The Rural Voice - January, 2021

January 2021

Rural Voice

The

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

FARMING WITH BEN Pandemic prompts 12-year-old to YouTube his passion about sheep farming

FUTURE OF FARMING IS...

The future of farming is local, green, creative and healthy say thinkers from Rural Talks to Rural

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Contents

20

25

The

THE MAGAZINE OF AGRICULTURAL LIFE

30

Columns Lisa B. Pot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Keith Roulston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Kate Procter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Jeffrey Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Mabel’s Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Woodlots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Agrilaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Departments Ruralite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 News & Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Business Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . .63

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

JANUARY 2021 • Cover Photo Ben Ernewin, Farming with Ben Photo by Amanda Brodhagen

• Deadlines: Feb. Issue

Rural Voice

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, Donna Lacey, Melisa Luymes, Anne Mann, Nancy Fisher, Dorothy Henderson, Bonnie Sitter, Gary Kenny, Jeff Tribe, Amanda Brodhagen, Bob Reid and Geoff Dale Mailed by: McLaren Press Graphics Bracebridge, ON

– Jan. 12

March Issue – Feb. 09

16 Future of Rural Is...

Green and healthy are key words in future rural suscess

20 Genetics Saved from Barn Fire The barn collapsed and a semen tank was lost but the cattle were saved at Posthaven Limousins

25 A Purpose for Farm Plastics Investigating farm plastics from recycling to developing a biodegradable crop cover resin

30 Farming with Ben The self-proclaimed sheep ambassador launches YouTube channel to share farm stories

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

34 A Vegetable Education Running a community market garden is educational

46 The Shawshank Solution Erin Romeo says little steps lead to big solutions

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.

NH

ORTH URON

PUBLISHING COMPANY INC.

A division of North Huron Publishing Company Inc.

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ofa.on.ca

2 The Rural Voice

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The Rural Voice and your local monthly newsletter are provided to farmers in Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth Counties by your local County Federation as part of your OFA membership.

Ruralite Never Give Up!

By Gary West Sometimes in life you meet a person who has been dealt a life-changing situation that some people would give up on. That person for me is Dan Bell, who was not only faced with catastrophe but learned to overcome a major lifechanger.

On September 7, 2016, Bell’s life took a disastrous turn. While cutting a tree branch from a loader bucket on his Perth East farm, the 36-year-old accidentally lost his balance and fell 12 feet, landing awkwardly on his shoulder and separating three vertebrae in his lower back. He also suffered a spinal cord puncture. That day, he became paralyzed from the waist down.

He was airlifted to a London hospital and some people thought that was the end of his farming career. Dan did not, even though the specialist said he would likely never walk again.

After going through intense therapy and hard work, both mentally and physically, he persevered. Today, he operates his 200-acre beef and cash crop farm along with running a custom work business cropping over 5,000 acres of wheat, corn, beans and hay.

Dan emphasizes he wouldn’t have made it this far without his partner, Brianne’s, support along with family and neighbours who helped out tremendously after the accident. All would say they can’t believe how positive Dan has stayed through the whole ordeal. Dan is now able to abandon his wheelchair and walk with only the aid of a walker. Someday, he’s hoping he can get by with only the use of a cane – something he looks forward to.

Even though Dan is a firm believer that therapy and great therapists got him to where he is today, those therapy visits were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, watching the young father of three climb into a combine, you can see how he continues with his own therapy while completing difficult farming tasks that most would have never thought possible four years ago.

Dan knows that farm accidents happen and he hopes that by sharing his journey, he might inspire others to trust there is a light burning bright at the end of the tunnel. He hopes he can help someone, just as he was helped. His motto is “never give up!”

Word Play • Bread is a lot like the sun.

It rises in the yeast and sets in the waist.

• So if a cow doesn’t produce milk, is it a milk dud or an udder failure?

• There is an email going around offering processed pork, gelatin and salt in a can. If you get this email, do not open it. It’s spam.

•

No Regrets “What makes me excited is people like Sarah on this panel who show up to be creative. They love rural places. They want to be here. They choose to be here and that choice is powerful and gives me hope.” ~ Kristin Catherwood, an Intangible Cultural Heritage Development officer with Heritage Saskatchewan, speaking on the future of rural.~

{ } January Inspiration

New month. New year.

New chapter. New lessons.

New blessings. New beginning. New mindset.

New focus. New intentions.

New inspiration. New opportunities. New results.

Dan Bell of Perth County with his family, four years after the accident.

January 2021 3

Lisa B. Pot Teachers: Keep expanding our brains...we have so much to learn. And it’s fun!

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

Animals: They keep eating and pooping like COVID-19 never happened, teaching us how simple life can really be. Honestly, some day a good meal and good bathroom break make for a great day!

It wasn’t all bad: 20 reasons to be thankful for 2020

People: The energy of passionate

Goals Realized: One of my 2020 goals was

people fuels our own ambitions.

Thank you to everyone who shared their stories with The Rural Voice in 2020.

to establish a bee hive to save pollinators and harvest honey. Check! What were yours?

Government: Complain about leaders we will but they gave us Bill 156 to protect our farms from trespass and direction during a time of COVID-19 uncertainty.

Kindness: When we received it, yes, but even better when we gave it freely and without judgement or personal reward to make life a better place. It was so needed in 2020 ... and always will be.

Gardening: To grow your own food for physical health; work in the soil for mental health and feel connected to creation and The Creator for spiritual health is pretty good stuff all around.

Moments

Love: Given and received in so many ways in a myriad of relationships, it’s the one great healer and joy-creator. So thankful for a partner, family and friends to love and be loved by.

Magic

Family Essential Workers:

Harvest

Purpose

Thanks so much, truly, to those who wear masks 12 hours straight and risk their health to serve us in so many ways.

Movement Bonds

Wildlife Adventures Farms: Was there ever a year when you so appreciated a barn and space to shoo the kids outside to play? Or walk. Explore. Work.

Be with animals. Man, we are lucky to be farmers.

4 The Rural Voice

Technology: Without internet, “Zoom” and social media, isolation would have been so much worse. Thankful for new ways of connecting with old friends.

Happy New Year: May 2021 bring you health, prosperity, freedom and above all, a thankful heart to know the blessings of family, faith and farming

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January 2021 5

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

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A couple of months back Lisa B. Pot caught my attention when she wrote her column about human geography, the sense of place we develop because of our surroundings and the experiences of living in those surroundings.

About the same time as her column appeared, I had pulled off my bookshelf an old copy of Never Sleep Three in a Bed by prairie-born writer Max Braithwaite. Though not a typical farm kid, he spent his early years in the small southeastern Saskatchewan village of Nokomis, which meant he spent a lot of time wandering the open lands outside the village. Later, when times got hard in the Depression, his lawyer father moved the family north to Prince Albert. I’m not sure if it’s what geographers had in mind, but for me the following passage by Braithwaite beautifully describes the effect our surroundings can have on our lives.

“Unknown to our parents – to ourselves even – we developed new ways. Ways fashioned by the flat prairies, the black soil, the constant winds, the bone-dry summers and the mean winters. Fashioned, too, by the one-crop economy. A fatalism, and acceptance that nature gave us. If it rained we were prosperous; if it didn’t we were poor. Not just the farmers, but everyone else who worked for them. And who could affect the amount of rainfall by a single drop?

“A new race of Canadians we were. Not the fur traders or the Metis, but the solid dirt farmer. All the fatalism, sardonic humour, wildness, stubbornness – or strength of character, whichever you prefer – yes, and the paranoia, too, all these began in Nokomis, and towns like it, with the Braithwaites and families like them. This country made us, and

wherever we go or whatever we do, we can’t ever be quite the same as other Canadians.”

When I look back at my own roots, I see that many of the attitudes that directed my life were laid down while growing up in the hardscrabble days of the 1950s on a Bruce County farm. Though my parents did their best to hide it, I could feel the tension of being short of money as my war veteran father tried to establish himself as a landowning farmer. Eventually hardships were piled on hardships and he had to take a factory job.

My neighbour, and best friend, returned to the area a few years back, drawn by the sort of bond to his childhood experiences that Braithwaite writes about. We regularly exchange e-mail reminiscences about memories that are precious to us, and nobody else.

And that’s something that changes who we rural people are. Obviously farm kids growing up on prospering farms in the 1950s will have different experiences than my friend and I. Similarly, changing farm life for succeeding generations will shape each generation slightly differently than previous generations. Young people who grow up driving massive, efficient, farm equipment are bound to have different ideas than my generation that farmed with small tractors. Those who worked in large, single-species barns can’t be expected to share much with typical mixed farmers of the past.

And yet, generation after generation farmers face the same challenges: bad weather that can suddenly turn a bumper crop into an economic disaster; new diseases that can devastate a herd; the whims of the market that can see farmers lose thousands of dollars in the time it takes to get the crop through the combine and delivered to the elevator.

One of the great challenges of modern society is the growing divide in understanding between rural and urban Canadians. Our experiences are so different that we’re bound to think differently. What’s required is for people from both backgrounds to try to understand the other’s experiences and attitudes.◊

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

Be the person your dog thinks you are Who knew when we rolled into 2020 that we would soon be facing shortages of things we seemingly have taken for granted for decades… toilet paper… bicycles…flour… dogs…. ? I’m sure that vanilla ice cream must be on the list somewhere too… Things we never really thought much about before suddenly became essential.

Dogs have always been a part of my life. Growing up, it was border collies – Mike and Peter – and when I was old enough to have my own dog I got a yellow Labrador Retriever puppy called Nutmeg.

I don’t remember much about training that puppy, but somehow, in

8 The Rural Voice

spite of me, she turned out to be a great dog. I do remember the chewing. Lots and lots of chewing. My other dogs, also yellow labs, I got as older dogs – one was retiring from a life raising puppies, and the other was looking for home bigger than the postage-stamp-sized back yard she had spent her short life on. I was lucky to have such great dogs that came to me well-mannered and made wonderful additions to our family.

When my elderly dog died in April, I decided that I didn’t want to

go through that stage again and that she would be my last dog. That feeling didn’t last long. Along with some not-so-subtle agitation from a family member (I should have said relentless agitation) suddenly I, too, caught puppy fever and decided the time was right for a new dog. I always feel for dogs who are unwanted and started by looking to adopt one of those. Even they were in short supply. Or maybe I just didn’t find the right list.

Luckily for us, we found the perfect puppy from Doralee Kennels near Harriston, breeders we have had a long association with through our former pig breeding business. The sleeps were anxiously counted down until “Puppy Day” arrived and Doralee Sophie joined our family on November 6, An early harvest worked in our favour – as spending Sophie 18 hours a day in the field does not really go well with bringing a new puppy into the home.

Knowing nothing about puppy training, we did lots of reading and watching videos on the subject. We even enrolled in a kinderpuppy class – what can be more fun to say than “kinderpuppy”? We learned about crate training. Although everything about the crate screams “cage”, it is really more of a den and thinking about it that way helped us get over feeling like we were isolating our new baby in a cruel way. It was amazing how fast she decided it was HER space and the cats better stay out.

Yes, we also have two cats. Our matron took one look at Sophie and seemed to decide that she knew all about small dogs. She realized it was the time to bring them to heel before they become big dogs is short. And so began the lessons on cat appreciation. There has been lots of scrapping but now, after sharing a space for a month, the two take turns eating out of the same bowl.

Although, I’m sure the cat is doing it

Kate Procter just to show that she can, not because she actually wants to eat dog food.

Our other cat, larger and more of an outdoorsman, seemed to adopt the attitude of an old uncle who didn’t quite know what to make of this rambunctious youngster, and didn’t much care to learn. His lessons were a bit more stern and the two are still figuring out how they will get along in the future.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since Sophie arrived is how much baby dogs have in common with baby humans. If you can’t hear them, you better get moving fast and figure out what is going on. The quieter they are, the faster you should move. Also, being on a regular schedule of eating, sleeping, and playing makes everything better. No one learns their lessons well if they are tired or hungry or just too squirmy to pay attention. Also, no toy is better than a toy that someone else wants. Long forgotten cat toys suddenly became hot commodities as Sophie discovered how fun they are.

Playing with them WITH the cat makes them even better.

Seeing the lightbulb come on in those bright eyes as the lessons are understood is very rewarding. There are few things more fun than watching babies – humans or dogs – experience the world for the first time. They are so curious and find interest in things that you had long ago stop noticing. I remember when my kids were little; I learned so much about the world seeing it through their eyes. Before I had boys I thought there were two kinds of dinosaur – Dino and T-Rex. Having a puppy offers a similar experience.

Who knew how many different things in the yard were actually chewable? And, like human babies, puppies are happier with routine, learning good manners, and how to play well with others.

The special relationship between humans and dogs goes back over 14,000 years. And even the most prickly person can be connected with if you ask about their dog. As we prepare to for a new year, instead of making resolutions, I am stealing a thought from CJ Frick, to “be the person my dog thinks I am”. ◊

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The road to plantation north Are farmers in Canada losing the trust and respect of their fellow Canadians?

The most recent numbers I could find concerning that question are from 2018. A poll, conducted by Insights West, puts farmers among the most respected professions – with only nurses, doctors and scientists ranking higher.

Another poll, this one conducted in 2017 by Phoenix Strategic Perspectives for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, found the community to be the second most trustworthy profession.

There is unfortunately a proviso to those numbers. A strong proportion of those expressions of trust and respect, roughly half, come with the word somewhat – “somewhat” trusted and “somewhat” respected.

There is certainly room for slippage in how farmers are viewed by their fellow Canadians and if developments over the course of 2020 have any influence, that may have already occurred.

With the pandemic in full swing last spring, Canadians began expressing concern for their food system in a concrete manner. Many stocked up on non-perishable food items in late March and early April.

Others, perhaps even more prudent, began gardening, growing their own food, if only in a small way.

Perhaps even more important was the light shed on Canada’s agricultural workers. In the early days of the pandemic, there was even uncertainty as to whether enough workers could be found to keep those farms with a heavy reliance on labour functioning at something

approaching full capacity. Even then, some crops, notably asparagus, were left unharvested.

Organizations supporting the agricultural migrant worker community have also had an influence. Members of the media including members of the national media have bought into that blamegame narrative, often portraying the farming community in a negative light.

The typical response of farmers to such criticism has been to entrench themselves further into their defensive stance, a posture that only serves to deepen division.

The farm community, I think, needs to come to grips with the reality of farming and agriculture in Canada. It’s more concentrated today than ever before.

A good number of farms in Ontario rely on a labour force of 100 individuals and, in a few cases, more than 500. Perhaps most symbolic of the success of some of these businesses are the farmer-owned mansions that have sprung up in various locations across Southwestern Ontario. In one particular case, a gated estate overlooking Lake Erie, the area covered by lawn might have served to provide livelihoods for two or even three farm families 50 years ago.

This is not a judgement but rather an example of the direction the farming industry has taken in Canada. Primary production in agriculture has grown ever more concentrated, a reality that is making it increasingly difficult for Canadian agriculture to use the term “family farm” to defend their industry.

Unlike most of the milk sold in Canada, the Canadian farming community isn’t homogenous. Small farms exist still and those people remaining on the land, regardless of their holdings, represent a diverse community in many other ways.

Yet the trend toward concentration in farming in our nation needs to be recognized and a fundamental question asked. Is this a direction – the road toward “plantation north” – that should continue to be embraced? ◊

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

“So how was your big celebration?” Dave Winston asked Cliff Murray the other day after his 25th wedding anniversary.

“Good,” said Dave. “Quiet, of course, like everything else with the pandemic. The kids took us to a little Chinese restaurant on the edge of the city where they’re still allowed to serve at half capacity.”

“What did you have?” Molly Whiteside asked as she brought their coffee.

“I had duck breast plus all the other Chinese dishes.”

“Duck!” said George Mackenzie in alarm. “The only good reason to eat a duck is to make it stop quacking! Those things squawk about as much as politicians!”

“Well I like duck,” said Cliff.

“Every time I drive through a city

I’m always amazed at all the restaurants there are. You can get Jamaican food, and Thai food and South Asian and Vietnamese and so many more I can’t even remember them right now,” said Molly.

“If this pandemic ever gets over, my wife wants to try a few of them,” said Cliff.

“I want to try them all,” said Molly who was particularly enthusiastic that morning considering it was a Monday.

“Harumph,” grumbled George.

“Do you even know what they use to make those foods in those foreign restaurants? Remember, they think COVID-19 got started by people eating animals we, here, didn’t know existed.”

“Well never fear,” assured Dave.

“There’ll always be a lot more meals served at McDonald’s and Swiss Chalet with trusty North American food than the small places.”

“Yeah, George,” said Cliff, “You must be pleased that both McDonald’s and A&W have big promotions on for grass-fed beef right now. Especially after how upset you were when A&W made so much

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todo over plant-based burgers for so long.”

“Ever notice whatever consumers suddenly want, is usually the hardest way for farmers to make a profit growing?” asked Dave.

“Yeah, grassfed, not feedlot beef when the reason we began raising cattle in feedlots in the first place because it cost too much to keep them on grass.”

