The Rural Voice - July, 2022

Rural Voice

The

July 2022

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

THE FUTURE OF FARMING Will the future of farming be commercial, synthetic or regenerative ... or all three?

MODELS, 10 YEARS LATER

FARM MENTORSHIP

The Player family has been the face of pork for a decade and are still players in the hog industry

Ignatius Farm provides access to farmland, teaches new farmers how to farm, and offers a community garden

THEATRE ON THE FARM Looking back at The Farm Show — a foundational moment in Canadian theatre

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Take time to visit your local fair!

2022 Agricultural Fairs Seaforth

Sept 16-18

Sept 8-10

Fergus

Sept 16-18

Beaver Valley

Sept 9-10

Feversham

Sept 16-18

Chesley

Sept 9-10

Harriston-Minto

Sept 16-18

Shelburne

Listowel

July 14-17

Mitchell

Zurich

July 22-24

Owen Sound

Drayton

August 5-7

Dungannon

August 6-7

Sept 2-4

Hanover

August 12-14

Arthur

Sept 9-11

Mt. Forest

August 12-13

Dundalk

Sept 9-11

Bayfield

August 19-21

Kirkton

Sept 9-11

Teeswater

August 19-21

Mildmay-Carrick

Sept 9-11

Tavistock

Sept 9-11 Sept 9-18

Cdn. National Exhibition

August 19-Sept 5

Sept 17

Embro-Zorra

Sept 17-18

IPM

Sept 20-24

Sydenham

Sept 22

Stratford

Sept 22-25

Rocklyn

Sept 23-25

Howick-Turnberry

Sept 23-24

Woodstock

August 25-28

Western Fair

Markdale

August 26-27

Paisley

Sept 10-11

Ripley-Huron

Sept 23-24

Palmerston

August 26-28

Arran-Tara

Sept 13-14

Grand Valley

Sept 23-25

Desboro

Sept 2-3

Brussels

Sep. 13-14

Drumbo

Sept 24-25

Kincardine

Sept 2-3

COFS

Sept 13-15

Tiverton

Sept 30-Oct 2

Sept 3

Neustadt

Sept 16-17

Erin

Chatsworth

Sept 17

Wiarton

Sept 16-17

Walkerton

Oct 14-16

Durham

Sept 2-4

Lucknow

Sept 16-17

Royal Winter Fair

Nov 4-13

Meaford

Oct 7-10

Visit www.ontariofairs.com for more information.

This calendar is presented by

 ~ In support of our community ~ Goderich, ON • wwmic.com

RESIDENTIAL

FARM

COMMERCIAL

A proud member of

AUTO

Contents The

Rural Voice THE MAGAZINE OF AGRICULTURAL LIFE

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

18

Publisher: Deb Sholdice

26 Columns

Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Keith Roulston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Kate Procter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Jeffrey Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Mabel’s Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Woodlots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Agrilaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Departments

Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Ruralite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 News & Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Business Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Newsletters

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

30 JULY 2022 • Cover Photo The Player men of Playerdise Farms Photo by Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot

Editor: Lisa Boonstoppel-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, Carolyn Crawford, Bonnie Sitter, Jeff Tribe, Amanda Brodhagen and Hetty Stuart

• Deadlines: August Issue – July 12

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

18 Ten Years as a Pork Model

Production co-ordinator & Telemarketing: Joan Caldwell

September Issue – August 9

The Player family can still be seen on the side of Loblaws trucks and are still promoting pork, but differently

22 Future of Food Researchers and anaylysts share their predictions on the future of food

26 New Farmer Training

Hundreds sign up for the New Farmer Training course offered by Igantius farm and then tour the farm

30 History of The Farm Show As theatre found its seat, farming made its debut in the memorable play called The Farm Show

Advertising & editorial production:

Dianne Josling

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40037593 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 429, BLYTH ON N0M 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca Subscriptions: $25 (12 issues) $45 (24 issues), includes HST Back copies $2.75 each.

34 Raspberry and Currant Pies Grandpa complained there wasn’t enough sugar but strawberries and currants made for good pies

38 A Survivor Speaks

A Humboldt bus crash survivor inspires with his story

All manuscripts submitted for consideration should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Editorial content may be reproduced only by permission of the publisher. The Rural Voice makes every effort to see that advertising copy is correct. However, should an error occur, please notify The Rural Voice office within 30 days of invoicing in order to obtain a billing adjustment.

