judge said the following in response to the appellant’s contention

Agrilaw that the dilapidated split rail and wire fence was not an effective enclosure and that there was no evidence of an intention to keep people out: … this argument is extremely narrow and places an unreasonable burden on landowners. It would require them to rebuild fences upon their purchase of property and to testify at trial as to their mindset in keeping and maintaining fences.

In effect it shifts the burden, in this strict liability offence, to the landowner to establish and then re-establish again and again their intent. It also means that persons who wish to access property would effectively have to interview the landowner as to their mindset and the history of the fence. That does not make sense. And it certainly is not in keeping with the purpose of legislation, which is to allow property owners in agricultural areas to be free from unwanted encroachments onto their property without the burden of onerous notification and fencing requirements.

On December 2, 2019, the Ontario Government’s Bill 156, the “Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2019”, passed first reading in the Legislature. That proposed legislation would apply to all farms and animal processing facilities at which farm animals are kept, and would prohibit entry to “animal protection zones” – any enclosure for farm animals or other area marked as an “animal protection zone” – without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the farm.

The proposed legislation specifies that the existing Trespass to Property Act would no longer apply to “animal protection zones”.

In debate on Bill 156, a government member explained that the new legislation differs from the Trespass to Property Act in the following ways, providing enhanced protection to the livestock industry: • It considers animal welfare and biosecurity as a key component; • It covers the transportation of farm animals; • It provides that consent to enter an “animal protection zone”

cannot be implied; • It allows for consent to be voided if obtained under false pretences; • It protects the owner or occupier from civil liability if a trespasser is harmed; • It provides stronger recovery mechanisms for harms caused by a trespasser; and, • It requires trespassers to identify themselves.

Existing provisions under the Trespass to Property Act would

continue to apply to all property other than an “animal protection zone”. ◊ _____________________________ John D. Goudy’s law practice includes real property and environmental litigation, expropriation law, energy regulation, and regulatory offences.

Agrilaw provides information of interest to the farming community, not legal advice.

Readers should consult a legal professional about their particular circumstances.

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Agnes Denham retires after 37 years of service When she started, minutes were photocopied on a gestetner machine

A

gnes Denham says it has really been a pleasure to work with all the presidents and directors that have run the Perth County Federation of Agriculture over the years as their secretary/treasurer.

However, she’s looking forward to have the freedom to visit her five sons with husband Bill without work deadlines.

Agnes is retiring!

“Agnes has been the glue that has kept us all together all these years,” says Tim Halliday, current president of the Perth County Federation. “She is exceptionally well organized.”

Halliday said the directors on the board say how much they appreciate how willing Agnes was to adapt to changes and doing things in new ways. “Just recently, she headed up launching our new website,” said Halliday. “She was always willing to do what was best for us.”

Hoovers win maple syrup award

Terry and Diane Hoover were presented with the Albert and Ruby Martin Award, recognizing their outstanding contributions to the maple syrup industry, at the January 9 Waterloo Wellington Information Day. Terry has held several positions in the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association (OMSPA ) as Provincial Director, President and Past President as well as the President of the Waterloo Wellington local for the past five years. Both Terry and Diane love producing maple syrup with an added passion of educating the public about maple syrup production and consumption.

Back in 1983, Agnes’ husband was on the board and suggested his wife could take minutes when the former secretary left the job.

Agnes received an honorarium for her work and was able to work from home, which was very appealing since she already had two little boys and was expecting her third.

The role expanded when Agnes and Bill Denham she became treasurer and expanded again when the federations received stable funding for their organizations.

“Then the local federations could really budget better for projects and increase their lobbying efforts,” said Agnes in a telephone interview, days before actually retiring.

The funding also allowed the federations to communicate better with their members. Agnes’ hours increased as she drafted and sent more letters, minutes and information.

She says she was always very thankful she could work from home and make her own hours. “I could do the job and not have to hire a babysitter to watch the kids,” says Agnes.

Later, the Perth federation opened a business office in Rostock. Agnes said she would also work from that office but it did not keep regular hours. That office is no longer used by the Perth federation.

Agnes managed to juggle five sons with a family crop farm that later added a small grain elevators operation. She plans to remain active on the farm, keeping up with the accounting as she has always done. She also helps with the grain elevators during the busy times.

Agnes’ position will be filled by a new staff person who will now be known as the office administrator. “She will also work from a home office and do a very similar job to what I did,” says Agnes.

She knows she will miss the job somedays. But it was time for a change and Agnes feels it’s good that someone else will take over and do her job. ◊ February 2020 59

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30.1 CC • 1.3 KW • 3.9 KG/8.6 LB ①

MSRP $289.95 with 16" bar

MS 180 C-BE GAS CHAIN SAW

SAVE $ 80

29995

$

31.8 CC • 1.5 KW • 4.2 KG/9.3 LB ①

MSRP $379.95 with 16" bar

MS 250 GAS CHAIN SAW

SAVE $ 60

39995

$

45.4 CC • 2.3 KW • 4.6 KG/10.1 LB ①

MSRP $459.95 with 16" bar

MS 271 GAS CHAIN SAW

SAVE $70

49995

$

50.2 CC • 2.6 KW • 5.6 KG/12.3 LB ①

MSRP $569.95 with 16" bar

MS 291 C-BE GAS CHAIN SAW

SAVE $ 50

59995

$

55.5 CC • 2.8 KW • 6.2 KG/13.7 LB B ①

MSRP $649.95 with 16" bar

MS 362 C-M GAS CHAIN SAW

SAVE $90

89995

$

59.0 CC • 3.5 KW • 5.6 KG/12.3 LB ①

MSRP $989.95 with 16" bar

Dealers may sell for less. Pricing on all chain saws and blowers will remain in effect until June 30, 2020.

Pricing on all other power tools and accessories will remain in effect until July 31, 2020. Illustrations and descriptions are as accurate as known at the time of publication and are subject to change without notice.

STIHL Limited is not responsible for a printing error, the local STIHL Dealer has the final authority to set product pricing. Pricing valid at participating dealers only. ① Weight with powerhead only.

WWW.STIHL.CA

STIHLCANADA

FORMOSA

BLUEVALE Schmidt’s Power Equipment

Lloyd Kuntz Sales & Service

519-357-3877 schmidtspower@gmail.com

519-367-2913 lloydkuntz@wightman.ca

MITCHELL

NEUSTADT

Wighty’s Repairs Inc.