“Maybe they’ll want grass-raised pork next,” Molly suggested to Dave.

“Well they won’t that get from me,” Dave snarled.

“Ever raised a pig outside?” wondered Cliff.

“I have actually,” sighed Dave.

“We were loading pigs one spring morning a few years back and somebody turned his back at the wrong time and this pig escaped.

“Well we figured he’d hang around and we’d catch him before the truck left but that darned pig was faster than us and after an hour the truck driver said he had to go.

“There was this group of cowboys in town here who heard there was a pig on the loose so they offered to come and round it up.

“By now the pig had 200 acres of shoulder-high corn to hide in but the guys actually managed to surround the darned thing back by the bush. As they closed in, the pig took aim at the leader’s horse, charged at it, ran right under its belly and sent the horse rearing in fright.

“The rider fell off awkwardly and displaced his shoulder. He had to take two weeks off work and suddenly wanted me to compensate when I never asked him to help in the first place.”

“Did you ever catch him?” wondered George.

“He hid out in the corn all day and raided the garden at night. He ate – but we didn’t – sweet corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons.

But when it got cold in December he was sleeping by the barn.”

“Hey, now there’s a sharp angle for one of the restaurants to promote,” said Molly mischievously — “Garden-fed pork!”

She saw the look on Dave’s face and headed for the kitchen. He just missed her with the bun he threw at her.◊

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Viewpoint Ralph C. Martin is an author and a retired professor from the University of Guelph

Parliament of all species

Can you imagine a Parliament of all species? Even if there was just one representative per species, that would require a huge hall, with at least 8.7 million seats. Or, it would become the Mother of all Zoom calls.

I am being only partly factitious.

One species, Homo sapiens, has dominated access to resources and bulldozed or polluted the natural habitat on which all species depend.

This Ultra Alpha species has demonstrated exceptional selfishness with greed, neglect and tunnel vision.

Surely there must be a way for other

species, who also have an inherent right to live on Earth, to get the attention of humans. Waiting until so many species have disappeared that human existence also becomes untenable, is a terrible option.

When my daughter was small her allowance was equally divided into three yogurt containers: one for spending, one for savings, one for charity. Her first donation was to a local food bank. A few months later, with childhood clarity, she declared that animals should also have safe homes with enough to eat. Since I wouldn’t allow her to send her quarters and loonies in the mail, she counted her charity cash and scrutinized as I wrote a cheque to the World Wildlife Fund.

“The biomass of wild mammals has fallen by 82 per cent, natural ecosystems have lost about half their area and a million species are at risk of extinction� (Guardian, May 6, 2019).

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14 The Rural Voice

Without a parliament of all species, I’m guessing other species would want Indigenous peoples to speak for them. “While the world’s 370 million indigenous peoples make up less than five per cent of the total human population, they manage or hold tenure over 25 per cent of the world’s land surface and support about 80 per cent of global biodiversity,� (https://on.natgeo. com/38nCojG). In Canada, there is an opportunity to shift some crown land to Indigenous management for the sake of all species and as a step toward reconciliation.

There is also a role for farmers to support biodiversity. About 4.9 billion hectares of global land is used for agriculture. Up to 90 per cent of wildlife species, associated with agricultural land, depend upon natural or semi-natural land-cover types according to Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. These woodlands, wetlands, grasslands and treed fence lines provide the breeding and

feeding habitat which is so crucial for wild species.

Natural habitat is of benefit to many animal and plant species and also to species of insects, fungi and bacteria. In ecosystems, pollinators and decomposers are essential, whereas top predators, including humans, are optional.

In defense of preserving even small habitat patches, Dr. Lenore Fahrig of Carleton University provides evidence that a more fragmented pattern of a given habitat type implies more intermingling with other habitat types (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1 0.1111/geb.12839). She notes that all species responded favourably to more forest habitat, even if in small patches, and argues for policies to acknowledge the conservation value of all bits of habitat, no matter the size.

There is a precedent in the European Union to provide incentives for farmers to manage their properties so that 3 – 7 per cent of farmland is an ecological focus area. This improvement of natural habitat resulted in about 37–75 per cent of maximum species richness (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2015.12 .006). What if the Canadian government agreed to pay an incentive for a minimum three per cent of natural habitat, on each farm, in Canada? On our 62 million hectares of agricultural land we could make a difference.

Canadian farmers should not have to bear the economic cost for the public good of improving diversity with more natural habitat on farmland. There is a clear role for government incentives. Given that other species cannot advocate nor vote, it is up to those of us who can.

Indigenous peoples and farmers will form communities with each other, with soil and with other species if society contributes to their tenure and efforts to regenerate soil health and biodiversity, for our longterm economic potential. Ecological health is simply long-term economics or “oikos�, our economics of Home.  Even without a parliament of all species, our home could be a holistic habitat, where all creatures great and small can thrive. ◊

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Rural Life

The future of rural is: local • creative • healthy • green • mobile

• By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot • The future of rural and how to keep it thriving was the focus of one panel discussion during the Rural Talks to Rural Conferences held virtually in November.

R

ural communities are not just tiny versions of urban areas. Rural people know this intuitively but can they articulate exactly what rural is?

Five rural professionals tried to answer that question in a thought-provoking panel on The Future of Rural Is… put on by the virtual Rural Talks to Rural Conference organized by the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity.

One panelist suggested the future of rural is “creative”, while another said it’s “green” and another is “healthy” with all agreeing the future combines aspects of all the above.

The future is local

The future of rural is local, believes Patricia Latendresse, who shared the story of a town in Manitoba where the local municipal office allowed people to park in the municipal parking lot to access wifi in order to do school and business during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Obviously, it was not an ideal solution but it speaks to local finding solutions for what is needed most,” said Latendresse, a Policy Advisor at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) which focuses on rural, remote and northern policy directions. “It was innovative and necessary but when you take a step back to look at it, it’s a problem. People should not have to go to their municipal city hall to get wifi to go to school.”

The example speaks to the fine balance of how rural communities can be innovative while still struggling with lack of services and funding that can help rural communities thrive. Latendresse said much of her work involves focusing on innovative solutions in communities 16 The Rural Voice

while urging the government to apply a rural lens when designing programs.

“When I am advocating in Ottawa, we think the best ideas will be drawn from local expertise,” she said. “We feel the government is hearing us and we see that with funding.” In particular, bandwidth funding to close the digital divide, something Latendresse is passionate about.

“This pandemic has shown us how critical broadband is,” she said indicating how schooling, business and even this Rural 2 Rural Conference are all being conducted online. “I wake up at night thinking about it but what keeps me going is that some really incredible people at all levels are thinking about and working on these issues.”

T

The future is creative

he idea of the future of rural being local was enlarged by speaker Kristin Catherwood, an Intangible Cultural Heritage Development officer with Heritage Saskatchewan who says she does a lot of community engagement work and is excited about the creativity that flourishes there. She is a fan of asking “stupid” questions to explore answers that should be obvious but are not. Questions such as: “Why do you do that? Why do you eat that food? Why are you here today?

What is important to you?”

“It seems like the answers should be obvious but they are not,” she said, adding that it is our cultural assumptions that define our answers. “What I do is a sort of widening of the frame to bring things unseen into the frame and into focus. Once people understand their culture and the institutions built to serve them, then it’s hard to neglect that when making decisions,” said Catherwood. “We are all

stewing in culture whether we believe it or not.”

When we become aware of our cultural assumptions, which lead to our world views, then it becomes possible to understand other people have a world view that is different than ours. “Then you can understand other people’s cultural contexts and the culture of their community and how culture can sustain communities.

Then, it empowers you to be creative to shape the next stage of your community’s cultural evolution.”

How that creative manifests isn’t always the same. It can get messy.

But creation leads to new things instead of sitting on hands and making decisions based on fear.

“What makes me excited is people like Sarah on this panel who show up to be creative. They love rural places.

They want to be here. They choose to be here and that choice is powerful and gives me hope.” Leadership is key.

The future is healthy Thinking locally and thinking creatively can lead to the future of rural as “healthy” which was the idea promoted by Margaret Tromp, a rural medicine physician working in Moose Factory in Northern Ontario.

She is the past president of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada.

Working with indigenous communities, she says their level of health is lower than most Canadians which has a lot to do with social determinants verus location of health services. Social factors affect our health more than the healthcare system, she believes.

When rural communities encourage exercise through walking paths or start museums so people have a sense of culture and heritage, these initiatives encourage health individually and as a community, said Tromp. So does equity, versus the lack of it. “What are the real things we can do to promote health?” she asked. Adequate housing and social services is one. Having community is another. Being able to go through major life events such as birth and death surrounded by family, friends and community is another.

January 2021 17

community regularly pedaling ebikes to drop their kids off at daycare. It’s quick and doesn’t require space for parking,” shared Breen.

The key is to focus on improvement. For instance, the mining sector has been notorious for detrimental waste products in the The future is green past. However, there are initiatives Another piece of the future of such as Metal Tech Alley, a collective of over 80 high-tech rural is….question is “green” companies in Trail, B.C. which is believes Sarah Breen, the Regional partially funded by a zinc and lead Innovation Chair in Rural Economic smelting refinery to refine waste Development at Selkirk College in products into valuable materials.

British Columbia. She has a PhD in “There has been monumental Resource and Environmental progress with the creation of a stateManagement from Simon Fraser of-the-art fabrication lab,” said University, a Masters in Geography Green. from Memorial University, and a However, not everything is about Bachelor’s degree in Geography economics when it comes to thinking from Lakehead University. of the future as green. It’s also about ` “Our future has to be green or we trees and knowing when to cut and run the risk of not having a future at when to let them stand. Engineered all,” said Breen, who laments the lumber and buildings using mass timber have the potential to reduce emissions in the building sector so cutting trees, a renewable resource, can be beneficial when done with good m a n a g e m e n t practices. There are also times to leave trees standing as studies have shown that mature tree stands increase tourism which is more economically valuable in some areas than cutting the trees down. Part of being green is doing the studies and getting information out to people.

Being green is also about technology: emission sensors, electrification of fleets, precision ag -each of these areas is complex and each has People who love rural places are innovative when it comes to meeting the needs of their its drawbacks and communities said panelists discussing the future of rural during the Rural Talks to Rural trade-offs but they are Talks Conference held virtually in November. Taking part in the discussion were allowing for “incre(clockwise) Ashleigh Weeden, Sarah Breen, Heather Mair, Kristin Catherwood, Patricia mental improvement”, Latendresse and Margaret Tromp. a way of moving “What are we doing so that people have meaning and purposes in life to feel they are achieving that on a daily basis are some of the major topics we address when talking about health,” explained Tromp.

18 The Rural Voice

carbon footprint each person is leaving, particularly in regards to transportation. Yet she’s also hopeful as she considers how incremental approaches can lead to life-altering change.

“Transportation is a huge source of our emissions but this pandemic is showing us what is possible. Do I really need to fly to those meetings or drive hours everyday to get to the office? The answer is becoming, “no, not everyday”, said Breen. As she looks to the community around her, she sees rural residents changing their habits by riding electric bikes, and developing driving cooperatives or ride shares.

The idea of “active transportation” is taking hold to reduce emissions which has the benefit of increasing human welfare. “In Canada, people always ask “well what about the winter” but I see parents in my

forward. “We should not hold our breath for a perfect solution,” said Green. “Neither should we wait for someone else to come up with solutions. This is everybody’s problem and it is 100 per cent possible for everyone to improve.”

The future is mobile These improvements happen where we live and require a future of rural to be “mobile” which was Heather Mair’s focus on the panel.

Mair is a professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo and says she is most interested in the role(s) of leisure, sport, and tourism in rural community life. She studies mobility – who can move and who cannot move in terms of transportation, moving for education and transportation as it relates to tourism.

She grew up in an age where many students who grew up rural were told to “get an education and get out” to find opportunities. Some could, some couldn’t, which were issues in themselves. One of her thoughts is that people who move to rural communities can build a great life and can use their energy to create opportunities in the place where they live. “They don’t have to leave to access opportunities,” said Mair.

When it comes to tourism, COVID-19 has created a huge shift.

Mair is hearing that people are “poking up like groundhogs’’ in Italian communities. Free from a influx of tourists, Italians are feeling free to explore their own communities. Mair admits she’s becoming a person who believes in staying home and making home a place to experience new things. Yet she anticipates that once restrictions and pandemic fears subside, it will be hard to convince those who rely on tourism to make a living support change. “I am in some ways antitravel. How come some people get to to change places to grow, nurture and challenge themselves and others don’t?” In terms of planet health, there is a growing movement of people who believe in staying home to reduce transportation emissions.

It’s a moral argument and Mair is worried it will be “bound up in

economic activity” once the planet returns to “normal.”

Moderator Ashleigh Wheedon, an award-winning rural innovator who is currently completing her PhD in Rural Studies at the University of Guelph concluded the discussion of

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Beef

Rescuing a lifetime of genetics A tank of semen was lost but the cattle were saved after fire destroyed the barn at Posthaven Limousins • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

T

It was a dreary day when John Post sat down to chat about the barn fire and limousin genetics at Posthaven Limousins near Alma but the cows were contentedly eating hay and John had a smile for the camera despite an injured leg, made worse while rescuing cattle from the fire.

20 The Rural Voice

he new barn is nice, really nice, but it doesn’t erase the memory of a fire that destroyed the Posthaven Limousin barn along with a semen tank containing both past and future genetics.

In April of 2020, John and Ena Post were sitting in the basement of their home on Sideroad 20 near Alma in Perth County when Ena went upstairs to make coffee. She looked out the kitchen window and yelled, “the barn is on fire.”

Despite an injured leg, John ran outside, his only thought to get the cattle out. His neighbouring son had also seen the glow of the fire and was racing to the barn. A lifetime of genetics was in that barn! The cows and bulls were in the barnyard, frightened and surging at the gates trying to get away from the flames. John, his son and more neighbours opened gates into the pasture and all the animals escaped.

Fifteen minutes later, the bank barn collapsed, taking all its contents, including over 380 vials of semen, with it. After the fire, seven of his bulls had to be put down from burns and/or smoke inhalation.

“If we had lost all the heifers and cows, there would have been a good chance I’d have quit,” admits John Post, who has spent over 30 years redefining the Limousin breed with fullblood, heavily-muscled genetics that can be traced back to France and Britain. He believes Limousin cattle should be meaty, with excellent conformation though not necessarily showy, and has built a reputation as a breeder with three bulls in Semex and countless cattle and bulls sold world-wide from his small farm near Alma.

On the day of the fire, the wickedly intense flames were licking at the roof of his house across the yard, requiring 90,000 tonnes of water to save it The house remained standing (and remarkably) undamaged but the barn was reduced to ashes, something every farmer dreads. It was later determined mice had chewed through electrical wires, even though the barn had been rewired 17 years earlier. All the wiring in the new barn is protected in conduit.

A barn fire is an emotional event for farmers and has long repercussions. Simple things such as going to feed the cats and realizing the cat dishes were destroyed can bring back the shock. All Post’s tools, stored hay and straw were lost. The fire did not,

however, destroy Post’s vision of the breed and his desire to be a breeder of repute even as he has surpassed retirement age.

“I love what I’m doing … I’d like to keep farming until I’m 80!” he states, modifying that to include “until my health permits.” He’s now in partnership with son, John Jr., with the provision that John and Ena can stay on the farm as long as they choose. “We love this place. We aren’t ones to go to the beach or on a cruise ship,” says Post, who built the house they live in. They do like to do day trips or overnight stays when delivering bulls.

Being a beef breeder is a different direction than Post expected to take when he was a young man. His dad was a dairy farmer and Post hoped he’d also do dairy one day. First, he started a construction company called Post Farm Structures Inc. (now run by his oldest and youngest sons, Herman and Josh) and by the early 1980s realized dairy farming wasn’t going to be possible.

“So I switched to beef cattle,” remembers Post, as he recounts his story from the warm office of his barn. His old dog keeps trying to sneak in and I can see the randy bulls are jumping on one another in the big bull pen seen through the window.

There are five pens in total plus a storage section for small round bales of straw. It’s neat, clean, light and organized for efficient movement of animals. There are currently about 60 head in the barn and Post has no plans to become a large cattle farmer as his focus has, and always will be, genetics.

“If there weren’t any bloodlines to track in these animals, I’d rather the barn was empty,” states Post. His focus is to breed big butts back into Limousin cattle, something the showmen haven’t focused on, he believes. “If you have to tell me it's a Limousin, I don’t want ’em.” ost breeds fullblood Limousins, where both sides of the pedigree can be traced back to France or Britain. He recently purchased eight animals from the U.S., using hair samples to test the DNA and follow their pedigree back to France. Europeans prefer different cuts of meat and fatten cattle to 2,500

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pounds compared to Ontario which prefers a carcass weight of 800 pounds. He thinks Europe has it right because butts are where the meat is, especially the Triple AAA marbled meat that people want.

He sells meat from the farm as well and struggles to understand why 80 per cent of the meat sold is hamburger. Hamburger! He thinks it’s a darn shame that so much meat that should be in roasts and steaks ends up as hamburger.