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ORTH URON

PUBLISHING COMPANY INC.

A division of North Huron Publishing Company Inc.

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

We have to adapt to customers The Editor, The recent letter from Terrence Rothwell (June issue of The Rural Voice) and Keith Roulston’s earlier column (April 2022) about disappearing Ontario farmland show that little has changed since the 1975 Ontario provincial election in which disappearing farmland

was a major election issue.

Since the issue has gone on for so long, and apparently always at the expense of farmers, it’s time we moved away from the “us versus them” mindset and accepted the reality of the situation.

Firstly, we are trying to farm in one of the most densely-populated areas of North America and that trend is going to continue. The people who own and occupy our former farmlands are our customers and we have to adapt to them and not the other way around. What’s the point of wide-open spaces if it means no demand for what we produce?

It’s also time for farmers to abandon the mantra of “food security” in the form of selfsufficiency and realize we, in southern Ontario are not really much different than Korea, southern California and other vibrant economies where populations faroutstrip the ability to produce food for those populations.

Therefore, it’s time for farmers to

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realize that we really don’t have much say in how or why to “preserve” farmland because food availability and food security are a direct function of a vibrant and growing economy’s ability to source food from multiple sources, domestic and foreign rather than a function of a captive local supply produced on farmland artificially preserved to do so. ◊ – Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON

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Enjoy the best of summer

Learn about this & other stories when you visit this award winning museum

 Stunning wood carvings by world     

renowned Wilson Johnston Antique Implements, Blacksmith Shop Artfacts2ART exhibition RBG ‘A Place to Grow’ exhibit Oxford County Museum School Shakespeare’s HenryV - July 30

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•

Regenerative Agriculture

Future of Pork

“In this scenario, we eat nutrient-rich food

that is carbon negative and biodiversity positive.” ~ Hannah Tucker of Balance Point Advisory speaking at the Arrell Food Summit on the future of farming and the goal of more farmers returning to regenerative agriculture. See page 22.

Silly Signs

“I believe the future (of pork) will look more like the integration style they

Lexophile Lovers

have in the United

• I changed my phone’s name

States. That’s bad for

took the step ladder yesterday bring it

to Titanic. It’s syncing now.

Ontario because

back or further steps will be taken

• Haunted French pancakes

when you lose the

give me the crepes

individual farmers,

• In an office: Would the person who

• In a laundromat: Automatic washing machines — please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.

• Notice in a farmer’s field: The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but the bull charges.

FARMING IN JULY

• With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

• When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A. • If you don’t pay your exorcist, you can get repossessed

you lose another piece of community.”

See page 18 ~Gordon Player of Playerdise

Farms Ltd. near Stratford on the future of the pork industry.

“Agriculture is always going to be a top priority.

Everybody is always going to need to eat and ... as long as you are willing to put in the hours, there is a job for you”

•

~ Brady Blasher

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

• The future is purchased by the present • One thing you don’t regret is

•

wasted time

Takes a Team On June 4, Farm & Food Care Ontario hosted a Breakfast on the Farm at the Paris fairgrounds. The family‐friendly event allows visitors to have conversations about food and farming and have their questions answered. Plus, they received a bag of breakfast ingredients! ~Photo supplied by Farm & Food Care Ontario

July 2022 5

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

The future of food versus the future of farming

I

spent a few days listening to nonfarming researchers and scientists decry the way many farmers currently farm as unsustainable, contributing to climate change and harmful to the soil. This was during the Arrell Food Summit’s “Future of Farming” summit and The Globe and Mail’s Future of Farming Event.

I felt insulted, at first. I truly believe farmers are committed to being good stewards of the soil. If not, economics will ensure it because improved soil increases yields.

Yet the older I get, the more I cringe whenever the sprayer rolls onto the fields to pelt destructive insects and invasive weeds with spray, i.e. poison. When I think about the food I put in my kid’s mouths, do I want it to have been sprayed with pesticides, grown in soil enriched with mined fertilizers and then packaged in plastic before it makes it onto our table?