The Windmill Sales & Service

Highway 8 West

www.wightyrepairs.com 519-348-0404

519-799-5342 rafilsinger@wightman.ca

CHESLEY /HANOVER

LUCKNOW/MT. FOREST

DUNDALK

390 1st Ave. S. / 450 10th St.

Robert’s Farm Equipment

Highland Supply

Bruce Service Sales /APC

1634 Cty. Rd. 86/435 Sligo Rd. W. 519-529-7995/519-323-2755

519-923-2240 / 1-800-265-9154 www.highlandsupply.ca

519-363-3811 / 519-364-6345

GODERICH

MILVERTON

SEAFORTH

Argyle Marine & Small Engines Inc.

Albrecht’s Chain Saw Service

Delta Power Equipment

3 kms. N. on Hwy. 21

R.R. 1, Milverton (Line #67 Lane 4158) 519-595-2579

519-524-5361

60 The Rural Voice

42787 Hydro Line Rd. 519-527-0120 www.deltapower.ca

The

Rural Voice

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

PACKERS: WE BUILD

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

RUBBER TIRE PACKER SPECIALISTS

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

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

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

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

INNIS NEW & USED TRACTOR PARTS LTD. Agricultural & Combines New & Used Parts Used Tractors & Machinery

1-519-291-4924 Fax: 519-291-1520 Fire No. 6142, Line 84, R.R. #2, Listowel, ON N4W 3G7 Wanted: Early and late model farm tractors, combines, crawlers and construction equipment, fuel injection pumps, starters and alternator repairs

Est. 1991

Maitland Welding & Machining

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

• Bulk Bags • Tote Bags • Super Sacks

63 North St. Wingham

Ph.:519-357-2727 Fax: 519-357-4769 www.maitlandwelding.com rstute@maitlandwelding.com

Wa n t e d to buy

OLD BARNS FOR SALVAGE CALL STEVE

If we don’t have it in stock, we’ll custom make it for you! info@bagsupplies.ca Tel: 1-519-271-2040

www.bagsupplies.ca Fax: 1-519-271-2017

519-523-4523 Galvanized Roofing For Sale

February 2020 61

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

STEFFEN WELL DRILLING STEVEN NIXON

519-531-0355

Serving the area since 1999

Broker WILFRED MCINTEE & CO. LIMITED

Bus: 519-357-2222 Cell: 519-531-0252 Email: nixon@execulink.com Web: www.stevennixon.com 249 Josephine St., WINGHAM, ON N0G 2W0

519-357-2228 • 1-888-667-3545

With the launch of my brand new web page www.stevennixon.com the first 20 new listings of 2020 will be entered into a draw for a $2000 destination travel voucher from Ship2Shore in Wingham.

Not intended to solicit properties already listed.

B U S I N E S S

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

MANUFACTURING STEEL ROOFING SIDING & TRIMS

519-363-3757 2051 Bruce Rd. 19, R.R. 1 Chesley, ON N0G 1L0

Also Supplying Other Building Accessories

TF: 1-877-509-2847

C E N T R E

TEESWATER, ON

mike@steffenwelldrilling.ca

RODENT PROBLEMS? WE CAN HELP!

Ph: 519-799-5000 Web: ruralroutespestcontrol.com Email: info@ruralroutespestcontrol.com

Agricultural Residential Commercial

Choose from: 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

• Unmarked Vehicles • Fully Insured • MOE Licensed Technicians

SALES & SERVICE

The deadline for the

INSTALLATION & PARTS

March issue of 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

62 The Rural Voice

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

Tel. 519-529-7212

Snowblowers, Quick-attach Buckets, Sweepers, Woodsplitters, Crimper Rollers, Land Rollers, Stone Windrowers, etc.

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

The Rural Voice is February 11, 2020

CLASSIFIED AUCTION -------------------------------------------------Elmira Produce Auction – Hay and Straw Sales every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Consignors and buyers welcome. Call Noah Gingrich, 519669-3884. 7400 Reid Woods Drive, Elmira.

-------------------------------------------------CONSIGNMENTS -------------------------------------------------Consignments wanted of tack and horses for the Ontario Belgian Horse Association Annual Sale for April 11 at Ancaster Fairgrounds. Contact Mark Lindquist, 705-887-3350 or Dave Zister, 519-881-0436.

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

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

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

Call 519-625-8242 or 519-274-1490.

-------------------------------------------------FARM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE -------------------------------------------------Show cattle equipment. Blowers, clippers, fans and end panels. Will sell separately or as a package. 519831-4672.

-------------------------------------------------Tired of hand milking? Bucket milker and vacuum pump set-up, $700 o.b.o. 519-775-2670.

-------------------------------------------------FIREWOOD --------------------------------------------------

Bodywood • Slabwood Quantity Discounts

CLASSIFIED FOR SALE -------------------------------------------------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, Blue spruce, pine, cedars, etc. Also…

Complete line of Bee Supplies for the commercial or hobby beekeepers.

We sell Bees (Nucs) in spring and early summer. Come see our selection Monday to Saturday at Emanuel E.M. Martin, 42661 Orangehill Rd., Wroxeter, ON N0G 2X0, one concession north of Wroxeter on Belmore Line.

-------------------------------------------------Alfalfa hay mixtures, pasture mixtures, top dressing for pastures, and a selection of organic grass seeds. All mixed to your personal needs. Also red clover for plowdown.

Available at Courtney Grain & Seed (2015) Ltd., 225 Hwy. 21, RR 1, Ripley. Phone 519-395-2972. Ask for Carmon or Mitch.

-------------------------------------------------For prices on forage peas, forage pea mixtures, barley, oats, spring wheat and mixed grain seed. Contact Courtney Grain & Seed (2015) Ltd., 225 Hwy. 21, RR 1, Ripley. Phone 519-395-2972. Ask for Carmon or Mitch.

-------------------------------------------------HELP WANTED --------------------------------------------------

CLASSIFIED FOR SALE -------------------------------------------------Soybean seed for sale – Absolute RR, Altitude R2, Mahony R2 and Xtend varieties. Treatments and inoculants available. Call Mitch at Courtney Grain & Seed (2015) Ltd. 519-440-6712.

-------------------------------------------------Hay and straw and individually wrapped baleage, nice, clean, rotary, combined, good for TMR, 3x3x7' bales and silage bales individually wrapped. Huron East, 519-292-0138.