Farmgate sales are a sideline for the main business which is selling bulls. That’s where small breeders like himself can turn a profit since Posthaven bulls sell for $3,500 to $4,800 each. Embryos are sold on order because of all the paperwork, with the last ones sold going to Norway three years ago. Cattle sales during Posthaven’s cattle drive, foundation and online sales have seen them go to six Canadian provinces and 14 American states.

Semen from eight Posthaven sires has been marketed worldwide and three bulls have been sold to Semex: Urban Cowboy, Zanzibar and Cyrus.

The bull that “has done the most” is Yellowstone, son of Urban Cowboy, which is a top-requested full-polled bull, says Post.

Full-polled bulls take generations to breed and are highly desired as temperament and this is where Post gets fierce. “I cull hard on temperament. If a bull isn’t going to behave, it goes to the butcher,” says Post. “I’ve got grandkids and I don’t want that kind of cattle in my barn.

Other breeders don’t want them either.”

Limousins have had a reputation for being aggressive but Post says that’s being bred out of the breed. “People from all over come to look over this herd and they always comment on how quiet they are.”

Post’s goal for his business is to focus on the dependability of the Posthaven name. He guarantees all his 22 The Rural Voice

Seven Posthaven Limousin bulls had to be put down after an April barn fire due to burns and smoke inhalation but most of the cattle survived allowing John Post (below, left) to rebuild a new cattle barn (above) that is roomier, has better ventilation and is more efficient, reducing chore time by half. It means Post can keep in the business of breeding and marketing full blood Limousin cattle, something he hopes to do until he is 80.

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animals, semen-tests for reliability of bulls and has papers on all the bloodlines. Part of the reason he purchased the eight animals from the U.S. was to introduce different bloodlines. Semen is only collected from Posthaven genetics.

Seeing the animals contentedly eating in the new barn, it’s hard to imagine the herd in any other surroundings but the cattle lived outside with bush cover for most of 2020 while the barn was being built.

A neighbour housed the bulls for Post. Post’s sons who took over Post Farm Constructions built the barn while Post’s former foreman, Bert De Haan of Benchmark Construction, did the interior.

“He knows me so well and he knew exactly what I wanted,” says Post. De Haan’s professional help, skill, understanding and friendship is something Post is particularly thankful for. The barn design is everything he could ask for. Floors were sloped for manure to run to the yard for easy cleanup while keeping the pens inside cleaner and dryer.

Everything is airy and open, which has improved ventilation and has the extra benefit of making the cattle quieter because they see humans everyday. With everything on one floor, and a new gating system, chores take half the time. That is a good thing because Post seriously reinjured his leg running out to save the cattle on the night of the fire.

First hurt in March when a cow kicked him, Post had been favouring the leg but he couldn’t think about his leg during the fire. Unfortunately, while saving the cattle, he wrecked his knee, tearing the ACL ligament and MCL tissue. Walking is painful and doctor visits are ongoing to determine how to fix the knee. It was very frustrating to be immobile for four months while his sons and De Haan rebuilt the barn, admits Post Still, he can’t thank them and the neighbours enough. “The night of the fire there were cars up and down the road, with neighbours helping,” he remembers. Ultimately, he’s thankful for the new barn and that Posthaven is still in business but he hopes to never experience anything like that again. ◊

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Recyling

Commodity versus garbage Farmers need to have a different mindset about farm plastics to prepare for recycling opportunities

Lynn Leavitt of Prince Edward County started U-Pac Agri-Service in the Spring of 2016 to help farmers recycle bale

wrap. Leavitt was part of a Forage Focus panel discussing how to store, manage and market farm plastics.

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t’s time farmers view bale wrap and other farm plastics as a commodity with value because when they see it as a commodity versus garbage, the real recycling can begin.

So says Kim Timmer, manager of stakeholder relationships for Cleanfarms, a not-for-profit organization that is already recycling farm-use plastics into tile drainage pipes. 2020 marks the organization’s 10th anniversary as it continues to launch pilot projects with three new ones starting in Bruce County this year.

Timmer was joined by two other speakers to take part in the Post-Plastic Forage Storage panel hosted virtually by the Ontario Forage Council in December: Lynn Leavitt, a Prince Edward County farmer who built his own plastic bag compressor to create plastic wrap bales and Erica Pensini, a researcher developing a biodegradable plasticlike film that can protect farm crops before naturally degrading into the soil. Both Leavitt and Pensini are hoping more farmers will participate in their plastic-capture and scientific research studies to encourage stewardly use of ag-plastics in Canada.

With funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Environment of Climate Change Canada,

Cleanfarms has launched an extensive province-byprovince study to identify the needs of farmers, recyclers and manufacturers. This data will be released in early 2121 before Cleanfarms conducts a consensus planning session to discuss long-term planning. Timmer says farmers need to get on board and start collecting and storing plastics … but clean them first.

“When you collect plastics you are not creating a pile for the sake of creating a pile,” says Timmer. “You are collecting a commodity that someone else is going to use to create a new product. We want to market a good product.”

There’s a LOT of plastic to collect. Older data from 2011 reveals back then, farmers were using 7,000 tonnes of plastic per year. Of that 7,000 tonnes, 3,500 tonnes was from plastic film and 2,400 tonnes was from silage film and bale wrap. Those numbers will only have increased in 2021.

Before COVID-19 took over the news stories, Timmer reports the mainstream media was raising skepticism about the percentage of farm-use plastics actually being recycled.

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She says when farmers do market plastics to a company, they should ask the “who, what, where, when and how” of how the product is being recycled. If it isn’t being made into something new, it isn’t being recycled.

“There is a lot of pressure for those of us who are passionate about this issue to build trust about what we do,” says Timmer. “We need to build credibility.”

Cleanfarms collects a variety of plastics but the plastic being turned into drainage tile comes from small plastic pesticide and fertilizer containers, 23 litres and under. In 2019, farmers returned 5.5 million containers bringing the total volume of containers recycled since the program’s inception to 131.5 million.

In Ontario, Cleanfarms also collects unwanted pesticides and old livestock/equine medications. They collect all pesticide and seed bags, rinsed pesticide and fertilizer containers up to 23 litres labeled commercial (ones labelled domestic are not collected) and emptied/rinsed totes and drums.

In 2021, Cleanfarms will expand their reach and launch pilot projects in Bruce County to collect and recycle twine, silage film and bale wrap. “We will experiment with different collection models and methodologies. The important thing is to start small and build a model that makes sense in the region. Then

expand,” says Timmer. alling himself a seasoned farmer who feels an obligation to be part of “the fix”, Lynn Leavitt of Prince Edward County has taken the initiative to design his own plastic wrap compressor to create clean and compact plastic wrap bales destined for recycling.

He started U-Pac Agri-Service in the Spring of 2016 to assist farmers recycle in an efficient and costeffective way. The process involves the farmer storing clean plastic onfarm before delivering it to Leavitt’s farm, where he compacts it into transportable bales for manufacturing companies. Leavitt designed his own compactor by building a wooden box to hold plastic wrap, which is compressed with a metal plate controlled by a loader tractor.

“You can tell when the plastic is pressed enough when there is no spring back,” says Leavitt.

Creating the compactor was one part of his goal. Connecting with companies willing to buy it was another. He now sells the plastic for five cents per pound, U.S. dollars.

Once the agricultural plastic is compressed into tight, square bales, they are wrapped with an end cap or piece of plastic to keep them dry. “If we leave them uncovered, water filtrates through the bales and the pallets rot out quickly,” explains Leavitt. Plus, water makes the bales heavier.

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Each compacted bale is numbered for traceability. “As Timmer talked about, we have to maintain our integrity. We can’t have rocks, hammers or dead animals in the bales. This helps us keep track so that if something needs to change, the farmer who brought the plastic in will get a phone call,” says Leavitt.

In terms of how he likes to see plastic come in, Leavitt references his own plastic wrapped bales.

“Sometimes we can have up to two pounds of mud on each bale. So we need to get that off there. What I do is let it air dry and then brush it off,” he explains. While the bale still has a muddy stain, the mud volume has been removed and recyclers consider that extremely good.”

The packaged bales are put on wagons and run to a local warehouse.

The owner of the warehouse is on board with the project and contributes use of forklifts and employee time to load the bales into a covered truck. It takes them about 45 minutes to load 45 bales.

Leavitt says more markets need to be found for the plastics and that will come once manufacturers can secure a steady supply of material. That’s why he urges farmers to keep cleaning and storing plastic. Markets will come, says Leavitt. ecycling agriculture plastic is good but it would be even more ideal if farmers did not have to rely on plastics as tools to

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Kim Timmer, (centre) is the manager of stakeholder relationships for Cleanfarms, a not-for-profit organization that recycles farm-use plastics into tile drainage pipes.

January 2021 27

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28 The Rural Voice

store crops and bedding material says Erica Pansini, a researcher with the University of Guelph who is developing bale and silage wrap from inexpensive and robust materials.

An environmental engineer, Pensini says most plastic wrap from farms ends up in landfills where it cannot be recycled. Her goal is to develop a product that can wrap around bales that works like a plastic but can be composted. And she’s getting close.

There are bioplastics being marketed but these are only biodegradable in special plants and cannot be composted on the farm.

They are also costly and may not have the durability required to be effective.

Her research uses zein, a corn byproduct that produces natural wraps with excellent performance that can be composted on the field to reduce plastic waste. Zein is so safe, it is edible though Pencini admits it’s not tasty.

Zein is easy to fabricate and versatile, explains Pencini. Starting in powdered form, it is dissolved in alkaline water before salts or fertilizers are added to shift the ph balance. At first the liquid zein looks like bubble gum but once sprayed on whatever you want to cover, it provides a strong film. It retains its shape when wetted and locks in moisture.

The concept is attracting attention but farmers aren’t convinced a spray option is effective, admits Pencini.

She is trying to develop prefabricated zein wraps and this has been more difficult. Zein films can become more rigid over time unless adequate preparation methods are used. An application of levulinic acid helps but then the zein film is not fully impermeable to water.

Pencini said the next stage of experimentation to the zein wrap was to add cutin, a waxy material from tomato and grape peels. Cutin is a hydrophobic (water repellant) polymer. This combination is currently usable for creation of plastic bags but needs more testing for on-farm solutions. Which is why Pencini is looking for farmers to partner with her to test zein-based films to find preparation methods to

achieve both water repellant properties and flexibility (stretching and blending).

Her goal is to make these products economically feasible as well. While there is no getting around the fact that manufacturing costs of a biodegradable plastic are higher than traditional plastics, she says it’s important to consider the cost to the planet. Climate change is happening, which will affect water resources. “If we factor in those things, we get closer to the real cost,” says Pencini.

Question and Answer Session: Q. What do you think are the biggest barriers for producers to recycle plastics?

Leavitt: “I have to say from conversations I’ve had, for most farmers is the time it takes. Lots of guys like to zip the plastic down and run over it. They want someone else to come and take it away. I don’t see that happening.”

Q. How resilient are plastic recycling programs against oil prices?

Timmer: “Low prices of oil is a global phenomenon and it does reduce the price of plastics. So we’re starting to see leadership from government and corporations making commitments to incorporate recycled content into their products. That will increase the market.”

Q. What do recyclers actually do with the plastic?

Timmer: “Plastic from our containers (high density polyethylene) goes into drainage tile.

Out west, where we collect a lot of grain bags, that plastic is often the same as silage wrap and these go into the North American market to be reused into plastic bags.”

Leavitt: “The folks I work with are in meetings and we are on track to make plastic lumber.”

Q. Is net wrap recyclable? Are end caps from bale wrap recyclable?

Leavitt: End caps are the same as silage bags. It's just that all different products have to be kept separate.

Folks with the net wrap well, we will bale it up and then we’ll fund a solution for it. I can’t find a home for it until we have it. It's kind of like 4H where you learn to do by doing.

Timmer: Netwrap is particularly problematic. It is made up for two

different types of plastic which creates a technical barrier to recycling. Also, netwrap is extremely dirty at the end of life. We see farm plastics as a commodity and when you look at a commodity, you want high quality. When we say high quality, we mean low contamination and by that, we mean less than 10 per cent contamination and that is really hard with net wrap.

Q. For producers who are interested in recycling and want to start right away, what can they do right away?

Timmer: They can change their mindset. I like producers to look at plastic as a commodity and that is a shift in thinking. When you think of it as a commodity instead of waste, that gets you thinking about contamination and keeping it clean.

Leavitt: I agree. The change of mindset.

Pencini: When I was a child in Italy, we had hay sheds. There was no wrap around bales. Hay was stored under a roof. I think, put the bales in a protected space and then you do not need plastic at all. ◊

Lynn Leavitt’s homemade plastic compressor is able to package plastics from neigbouring farms into a transportable commodity.

January 2021 29

Sheep

Farmer Ben promotes sheep farming Lambing and manure spreading are Ben Ernewein’s most popular videos on the YouTube channel he started to share sheep farm stories • By Amanda Brodhagen •

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Ben Ernewein created the “Farming with Ben” YouTube channel on the advice of his friend to share stories of life on the farm. His favourite videos are about lambing but it’s the manure-spreading video that has garnered the most likes.

30 The Rural Voice

n 2020 our lives changed. With the arrival of COVID-19, our means of staying connected with friends and family was altered. It was especially hard for our youth to adapt to the new normal. But 12-year-old Benjamin Ernewein decided to make the best out of a bad situation. He created his own YouTube channel and uses it as a platform to provide viewers with a glimpse of what it is like to be a kid growing up on a livestock farm.

Beef and sheep are raised on Ben’s family farm but the farm focus is on sheep so that is what Ben highlights on his channel. The Erneweins of Meadowbrook Family Farm are first generation sheep farmers raising 700 meat (predominantly Dorset influenced) and 100 dairy British Milk sheep on a grass-based farm. Their meat sheep are raised on grass and finished on locally sourced grains. The milking herd is a new addition which will be up and running by May of 2021. The Ernewiens had the opportunity to purchase an existing flock as the owners decided to relocate to Ireland. The family has been approved to sell their milk to Best Baa Dairy in Fergus where they make cheese and yogurt.

When the lockdown had parents homeschooling their children, it gave farm kids like Ben more time to help out around home. Being the youngest of four siblings and growing up on a farm is like having your own playground in your backyard albeit with a never-ending list of jobs to be done.

Ben and his school friend Mac Ireland make an effort to stay connected virtually through their devices. One day Mac, who also lives on a farm, encouraged Ben to create a YouTube channel just like him. Mac lives on a grain farm and his parents run land near Ben’s home farm outside of Walkerton and they regularly compare notes about what each other is doing on their family farms.

Ben decided to follow Mac’s advice and create a YouTube channel called “Farmer Ben” which has since been renamed to “Farming with Ben”. When he started his channel, he failed to run the idea past his parents, and it wasn’t until his dad’s former boss spoke up that it became known that he was creating YouTube videos. Ben’s parents, Steve and Lisa Ernewein, confronted their son about the channel he

had been producing in secret. They explained that while it was okay for him to have his own channel, that videos going forward needed to be parentally approved before posting.

When asked what kind of advice he would give kids his own age who want to create their own YouTube channel, Ben said without hesitation, “ask your parents first!” It’s been chalked up as a learning experience and the Erneweins couldn’t be prouder of their son.

“Watching his videos gives people a different perspective about farming. It’s from a child’s point of view,” explains Lisa. Ben’s dad, Steve, said he’s seen his son start to mature since he took the YouTube venture on, adding that his interestlevel on the farm has increased. In fact, last spring Ben saved the day by assisting a ewe giving birth to triplets that were coming backwards. Ben’s small hands allowed him to reach into the ewe with greater ease and now he’s ready if the opportunity comes along again.

Other than being a YouTuber, Ben is a typical farm kid, enrolled in 4-H and plays hockey as a goalie. All of Ben’s 4-H clubs were cancelled this past year except for the 4-H sheep club that his mom helps lead. It went virtual. Their final project was to create a mockup page for the Sheep Canada Magazine and Ben did his on Kerry Hill Sheep, a breed that originated from Wales.

During a typical 4-H year, Ben and his siblings show market lambs to sell. With their flock being closed to prevent health issues, the Ernewein kids have to keep their project lambs separate from the flock and wash their hooves when they bring them home until they’re ultimately sold at the Brussels annual 4-H show and sale. Lisa recounts how difficult it was for Ben to part with his project animal. But once he understood that selling his lamb could help pay for his hockey equipment for the year, he felt a lot better about the process.

Ben’s favourite topic is lambing and anything to do with baby lambs.

However, his most popular video is on manure spreading with over 1,000 views. Ben’s YouTube channel covers a number of topics including

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grazing, shearing, pre-checking, and fieldwork.

As a self-proclaimed ambassador for the sheep industry, Ben’s advice for people wanting to get into the sheep industry is “get a breed of sheep that is calm like a Dorset,” he said.

In person, Ben comes across as shy. Behind his phone, his passion for sheep farming shines through with his animated talks and knowledge of activities related to sheep farming. In a way, it’s an example of modern day public speaking but without a daunting crowd staring at you in the moment.