And yet, I totally get how difficult it is to change a large ship once it’s plowing towards its destination and commercial farming is a huge ship.

We farm the way we learned it, as sons and daughters learned from fathers and mothers with some education thrown in. All the equipment they need to farm that way is bought and being paid for.

The image in their heads of clean fields with straight lines has been ingrained in the visual psyche. And it’s hard to change.

And it works. But at what price?

That’s the discussion being had at these food summits.

Farming isn’t static and farmers are smart so they listen, learn and react. I do see farmers making big changes. Cover crops are probably the biggest adaptation I’ve seen on 6 The Rural Voice

my county roads and it just makes so Would that mean farmers with much sense. Cover crops break the 10,000 acres would have to sublet cycle of pests and disease, protect the land, or create tenant farmers? I only soil with living plants, allow the roots have 120 acres but 10 of those acres to feed the mitochondria and fungal are a gorgeous hay field that would mycelium, then can be harvested or be ideal for a market gardening incorporated into the soil for situation. Could I rent or (gasp) fertilizer. Brilliant!

GIVE land to young farmers so they Still, it’s all reliant on large have a chance to grow vegetables and tractors using copious amounts of start their own dreams of a farm fuel and the need for fertilizer goes managed with regenerative way beyond what composted cover principles? crops can provide (at least as far as I Because on top of it all, farming is understand it.) turning into a social situation. It’s I’m not a crop expert but I do about equity and planet health and want to speak to what is being said creating community that is being lost.

There are more animals and less on platforms online where hundreds farmers every year and that seems the of foodies watch and start to wonder, wrong ratio to pursue.

“Do farmers really know what they are doing?”

And yet (another yet) even though Thing is, they do. They innovate, I love gardening and raising create, learn and adapt as needed. livestock, I do not want to spend a For some, it’s using technology full day at my income-creating jobs and precision agriculture to save on and then come home and try to grow inputs and passes on the field and harvest enough food to feed my (reducing fuel usage). family through the winter. That takes For other farmers, it’s about going organic or implementing regenerative farming practices.

Regenerative agriculture was touted at these Future of Farming summits as the next model of sustainable farming. It makes sense. While the definition of “regenerative” is under debate, the concept of growing a crop or raising an animal in sync with the land and ecosystem strikes me as an The future of farming is a complex and obvious choice to save a stressed exciting discussion planet.

Why feed cows in a barn when as a lot of muscle and time when done they graze perennial pastures, they on a small-scale. I depend on fertilize it with their manure? Their commercial farms and their massive waste provides nourishment to soil productivity to feed me. microbes. These untilled pastures As do all the billions of people store carbon and the grasslands who don’t have land to even consider themselves become an ecosystem growing their own food as an option. where pollinators, native birds and The future of farming as I see it mammals grow and thrive. The cows should be a merging of commercial eat as they go, not requiring fueland regenerative agriculture with using machines to harvest, bring and each learning from the other to make deliver feed to troughs inside barns. it ecologistically sustainable and It’s just that pesky season called scaleable. winter. In Canada, we have to house What a simple statement written animals and store feed for survival. down. Doing it is far more complex.

But it seems, right, yes? To take But it all starts with ideas and old-fashioned farming and make it conversations because they lead to modern? creative solutions ... and that’s That will be a huge challenge. exciting stuff. ◊

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The Rural Voice Magazine 519-523-4311 July 2022 7

Keith Roulston Keith is the former publisher of The Rural Voice.

He lives near Blyth, ON.

How do we feed our future?

Somehow I missed the news last fall that sales of Maple Leaf Foods’ plant-based meat substitute had been very disappointing for the company’s president Michael H. McCain.

McCain had earlier been very optimistic for Maple Leaf’s Plant Protein Group sales, predicting growth of 30 per cent. Instead, the division had seen its sales fall to C$48 million from C$51.4 million during the same period of the year before.

By the February, with a full year of financial results to review, it became obvious the company’s growth projections for the plant protein division were unlikely to meet the optimistic projections

Providing

“given customer feedback, experience, buy rates and household penetration,” the company said.

The problem for plant-based protein is that it’s more expensive than real meat, and it’s getting worse, The Toronto Star reported, although the price of meat was increasing too.