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

Closed Sundays, 519-338-3920.

-------------------------------------------------Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds – vegetable, herb and flower seeds, RR 3, 5961 5th Line, Palmerston, ON N0G 2P0. 519-343-3375, hawthornfarm.ca sales@hawthornfarm.ca --------------------------------------------------

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

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

------------------------------------------------HELP WANTED --------------------------------------------------

We are a leading local ready-mix concrete producer and are currently seeking customer-oriented people for a variety of duties including: concrete delivery, maintenance, truck driving and loader operating.

Full time and seasonal work is available.

Serving

519-441-2085 Southwestern Ontario for over 10 years!

519-656-2057 -------------------------------------------------FOR SALE -------------------------------------------------Few thousand board feet of air-dried hardwood lumber of various thicknesses, widths and lengths maple, ash, cherry and walnut. 519775-2670.

-------------------------------------------------Masonry wood-fired bread oven, black oven design, 40"x60", with 8" stainless steel chimney and housed in a 14-foot diameter steel granary building, $3,500 takes it all. 519-7752670.

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

A team environment, health benefits, excellent renumeration and home evenings and weekends are just some of the benefits available to qualified candidates.

Please stop in at one of our plants in Clinton, Teeswater and Tiverton or send your résumé to:

Teeswater Concrete Ltd. P.O. Box 24 1201 Bruce County Road 6 Teeswater ON, N0G 2S0 Phone# 519-392-6776 Fax# 519-392-6998 Email kayla@teeswaterconcrete.com

February 2020 63

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

HELP WANTED -------------------------------------------------The Huron Research Station is seeking college or university students to work as research assistants from late April to the end of August. Please send your résumé by February 14 to the Huron Research Station, 911# 70257 Airport Line, RR 1, Exeter, ON N0M 1S4 or huronresearchstation@ gmail.com -------------------------------------------------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 -------------------------------------------------LIMOUSIN – Bred cows and heifers, 4H prospects and breeding age bulls for sale. Smart Limousin 519-3727459. www.smartlimousin.com -------------------------------------------------LIMOUSIN-quality breeding bulls and breeding females for sale.

Delivery included. Posthaven Limousin, John Post 519-766-7178. www.posthavenlimousin.com -------------------------------------------------Suffolks – purebred yearling rams, British bloodlines M-V negative closed flocks. 519-233-7896.

-------------------------------------------------Red Angus, Simmental and Red Angus-Simmental yearling bulls. For results Google – Ontario Bull Evaluation, Silver Springs Farms.

James and Joan McKinlay 519-5996236. jmckinlay@bmts.com -------------------------------------------------Spring Hatchery: day-old heritage Beltsville Small White turkeys and White Chantecler chickens for family and breeding flocks. Pick-up in Meaford.

See website: www.cirrushillfarm.ca, email: info@cirrushillfarm.ca -------------------------------------------------PERSONALS -------------------------------------------------Woman 50+ looking for a partner 50 - 60 years in Ontario. Interests: agriculture, family, cooking and travel.

Send references to: Drawer #1, c/o The Rural Voice, PO Box 429, Blyth, ON, N0M 1H0.

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

RESTORATION -------------------------------------------------The Olde Tyme Radio Centre – antique radios, clocks, gramophones, telephones; sold/restored. (vintage autoclock radio, speedometer, tachometer repaired). Belgrave 519357-4304, www.oldtymeradio.ca -------------------------------------------------RETAIL & GIFTS -------------------------------------------------Stitches with a Twist – 404 Queen St., Blyth, 519-523-9449. Yarns, knit and crochet instruction. Chainmaille supplies. Alterations and repairs, including leather.

-------------------------------------------------SERVICES -------------------------------------------------INCOME TAX FILING – 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.

-------------------------------------------------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, 519-348-9062.

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

PAL & HUNTER ED. Ongoing courses available.

Certified instructors. Call Greg 519-887-9622 or 519-291-0507.

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

64 The Rural Voice

SEAMLESS EAVESTROUGHING

 Roofs & Walls  Elevator Legs  Air Blasting  Pressure Washing  Fully Insured  Free Estimates

London 519-268-8500 All farm buildings & houses, seamless eavestroughing, liquid rubber coatings, waterproofing, metal, concrete, wood, foam and bin flooring sealing.

519-859-0097 or 519-871-0300 info@townsleybarnpainting.com

CLASSIFIED SERVICES --------------------------------------------------

GRANT GNAY Chartered Professional Accountant Accounting & Tax Services 133 South St., Goderich

519-524-5113 GLAVIN BARN & COMMERCIAL PAINTING FARMERS repaint your faded coloured steel FREE QUOTES ~ FULLY INSURED

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

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

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

-------------------------------------------------STANDING TIMBER -------------------------------------------------STANDING TIMBER - hardwood and softwoods. Quality workmanship guaranteed. B. Kropf Forestry Service Ltd., Bruce Kropf, RR 1, Shakespeare, ON, N0B 2P0. 519-748-7422.

-------------------------------------------------TRAVEL -------------------------------------------------AGRICULTURAL & UNIQUE TOURS – Ukraine & Romania – Poland & Ukraine – UK, Scotland & Ireland – Alberta Farm Tour & Calgary Stampede – Alaska Land and Cruise – Yukon and Northwest Territories – Australia & New Zealand – Peru/Brazil/Argentina/Chile Portion of Tours may be Tax Deductible.

Contact Select Holidays at 1-800-6614326 or visit www.selectholidays.com --------------------------------------------------

CLASSIFIED UPCOMING EVENTS -------------------------------------------------Goderich Winterfest – February 7-9, 2020 Beat the “winter blahs” with lots of great events for the whole family – candlelight walk, chili cook-off, crafts, horse-drawn wagon rides, downtown snow fun, fireworks, etc. and featuring Kobbler Jay, The Eccentric Juggler.

“Don’t Hibernate – Celebrate!”

Check our website: goderich.ca or call 519-524-6600/1-800-280-7637 for events, times and venues.

------------------------------------------------TREE ORDERS – Spring tree order forms ready now at Ausable Bayfield Conservation. Visit abca.ca or call Ian at 519-235-2610 or toll free 1-888286-2610. Over-the-counter orders with payment until February 29, 2020.

Thank you for planting trees.

-------------------------------------------------CONSERVATION AWARD – Conservationist of the Year winner to be announced at partner appreciation evening on Thursday, March 19, 2020. Visit Ausable Bayfield Conservation website at abca.ca for details and to RSVP for event. Hope to see you there.