Having his own YouTube channel has also forced Ben to think outside the box with filming. Using zip ties to hold his phone to a tractor or fence or creating gadgets to help

shoot his footage. has given him some practical skills on how to problem-solve. His tripod, for example, is made from an old telescope. Ben’s dad Steve said he doesn’t have a fancy go-pro like many YouTube enthusiasts. He’s been able to produce good quality videos in a low-tech way, which teaches him to be practical and forces him to be creative with the resources he has at his disposal.

Last year, Ben won the Canadian Sheep Federation video contest

called “More than Just a Sheep Farmer.” His mom Lisa said that he’s very humble about that. “There is no showboating from him. It’s the same with his hockey. When people say he’s had a great game, he has a team mentality and always says ‘we had a great game’,” she says proudly.

At the time that this article was written, Ben had 124 subscribers.

You can find him on YouTube by searching “Farming with Ben”. Be sure to watch, listen, subscribe and be prepared to be inspired! ◊

Ben Ernewein (below) in a still from a YouTube video where shares stories from the farm on his Farming with Ben channel. Ben’s parents, Steve and Lisa, are proud of Ben’s work as an ambassador of the sheep industry.

The Ernewein family raise 700 meat sheep and are about to start milking 100 British Milk sheep at their Walkerton-area farm.

January 2021 33

Market Garden

A vegetable education: Running a Community Support Agriculture market garden on two acres has been an education for owner Sarah Judd and her members Sarah Judd, Owner, Meadow Lynn Market Garden

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onsumers like to have a fun vegetable in their garden box but not too many surprises or they feel burdened.

“People like tradition and are comfortable with common crops so we try not to overwhelm them too much. We also put one fruit in the box every week,” says Sarah Judd, owner of Meadow Lynn Market Garden and Community Support Agriculture (CSA) near Norfolk who spoke to Junior Farmers of Ontario during the group's first fall speaker series session held November 3.

For instance, red beets are a garden mainstay but she also grew yellow, orange and candy-striped beets this year.

Kohlrabi was another fun vegetable in the garden but she found she had to offer taste-tests on pickup day to encourage customers to sample it so they would use it.

34 The Rural Voice

• By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot • Artichokes and edamame beans were also unusual crops she grew in the CSA this year.

Trying new vegetables and eating seasonally is a huge challenge for many of the 130 customers who have joined Judd’s CSA since 2019. “It’s a big learning curve for people. Like how to freeze tomatoes for winter or how to clean out the fridge at the end of the week and make a soup of leftover vegetables. People struggle with it because they did not grow up with those skills,” says Judd.

A big part of her business is education. “Teaching them these skills is empowering and exciting!” says the busy mom who has transformed two acres of former pasture into vegetable gardens for this enterprise. When she married her husband Thomas, she joined in the family’s Jersey dairy and strawberry operation.

“When my mother-in-law married into the farm, she started strawberries and it has been very successful,” said Judd. “It’s another way to share resources on the farm and for all of us to have our own pillar of work and not step on each other’s toes.”

She is an encourager of other farmers with small acreages to consider market gardening because it is a viable business. Or, family members creating a business within the larger farm enterprise. “If you run your own books you could justify farming on two acres and provide enough farm income.”

With a crossover of clientele from the strawberries to the CSA, Judd had immediate uptake for her market garden but it wasn’t until COVID-19 that her customer bank swelled. “We literally doubled our operation overnight. We know people came to us out of fear of going to a grocery store but we hope retention will be excellent as well.” he market garden grows 32 different kinds of vegetables from June to October. “I could have extended into fall and winter but we focused on a typical growing season in Ontario and that was a great way for us to enter the marketplace at low risk. You don’t need greenhouses to grow in those months.”

While operating as a business, it is also Judd’s goal to give people a “vegetable education” and teach them how to grow different vegetables. Customers purchase a membership which means they share in the risk and the bounty. They pay for the boxes up front.

Communication is important at the start of the program and to keep members long-term. Customers are keen to support their local community and their local farmers.

They really want to learn about agriculture. “That’s important to them. People want that connection to their food.”

For some people, the weekly pickup at the farm is a highlight of their week. Connection with the farm is something Judd was able to enhance and develop over the past year. Having a friendly demeanor is vital. “We arrange pickup for one day

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of the week so we make sure we have the energy and time on that day to invest in our members. We communicate the rest of the week via email.”

Curbing expectations and setting expectations are both important with a CSA model. Home grown vegetables aren’t as perfect as store vegetables. “We teach our customers that just because it does not look perfect doesn’t mean it won’t taste great.” Interestingly, these mild imperfections add to the authenticity of her brand. For instance, customers need to understand the seasonality of the business. “Obviously, we cannot harvest tomatoes in May and June.

“Some customers do not understand this and I’m learning there is a big disconnection between food and seasons and what to do with vegetables from each season.” Customers learn the box fluctuates each week. It can be

exciting or overwhelming.

“It’s great for us and the staff as we get to harvest something different each week. But it can also be challenging as you have to learn about growing many different kinds of vegetables and understand their life cycles,” explained Judd.

With such a variety, it means there is always something to tuck in the boxes. “This year we struggled to grow arugula because we had poor flea beetle control. Arugula isn’t a mainstay crop so it wasn’t really missed but we did have to replace it with another vegetable,” said Judd.

If customers miss a weekly pickup, they get a reminder and can come the next day. After that, the produce is donated to a local food bank to eliminate food waste. eing a CSA owner, Judd is a lot of work. “It’s all pesticide free and involves hand labour,” said Judd. “We decided to

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go pesticide free because we can get a premium price for the products and are able to provide assurance to our customers that the product is safe.”

There is debate on the farm about this because they know sprayed vegetables can be safe. However, this is “one more level of assurance to customers,” said Judd.

In terms of marketing, Judd said most of her clients are from urban centres such as Port Dover and Oakville. However, she estimated 1015 per cent of her members are farmers. “They don’t want to grow a garden so they ask me to do it for them,” she said. Judd uses a memberonly Facebook page to communicate, share recipes and create discussion about vegetables and gardening. Prior to COVID-19, she also offered workshops on preserving food and making quick meals at the end of the day which was a lot of work but a vital part of the education process. ◊

Sarah Judd’s little ones are big helpers at Meadow Lynn Market Garden near Norwich which Judd created out of an abandoned pasture on the family’s dairy farm. As a viable, separate business it allows Judd to carve her own space and purpose on the farm and grow traditional and interesting vegetables such as multi-coloured carrots (right).

January 2021 37

Recipes by Nancy Fisher

Imperfect food for an imperfect world

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appy New Year friends. Inspiration for these articles comes from a lot of different sources.

While planning this month’s recipes I was watching old Christmas movies and I turned on a movie from 1947 called “It Happened on 5th Avenue”. If you haven’t watched this one I recommend it. While it is set at Christmas time it is not just about the holiday, and you

The word “slumgullion” roughly means slime and cesspool which doesn’t sound like an appetizing dish.

When you make it with leftovers and macaroni, it actually turns into a delicious and hearty soup (above). For winter treats, Chocolate Tiffin (above) combines digestive-type cookies with chocolate.

38 The Rural Voice

could watch at any time. In fact for a movie that is 73 years old, some of the themes are very current, including homelessness, misplaced priorities, and a housing shortage.

Showing, yet again, that everything is circular.

As I was enjoying the fast-paced and very funny story there was a scene where a character lifts a lid off a pot on the stove and is excited by a dish called Slumgullion. Well, this was enough to get me googling and I discovered that the name roughly means slime and cesspool. It’s not the most appetizing description for a favourite dish! The first literary reference seems to be by Mark Twain who used it to refer to a vile drink served at a questionable establishment. In the movie the character is remembering a type of beef stew that his former wife made, and when it is served, everyone enjoys it despite the name!

This led me to searching for the recipe. While there is no definitive source, most describe it as a kind of ground beef and macaroni soup or stew. I think we all have a variation of this dish in our past, or maybe our Mom or Gran made it.

Let’s face it ... 2020 was a bit of a Slumgullion of a year. Perhaps if we throw all the leftovers in a big pot we can make a better dish of 2021.

Slumgullion Soup This is my version of a Slumgullion soup. I have to say it was delicious, hearty, and filling. Like most things that have tomatoes and pasta, it was even better the next day.

It's open to vast interpretations and substitutions. I think a new tradition for next Christmas will be a big bowl of this in front of a certain black and white DVD. Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef 1 cup macaroni 1 can condensed tomato soup 1 tetra Chicken broth (900ml) 1 can (398ml) tomatoes (whole, chopped or crushed) 1 onion chopped 1 stalk celery chopped 1 large sweet pepper chopped (any colour) Salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs Oil Water as needed Parmesan cheese Directions: In a large soup pot add oil and saute the onion, celery and pepper, after the vegetables start to soften add the ground beef and brown. I season here with some salt and pepper, but remember to taste as you go and adjust to your preference.

Add the canned soup, chicken stock (could be beef if that’s what you have) and tomatoes. I like to rinse the cans with a bit of water and I added a bit more to keep it soupy.

Stir in the macaroni, chili powder, and Italian seasonings.

Recipes Simmer over a low heat until the macaroni is cooked adding water or seasonings if you think it needs it.

Really that is it and is very satisfying as a quick meal. But you can add any other vegetables you may love, or have kicking around. Next time I’m going to add carrots and some shredded cabbage.

Imperfect Crackers As long as we are not worrying about perfection these days, I also made some imperfect crackers. All those people who had too much time on their hands and too much sourdough starter last year started a trend with sourdough crackers. But let me tell you a secret – sourdough and I just don’t get along. The whole story is, well, explosive. Let’s leave it at that.

However I’m a big fan of Julie Van Rosendaal, a Calgary food writer who has written a few cookbooks, contributes to CBC radio, and writes for the Globe and Mail.

Her philosophy is that food should be gloriously messy and dirty. Her most recent cookbook is actually called Dirty Food. I was very curious about her broken crackers. She chats about, and makes them frequently on her social media accounts. If I had known how easy it was, I would have been making crackers for years.

If you have some small people at home this is a good one to let them help with. It's very forgiving and allows for some enthusiastic rolling skills.

Since our theme is about letting go of perfection, have some fun and experiment with flavours. Change up the flours, try different seeds, herbs or spices.

Ingredients: 1 ⅓ cups flour any kind, mix it up (I used 1 cup all purpose and ⅓ whole wheat in the first batch) Pinch of fine salt Approximately 1 tablespoon of finely chopped, or dried herbs and spices. (optional) Approximately 1 tablespoon of small seeds - think sesame, flax, caraway (optional) ⅓ cup canola or olive oil - I used canola ⅓ cup water

Flaky salt Directions: Put the flour(s) in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Now add your flavours – think about those store-bought crackers you like and try some of that. The measurements are up to you. I used about a tablespoon of an “everything bagel” seasoning mix with a few extra sesame seeds thrown in. If you are using a herb/spice mix remember that salt may be included in the blend so maybe skip the salt on top. Add the oil and water and mix together into a dough. Give this a good knead and leave to rest while you heat the oven to 375 F. This is a good place for the little ones to help with the mixing and rolling. I have a large rimless cookie sheet which is perfect for easy rolling, but Julie mentions using a regular sheet pan turned over.

Put the dough onto your pan and roll out to about ⅛” thick. As evenly as you can. I always thought you then had to cut out perfect little squares or circles - but why? Just leave it in a big shaggy shape. Sprinkle with a little flaky salt and roll again to make it stick. Poke all over with a fork.

Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes.

Keep an eye on it as ovens vary, and once it starts to go brown pull it out.

Let cool on the pan and break up into imperfect chunks to serve. As soon as I tasted my first batch, I immediately started on another. I used all white flour, a pizza mixed spice I had picked up in an Italian grocery store with a little parmesan cheese. The spice mix had hot pepper in it and they turned out delicious and addictive!

Chocolate Tiffin While we are in the zone of messy, imperfect food we might as well add a simple dessert treat that will please the whole family. In Britain it is called Tiffin. I have made various versions of this unbaked square for years. I have a deep love for digestive biscuits, one that is not shared by the rest of my family. So combining them with the chocolate everyone else craves, it's a win win for all of us.

This version has added nuts but many people add raisins or sultanas

or even glace cherries.

Ingredients: 1 packet of digestive style biscuits. (you can also use a Rich Tea style of biscuit) 200 grams of milk chocolate (bars) You can use milk chocolate chips but I just grab good quality chocolate bars 200 grams good quality dark chocolate 3 tablespoons corn syrup (or golden syrup) 1 cup butter 1 tablespoon cocoa powder ½ cup white chocolate chips Add 1 cup your choice of chopped walnuts, chopped hazelnuts, flaked almonds, or dried fruit.

Directions: Prepare a 9 X 9 inch pan with a lining of parchment paper leaving some over the side to use as handles to remove the squares when finished.

Crush the digestives either by hand in a bowl or in a plastic storage bag.

Break it up to some fine crumbs but leave some larger chunks. It should make about 4 cups. Add any extras you want to include (nuts or dried fruit).

Place a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Add all the milk chocolate, 100 grams of dark chocolate, butter, and cocoa powder, and melt gently stirring constantly.

Carefully remove the bowl from the pan and mix in the crumbs and extras. Stir to coat, then pour into the prepared pan and flatten with a spoon. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to firm.

After it is firm, melt the remaining 100 grams of dark chocolate in the same method, add a tiny bit of butter or cream if it seems too solid. Spread over squares. In a small bowl melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave. I find these melt quite well this way and you don’t need much. Drizzle this over the dark chocolate topping. Return to the fridge and let set. To serve, carefully lift squares out and place on a chopping board to cut into desired number of servings. Best if kept in the fridge. ◊ January 2021 39

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

Nature’s best hope

Happy New Year!

Best Wishes for a safe & prosperous year ahead. www.livelandscape.ca Lisa Van Bakel 519-949-3444 Email: lisa@livelandscape.ca OVER 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

40 The Rural Voice

Over the years that I have been gardening my tastes have grown from searching out the eye candy for the perennial garden to seeking the sweet exciting finds in the natural environment around us. In developing our gardens we don’t have to choose between the two but we could be making choices to give room to the native plants that contribute to the health of our environment.

I subscribe to a blog called A Way to Garden that always inspires me.

The writer touched on author Douglas W. Tallamy’s latest book Nature’s Best Hope A New Approach To Conservation That Starts In Your Yard. The title alone spurred me to buy it and it is a wonderful read.

From the concepts of national parks to the development of natural corridors, we are not getting it right yet. We are still losing species and there is further erosion of the ecological balance. Tallamy delves briefly into the historical perspective of how we see the environment around us. He offers some concepts I was unfamiliar with, such as a “functioning ecosystem”. It is simply explained by comparing an ecosystem to a well-oiled machine built from many interacting parts that combine to perform different functions. As suspected when you remove a part it diminishes the functionality, making the ecosystem less stable. That explains why replacing native plant communities with introduced species compromises the ecosystem function. Everything has a job to do and introducing an element not part of the system and unable to contribute to the specialized relationships in the ecosystem is detrimental to the whole.

I have written about the introduced buckthorn and how the

berries dehydrate the birds giving some of them diarrhea and they become dehydrated. The fiercely aggressive buckthorn easily replaces native shrubs that produce berries compatible to the birds here. This illustrates an ecosystem that is not working to optimum. Birds that are migrating will not stay long in an area loaded with invasive shrubs.

They will linger in areas with plenty of native spice bush and arrowwood viburnum whose berries are needed to fuel their migration.

But it is not all about failures and misunderstanding the natural world.

Tallamy offers interesting insight on how to turn things around, one yard at a time. Start small and look to restoring insects via plant choices.

Insects are the basis of the terrestrial food web. The most nutritious for birds is caterpillars. The author goes into detail of why caterpillars are the optimum choice: easier to find than aphids; their nutritional value is optimum; and food close at hand saves the parent birds from long

Recommended reading for 2021 includes Nature’s Best Hope to protect the ecological balance in our gardens and beyond.

Gardening distance foraging. The next step is to plant accordingly, which can be a daunting task. To that end there are some amazing databases created to indicate which woody and herbaceous plants are native to your area to serve as host plants for caterpillars. Both Audubon and the National Wildlife Federation have native plant finder tools; there is the Biota of North America Program that I found a bit cumbersome to navigate, and here in Canada look to the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Can-plant.ca for information targeting our area.

Regardless of which trees, shrubs, and perennials we plant to increase the diversity of caterpillars, we also have to use the additional plants to support the complete lifecycle. There are four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Usually the egg and larval stages are completed on the host plant. Most will drop to the ground and finish their cycle in the soil, in the leaf litter or tucked under other plants. Native ground covers now have a role to play.

There is so much cool information in this book. About 70 per cent of our native bee species nest underground.

We are in a new neighbourhood and one of the suggestions for encouraging bumblebees to build nests in your yard is to bury a roll of toilet paper two-thirds into the garden. A queen will chew a hole into the roll and start her colony in early spring. Explain that logic to the neighbours before they see the queen take up residence!