A Dalhousie University Agri-Foods Analysis Lab study showed on average, the price difference was 38 per cent, but it varied wildly depending on the product.

If you sense a smile on my face as I write this, you’re right. See, while my house, this year, is surrounded by soybeans that might be used to make plant-based meat, I also have three neighbours who keep cattle on some of their land. They rotate their land through pasture, hay and crops – from winter wheat to corn to beans.

I also have neighbours who milk cows and sell their milk and others who keep pigs, all of whom are not part of the move toward a vegetarian population. I never see the pigs, so I can’t say I’d be deprived if my neighbours couldn’t keep them, but I would miss seeing the cattle, both the

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beef and the dairy cows and calves.

I know I’m old-fashioned and out of touch with much of modern thinking which claims, for instance, that the methane that cattle discharge as they eat grass and hay, is destructive for the environment, even worse than carbon dioxide.

Maybe I fall in with the climatechange deniers here, but I sometimes wonder if those who see keeping livestock as an environmental problem look beyond what they want to see.

Farms, way back when I was growing up, were pretty-much selfcontained. Most farmers kept cattle that ate grass in pasture fields and hay from the farm’s hay fields and produced manure that fertilized the fields that grew barley, oats, wheat and a small amount of corn.

Chemical fertilizer was still somewhat new, increasing crop yields but also beginning the process that made it essential for farmers to earn more to stay on the land.

About the time farmers became more dependent on purchased imports, farms also began specializing. We had a few cows that produced milk separated into cream, which we sold and milk that was fed to calves and pigs. Milk quota saved farmers who specialized in dairy, but killed off my father’s sort of farm.

Some farmers began specializing with pigs raised in larger and larger barns. Many farms gave up livestock completely and produced only corn, soybeans and wheat.

We have come to depend on this sort of farming. As I mentioned last month, urbanites argue that because we now feed many times as many people in Ontario, we can lose a few thousand more acres to urbanization.

But what happens if, as some environmental critics suggest, we need to reduce the amount of modern, petroleum-dependent fertilizers? How do we keep growing crops if we stop eating cattle, pigs and chicken and don’t have manure to promote crop growth? Can we find the plant materials to feed an increasing population with fewer acres and less production from each acre because we don’t have either natural or artificial fertilizer? ◊

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July 2022 9

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

Extreme weather proven by weather reports As the snow melts and spring creeps, or sometimes rushes, across the land, farmers prepare for the frantic season ahead. The windows of opportunity to get stuff done are filled with never-ending motion.

Stress runs high and everyone hopes they have thought of every possible way to make the spring work flow as smoothly as possible.

No two springs are ever the same – moisture, freezing temperatures, heat, wind all come in different ways in slightly different times to make it impossible to predict how the season will go. Even fields that are a couple

of miles apart can have very different rainfall amounts, which lead to different results at the end of the year. All the planning and preparation in the world doesn’t make up for too much rain, or too little. Or rain at the wrong time.

It may seem hard to believe, but I’ve heard that in some places, people don’t even talk about the weather and think it odd if the topic comes up!

These places must surely have weather that is the same from day to day, without seasonal fluctuations or life altering weather events.

But around here, especially among farmers, it is odd if the weather doesn’t make up a major part of the conversation. As I listen to comments and opinions on the weather, it quickly becomes apparent that our memories tend to be selective. The extreme events stand out, but for the most part, we forget if there isn’t a good way to keep track and keep the information in front of us and we are definitely not that great at tracking how things are changing over time.

I find it interesting to look back at

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long-term weather patterns. A cooperative effort between groups in the U.S. and Canada produces an annual detailed study of the Great Lakes basin. The chart that I find most interesting in the report shows long-term trends in precipitation.

When people suggest that the climate is not changing, I think of this chart.

The most recent report shows a chart that covers a period from 1892 to 2020 and shows how the precipitation varies from the mean for that period.

• https://mrcc.purdue.edu/pubs/docs /GL-2020_Climate-trends-andimpacts-summarySummary.pdf Looking at the data this way reveals how much the precipitation varies and also includes a trend line of the nine-year averages for that 100-year period. From the about the mid-1960s, it seems obvious that the precipitation patterns have changed.