-------------------------------------------------February 15 is a SNOW DAY in Moreston Heritage Village! Come celebrate winter with a full day of outdoor fun at Grey Roots. Snow shelters, science experiments, dogsleds, and more. Details at greyroots.com -------------------------------------------------March Break KidsCamp – Farm-toFork! Did you ever wonder how your dinner ends up on your table? Find out in this full week of foodie fun as you learn about local producers that help feed our region, March 16-20.

Registration open now at greyroots.com -------------------------------------------------WANTED -------------------------------------------------Farmland to rent or share crop – no-till. Monthly, quarterly, semiannual, annual rent payment options.

Please call/email Joe: 519-525-0359 or joewhitely05@gmail.com -------------------------------------------------Looking for land to rent for upcoming year. Call Adam Braecker 519-524-0615.

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

CLASSIFIED WANTED -------------------------------------------------Hay/Straw - small square bales of hay; timothy and alfalfa. Round bales of hay; timothy alfalfa or timothy grass mix. High class large square bales of hay. Call Riley Gorman 519-321-1012.

-------------------------------------------------Actively seeking farmland to rent for corn, soybeans, wheat, hay, edible beans. Contact Narva Farms Limited: 519-366-2636 or 519-881-9384 or email: sandyfitzsimmons@hotmail.com -------------------------------------------------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 -------------------------------------------------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. 519-3231113.

-------------------------------------------------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 -------------------------------------------------Young couple looking to rent land for forage in the Blyth area. Call Joel 226-921-1917.

-------------------------------------------------Stockers or cow/calf pairs for 40 acres of pasture, new fencing and water system, daily supervision, St. Thomas area 519-775-2670.

-------------------------------------------------International or John Deere 7 ft. grain binder, 22x38 or 28x48 Dion threshing machine, International corn binder, International #7 or #9 ensilage cutter. Phone evenings 905-9839331.

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

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

Now Available

WOOL ADVANCE PAYMENTS WOOL MARKET CONDITIONS ARE IMPROVING, CALL US FOR A COMPETITIVE PRICE AND TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR WOOL TO BE PICKED UP AT YOUR FARM. For more information contact:

WINGHAM WOOL DEPOT John Farrell R.R. 2, Wingham, Ontario Phone/Fax

519-357-1058

farfieldfarm@gmail.com

Advertising in The Rural Voice – A Wise Choice! – Call Today! 519-523-4311 Deadline for the March issue is February 11 February 2020 65

National Farmers Union – Ontario NEWSLETTER Strong Communities.

Sound Policies.

Sustainable Farms.

Phone: 1-888-832-9638 E-mail: office@nfuontario.ca Website: www.nfuontario.ca

Join us for the NFU-O AGM and Region 3 Convention Join us February 25-26 at the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, 170 Dundurn St. South, Hamilton for the NFU-O’s annual convention and AGM. This year, we’re digging into the farm income and climate crises.

This fall, the NFU released Tackling the Farm Crisis and the Climate Crisis, which examines in depth the impacts of climate change on agriculture in Canada, as well as the opportunities that agriculture provides to become part of the

Lambton Local 328 Scholarship Application Are you: • Enrolled in post-secondary education in an agriculture-related field?

• an NFU member or related to a close family member (e.g. uncle/aunt, parent, grandparent) who is an NFU member?

• from Lambton County?

If so, Lambton Local 328 is offering a $500 scholarship to help defray the cost of your academic program. Please send applications to fsyer01@gmail.com Deadline is February 10, 2020.

Recipient will be contacted February 20.

St John’s Ambulance CPR & First Aid training for farmers Sunday, February 2

solution and calls for incentivizing low-input, low-emission agricultural approaches.

Members of the Climate Leadership Project Committee will present details from the report, and in the afternoon, we will hear from organizations who are working with farmers to incentivize and finance climate-friendly farming projects.

We will also hear reports from the NFU-O Board, hold elections, and host debates on policy resolutions.

For more information or to book tickets, visit https://nfuontario.ca/ or call 1-888-832-9638.

NFU-O AGM AND REGION 3 CONVENTION Tuesday, February 25 to Wednesday, February 26 The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton 170 Dundurn St. South Hamilton, ON, Canada L8P 4K3

Coming Events Local 340 Waterloo, Wellington – Our AGM is Thursday, January 30 at the Elora Brewery (107 Geddes Street, Elora). People will have the opportunity to share experiences, meet new people and offer the NFU board direction as to what they would like to see being addressed in the upcoming year. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/local-340-agm-food-friends-drinks-and-inspirationtickets-86956323705 Local 330 Renfrew – Next meeting is Monday, February 3, 7:30 p.m. at the Barr Line Community Centre. For more information, contact Connie Tabbert at rcnfu330@gmail.com or 613-646-7753.

Local 351 Brant, Hamilton, Halton – Our AGM is Wednesday, February 5, 6:30 p.m. at the Steel Wheel Brewery (105 Powerline Rd, Brantford). Come and meet your executive and other local farmers. Food will be provided by Dronkowski’s Deli, and activities, events and issues for the coming year will be discussed. For more information contact Malcolm Clark at malcolmclark@primus.ca or Chris Krucker at manorunfarm@gmail.com.

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Brucedale School, 1046 Con 12, Underwood Cost $105/person – must be prepaid and is non-refundable.

E-transfer can be sent to: nfuontlocal320@gmail.com or cheques - payable to NFU-O Bruce Local, 2633 Side Road 10, R.R.#1,Tiverton, Ontario, N0G 2T0.

Please make sure to enclose the names and phone numbers of those attending.

Lunch will be provided.

In case of inclement weather, the course will be postponed until Saturday, February 15 same location and time.

Local 347 Simcoe Dufferin – Annual General Meeting will be held at the Small Hall in Stayner (241 William Street, Stayner) on Saturday, February 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It will be a potluck lunch, and all are invited to attend.

Local 341 Perth Oxford – Local Director's meeting is Wednesday, February 12, 7:30 p.m. at the home of Pam and Andy Megens, 2877 Perth Rd 119 (Hwy 7). All members are welcome. For more information contact Local President, Julie Fleischauer at goldenacresfarm@hotmail.com.