There is power in our yards – the power to turn things around for our environment. We are fortunate here that we have access to soil, clean air, and sources of plant material.

Tallamy has stories of scarlet tanagers breeding in populated areas that they would normally avoid. But there were large productive trees in the neighbourhood that supplied the cover and food required to reproduce successfully. There will always be challenges. The author also touches on yard size and likens our yards as pieces of a large puzzle. Each yard adds what it can and when a neighbourhood works together and the pieces are assembled it all has the

potential to form a beautiful ecological picture.

Condensed down to basic points: shrink your lawn; remove invasive species, plant keystone plants which are the backbone of local ecosystems; plant for specialists and you will support others; network with neighbours to create a greater impact; create caterpillar pupation sites under your trees (soil rich with organic

matter, rotting wood etc.); avoid spraying and fertilizer; and finally, educate yourself about any rules your municipality might have about plantings.

Our plan for planting a woodland understory along the boulevard was nixed as that is the town’s domain.

So we are planting inside the fence line. New ideas, new plans, I can hardly wait until spring! ◊

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Advice • Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

The three-step money strategy Vanessa Stockbrugger outlines the habits and processes to give you control and confidence over your finances

Vanessa Stockbrugger is owner of Womencents, a company that gives advice to clients on developing a personal money strategy so they can feel empowered by their financial situation.

M

ost people would rather go see their doctor or clean house than talk about money. It’s stressful! However, if farm owners are willing to start the process of engaging with their finances, engagement leads to education, then to execution and then to experience.

“The key to a money strategy is to feel we have power and control over our finances,” says Vanessa Stockbrugger, owner of Womencents in Saskatchewan, a company helping women and families live with financial security. Stockbrugger and her “Three Steps to a Personal Money Strategy” is part of Farm Credit Canada’s Virtual Events series offered throughout 2020 and 2021.

42 The Rural Voice

Moderated by Kevin Stewart, Stockbrugger’s webinar detailed a process to help women and their families feel empowered by their financial situation to manage cash flow, plan for taxes, build an emergency fund to cover personal expenses and be strategic about debt.

This needs to be done within the context of managing farms and families.

When Stockbrugger was a child her father was killed in a farm accident, leaving her mom with four kids, a farm and responsibility for all the decisions. “There was no time to pivot or change, she suddenly had to make all the financial decisions on her own and had no choice,” remembers Stockbrugger.

Living though that has made Stockbrugger very focused on helping families prepare for good things and bad things so they withstand shocks like family deaths, or pandemics.

She views financial strength as a pyramid that begins with engagement. It starts with conversation and Stockbrugger says if women are anything like her, they do not want to be told what to do.

They want to learn and be coached towards the next level of the pyramid: education.

“That’s where I can be a resource to provide tools, knowledge and information in an independent and unbiased way,” states Stockbrugger.

Education is what gives women and families the courage to execute from which experience is gained.

It takes courage, because working Canadians are financially stressed, believes Stockbrugger. Canadians have high household debt, many parents are supporting adult children and over 50 per cent of people do not have a will or estate plans.

COVID-19 has added a new element of financial uncertainty.

A financial plan can combat all of that. It’s actually not about having more money. It’s about having the right habits and processes to direct existing funds in the best way possible. The outcomes of creating a money strategy are health and well-being, along with allowing you to reach life goals and be prepared for anything, states Stockbrugger. It happens in three steps: Stage #1: Identify where you start from.

“You cannot get to where you want to go if you do not know where you are. So you need to understand your current financial position and that means literally pulling out all you have.” Stockbrugger refers to it as the “financial closet” which contains all your net worth in savings accounts, chequing accounts and investment accounts. It also includes life insurance and mortgages and everything else related to your financial status.

Stage #2: Review your current path. “This is the time to review what your goals and priorities are. Where do you want your money to go today and in the future? Do you need to invest for the long-term? What is your relationship to your spouse when it comes to money?” These questions and more are part of the searching stage.

Stage #3: Recalibrate. “This is the stage of identifying the new actions or new path required to get you where you want to be. I like the acronym ACT – Action Changes Things. Maybe new acts are required or maybe you need to save for the future.” Stockbrugger says short-term and long-term planning are part of this stage and

Advice this is the time to use advisors and lenders to give direction.

Besides the three stages, Stockbrugger also offers specific financial tips: • Know your household spending levels and identify which are solids (mortgages, utilities, life insurance), liquids (groceries, transportation, pets, children’s activities) and gas (travel, entertainment, dining out).

Gas expenses are the ones you can release if you have to.

• Create a regular income: Know your expenses and draw a monthly or quarterly income from your farm or business. It’s about planning and being intentional, says Stockbrugger.

“You do not need to feel guilty about this.” She said don’t get hung up on the amount. Start with, say, $3,000 per month and if it's too much or not enough, you can tweak it.

• Plan for taxes • Build an emergency fund to cover personal expenses • Focus on goals and priorities • Start your kids on an allowance as soon as possible. “Let them mess up with $5, then $500 and then $5,000 so that when they are moving out of your home, they have learned from their mistakes.”

• Be strategic about debt and choose good debt ( something that will make you money) versus bad debt (maxed credit card bills).

• When in debt, focus on paying the one with the highest interest rate first. Prioritize.

• Put your money to work by finding a high interest savings account. “Even though the interest rates are low right now, get in the habit of searching for where to get a return on your money.”

• Invest for the long term in tools such as Exchange Traded Funds (EFTs) which are diversified investments and have become popular in Canada. They are low cost compared to mutual funds and make it easier to manage risk levels.

• Use Agri-Invest. “I like matching programs. You will pay tax on growth as well as on the government portion so just know that once you take it out.” ◊

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January 2021 43

Ag Tech • Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

Agricultural technology needs investors To become a player in ag tech, Canada needs to develop an ecosystem to nurture the process say panelists

The agriculture industry needs to be proud about its innovative successes to attract the attention of investors said panelists on the Rural Talks to Rural presentation on Ag Tech and Ag Investment. Organizer Peter Smith (bottom) connected (clockwise) Stephen Bolton, Sean O’Connor, Anita Wortzman and Martin VanderLoo to discuss how Canadian companies can create an innovation ecosystem.

T

he definition of agriculture is expanding. It’s no longer bound by traditional crops and livestock, yet both still play a huge role in today’s agriculture market.

Imagine farming cockroaches for alternative sources of protein .. it’s happening.

The problem with agricultural technology (ag tech) is the lack of an ecosystem nurturing the process.

That, and funds. So can ag tech innovators move forward?

Four panel members including Martin VanderLoo, president of 44 The Rural Voice

Huron Commodities, addressed that question during a Rural Talks to Rural panel held November 17 on the topic of Ag Tech and Ag Investment.

“The commodity market is on fire,” says VanderLoo, a grain market broker matching international clients with Canadian growers to develop partnerships for value-added agriculture. “We get five inquiries a day from China looking for nonGMO soybeans.” His goal is to take Canada’s role as a producer of grains and oilseeds and encourage further processing for the food market to

enhance profitability and margins for everyone on the chain. “We aim to put money back in the hands of the producers while meeting the needs of the end user.”

To do this, VanderLoo relies on traceability technology and is in the process of taking all the digital components of the business and “wrapping blockchain around it.”

Blockchain is a shared ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a business network.

Technology is about making business efficient and VanderLoo says Canadian farmers have embraced technology to ramp up production. “The amount of livestock and crops we produce is phenomenal compared to 10 years ago,” says VanderLoo. Now agriculture needs attention from the urban community in order to attract investment.

Canadian farmers should be “waving their flags and pounding their chests,” says VanderLoo. “As Canadians we do not brag and while we are proud of what we do, we do not boast. But I say we need to stand up and say what we do so that we get the attention of Bay Street investors to invest in what we do!”

VanderLoo’s fellow panelists agreed. Also speaking on the issue of agriculture technology were: • Steven Bolton, CEO and head coach for Libro Credit Union who works with farmers and accelerators helping individual businesses get started.

• Sean O’Connor, manager of the Conexus Venture Capital Fund, a made-in-Saskatchewan fund, valued at $30 million, to provide financial support to some of the province’s most promising entrepreneurial ventures in the digital technology sector. About 50 per cent of the fund’s value has been furnished

Advice through Conexus Credit Union. The remainder comes from private investors and other commercial lenders.

• Anita Wortzman, President at Farmers Edge in Manitoba. Farmers Edge is a digital platform designed to get value from farm data, manage risks and maximize profitability which relies heavily on investment to develop and launch its digital suite of products.

Investment is key to launch Canadian agriculture as a leader in agricultural technology says Dave Vanos, an Ag Markets Manager for Libro Credit Union, who moderated the discussion and led with the following questions.

How can we create a strong environment for ag tech in Canada?

O’Connor: “We are a country of innovators but ag tech requires a different play book. Most spurts of innovation have been spawned by a lot of federal money to make hubs or draw out investors. That will not work in ag tech. It needs to start in ag-based companies and work outwards.”

Bolton: “I think it’s about building a bridge between rural and urban. I like to remind people in cities where food comes from.

Awareness is a gap. We also need to watch what O’Connor and the Emmertech fund is doing to learn and understand how venture capital can help agriculture.”

Wortzman: “I used to raise money for startups but there is a different climate in Canada and with ag tech in particular. We have innovative growers but we need to build a highway to the investors.

Provincially, in Manitoba , there was a program that if you invested in a small business you would get a big tax write-off. That was really helpful to get investors and encouraged Canadians to be risk takers like their American friends. We need to push more people to be risk takers.”

How do we get beyond the impediments of following the same playbook to get a more robust investment strategy for ag tech?

O’Connor: “I’m not a farm kid.

My background is in Fintech

(financial technology). When we launched a company in 2014, we had an ecosystem that allowed us to figure out what to do. But ag tech has a fractured ecosystem,” he said explaining Canada has pockets where innovation is encouraged (such as at the University of Guelph) but are not connected. Also, when investors do partner in, they don’t often give enough money and time to allow the innovator to develop an ag product to its full potential. “We need investors to bet big … to give innovators enough money to build their product properly and give them time to launch.”

Wortzman: “It’s like O’Connor says. We need to knock down doors and get more money from investors.

We were building a digital highway to the farm and needed big money. It took six years of partnerships and government grants before Fairfax International invested. It’s a nice fit but it took six years. We also work with universities and hire young students out of agricultural school to work in a digital environment.”

Is the government a good partner?

VanderLoo: “One of the challenges we face is transportation.

It’s a big problem in Canada. I have a logistics team and they are frustrated on a daily basis. It’s up to the federal government to fix that. It’s a lot of bureaucracy and it takes time to get approvals. Regulations are important but instead of opposing us, it would be nice if the government was a partner in the project.”

O’Connor: “Specific to venture capital funds, many have investments from various forms of government.

Our hope for Emmertech is to create an agricultural ecosystem fund including farmers and insurance companies to create a huge base of people who live and breathe agriculture. What we need is private investment as well. In Canada, only 11 per cent of ag tech is provided by private capital as compared to the U.S. where up to 80 per cent is privately funded.” O’ Connor did add that when it comes to supporting innovation from a grant perspective, the government is in a good position.

Bolton: “The launch of

Emmertech is a great start and will keep snowballing. We also see things happening with accelerators at Western University and partnerships between The Grove at the Western Fair with Fanshawe College.

Introductions need to be made with like-minded people.”

What do you think the future of ag tech will look like in three years?

O’Connor: “In three years we will have a strong ag tech ecosystem stitched together via hubs and strong digital settings. We should be able to point to a handful of companies successful in the ag tech space. There should be a whole bunch of funds in the ag tech space.”

Bolton: “There will be more collaboration to see an ag tech vision.

We also need to have our food grown and further processed in Canada.”

Wortzman: “We hope to be a billion dollar ag tech company! I think what the ag tech industry needs is more Angel investing ( a high-networth individual who provides financial backing for small startups or entrepreneurs) and more individuals who understand ag tech need to be brought in. Once big agriculture companies support ag tech, everything will move faster.”

What are roadblocks to the plan?

O’Connor: “Access to capital.

We don’t have a great ecosystem formed around investing. Ag tech is largely driven through funds but we need more experts,” he says, adding, “there is no better technology founder than someone who grew up on a farm and rolled up their sleeves and had a fix-it-with-duct-tape mindset.” Investors just need to realize it.

Wortzman: “We need mentorship. I see a lot of people trying to develop something but the truth is, there are a lot of people with ideas and they all won’t be successful [without mentorship]. How do we partner with others to get through the cash burn to the other end?

Mentorship has to come from some of us who already have the scars.”

VanderLoo: “We desperately need to educate the consumer. We need their support.” ◊ January 2021 45

Advice • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot

Inspired by The Shawshank Redemption Erin Romeo committed to “scooping sand” before launching her own consulting business brand with Monsanto and Bayer when she learned the company wanted her to relocate to Calgary.

“I spent months talking with my family and wracking my brain for a reason to move,” remembers Romeo, a selfproclaimed extrovert who loved her job.

Ultimately, she decided she would not relocate and resigned. Her life was good but losing her job still felt like a blow.

What would she do next?

As thoughts of her job loss and the movie collided, she thought Erin Romeo, Pivot Turn Consulting about the character Dufresne planning his rin Romeo says she never escape. Day after day, year after year, expected to be an entrepreneur he took a small scoop of sand out of but believes her journey to his cell, put it in his pocket and let it becoming owner of Pivot Turn leak out in the exercise yard as part Consulting Ltd. in Saskatchewan of his long-term plan to escape draws many threads from her prison. husband’s favourite film, The “One tiny scoop of sand every day Shawshank Redemption. is how he made progress to his new Romeo is one of many women life,” said Romeo. “So that’s what I who shared her journey during did. Trying to figure out what to do December’s virtual Advancing next was too much. Getting through Women in Agriculture Conference, it felt like Dufresne trying to escape now in its sixth year. This year’s prison by going through a cement theme was Elevating the Discussion wall. So I took five months and on Agriculture. Romeo’s talk focused committed to scooping sand.” on career change and how embracing Sometimes the scoops were as small small, manageable steps can lead to as looking at job ads in Winnipeg or great change, such as the steady dreaming of company names. Somespooning of dirt from his cell by times they were bigger as in taking Shawshank Redemption’s lead online learning modules or meeting character, Andy Dufresne. She and with entrepreneurs to learn how they her husband watch the movie every started their companies. Some were year around Christmas and it was personal such as getting her teeth over the holidays in December 2018, fixed while she still had benefits. Yet that Romeo felt imprisoned with every day, she took a “scoop of grief after quitting her job. sand.”

Romeo was leading the DeKalb

E

46 The Rural Voice

“It wasn’t any particular scoop of sand that started Pivot Turn Consulting,” remembers Romeo. “It was all of them together that made it more bearable, more tangible and gave me more courage and control over my situation.”

Sharing this process with her husband, he asked her what happened when Dufresne finally escapes his jail cell and ends up in a jail sewer pipe filled with human waste? “How will that fit into your analogy of human empowerment,” he asked Romeo. Her reply was this: “It’s all about keeping your head up. No matter whether you have human waste to your ankles or your neck, you have to keep going and the only way is to keep your head up.”

Keeping your head up is the only thing you can control as an entrepreneur, believes Romeo.

At the end of Shawshank Redemption, Dufresne has made a successful escape and when the movie narrator and best friend Ellis “Red” Redding (played by Morgan Freeman) finds Dufresne, he is on a beach building a boat. It’s a perfect ending. Everything is beautiful and has come to rights. “You see Dufresne left Red with directions and instructions because he knew exactly where he was headed and where he wanted to be. At the end of the movie, Dufresne has his freedom,” says Romeo.

Entrepreneurship doesn’t exactly have a movie-style ending. For Romeo, starting Pivot Turn is about finding her freedom but she doesn’t know exactly where she wants to be or where she is heading. “I have the freedom to start a new course in life and head in endless directions. Every day when I scoop sand and help new clients solve problems and reach new goals, I am on a path to that beach in paradise. Except I have no idea what

Advice that beach looks like or how I will get there or even if I will,” says Romeo.

Freedom, she believes, is hard to define. Does it belong with a definition of entrepreneurship?

Romeo says when people define entrepreneurship the words “risk” and “initiative” pop up. She wonders why anyone would feel encouraged to get started because entrepreneurship sounds terrible.

However, freedom can be defined as doing what you set out to do.

“For me freedom is pitching Pivot Turn for a business that aims to grow and change. Maybe for you, freedom is a field of harvested crops and a bin of grain. Maybe freedom for you is giving yourself time to attend this conference and fill your brain with new ideas,” says Romeo.

Ultimately, freedom for entrepreneurs is about setting their course and figuring out what beach or paradise they are headed to. For Romeo, freedom comes from starting her own business. ◊

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COVID-19 vaccines drive market optimism Optimism entered the markets as 2020 came to a close. This optimism is the result of reports of multiple successful COVID-19 vaccines that will be available for distribution early in 2021. This market confidence came even as viral cases spiked in many regions and further lockdown restrictions were announced. The market optimism stems from the participants looking beyond the current crisis with the view that “The night is far spent, the day is at hand.”