While there are still dry years, there are many more years that are wetter than the mean. This pattern appears to have reversed from the period going back to the late 1890s. The extremes are more extreme and the long-term trend is showing more annual precipitation than there used to be looking back from 1965 to 1892.

A report published in 2003, “Confronting Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region” predicted what changes would be in store for us.

Considering that the report is now 20 years old, I thought it would be interesting to see how many of their predictions proved to be accurate. I did not read all of it but one thing that jumped out at me was a less favourable impact on agriculture than had been suggested in the past. This is due, in part, to predicted changes in precipitation.

“Wetter periods are expected during times that could delay harvest or planting, and dry spells are projected during times when crops need water.”

• (https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/ default/files/legacy/assets/documents /global_warming/greatlakes_final. pdf).

From my own experience, which admittedly isn’t a great yardstick, I would say this prediction is coming

true. I use the example of putting soybeans in the dryer, which becomes a necessity when the fall is wet and we can’t harvest beans dry.

When I asked older members of our crew how often they dried soybeans in the past – the reply was “never”.

Now, it’s increasingly common.

Harvesting beans that were too dry used to be a bigger concern, but that has never happened since I’ve been doing it. Corn hybrids have been bred to tolerate drought but how much attention has been paid to adapting to wetter conditions, which is what we are experiencing here.

The report also predicted new pests and diseases would become a bigger problem. “Crop losses may increase as new pests and disease become established in the region and as warmer, longer growing seasons facilitate the buildup of larger pest populations. Already the range of the bean leaf beetle, a pest of soybeans, appears to be shifting northward.” It seems as if every year brings new diseases migrating northward – western bean cutworm, first detected in Ontario in 2008 and tar spot are two recent examples.

Extreme weather events are also becoming more common, as anyone working in the insurance industry will tell you. Family friends living near Ottawa lost every building on their farm during the “derecho” wind event that occurred in late May. Winds reached 190 km per hour in that storm, which killed 10 people across Ontario and Quebec. The city of Ottawa had to replace 200 damaged hydro poles, a feat that would normally take six months.

Prior to that, I thought a tornado was the worst wind event we had to worry about here.

Can humans reverse or even slow climate change? That is a big question and beyond the scope of this column. There are many changes we can make in order to try. In my little corner of the world, I am making some changes personally, but also trying to focus on how to manage water, making our field operations as efficient as possible, and hoping that as humans, we can work collectively to sort this out before it is too late. ◊

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M

y friends of Orkney, my conversation with my dear friend Pinkie continues and so does the story of Clifton and Estelle. With Clifton working a job in a remote location in Ontario’s northland and Estelle in hospital for a serious surgery, their children were taken by the Children’s Aid Society in 1937. They were among the many thousands of Canadians who experienced that fate during the first half of the 20th century. Among them was nine-year-old Anita, first sent to a group home and later fostered.

It was not the first tragedy for the couple. The other occurred a decade earlier when Estelle, nursing her second child, detected a slight fever in her first. *** Phyllis Marguerite was a delight to her family. She knew many words and could travel about on her tricycle when the first signs the whooping cough appeared on a bright summer afternoon. She would linger for another 10 weeks, with her Richardson grandparents, then at the hospital in town where the nurses were both kind and attentive, and for a few brief days at home with Clifton and Estelle.

Clifton would sit by his daughter in a downstairs room, curtains drawn.

Sometimes, as her breath became less laboured, she would reach out, grasp a thick finger and smile, the sound of village life faint.

Four little neighour boys, their names all familiar to the villagers, were pall-bearers, carrying the flower-clad coffin, a small, dark space for the wee pale girlie with her honey curls and fine, winsome looks.

It was a private affair given the fragile health of elderly family members.

A pair of pastors preceded, offering words of condolence. Ollie Carter, whom Anita would point out to her son on the steps of the church many years later, sang: In the land of fadeless day lies the city four-square; It shall never pass away and there is no night there.

Pinkie and I sit in a sheltered, sunlit space overlooking the garden.

An odd silence has fallen. Even the birds have lost their voice. High above, a flicker of movement, a subtle caress among the tree tops.

I think of Estelle’s words as she spoke of her view one evening from the window of her tiny two-room apartment in the senior’s residence: I could see the lightening on the horizon, but there was no sound.