Local 362 Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Ottawa, Prescott-Russell – Keep Farmers' Right to use Farm Saved Seed: learn about the co-ordinated efforts of major players within the seed industry to make farmers pay for seed every year even if it is farm-saved. This talk will be followed by our annual general meeting.

February 13, 2020 at 6:45 p.m. at the Country Kitchen in Winchester (2159 31, Winchester, ON K0C 2K0).

A subscription to The Rural Voice is one of the benefits of being an NFU-O member 66 The Rural Voice

Craig Hulshof, President craig.hulshof@gmail.com / 519-301-8483

Perth, Huron, Grey and Bruce County Pork Producers

NEWSLETTER

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

A tour of the PAWS Act Time to put a cork in the champagne and read Bill 136. I consider Bill 136 and Bill 156 to be sisters. Bill 156 is the Security From Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act. Bill 136 is the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act. One bill stops activists from coming on to our farms to “monitor animal welfare”. The other bill gives the government the power to come on to our farms and enforce animal welfare.

Bill 136, the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act is now law in the province. It went from first reading to law in 38 days. The act revolves around the very simple and reasonable expectation that animals should be free of distress. But when distress is defined, and consequences are set, it is enough to make any animal owner nervous.

Please take a deep breath and read the following: “distress” means the state of being, (a) in need of proper care, water, food or shelter, (b) injured, sick, in pain or suffering, or (c) abused or subject to undue physical or psychological hardship, privation or neglect; Distress Causing distress 15 (1) No person shall cause an animal to be in distress.

Permitting distress 2. No owner or custodian of an animal shall permit the animal to be in distress.

Exposure to undue risk of distress (3) No person shall knowingly or recklessly cause an animal to be exposed to an undue risk of distress.

Exception (4) Subsections (1), (2) and (3) do not apply in respect of, (c) an activity regarding agricultural animal care, management or husbandry carried on in accordance with, (i) any standards of care or administrative requirements that expressly provide that they apply to that activity, or (ii) if no standards of care or administrative requirements expressly provide that they apply to that activity, the reasonable and generally accepted practices of agricultural animal care, management or husbandry; The minimum fine for having an animal die from distress is $25,000. A

corporation facing a second major offence can be fined up to $1,000,000.

How many mice have you stomped on this week? Are you feeling distressed?

In my experience, it is impossible to raise pigs with no mortality. Farm animals experience some distress, but it is not out of any neglect or malice towards the animals.

The standards of care and administrative requirements referenced in this excerpt, are those set out in provincial regulations; that are still being drafted. Our farm organizations will need to work hard to ensure that our codes of practice developed by the National Farm Animal Care Council are recognized in these regulations. If not, farmers may be stuck trying to convince a government-appointed member of the Animal Care Review Board that their ticketed offence is a generally accepted agricultural practise. Animal agriculture cannot afford to be left out of the development of these regulations.

This law makes many allowances for animal agriculture, but all of these allowances can be revoked by regulations.

Prescribed activities 21 (1) No person shall engage in an activity prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council with respect to animals unless the person is authorized to do so in accordance with the regulations made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council and complies with any conditions of the authorization.

It feels like this act has put animal agriculture on notice. The next time there is an animal abuse scandal, new regulations will be ready to be enacted.

Our distressing husbandry practices will be eliminated, one negligent farmer at a time. Is it starting to feel like we have lost our social license? Does it feel like you need a license to raise animals?

Well this act makes that a possibility.

Regulations 69 (1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations, (h) establishing and governing a regime to authorize persons to engage in activities prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council with respect to animals, which may include, 1. the issuance of licences or some

other form of authorization, which may be subject to conditions This law also makes it important to stay engaged with your municipal government as well. Any employee of a public sector body can be appointed as an animal welfare inspector. This includes people who work for the OPP, a provincial ministry, or your local municipality. This Act also enables local municipalities to create their own animal welfare legislation that is more strict than the provincial legislation.

Appointment of animal welfare inspectors 5 (1) The Chief Animal Welfare Inspector may, in writing, appoint a person who is employed by a public sector body that is an institution, within the meaning of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, as an animal welfare inspector if the person satisfies the prescribed requirements.

Conflict with municipal by-laws 67 In the event of a conflict between a provision of this Act or of a regulation made under this Act and of a municipal by-law pertaining to the welfare of or the prevention of cruelty to animals, the provision that affords the greater protection to animals shall prevail.

Being engaged with your grass roots agricultural organizations and meeting with local politicians is more important than ever.

While the agriculture community may trust the Ford government to serve the farming community, we will need to be engaged with the regulatory review process under successive governments to ensure that animal agriculture in this province remains viable.

I read legislation as a hobby, not a profession. Just because I can read legislation does not mean that I know what it means. I’m a pig farmer not a lawyer. The views expressed in this article are my own, and may not reflect reality. This article should not be considered legal advice. I’m still trying to understand what fiduciary means.◊ – Submitted by Craig Hulshof, President, Perth County Pork Producers February 2020 67

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

Another challenging year for Grey County farmers Any opinion expressed is that of individual County Directors or Representatives and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Grey County Federation of Agriculture or Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

2019 was another challenging year for many of the farmers of Grey County. Between International trade tensions, lack of processing capacity in the beef industry and the weather.

In Grey County we are also experiencing an unprecedented increase in taxes for the county’s farmers.

The last assessment cycle saw farm assessments, and in turn taxation, grow by an average of 71 per cent across the county. Some farm properties will see taxes more than double.

Last year Grey County made the symbolic step of lowering the mil rate on agricultural land from .25 of the residential rate to .24.

The Grey County Federation of Agriculture (GCFA) is continuing to lobby for a meaningful reduction to help alleviate the increasing burden farm families are under

to .153 of the residential rate.

Over the last 20 years agriculture land has carried two to three per cent of the county budget. This increase will see that rise to 4.7 per cent. This 1.5 per cent increase to the county income by assessment growth seems insignificant. However to the individual farm families seeing their farm taxes go from $5,000 to $10,000 a year this has real impacts. It’s $5,000 a year that will not be spent into the economy of rural Ontario.

The federation is not asking for farmers to pay less tax than they were paying in years previous. Rising infrastructure and provincial downloading mean the county requires more every year to maintain services. We are asking for the county to soften the blow from this rapid increase in taxes that has happened over the last four years.

Bare agricultural land requires the least amount of services of any rate payer. Yet we are seeing a doubling in the taxation rate to farm families that have no meaningful way of passing this business cost on to the consumer.