From this market outlook, many downtrodden asset classes rallied as the year wrapped up and money flowed into these areas, including many stock markets and oil prices.

Industrial metals performed well also. Copper rallied to eight-year highs and Iron ore prices were sharply higher, indicating that the outlook for manufacturing is projected to be busy. How good was the money flow? In November alone, U.S.-focused ETF’s had inflows of cash of over $62 billion; the largest monthly inflow in history. During this time agricultural markets also saw major price appreciation, as these large money flows pushed most commodities higher. But this isn’t the only story as to why the ag markets pushed higher – the grain markets appeared to have a fundamental shift and outlook story of their own.

There continues to be questions going forward as to what the new U.S. administration's stance will be with China. A top Chinese foreign diplomat was recently quoted saying that the nation is looking for a reset in relations. This comes amidst the U.S. commenting on the situation

between China and Hong Kong, and China’s objection to the United States’ comments. In respect to these comments, a Chinese representative said that the U.S. is continuing down the wrong path and if the U.S. did not stop interfering within their internal affairs, there would be consequences.

These consequences were not elaborated upon, but agricultural markets take notice as Chinese demand has been the driver for higher grain market prices.

China has been a big buyer of U.S. soys as the market rallied, fuelling the upside momentum. This continued until prices reached such high levels, that Chinese interest in U.S. soys waned, and China began washing back (selling back) cargos to U.S. shippers. Chinese crush margins declined as high prices caused revenues to fall and local bean reserves to grow. In the meantime Chinese interest has declined, as they await the outlook on the developing South American crop. This vast growing area has been notably dry, however recently forecasts have become more favorable and crop progress has been made. As we move into the new year much of South America enters its key growing time frame. There are likely enough concerns that weakness in the market should be supported, especially in light of ending stocks declining sharply in the U.S. year over year.

The same story of Chinese demand continues to be the story for corn markets’ outlook as well. In China, corn is trading at $10 per bushel, pushing the spread between U.S. and China corn prices to historically wide levels. American corn is currently priced cheaper than Ukrainian, and South American, offers. There continues to be thought that China will need to continue to buy large volumes of U.S. corn. If some of these estimates are realized, then the U.S. is likely to experience record corn exports. This, despite being in the midst of the La Niña weather pattern being experienced and the risk this brings to South American production. With this situation one could expect the corn market to be supported as we work into 2021 as the market will need to continue to support new crop

Markets plantings. Some analysts estimate that the U.S. corn carryout could drop to levels not seen since 2013.

Wheat continues to the least exciting story of the grain complex.

Sure, the Russian crop has its establishment issues – and many acres are at risk of winter kill. An estimated 22 per cent of the Russian wheat crop is rated in the “poor condition” category. But keep in mind that Russian wheat acres are up substantially and so this may not pose as big of a risk as some have been led to fear. Whether this fear will be substantiated or not, is something that will not be known for some time now, until the spring arrives and the wheat emerges from dormancy. Until then, the market has begun to focus on production elsewhere, such as in Canada and Australia. The Australian wheat crop was almost record high this growing season at 31.2 million tonnes, versus the all-time record of 31.8 million tonnes. And it is not just Australia producing large volumes of wheat. Canada also had large production, with Stats Canada moving the western crop higher from previous estimates. Canadian production was estimated at 35.2 million tonnes, the largest in years.

The Ontario wheat market has seen large demand recently. The Quebec feed market has been drawing large volumes of soft red winter wheat as the price spread between corn and wheat has narrowed. ◊

The Rural Voice welcomes letters and will publish as many as space permits.

Write to:

The Rural Voice Box 429, BLYTH, ON N0M 1H0 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca

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Woodlots

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50 The Rural Voice

Donna Lacey is a forester with the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority

Less blood means less heat loss

through the lower legs there is less heat loss, but also less cold blood requiring heating circulating back through the body. This also explains why they don’t bleed profusely from the icy scrapes.

Have you ever watched a hare or rabbit in winter after a snowfall of fluffy snow? When the little furball hops through the snow, its entire body including its face and those almost hairless ears, get covered in snow. Why don’t their ears freeze? It turns out that rabbits use their ears to regulate their body temperature and will constrict the blood vessels to reduce heat loss during the cold weather.

Even more bewildering are those ducks, geese and swans on a pond. I can be standing on the bank of the pond freezing in my multiple layers while the waterfowl seem to be enjoying themselves swimming and diving in the water. They can walk out of the water onto the frozen ground covered in snow. I can understand that the feathers provide protection, but why don’t their legs and webbed feet freeze? Yet again, this adaptation has to do with how blood circulates through the creature’s bodies. In waterfowl there is very little blood flow through the lower legs and feet. Blood going to a duck’s extremities travels right past blood that is flowing back. The proximity of the veins and arteries allows for the cooled blood to be warmed before it reaches the duck’s core. This pre-warming of the blood

There is nothing like being outside in the forest or meadow in the winter.

Everything is so clean looking with new fallen snow. Following each fresh new snowfall it is like the slate has been wiped clean and only those of us out there, in that moment, leave any tracks. It doesn’t take a long time to find out who is out there with you.

As I dress in my boots, heavy coat, mitts, and don my snowshoes I marvel at how the small-footed, seemingly light-coated wildlife seem indifferent to the cold.

How is it that the skinny legs of a deer, which often punch through the snow into mud, don’t freeze? If we have had a winter with freezing rains or multiple freeze/thaw occurrences, those deer tracks contain splotches of blood from the deer’s legs being scraped open by the ice. The tolerance of the cold and the perceived pain of these scrapes poses the question – do they have much feeling in their legs?

It seems that deer legs can withstand this cold due to their construction. If you have ever held or looked closely at the lower portion of a deer leg, you would agree that there is not much to it. Those scrawny lower legs consist mainly of bone, hair, skin, and ligaments. There is very little blood flow through their legs.

This lack of blood flow is one of the adaptations that deer have made to survive the harsh winter How can waterfowl enjoy swimming in freezing water? It weather. With less has to do with reduced blood flow to the feet and legs, blood flowing an adaptation wildlife observers can appreciate.

Woodlots ensures that the duck does not suffer from hypothermia in winter.

I wonder why humans have not adapted better to winter? Why is it that we still need multiple layers of clothes and ever-increasing technological advances in heatsaving materials? In fact, after working outside for multiple years, instead of adapting to winter conditions, some outside workers suffer nerve damage and are then even less tolerant of the cold.

Frequently when we are outside in winter there are signs of wildlife that are so easy to enjoy but are often ignored. The stems of many plants poke through the snow to remind us that they are still there with their roots fully planted. One of my most commonly spotted plants in winters of deep snow is golden rod. Often some of the golden rod stems contain a golden rod gall. The gall indicates that a golden rod gall fly has been or is currently present.

I believe the easiest time of the year to observe bird nests is in the winter. Many of the nests of our local species can remain in the trees for most, if not all of, winter. Nests of raptors and squirrels are the most easily spotted due to their size. The stick nest of a raptor varies greatly from that of the messy nest of squirrel. Squirrel nests are usually round and have a great number of leaves mixed within the twigs.

Raptor nests are normally just twigs and a very small amount of decorative leaf material.

Stokes Field Guide to Nature in Winter is a great resource for those who want to enjoy nature in winter.

This may well be the only field guide I’ve read from cover to cover.

Regardless of the season that you are outside in, an increased awareness of the things that may be found in your area aids in the art of seeing. The more we know, the more we experience, the more we notice what is different or even what is present.

To fully appreciate the wild creatures that enjoy the areas that we visit, we need to take the time to learn about them. For me, the best way to learn is to go for a walk with other people looking, listening, and learning. ◊

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January 2021 51

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

The latest and greatest in Organized Pseudolegal Commercial Arguments In a previous article, I wrote about an “Organized Pseudolegal Commercial Argument” or “OPCA” that had made its way to the Ontario Court of Appeal. In that particular case, the OPCA litigants claimed not to be subject to the Income Tax Act, the Excise Tax Act and the Ontario Business Corporations Act because the various legislation infringed their rights to life, liberty and security of the person as guaranteed by Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They argued that the Charter provided them with a right to choose whether to be subject to Federal and Provincial laws – without their consent, they said, the laws did not apply to them. The Court of Appeal disagreed.

The latest OPCA to come before the Courts reaches beyond the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and beyond Canadian law altogether. It reaches across the Atlantic Ocean to the United Kingdom and, in fact, back through history to the 13th Century. In what Justice Robert Graesser has coined “Magna Carta Lawful Rebellion” or “MCLR”, litigants are swearing allegiance to a UK nobleperson pursuant to Article 61 of the Magna Carta of 1215 and claiming that they are thereby released from the application of 52 The Rural Voice

legislation, courts, police or government actors who are guilty of “high treason”. In a case recently before Justice Graesser in the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, the purported representative of a mother involved in a family dispute explained the position as follows in her covering letter: This is to inform you that [the mother] is Lawfully standing under Article 61 of the 1215 Magna Carta which was Invoked on March 23rd 2001 according to Constitutional Royal Protocol.

The Court of Queens Bench is an Unlawful Assembly with No Authority to deal with this matter since the Invocation of Article 61 thus All Judgments made by the Court of Queen’s Bench in this matter are Null and Void. [The mother] and All of her Property are Protected by the Constitution and the People of the Commonwealth Realm. We require the Immediate Restoration of Her Property see the enclosed Exhibit: G in the notice of Conditional Acceptance.

Failure to restore the Property of [the mother] within 7 Days of receiving this letter will constitute as High Treason, which still carries the Gallows. I urge you to consider Eichmann v. the People “I was just doing my job” is no defence. Nuremberg.

Maxim in Law Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse The “Property” shown in the photograph enclosed as “Exhibit: G” was, sadly, a four-year old girl, presumed by Justice Graesser to be the mother’s daughter.

The Magna Carta of 1215 was the result of negotiations between King John of England and rebel “baron” landowners to end an uprising by the landowners. Article 61 of the Magna Carta authorized a counsel of 25 rebel barons to seize the “castles, lands, possession, or anything else” of King John if he did not adhere to the law’s terms.

The Article also provided that “[a]ny man who so desires may take an oath to obey the commands of the

twenty-five barons…”.

Flash forward to 2001, when a group of 28 new “rebel barons” sent a petition to Queen Elizabeth II asking that she withhold Royal Assent to any legislation that would ratify the European Union’s 2000 Treaty of Nice. The Treaty, according to the petition, would lead to further “losses of national independence”, would “introduce an alien system of criminal justice”, would abolish habeas corpus and jury trials, would permit foreign “men at arms” into the UK, would undermine the chain of command of the UK military, and would make UK laws subject to an alien “Charter of Fundamental Rights”. If Queen Elizabeth II were to assent to the ratification of the Treaty, she would breach her Coronation Oath, allegiances to her would be undone, and government would be by tyranny.

Nothing came of the 2001 “rebellion”, but MCLR litigants have since been swearing allegiance to Lord Craigmyle (one of the signatories of the petition sent to the Queen) and then claiming to have escaped the application of the law pursuant to Article 61 of the Magna Carta. How does that relate to Canadian law? The argument is that the Magna Carta was received in Canada as part of the Constitution. It has been claimed to have “supraconstitutional” status as the “foundation of the rule of law itself”.

In actual fact, the Magna Carta of 1215 does not have any legal effect in Canada or at all. The Magna Carta of 1215 was repealed by the Magna Carta of 1216, made between the rebel barons and the regents of King John’s son, Henry III, following King John’s death in 1216. The new Magna Carta did not include Article 61 or any other provision for a “lawful rebellion process”.

Subsequent versions of the Magna Carta were enacted over the years, of which only the 1297 Magna Carta has any remaining effect in UK law.

The immunity of the Church of England is recognized in Article 1.

“Ancient Liberties” are granted to the City of London in Article 9. That the rights of “free-men” are not to be infringed except by legal processes is recognized in Article 29.

Agrilaw While those three sections of the 1297 Magna Carta (none of which relate to lawful rebellion) may continue to have some relevance in the UK, they have no effect in Canada. When the UK Parliament passed the Canada Act 1982 (UK), c.

11, Justice Graesser writes, it cut the “jurisdictional linkage” between the UK and Canada. Canada enacted its own constitutional legislation, The Constitution Act, 1982.

What “pseudolaw” will they think of next? ◊ ______________________________ 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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The

Rural Voice

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Serving the area since 1999

Broker WILFRED MCINTEE & CO. LIMITED

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54 The Rural Voice

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

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

Maitland Welding & Machining

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

BUSHELL’S AUTO SALES

TRUCKS

2016 Chev Colorado ext. cab, 2 WD, 149,000 km......$16,500 2015 GMC Sierra ext. cab, 4x4, 206,000 km ................$22,995 2015 GMC Sierra crew cab, 4x4, 204,000 km .............$19,995 2015 GMC Sierra crew cab, 4x4, 224,000 km .............$19,800 2014 Chev Silverado ext cab, 4x4, 182,000 km .........$19,200 2012 Chev Silverado ext. cab, 4x4, 136,000 km ........$14,995 2012 Chev Silverado ext. cab, 4x4, 197,000 km ........$14,000 2011 Dodge Ram ext. cab, 4x4, 295,000 km ...................$7,495 2010 GMC Sierra ext. cab, 4x4, 197,000 km ................$12,995 2008 Chev Silverado crew cab, 4x4, 198,000 km ......$10,995 2004 GMC Sierra ext. cab, 4x4, 246,000 km ....................$4,995 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 reg. cab, 2x2, 212,000 km.......$5,995 1995 Chev 1/2 Ton reg. cab, 72,000 km .........................$5,995

CARS

2017 Chev Malibu LT 106,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14,995 2017 Ford Focus 17,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,995 2016 Hyandia Elantra 141,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,395 2013 Chev Cruise 124,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,995 2011 Ford Fiesta 135,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,495 2010 Hyundai Accent 102,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,995 2010 Chev Malibu 156,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,995 2005 Toyota Corolla 194,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,995 1988 Jaguar XJ6 210,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,995 1974 Fiat Convertible 118,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,995

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SUVS

2018 Ford Ecosport 54,000 km................................$18,995 2016 Ford Explorer AWD, 133,000 km ...................$16,995 2016 Chev Trax 18,000 km.........................................$14,400 2015 Ford Edge Titanium AWD, 111,000 km .....$19,995 2014 Ford Edge AWD, 140,000 km ...........................$12,900 2013 Ford Escape AWD, 125,000 km......................$12,995 2011 Ford Edge AWD, 140,000 km...............................$12,900 2011 Honda CRV AWD, 116,000 km ........................$12,995

VANS

2016 Dodge Grand Caravan 139,000 km . . . . . .$14,995 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan 111,000 km . . . . . .$11,700 2010 Toyota Sienna 310,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,995 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan 230,000 km . . . . . . .$4,500 2009 Chev Express 8 passenger, 152,000 km . . . . .$8,995

AS IS SPEC

2010 Chev Impala 308,000 km.....................................$1,500 2007 Ford Ranger ext. cab, 2WD, 197,000 km..........$3,500 2006 Ford F150 ext. cab, 4x4, 280,000 km .................$2,000 2006 Ford F150 ext. cab, 4x4, 296,000 km .................$6,500 2006 Chev HHR 114,000 km ..........................................$2,995 2006 Mini Cooper 180,000 km ......................................$2,995 2005 VW Jetta diesel, 370,000 km................................$1,500 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse 180,000 km .......................$2,800

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www.bushellsauto.ca January 2021 55

C E N T R E

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

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

-------------------------------------------------CUSTOM WORK -------------------------------------------------Barnhem Farm Services – solid manure spreading; variable rate precision application (optional).

Serving Bruce, Grey, North Huron and North Wellington. Contact for information: Herman Vinckx at 519881-7663 or Dylan Vinckx at 519-8818957.

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

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

-------------------------------------------------FARM FRESH -------------------------------------------------Potatoes - red or white, guaranteed winter keepers, $13 for 50 lbs. or $4 for 10 lbs. Ask about wholesale discounts. Harriston, 519-338-2691.

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

-------------------------------------------------FOR SALE -------------------------------------------------MULCH/GREEN SAWDUST, FOB MILL, trucking also available. 519367-5789.

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

Closed Sundays, 519-338-3920.

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

FOR SALE -------------------------------------------------CORN SEED pricing starting at $129/bag (before discounts). De Dell Seeds, the Leaders in Non-GMO corn. 519-264-CORN. -------------------------------------------------Martin’s Nursery & Bee Supplies Etc. Large selection of flowering trees, shade trees, fruit trees and hydrangeas and other shrubs. We have the plants you need to make a living “privacy hedge” or snow fence or windbreaks. Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, White Spruce, Pine and Cedars. Also… a Complete line of Bee Supplies for the commercial or hobby beekeepers. Order your (Nuc) Bees for spring 2021. We stock all wooden-ware (bee-hives) foundation, assembled and unassembled frames, smokers, suits, jackets, gloves, mite treatments and some extracting equipment. Honey containers, jars, pails, custom built wooden-ware.

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

-------------------------------------------------Heavy duty horse sleigh, both back and front bobs in good condition, meant for a team of horses, log bunk, also front and back bolsters for wagon box, asking $200. Don Morden, Rothsay, 519-638-2525.

-------------------------------------------------1972 384 Leyland tractor, recent four new tires and clutch, 8 ft. 3 pt. hitch spring-toothed cultivator; in excess of 500 lbs. of electric fence wire, in good shape; 2 farm wagons; weigh scale for bags; many miscellaneous articles. Call Kelly 519373-6521 or Carl 519-534-3988 (Wiarton).

-------------------------------------------------Inventory Sale until February 27/2021 30% to 70% off ladies’ designer, casual and western clothing. All giftware 50% off. Wedding apparel and accessories 50% off. Caralot Country Clothier, Mt.Carmel 519-2940494. Open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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 19 to the Huron Research Station, 911# 70257 Airport Line, RR 1, Exeter, ON N0M 1S4 or huronresearchstation@gmail.com -------------------------------------------------IRON & STEEL -------------------------------------------------DISCOUNT STEEL: New second grade steel sales; 1" - 8" square tubing; 7/8" - 14" round tubing; Rectangle tubing, discount plate; New and Used I-Beams; Bar grating, rebar, angles; Custom cutting, welding, punching. Listowel. Phone Aden 519595-7775.

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

Also, coarse wood mulch for horse and cattle walkways, wet areas around water troughs and bush lanes.

Also available is dairy pack starter bedding. 1-877-773-8004. Sittler Grinding. Rick Sittler.

-------------------------------------------------LIVESTOCK FOR SALE -------------------------------------------------Limousin bulls, open and bred females available. Smart Limousin, Meaford 519-372-7459. smartlimo@ bmts.com www.smartlimousin.com -------------------------------------------------Hypharm Genetics rabbits breeding stock now available in Ontario. Order your PS19 does and PS40 bucks. CuniON@tcc.on.ca -------------------------------------------------LIMOUSIN breeding bulls – quiet, thick, semen tested, guaranteed breeders, delivery included. Select now for spring delivery. OPEN HOUSE – April 10, 2021. Posthaven Limousin, John Post. 519-766-7178. www.posthavenlimousin.com -------------------------------------------------Red Angus, Simmental, Red AngusSimmental and Charolais bulls for sale. Watch them grow at AgSights website, Bull Evaluation, Silver Spring Farms. James and Joan McKinlay 519-599-6236.

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

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

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56 The Rural Voice

Advertising in The Rural Voice A Wise Choice!

Call Today! 519­523­4311

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

-------------------------------------------------RESTORATION -------------------------------------------------The Olde Tyme Radio Centre – antique radios, clocks, gramophones, telephones; sold/restored. (vintage autoclock radio, speedometer, tachometer repaired). Belgrave 519357-4304, www.oldtymeradio.ca -------------------------------------------------RETAIL & GIFTS -------------------------------------------------Stitches with a Twist – 404 Queen St., Blyth, 519-523-9449. Yarns, needles, notions, patterns, books and lots more yarn.

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

-------------------------------------------------Firearms and hunting training.

PAL & HUNTER ED. Ongoing courses available.

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

-------------------------------------------------TOWNSLEY BARN PAINTING – All farm buildings and houses, seamless eavestroughing, liquid rubber coatings, waterproofing, metal, concrete, wood, foam and bin flooring sealing. Serving Ontario since 1955.

Call 519-859-0097 or 519-871-0300 townsleypainting@hotmail.com -------------------------------------------------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 --------------------------------------------------

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

SERVICES -------------------------------------------------Specializing in on Farm Pest Management Serving Southwestern ON, Golden Horseshoe, GTA

DONALD A ANDREW ACCOUNTING Accounting & Income Tax Services for FARMS, BUSINESSES & INDIVIDUALS 296 Ross St., Lucknow

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519-364-4026 eod@persona.ca

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

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

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

London 519-268-8500

Eastern Overhead Doors (Bruce-Grey) Ltd.

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

-------------------------------------------------DEALERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES are available in many areas with the Leader in Non-GMO corn. De Dell Seeds 519-264-CORN. -------------------------------------------------Looking for land to rent for upcoming year. Call Braecker Farms 519-524-0615.

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

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

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

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

Deadline for the February issue of The Rural Voice is January 12, 2021 January 2021 57

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

Reflection and Resiliency in the New Year Happy New Year NFU-O members! We hope your holiday celebrations, though undoubtedly altered, were merry and bright nonetheless. The beginning of a new year offers time to reflect on the year now past and what a year it was.

Though 2020 will be remembered through the tragic legacy of the coronavirus, we’ve taken the time to do our own reflection and rather than dwell on opportunities lost, have decided to celebrate the NFU-O’s accomplishments and resiliency in the face of a global pandemic.

2020 started off strong for the NFU-O, and in partnership with the Ontario Farmland Trust, we were able to offer five “Land Linking” workshops across the province, bringing together aspiring farmers and land holders to make connections and to have conversations about succession planning and the future of farming in Ontario. All five workshops were well attended, and we’ve made plans to continue the series (virtually!) in 2021.

In early spring, as we became more aware of seriousness and the longevity of the pandemic’s conditions, the NFU-O kept farmers front of mind and continued to advocate for policy at the provincial and federal level. The NFU-O played a crucial role in getting farmers markets recognized as an essential service and championed justice for migrant workers, as we saw some of

the country’s worst outbreaks take place on Ontario farms.

Amidst the hullabaloo, the NFU-O embarked on the Ontario Farm Labour Project. This ambitious study, through consultation, research, surveys of farmers and their workers, and stakeholder engagement, focuses on the labour needs of, and policy solutions for, small and mediumsized sustainable farms. Our data demonstrates that 70 per cent of sustainable farms who employ paid workers experience labour shortages and 63 per cent of farm operators reported that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their labour needs. The project has allowed us to paint a clearer picture of the labour crisis which will enable us to imagine policy solutions, grounded in the real needs of Ontario farmers. A full report of the Farm Labour Project will be available in the Spring 2021.

In response to the concerns of Ontario livestock farmers, the NFUO also began an investigation into the causes of the capacity shortage at provincially-licensed abattoirs.

Conversations with over one-third of provincially-licensed abattoir owners across the province revealed that long wait times (with more than 60 per cent of abattoirs booking at least six months in advance) was the result of labour shortages and burdensome regulations. This included: an overload of paperwork, inconsistent expectations from inspectors, strict

food safety regulations that may be unrealistic for small to medium-sized plants, and steep fines that are enough to put the abattoir out of business. The NFU-O Livestock Committee presented their findings to Minister Hardeman at the beginning of November and look forward to working with the ministry to address this issue in 2021.

To all our members who took our calls, who participated in national convention virtually, and who have learned Zoom alongside us: your patience and support has been essential to all of our successes in 2020. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has come with hardship and loss, it has also exposed vulnerabilities in the Canadian food system that many farmers have been aware of for decades. The NFU-O will continue to work for you, and with you, as we reimagine and rebuild our agriculture and food systems for the COVID-19 recovery in 2021. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.

Upcoming Events Local 316 Frontenac, LennoxAddington – Online gathering January 16, 6:45 p.m. via Zoom or telephone.

Speaker: Jane Rabinowicz, Executive Director of SeedChange, who was one of the founders of Farmers for Climate Solutions and is chair of its coordinating body. Music by local artist, Paul Clifford!

“Door” prizes that you won't want to miss out on!

Super delicious foods...well, that part is entirely up to you! This year's meeting will be more of a party! For more details and to receive the link to attend, email <local316@nfuontario.ca> Local 344 Grey – January 25, 7:00 p.m. via Zoom or telephone.

Local 305 Toronto, Peel, York – January 31, 1:00 p.m. via Zoom or telephone.

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

Why do we avoid the uncomfortable conversations about racism?

“Okay, we’ve dealt with that.”

Those words were uttered by Perth County Warden Jim Aitcheson in reference to a failed motion that was put forward to explore ways for Perth County to become a more inclusive place for all to live. We’ve dealt with that…

In late November 2020, Perth County council was presented with a motion to address racism in Perth County, a motion that never received a seconder. Council chose to sit on their hands instead of having an open and honest discussion about racism in Perth County. North Perth Mayor Todd Kasenberg made the motion to explore ways to elevate inclusivity and diversity at the municipal level, and nine people refused to second it.

This wasn’t a motion to take affirmative action or make forceful public statements, it was simply to establish a charter and start having a conversation to strengthen inclusivity in our communities. And yet, the other nine council members decided it best to avoid this conversation altogether.

Councillor Herlick, a representative from Perth East, justified his silence by claiming that racism is not an epic issue, referencing his experiences in agriculture and construction working with people of different races.

Unfortunately, it is folly to think that one person’s positive life interactions equate to an absence of racism on the aggregate. And frankly, his claim that racism doesn’t exist in agriculture does not hold water. This year alone, multiple farms have been criminally charged for various offences against visible minority workers, and many of these charges were for a failure to provide adequate housing for temporary foreign workers. How do these two situations coalesce? By taking the position “racism doesn’t exist here”, or “I don’t see colour”, we are actively ignoring and undermining the stated experience of the people whose lives have been

impacted by systemic racism. In essence, choosing to not “see colour” inherently puts up a roadblock to making any positive change in our community because, after all, we cannot change what we cannot (or choose not to) see.

The words of Dr. Gezahgn Wordofa, founder of the Perth-Huron Multicultural Association, should be enough to give us pause if we are of the mind that discrimination does not exist in our communities. Reading his testimony about minority community members who are told to “go home” when they are just trying to get a morning coffee at Tim Hortons should be all we need to hear. Dr. Wordofa also draws light to the reality that many newcomers to Canada choose to ride a bus back and forth from urban centres to towns like Listowel or Stratford for work every day, instead of putting down roots because they cannot afford to live in our communities. It is very real that a visible minority household is twice as likely to be a low-income household, and that the average income for a white person in Canada is $15,000 higher than a fellow Canadian of a visible minority. I think it is worth asking ourselves why we are willing to have people come work in Perth County’s factories, while being unwilling to open up a conversation that could lead to the creation of affordable housing for the very people that keep that factory firing?

What is it that creates fear around having these hard conversations? Is it possible for us to talk about the reality that even those who endeavor to be as inclusive as possible still commit racial microaggressions?

Councillor Herlick made a telling statement that likely explained the silence of he and other council members, “I just don’t want to be making people uncomfortable.” This is a very real feeling, and a tough one to navigate. It is a natural reaction for these conversations to bring about feelings of defensiveness, or shame;

we do not like to think of ourselves as bad people, or people who commit “bad actions”. But perhaps we can begin to recognize that this conversation doesn’t have to be that black and white. Discrimination does not have to be intentional to be real, and recognizing that racism exists, or that we ourselves may unintentionally commit microaggressions does not imply that we are inherently bad people if and when that occurs. It simply acknowledges that we, as human beings, continually have the opportunity to learn more about the experience of other people, and by being willing to learn we can grow as individuals in a way that makes our communities more welcoming for all.

The agricultural workforce here in Perth County has become an incredibly diverse population over the past decade as workers from every corner of the globe have come here looking to build opportunities for their families. The people that have chosen Perth County as their place to build a better future enrich our lives in so many ways and we owe it to our community to have the uncomfortable conversations about what we can do to make everyone feel more comfortable. ◊ – Submitted by Stewart Skinner, co-written with Donald Skinner

PERTH COUNTY PORK PRODUCERS PORK PRODUCTS • Smoked Pork Chops • Fresh Pork Chops • Stuffed Loin Chops • Smoked Sausage • Smoked Cheddar Sausage • Bacon Burgers • Teriyaki Pork Steaks AVAILABLE FROM: Dave/Ruth Kloostra (Monkton) - 519-347-2619 Ted/Donna Keller (Mitchell) - 519-348-9836 Jerry/Sandra DeGroot (Kinkora) - 519-393-5237 Leis Feed (Milverton) - 519-595-2048

January 2021 59

Grey County Federation of Agriculture

446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551 Email: grey@ofa.on.ca Website: greyfederation.ca

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

“Wishing” for a Happy New Year!

Editorial articles submitted and published on this page are the views of the author(s) and are not meant to represent the position of the Grey County of Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

The New Year is here, and we celebrate the long tradition of “wishing” Happy New Year to all.

When we reflect on the remarkable events of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it feels like a sure thing that 2021 will be a happy one in comparison. We “wish” it so.

It will of course take more than good wishes; we will continue to lean on scientists to develop therapeutics and vaccines, frontline workers who will deliver the tools and comfort the affected. We will look to our political leaders to undertake measures to implement responsible policy for the health of the citizenry and to resuscitate the economy.

These are some of the practical considerations that will need to be made to contribute to a “Happy New Year”.

And what of Farmers and a Happy New Year in 2021? We are of course, part of the whole community and look forward to seeing the back end of the virus pandemic and a vibrant 2021 economy.

As we all work toward a healthy exit from the pandemic, it will be important now as much as ever that farmers remain politically focused to ensure that the political agenda include well-informed advice about how policy affects agriculture.

Farming in Grey County is a primary driver for the Grey County economy ($500 million GDP) and is the primary influence on the environment as the principal land owner (a million acres).

There are over 3,000 farms in Grey County and the Grey County Federation of Agriculture is by far the largest organized group with some 1,500+ farm members. This past year

the GCFA made strides on behalf of all Grey farmers gaining support for a decision to make property tax rate adjustments to ensure fairness for all.

This past year, Grey County Federation also advanced a proposal that Grey County Council would establish an advisory committee that would meet regularly and formally to discuss County policy and gain input from a cross section of the farm community. The objective: enhanced communication and better outcomes for all concerned.

Council debated the idea and agreed to proceed and then very recently, established the Agriculture Advisory Committee to exclude the Grey County Federation of Agriculture.

It would appear to some that the best way to gain input from a broad range of farm constituents would be to engage a constituency that represents a broad range of farm constituencies.

This is best exemplified by the Grey County Federation of Agriculture. Instead, the organizers, both staff and

political, have selected a slate of capable representatives all with a special interest and excluded Grey County Federation of Agriculture.

If it’s the County’s objective to gain balanced insight and advice on a broad range of farm issues so that County policy can be most representative, then one hopes they will reconsider the membership of the Ag Advisory and will consult with Grey County Federation of Agriculture Board to select a representative from the largest and most broad-based local and provincial farm organization. If however, the County has made a strategic decision to exclude, effectively sideline, Grey County Federation of Agriculture then it would be helpful to farmers for us to understand their strategy.

If you farm, you may wish to inquire of your municipal councillors about where their personal position lays as it relates to supporting Agriculture in Grey County. I think you may be surprised. ◊ – Submitted by Hugh Simpson Commercial Beekeeper

Grey County Federation of Agriculture

2021 MEETINGS January 14

August 12

February 11

September 9

March 11

October 14

April 8

November 11

June 10

December 9

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

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

Grey Federation of Agriculture

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

60 The Rural Voice

@ GreyFedAg

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

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

NEWSLETTER It is okay to not be okay 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.

When a tire is flat, we fix it. When the fence is broken, we fix it. When the calf is sick, we fix it. When we are “broken”, why don’t we fix us?

Let’s face it. We have all been there in some form or another.

Struggling. Struggling at home, at work, in the field, or in the barn. It’s happened. And it’s okay that it does.

Farmers have been thought of as being such a resilient breed for decades. And we are. After all, farming is hard work: long days, debt, weather, and stress thrown in the mix, sure doesn’t make our job any easier.

We regularly deal with forces of nature beyond our control.

Unpredictable weather, market volatility, and government regulations are often major stressors for those of us in the agricultural industry. When we deal with overwhelming amounts of stress, it can lead to anxiety and depression, whether we want it to or not.

We are all human. But it is our nature to not let our true colours show.

The ideal of being resilient is important to all of us. We wouldn’t want anyone to know that we may be having a difficult time. It is in our character, to put our work and family ahead of our own well-being most days.

The rates of stress and mental health issues are much higher among people who work in this industry as compared to the general population.

The many constant demands, pressures and time constraints that come with this business, often make us numb to our own needs.

Farmers are profoundly independent creatures. It is unnatural for them to ask for help. Breaking down these barriers is needed today more than ever before. Allow your voice to be heard. Give yourself credit for the tough times you have survived.

It is okay to not be okay. We need to start advocating for our own needs, as well as those around us. Talking more, listening more and asking more.

Recognizing that something is “broken” is a first step. Going to battle for yourself, a family member or friend and finding the supports that are needed, is possible. We can stop the stigma surrounding mental health now. Together, we have the strength to overcome anything. None of us are

Mental Health Crisis Line Most of us go through our life solving our day­to­day problems without needing help to cope with our feelings. Sometimes things get out of hand. A severe illness, an accident or an emotional crisis can overwhelm us, at least temporarily, and suddenly we need help.