No other ratepayer in the county

would be able to sustain a 70 per cent increase to their taxation. Residential rate payers would not stand for it.

Commercial and industrial rate payers would move jeopardizing the economies of Grey County’s communities. However, farm families are tied to the land. Their operations span multiple agricultural properties making it impossible for most to pick up and resettle in another county the way a factory or a store can. We have no choice but to be vocal in this grave challenge we face. ◊ – Submitted by Michael Ryan, GCFA Director GCFA is a proud supporter of Hanover Lions Club “Taste of Grey Bruce Steak Night” Celebrating our Farming Community March 28, 2020 Visit: www.hanoverlions.com for details

GCFA Curling Bonspiel Saturday, February 15 – Markdale Curling Club

GCFA Events for 2020 Feb. 15 – Curling Bonspiel February – Public Speaking Semi-Finals March – Public Speaking Finals March 12 – Directors’ Meeting - 7:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Draws – Two 8-end games (lunch included) Prizes for all players (supplied by Bentinck Packers)

$140/team Please call 519-364-3050 Ext. 1 to enter

April 17 – Tommy Cooper Event June 11 – Directors’ Meeting - 8:00 p.m.

August – Ag Night at the Races August 13 – Directors’ Meeting - 8:00 p.m.

Sept. 10 – Directors’ Meeting - 8:00 p.m.

October – GCFA AGM

Nov. 12 – Directors’ Meeting - 8:00 p.m.

November – OFA Convention/OYFF December – Christmas Social

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

68 The Rural Voice

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

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

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

NEWSLETTER

Raising mental health awareness for farmers Any opinion expressed is that of individual County Directors or Representatives and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture or Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

Mental health in the agriculture industry has recently become a topic of growing concern. Farmers face a unique set of challenges, such as weather conditions, crop infestation, animal disease, market volatility, and more. Often these issues are out of farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; control, yet directly affect their livelihoods and can negatively impact their wellbeing.

Research shows that rates of stress, mental health issues and suicide are higher among farmers as compared to the general population. A 2016 study by the University of Guelph showed that approximately 45 per cent of farmers have high stress, while 58 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively, experience anxiety and depression. In addition, 67 per cent of producers are more susceptible to chronic stress than the general population, which can lead to physical and mental illnesses.

Furthermore, the many constant demands, pressures and time

constraints that come with this line of work often make farmers and producers put their work ahead of their well-being. Living in rural areas and social stigma are also among the factors that make receiving treatment and accessing services more difficult.

To help farmers with ways to manage mental health or addiction concerns, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division has collaborated with agricultural leaders to develop the webpage

April 17 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tommy Cooper Evening April 27 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Directorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Meeting May 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Directorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Meeting June 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Directorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Meeting

*345; *#;*4;5)$;)$-2;(*7$/;50; /;*/+63$#;2$340/;!$%03$;.$#*" -;53$ 5.$/5;" /;!$; 0!5 */$# ; $/5 -; $ -5); *345; *#;*4;5)$;)$-2;(*7$/;50;40.$0/$;#$7$-02*/(; ; .$/5 -;)$ -5);230!-$.;03;*4;$92$3*$/"*/(; ;.$/5 -;)$ -5);"3*4*4;6/5*-; 223023* 5$; 230%$44*0/ -;53$ 5.$/5;*4;3$"$*7$#;03;6/5*-;5)$;"3*4*4;*4;3$40-7$# ; $/5 -;)$ -5); 230!-$.4;0'$/;%*345;#$7$-02;#63*/(; #0-$4"$/"$;03;$ 3-:; #6-5)00# ;8*5);) -%;0%; --;.$/5 -;#*403#$34;!$(*//*/(;!:; ($; ; /#;

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Events for 2020 March 23 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Directorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Meeting

Bruce County Federation of Agriculture

February 24 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Directorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Meeting

November 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Directorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Meeting

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August 24 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Directorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Meeting September 28 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Directorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Meeting

(https://ontario.cmha.ca/farmersmen alhealth) to make it easier for farmers to find support when and where they need it. This page includes CMHAspecific programs and services, agriculture industry-curated resources, and provincial and national crisis supports.

If you are in crisis and require immediate assistance, please call the Mental Health Helpline at 1-866-5312600, contact your doctor, go to your local hospital, or call 911. â&#x2014;&#x160; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Submitted by CMHA Grey/Bruce

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

February 2020 69

Perth County Federation of Agriculture Email: perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com Website: www.perthcountyfarmers.ca Agnes Denham, Secretary: 519-229-8866 or 1-866-829-8866 Tim Halliday, President: or 519-291-3374

It’s important to support Bill 156

By Sharon Weitzel PCFA Director Have you had an opportunity to voice your support for Bill 156 – Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2019?

I thought I would take this opportunity to remind farmers about the newest tactic being used by animal activists in Ontario and across Canada. In recent months there have been several shocking invasions of a variety of farms. Activists refused requests to leave barns and property; were not arrested or stopped by police, families were left frightened and biosecurity protocols for their barns were breached. The activists filmed these events to show their cohorts how and what they did and to make more outrageous claims about animal agriculture. In one case the police did not respond to the farm for two hours and the activists were long gone.

This was the escalating issue that prompted the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and our commodity groups in agriculture, to ask the Provincial Government to urgently respond to those trespass issues. The Provincial government did respond with Bill 156- Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2019.

Animal activist groups have also responded and have ramped up their efforts to see Bill 156 derailed.

Among those efforts are opinion pieces in the Toronto Star, that make outrageous claims about this Bill and a Change.org online petition, that is busily asking for letters to be sent to the provincial government opposing Bill 156. Google “opposition to Bill 156” and an incredible list of anti-Bill 156 articles pop up. It is being labelled as the “Ag Gag Bill”. Other headlines claim it is about “silencing protestors” or “hiding agriculture’s wrong doing”. All kinds of groups seek the demise of Bill 156. We are

definitely locked in a battle with animal activists. A win for agriculture is paramount.

It is important that all farmers and supporters take the time to follow the OFA request below. Every member has received this email which makes it easy to send support of Bill 156 to the provincial government. I urge you all to take the time to do so.

From the OFA: Over the past few weeks, OFA has been encouraging Ontario farmers and those involved in Ontario’s agrifood sector to show their support for Bill 156 and its intent to protect our farms, our families and the safety of our food chain by sending a letter to elected officials through OFA’s lobby website at actnow.ofa.on.ca. As of Friday, January 3, 2020, farmers and industry representatives have used the online platform to send more than 5,400 electronic letters to provincial

policymakers in support of the new trespass legislation.

The advocacy campaign is intended to show the government the importance of Bill 156 in protecting Ontario farms, families and employees, livestock, crops and ultimately the entire food supply by addressing the ongoing threat of unwanted trespassing and activists who disrupt our farms and the safety of our food chain.

There is still time to add your voice in support of the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act by visiting actnow.ofa.on.ca and sending a letter to your local MPP and other provincial policymakers.

You will have the opportunity to preview the letter before it’s sent electronically.

Thanks to all OFA members who have already taken action and sent a letter in support of this advocacy campaign.◊

Perth County Federation of Agriculture

ANNUAL MEETING Tuesday, February 18 at Stratford Axes 7:00 p.m. – Refreshments and Meeting 8:00 p.m. - Axe Throwing Elections will be held for four (4) directors for a three-year term.

Nominations must be received by the secretary seven (7) days prior to the annual meeting Nomination forms can be requested by emailing: perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com All OFA members in Perth County are eligible to run as a PCFA Director Spaces are limited: Reply to perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com to reserve your spot

* The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Perth County by the PCFA.

70 The Rural Voice

Index A&V Kucyk Ltd ......................................53 A.G. Hayter Contracting Ltd ..................51 Artisanal Chicken Program ....................6 Ausable Bayfield Cons. Authority ..........55 Bag Supplies Canada Ltd ....................61 BDO ......................................................27 Belore Trailers ......................................61 Bernie McGlynn/SB Flooring ................54 Bervie Supply ........................................15 Bio-Ag ..................................................19 Blyth Brewing (Cowbell) ........................57 Brennan Custom Poultry ......................23 Canadian Co-op. Wool Growers ..........65 CFFO ............................................Cover 5 Chalmers Fuels ....................................65 Clean Field Services ....................Cover 7 Cliff’s Plumbing ....................................71 Construction & Renovations ..29,46,48,50 De Dell Seeds ......................................53 Diamond Roof ......................................25 Donkers Agri ......................................4,33 Easy Lift Doors ......................................12 Family Day ............................................58 Financial Planning ..............................7,13 Gerber’s Workwear ..............................62 Gerrits Ag Service ................................33 Grimo Nut Nursery ................................62 Grober Nutrition ............................Cover 4 Hardi......................................................19 Harold Jones Enterprises ......................61 Hayter Excavating ..................................5 Hill & Hill Farms ..........Inside Front Cover Hunter Steel Sales........................Cover 7 Innis New & Used Tractor Parts ............61 Keith Siemon Farm Systems ................62 KMM Farm Drainage ..............................9 LAC ......................................................71 Lakeside Shelving ..................................6 Lands & Forests Consulting ..................54 Layton Steve ........................................61 Legge Fitness ..............................Cover 6 Lisa Thompson MPP ............................21 Listowel Hearing Centre ......................54 Maitland Welding & Machining ..............61 Maple Leaves Forever ..........................45 Mapleview Agri ......................................34 Marquardt Farm Drainage ....................57 Marvin L Smith Forestry ........................55 McIntee Real Estate ..............................62 Metzger Meat Products ........................55 Midwestern Ontario Bull Sale ................23 Morris Sachs Silo Construction ............56 MVH Construction/519 Tours ..................9 Natures Wave Inc..................................31 Nutrient Management ......................17,21 Ontario Pesticide Training ....................11 Ontario Standardbred Adoption ............56 On-Track Door Systems ..............Cover 3 Pride Seeds ............................................2 R.T. Bolton & Son ........................Cover 4 RBC ........................................................5 Ridgeway Metals ..................................62 Rural Living ..........................................42 Rural Routes Pest Control ....................62 Rural Voice Books ................................43 Sauble Beach Motorsports ..........14,51,52 Schmidts Farm Drainage ......................25 Schweiss Doors ....................................15 Sew & Save Centre ..............................45 Smyth Welding ......................................62 Somerville Seedlings ............................54 Southwestern Ontario Dairy ............36,37 St Mary’s Rotary Club ..........................58 St. Lawrence Cruise Lines ....................45 Steffen Well Drilling ..............................62 Stihl ......................................................60 SWO Diesel ..........................................11 The Brew Shop ......................................4 Thies Electrical Distributing Co Inc..........8 Triple P Consulting ................................58 Trouw Nutrition ......................Back Cover WD Hopper & Sons ..............................49 Williams Drainage ................................10

WE WANT YOUR GRAIN! • 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

How it Works A geothermal system consists of a heat pump, a ground loop, and a flow centre to connect the indoor and outdoor components. The geothermal system uses the constant temperature of the ground to heat and cool your home. In the winter, your WaterFurnace geothermal system extracts the heat and in the summer, it rejects it.

Why Choose WaterFurnace?

A WaterFurnace geothermal system operates more efficiently than ordinary heating and air conditioning systems because it can deliver up to an astounding five units of energy for every one unit of electrical energy used.

Why Choose Cliff’s?

Cliff’s Plumbing & Heating has been a trusted name in Huron and Bruce Counties since 1979 and has been installing WaterFurnace geothermal systems for over 30 years. We are members of HRAI and the Grand Valley Construction Association, accredited with the Canadian Geothermal Coalition and our technicians are licensed through the Ontario College of Trades and factory trained.

Other Services Include: Air Conditioning, In-floor Radiant Heating High Efficiency Furnaces, Gas Fireplaces, Plumbing, Pumps and Water Treatment

1136 Bruce Road 86, LUCKNOW

www.cliffsplumbing.com Phone: 519-528-3913 • Toll Free: 800-449-2543 • Fax: 519-528-3125 cliff@cliffsplumbing.com

February 2020 71

HURON

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

County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER

AgPrize 2020!

In February there will be an announcement by the Huron County Economic Development Committee about this exciting new competition – AgPrize 2020.

AgPrize will foster agri-food innovation in Southwestern Ontario and beyond.

How it works: High school, college and university students will be invited to submit their solutions to challenge questions focussed on key “pinch points” found in the county’s agri-food industry. These real-world problems require creative, outside-the-box solutions. The strongest submissions

ROOM FOR RENT The HCFA has a board room available for rent.

The board room rent is $40 which includes HST. Call the HCFA office at 519-482-9642 or 1-800-511-1135 to check availability and to book your meetings.

are eligible for a cash prize.