If you or someone you know are unable to cope, are depressed, or facing a mental health crisis, please call the Mental Health Crisis Line at 1­877­470­5200 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The line is staffed by trained volunteers with professional supervision. **********************************************************************

Community Mental Health Teams The Grey Bruce Community Mental Health Teams are part of Mental Health Grey Bruce (MHGB).

MHGB is an alliance of two mental health and addictions agencies. Services include information, referral, counseling, case management, housing & outreach community support, social recreational activities, Psychiatry and education.

CMHA Grey Bruce Sponsors: • Bruce Shoreline Team – Southampton (519­797­2880) • Central Grey Bruce Team – Hanover (519­364­7788) • South Grey Team – Markdale (519­986­3030) • North Bruce Team – Wiarton (519­534­4388) • North Grey Team­ Owen Sound (519­371­8850)

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

expected to go on this journey alone.

Reaching out to help your neighbour is what we do best.

After all, we wouldn’t let them mend the “broken” fence alone, would we? ◊ – Submitted by Tammy Young BCFA 2nd Vice President Bruce County Federation of Agriculture

2021 MEETINGS January 25 February 25 March 22 April 26 May 24

June 28 August 23 September 27 October 25 November 23

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

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

Grey Bruce Mental Health Association Bruce County Locations Southampton: Bruce Shoreline Community Mental Health Team: Southampton 353 High Street Southampton, ON N0H 2L0 Tel: (519) 797­2880 or 1­877­888­5855 Kincardine : Bruce Shoreline Community Mental Health Team: Kincardine 865 Queen Street Kincardine, ON N2Z 2Y2 Tel: (519) 396­4523 or 1­877­888­5855 The Dory 867 Queen Street Kincardine, ON N2Z 2Y2 Tel: (519) 396­5609 Wiarton: Frank Street Group Home 615 Frank Street Wiarton, ON N0H 2T0 Tel: (519) 534­5127 The Green House 527 Bedford Street Wiarton, ON N0H 2T0 Tel: (519) 534­0333

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

January 2021 61

Perth County Federation of Agriculture Email: perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com Website: www.perthcountyfarmers.ca Sue Shafer, Office Administrator 1-833-229-6834 Tim Halliday, President: 519-292-9533

Mink ranching update The year 2020 will be remembered for a long time as we all try to adapt to different times. I am thinking of what came out of Charles Darwin’s book, Origin of Species, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

Our fur industry is going through many major changes after having many great years. Our main auction house has been put into bankruptcy protection and North American mink farmers had to ship our 2019 crop of pelts to either Helsinki or Copenhagen for sale in 2020. Then to start 2020, the Corona virus hit China, which has been our biggest customer by far for a lot of years.

COVID-19 caused most countries’ borders to close so fur buyers and brokers couldn’t get to the fur sales in person to look and buy the fur bundles. The first fur sales were cancelled and there weren’t any until April. The first sales were held virtually and the percentage of sales was very low as this was new to the

fur business. The next round of sales held were both live and online with very few buyers present. The prices and sales percentages again were very low and mink farmers lost money on every pelt sold. There has been a large cutback in production worldwide and times have been tough in every country. Then to make matters worse, mink are coming down with COVID-19 and countries are forcing ranchers to cull their crop of mink and incinerate so as not to spread the virus to humans. This has occurred in Holland, Denmark and the United States. This, along with poor prices, will knock world production from over 80 million pelts in 2013 to 12-15 million pelts in 2021.

All of our provincial and federal meetings have changed to virtual meetings and this has been a big change for all of agriculture. Our annual CMB meeting was held virtually on Zoom in September with representatives from all over Canada

and a few from Finland, Denmark and United States. I can only imagine the look on farmers faces 20 or 30 years ago if I told them the meetings were to be Zoom meetings, they probably would be asking me what I was drinking.

All sectors of agriculture have been affected and we must stick together as we all try to keep our farm businesses going and adjust to the changing times. The OFA has been working with our Federal and Provincial governments to assist us to help with our problems from labour shortages, marketing and availability of feed. Our commodity is pleased with Bill 156 to help with the struggles with animal rights groups as our commodity has been a big target from them for many years. Our governments have made a group of programs to help farmers and all farmers should read about them and contact the OFA for help, if needed.

– Submitted by Kirk Rankin PCFA Director, Perth South

Coming Events Perth County Federation of Agriculture

BOARD MEETING The next board meeting is

January 21, 2021 – 7:30 p.m. via Zoom Perth County Federation of Agriculture

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Perth County Federation of Agriculture

February 16, 2021 – 8:00 p.m.

would like to wish a Happy New Year to all of its

via Zoom

members and friends within Perth County.

If you are interested in running for a position on our Board of Directors please contact us at 1­833­229­6834 before February 1

Thank you for your support over the past year.

We look forward to working for you again in 2021.

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

62 The Rural Voice

Index AgSights ........................................24 Alex Ruff MP ..................................17 Allied Associates LLP ....................28 Argyle Marine & Small Engines ....54 Artisanal Chicken Program ............50 Ausable Bayfied Cons. Authority ..50 Belore Trailers ..............................54 Bernie McGlynn/SB Flooring ........51 Bio-Ag ............................................35 Brian Buffinga Electrical ................14 Buddsteel Architectural Products ..51 Bushell’s Auto Sales ......................55 Canadian Co-op Wool Growers ....26 CFFO ....................................Cover 3 Chalmers Fuels..............................26 Cliff’s Plumbing & Heating ............35 Design, Build, Improve and Renovate ......................9,11,13,15 Dundalk District Credit Union ........43 Easy Lift Doors ..............................12 Elder Enterprises ..........................29 Elma Steel & Equipment Ltd ..........10 Financial Services ........................5,7 Gerber’s Workwear ........................54 Greenfield Global Inc ....................49 Grey Ag Services ..........................24 Grober Nutrition ....................Cover 4 Hanover Honda..............................31 Harold Jones Enterprises ..............54 Hayter & Associates ......................19 Hill & Hill Farms ................Cover 2, 5 Hunter Steel ..........................Cover 5 Huron Commodities ......................49 Jennifer Cook & Associates Inc ....31 Kingwood Bins ................................8 KMM Farm Drainage ....................26 LAC ................................................48 Lakeside Shelving & Racking ........23 Live Landscape..............................40 Maitland Welding ..........................54 Maples Leaves Forever ........Cover 7 Mapleview Agri ..............................32 Marquardt Farm Drainage ............21 Martin Farm Wagons ....................17 Martin’s Nursery ............................41 McIntee Real Estate ......................54 Metzger Meat Products..................53 Morris Sachs Silo Construction......10 Nature’s Wave Inc ........................21 Nuclear Waste Management ........26 OFA ................................................2 Ontario Pesticide Training ............43 R.T. Bolton & Son ................Cover 4 RBC ..............................................47 Ridgeway Metals ..........................55 Rural Living ....................................36 Rural Voice Books ................Cover 6 Sauble Beach Motorsports19,23,28,63 Schmidt’s Farm Drainage ..............48

Schweiss Doors ............................47 Sew & Save Centre ......................41 Somerville Seedlings ....................51 St. Lawrence Cruise Lines ............40 Steffen Well Drilling ......................55 SWO Diesel ..........................Cover 7 Sylvar Technologies Inc ..................6

The Brew Shop ..............................23 Townsley Barn Painting ................57 Triple P Consulting ........................49 Trouw Nutrition ................Back Cover Usborne & Hibbert Mutual Fire ......53 WD Hopper & Sons Ltd ................23 Williams Drainage ..........................28

702 MAIN ST., SAUBLE BEACH (519) 422-ATVS (2887) sales.atvdepot@bellnet.ca

519-523-4311 ruralvoice.ca January 2021 63

HURON

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

County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER

HCFA 80th Anniversary Celebrations In 2021 the Huron County Federation of Agriculture (HCFA) will celebrate its 80th anniversary.

Leading into the anniversary year we are starting to recognize the leaders who were instrumental in our success over the years.

Over the years the HCFA has had many strong and vibrant leaders.

Many of the presidents on this list are still involved or have descendants involved in agriculture.

To celebrate its 80th anniversary the HCFA will have a monthly draw from our membership list. Watch for the January winner to be announced next month on the Federation’s page in The Rural Voice.

Many things have changed over the last 80 years such as: in 1941, bacon was 25 cents per pound; Aylmer pork and beans, three cans for 25 cents; Campbell’s vegetable

soup, two tins for 19 cents; butter, 23 cents a jar and toilet tissue, four large rolls for 25 cents.

Looking at the minutes from the HCFA 1941 meetings is a trip through the history. Many of the issues and discussions from 1941 are still being dealt with today including health care, transportation costs, compensation for wildlife damage, cost of membership fees, reforestation, tree cutting bylaws, and repair costs. Seventy years ago a group of local people realized the importance of working together to deal with the concerns of the time and the Huron County Federation of Agriculture is still working to ensure a profitable, sustainable and vibrant future for local farmers.

Watch for more history and ways of celebrating our 80th Anniversary in upcoming issues.◊

~ HCFA Presidents ~ 1941 ........................Fred Watson (Stanley) 1942 & 1943 ..........A.W. Morgan (Usborne) Elected May 1943 ......W.L. Whyte (Hullett) 1944 & 1945 ..........................Henry Sturdy (East Wawanosh) 1946 & 1947 ........Russel Bolton (McKillop) 1948 & 1949 ....................Bert (W.R.) Lobb (Goderich Twp.) 1950 & 1951 ............Chas. Coultes (Morris) 1952 & 1953 ......Bob McKercher (McKillop) 1954 & 1955 ......Wilfred Shortreed (Morris) 1956 & 1957 ........Doug McNeil (Colborne) 1958 & 1959....Winston Shapton (Stephen) 1960 & 1961 ......Warren Zurbrigg (Howick) 1962 & 1963 ..........................Elmer Ireland (East Wawanosh) 1964 & 1965 Alex McGregor (Tuckersmith) 1966 & 1967 ..........Charles Thomas (Grey) 1968 & 1969 ..........................Elmer Hunter (RR 3 Goderich - Colborne) 1970..............................Bob Henry (Hullett) 1970 & 1971 ............Jack Stafford (Howick) 1972 & 1973 ..........................Mason Bailey (East Wawanosh) 1974 & 1975 ......Doug Fortune (Turnberry) 1976 ............Adrian Vos (East Wawanosh) 1977 & 1978 ..........Allan Walper (Stephen) 1979 & 1980 ..........Merle Gunby (Ashfield) 1981 & 1982 ......Gerry Fortune (Turnberry)

1983 & 1984..........................Tony McQuail (West Wawanosh) 1985 &1986..............Doug Garniss (Morris) 1987 & 1988 ....................Paul Klopp (Hay) 1989 & 1990 ..........................Chris Palmer (East Wawanosh) 1991 & 1992 ....................Brenda McIntosh (Tuckersmith) 1993 & 1994 ......Bill Wallace (Tuckersmith) 1995 & 1996 ....................Steve Thompson (Goderich Township) 1997 & 1998 ......Henry Boot (Tuckersmith) 1999 & 2000 ..............Pat Down (Usborne) 2001 & 2002 ......Charles Regele (McKillop) 2003 & 2004 ............................Neil Vincent (East Wawanosh) 2005 & 2006 ................Nick Whyte (Hullett) 2007 & 2008 ................Stephen Thompson (Goderich Township) 2009 & 2010 ..........................Wayne Black (West Wawanosh) 2011 & 2012 ......................Marinus Bakker (West Wawanosh) 2013 & 2014 ..Carol Leeming (Tuckersmith) 2015 & 2016 ..........................Joan Vincent (East Wawanosh) 2017 & 2018 ..........Erica Murray (McKillop) 2019 & 2020 ..Ethan Wallace (Tuckersmith) 2020 ............................Rob VandenHengel

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

Upcoming Events January 1 – Happy New Year!

January 5-12 – Grey Bruce Farmers’ Week.

For details visit: greybrucefarmersweek.ca Huron County Federation of Agriculture

BOARD MEETING January 25, 2021 - 8:00 p.m.

Contact the office to receive the information to join this virtual meeting

Contact Information for HCFA President Rob VandenHengel Vinselaar Holsteins vinselaar@gmail.com 519-440-9905 Vice President Murray Workman murrayworkman@yahoo.com 519-505-1977 2nd Vice-President Mike Colclough mcolclough@tcc.on.ca 519-525-8318 Office Administrator Lori Gordon ofahuron@tcc.on.ca 519 482 9642 ext 2 OFA Member Service Rep Margaret Vincent Margaret.vincent@ofa.on.ca 519 482 9642 ext 1 OFA Zone 7 Director (Huron-Perth) Brent Royce brent.royce@ofa.on.ca 519-291-8279 HCFA Policy Advisory Committee Rob VandenHengel 519-440-9905 vinselaar@gmail.com Erica Murray Tel 519-615-2684 emurray@tcc.on.ca Marinus Bakker 519-529-7428 saratogaview@hotmail.com

OFFICE UPDATE due to COVID-19 Please call before visiting the HCFA office to determine if the office is open.

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

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

64 The Rural Voice

Contracting for 2021 Food Grade Soybeans OAC Strive S07-M8 Angelica S16-F5 OAC Kent OAC Marvel

Fall Delivery $3.25 $3.25 $3.25 $3.50 $3.25 $3.25

2650 CHU 2725 CHU 2725 CHU 2850 CHU 3000 CHU 3050 CHU

More varieties available for contracting. Please contact Pete Rowntree pete.hillhill@tcc.on.ca

38631 Mill Rd., hillhill@tcc.on.ca RR #1 Varna, Ontario N0M 2R0 www.varnagrain.com 519-233-3218

519-233-7908 1-877-433-7908

Supplying the agricultural industry needs since 1977!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Angle Channel Hot and cold rolled bars Tool steel Beams Rebar Concrete reinforcing mesh Mechanical tubes Black pipe Galvanized pipe Sheet and Plate Bar grating Welded wire mesh Grip strut Precision ground shafting

* NEW * Now Stocking • Hog & Cattle Panels • Various livestock penning sizes available Services offered: • Saw cutting • Punching • Rebar cutting and bending • Custom welded columns and beams • Priming • Galvanizing OPEN: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

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

The Rural Reading Room

Celebrate with a new book

Specializing in Rural Living & Local Authors

RAW MILK and the Search for Human Kindness Michael Schmidt tells the story of his struggle to deliver raw milk to the owners of those who produced it. He takes readers on a gripping and often lonely journey through Canada’s legal and regulatory system. This book is testimony to the strength of the human spirit. $45.00

THIRTY YEARS ON CALL Learn about life as a country doctor in Bruce County in the first half of the century in this story of Dr. Robert Tucker. $18.95

FEED THE BIRDS This book is the perfect resource for beginners and experienced birdwatchers alike. Covering 196 bird species that are attracted to backyard feeders. A wide variety of feeders and seed types are discussed as well as bird behaviours. $29.95

WOODPECKERS OF NORTH AMERICA Woodpeckers are fascinating birds, using their beaks to find food and communicate.

See beautiful colour photos and learn about 28 North American species, their feeding habits and their benefit to the environment. $24.95

HOW TO RETIRE HAPPY, WILD AND FREE Here’s retirement wisdom you won’t get from your financial investor by the author of The Joy of Not Working.

Information about more than just financial security. $22.95

PARENTING WITH PATIENCE Positive discipline has to begin with positive stress management. Author Judy Arnall offers realistic advice for handling the stress of parenting and understanding the steps of normal child development $19.95

I WANT TO BE A FARMER Activity book for young ones. Includes 100 stickers and pop-outs to keep your little one entertained. $10.95

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

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

Check out huroncitizen.ca under Marketplace for more books Total

Qty.

RAW MILK AND THE SEARCH FOR HUMAN KINDNESS FEED THE BIRDS HOW TO RETIRE HAPPY, WILD AND FREE I WANT TO BE A FARMER THIRTY YEARS ON CALL WOODPECKERS OF NORTH AMERICA PARENTING WITH PATIENCE THAT FREEDOM MIGHT SURVIVE

$45.00 $29.95 $22.95 $10.95 $18.95 $24.95 $19.95 $25.00

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

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

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

Find out how to claim your

25% Rebate when you plant native maples this spring

Visit www.mapleleavesforever.ca to learn more

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TALK TO YOUR LOCAL SHUR-GAIN® DEALER FOR MORE INFORMATION. HENSALL CO-OP Londesboro 519-523-9606 800-265-9000 Zurich 519-236-7155 800-565-7155 Ripley 519-395-5955 855-895-5955 Mitchell 519-348-8752 800-669-3502 Alisa Craig 519-232-4449

DAUPHIN FEED & SUPPLY LTD.

NIEUWLAND FEED & SUPPLY LTD.

Dungannon 519-529-7951 800-665-5675

Listowel 519-291-5795 800-265-3229

Walton 519-887-6023

Drayton 519-638-3008 800-263-9819

YANTZI FEED & SEED Tavistock 519-655-2033

Elora 519-846-5354 800-265-5354

HOLSTEIN FEED MILL (2015) LTD.

THE HITCHING POST (2019) LTD.

Holstein 519-334-3424

St. Marys 519-284-2360