AgPrize 2020 will help to generate opportunities to resolve longstanding challenges in agriculture, while building a culture of innovation and energizing youth to take a second look at careers in the industry. Stay tuned for more details starting February 11, 2020. We will have further information on our social media feed.

For more information, contact: Alex Ripley Economic Development Officer, Huron County at 519-525-5175 or email aripley@huroncounty.ca

MP MPP FORUM The Huron County Federation of Agriclture is currently working on plans for the annual MP MPP local politicians forum. If you have specific concerns you would like the Board of Directors to present, please contact the HCFA office or a director to state your question or concern.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Don Dodds who was acknowledged for 60 years of leading 4-H clubs and to Florence Pullen who has led 4-H clubs in Huron County for 40 years.

****** Congratulations to Mary Ellen Foran and Bert Dykstra on their appointments as the new representatives from the agriculture sector to join the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Source Water Protection Committee (SWPC).

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

Upcoming Events February 2 – Ground Hog Day. February 4-5 – OSCIA Annual Meeting. For details visit: www.ontariosoilcrop.org/association /annual-conference/ February 11 – Canadian Agriulture Day. February 17 – Family Day. February 19-20 – Beef Farmers of Ontario Annual General Meeting, Delta Hotel by Marriott Hotel and Conference Centre, 655 Dixon Road, Toronto.

February 25 – Ontario Bean Growers Annual Meeting Stratford.

For details visit: ontariobeans.on. ca/growers/ agm/.

Huron County Federation of Agriculture

BOARD MEETING February 24– 8:00 p.m.

Vanastra Office

OPP non-emergency line: 1-888-310-1122

HCFA OFFICE HOURS: The office is open on Mondays and alternate Fridays 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

We are also open other days by chance Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/huronfedofag and Facebook at Huron County Federation of Agriculture

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

72 The Rural Voice

Your farm.

More than just a business.

MAKE CFFO YOUR FBR CHOICE CHRISTIAN FARMERS Federation Of Ontario

www.christianfarmers.org

Visit us at online to learn more about the CFFO and the member benefits we offer.

Long-term thinking for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issues.

From Philip’s Desk

We thought it would be good to sit down with Philip Legge, founder of Legge Fitness Superstores and find out what is happening in the fitness and wellness field.

1) How have things changed in the fitness and wellness field over the last 30+ years since you started your business?

When my wife Mary and I started our natural health care business there was less public awareness of the benefits of cardiovascular and strength exercise, and proper nutrition and diet cleansing.

Also, therapies such as massage, inversion, and sauna cleansing were not that common. However, all of these natural health care practices have been gaining in popularity and credibility in recent years. It used to be that most people would only rely on drugs and surgery for disease treatment, but now studies and research confirm that natural health practices can help prevent and even overcome some health problems. We find this very encouraging and exciting, and so do our clients.

5) How did your business develop?

Both my wife Mary and I suffered with health problems when we were young adults. We were very thankful for the help and advice that we received through people in the natural health care field.

Our whole life potential was improved so much that we developed a desire and a commitment to help other people in the same way. In the first ten years of our business we focused mainly on nutrition consulting, massage, and relationship consulting. We held seminars and classes on health and wellness, and developed a client base across Canada for our correspondence courses. During this time our son and three daughters were growing up, and we wanted to have a business that would allow the whole family to work together. Also, our clients wanted fitness and wellness products they could use in their own home on a regular basis. So, our business gradually expanded, and now we have one of the largest selections of quality fitness and wellness products that people can try out in our stores. Our four adult young people are all co-owners of the business, and share the same desire and commitment to help people improve their fitness and health naturally.

4) Are you different from the ‘big box’ stores?

Yes. First of all, we are a second-generation family owned and operated business. Everything from talking to people about their health and fitness needs and goals, to helping people find the right products to invest in for their home, to delivering and installing, to servicing, to helping people get the maximum benefits from the products they have, this is all done personally by members of our family. On top of this our clients really appreciate the education and training we offer, which gives them a better understanding of how the body works and what the body needs to be healthy, strong, and youthful. One of the ways we do this is with our new book, ‘Fitness and Health for the Whole Person’, which can be a handy reference tool that people can go to 24/7 in their own home.

This book is a result of 30 years of training and teaching and working with thousands of clients. It contains five programs covering Fitness, Health, Youthfulness, Relationship Health, and Nutrition with all the essential information distilled down into one book.

LeggeFitness.com 1-800-695-7338 • info@leggefitness.com 202 Main St W Listowel • 105 Queen St W Fergus The Best Selection of Quality Fitness & Wellness Equipment – Treadmills, Ellipticals, Bikes, Rowers, Strength Systems, Massage Chairs, Zero Gravity Chairs, Canadian Made Saunas and Spas, Inversion Tables and Vibration Platforms.

7) Do you have a personal message for our readers?

We feel that it has been a privilege to be able to help people on a personal level in different areas of their wellbeing, because physical, mental, and emotional health are all connected. We believe that our mental and emotional health is directly related to the quality of our foundational relationships with our parents and siblings, and our spouse and children. When we take steps to improve those relationships our mental and emotional health can improve, and our physical health will get a boost at the same time.

Also, if we are good stewards of our physical wellbeing our mental and emotional health can improve as well.

Please visit our website or give us a call for store hours.

3) Why would people purchase from you rather than another company?

People come to us from all over Ontario because we offer quality products, and we stand behind every product we sell. Our pricing is competitive, because all six owners work full-time in the business which helps us be more efficient and coordinated in different areas of our business. At least that is our goal!

6) What is the driving force of your business?

Our business was founded with the goal to help others physically, mentally and emotionally with their health and wellness. We feel that the relationships we’ve been able to build with our clients over that time, has been the driving force of our business. We’ve also had the privilege to partner with some of the best manufacturers in the fitness and wellness industry.

Pick up a FREE copy of the book, ‘Fitness and Health for the Whole Person’! Value $29.99

2) What should people expect when they walk into one of your stores?

It is our goal that each person coming into our store will understand that our business is not primarily about selling products. Our approach has always been to look at a client’s needs, goals, and areas of concern. The next step is to see what options are available to help them address and achieve those concerns and goals. Then a plan or strategy can be developed based on what is a priority right now, and what should be worked on in the near future.

& ' & &

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www.huntersteel.ca 519-273-3151 500 Lorne Ave. E., Stratford