“Anita maintained that she was an unwelcome arrival, Pinkie, darkness following the light, though I hardly think that was the case.”

To Pinkie’s unanswered question I reply, “They all lived full lives — Anita her siblings — though none were untouched by their experience.

Clifton lived long enough to see my mother married and rebuild the relationship with another of his children. Estelle lived on, flourished even, earning a modest living working as a housekeeper and for a time as a laundress at the hospital.

Forty years a widow.” *** In her 80s, Estelle would rise at 5 a.m. Six hours later, her chores and daily calisthenics were completed.

She could touch her toes, a feat she would occasionally demonstrate to visitors.

When we brought her infant grandson for a visit, she insisted upon observing the feeding. She told us she didn’t like Catholics, or Dutchmen, though would make an exception in our case. Once, when touring a black history museum, she told the manager of the place without the blink of an eye, “Our people owned your people.”

There was no ill intent in the remark; merely a statement of fact as she saw it.

She led a sober existence, had a knack for names, knew the whereabouts of distant relatives, had a passion for euchre, was a regular at

the Saturday farmers’ market and attended church on occasion, bonnet affixed with a pin to her poodle hairdo, purse clutched firmly in hand, eyes forward, shoulders back.

In her 90s, in hospital, she said to daughter, “I don’t want to die.” The doctor in attendance said her heart was the last thing to go.

Anita was eventually taken in by Estelle’s younger brother who was married to the sister of the man she would eventually wed.

“So that means your aunt married your great uncle?” Pinkie asks.

“That’s right, Pinkie, and that aunt was the niece of the fellow who sang at the funeral of which we just spoke, Ollie. Father referred to them as Mr. and Mrs. Rich – short for Richardson. You remember me speaking of my dad, he’s the fellow who could fall asleep through an act of self will and begin to snore, especially when seated on a wooden church pew, wife and children beside

him, on an Easter Sunday.”

I see that Pinkie is attempting to sort through the family connections and other things and I decide to interrupt.

“Someday I’ll draw you a chart, Pinkie. Meanwhile, in fairness to my father’s lineage, not to mention his mother’s people, the Millers, I’d had better tell a bit of their story.

“You’re heard of Jimmy Carter, Pinkie, I’m related.”

To be continued...

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

“So, any of you guys planning a summer vacation?” wondered Molly Whiteside as she delivered the guys’ breakfasts at Mabel’s Grill the other morning.

“No, hearing about the long lineups at the airport was enough to turn me off,” said Dave Winston as she set down his ham and eggs.

“Huh, six months ago people wouldn’t have complained about lineups,” said Molly. “People would be just too happy to be travelling again.”

“It’s amazing how quickly people got back to their old habits,” said Cliff Murray, taking his oatmeal and toast and jam. “So much for the thought that people might be put off from travelling with the way that COVID spread so fast because

people were travelling so much.”

“Or that new Monkey Pox,” said George Mackenzie as he dug into his plate. “A few weeks ago nobody in North America had heard about it and now it’s on the news every day,” “Yeah, the people on the news never mention COVID even though last time I looked there were something like 400 new cases every day, yet they headline this Monkey Pox when there have been about the same number of cases during the entire infection and nobody is dying,” said Cliff.

“Yeah, I pick up the same thing in conversations I overhear in here,” said Molly.

“Old news is no news,” said Dave.

“Except I heard this doctor on TV say COVID is a hundred times more infectious than Monkey Pox,” said Cliff.

“Like I said, old news is no news,” sighed Dave.

“And both came to North America because people travelled,” said George. “If people were like me and couldn’t afford the time or money to travel, we wouldn’t have to worry

about either.”

“Or emerald ash borer or garlic mustard or any of the other imported plant diseases, either,” said Cliff.

“Yeah I was watching the news on TV and they said the whole ecology of Lake Ontario has been upset by people flushing their gold fish down the toilet and into the lake,” said Dave. “Seems the gold fish have thrived in the lake, and there are 40 million of them.”

“I saw that,” said George. “And the gold fish have got bigger and they stir up the mud on the bottom of the lake and the native fish can’t stand it and are dying off.”

“Sort of the same complaint the native people could make about us former Europeans,” laughed Molly, as she heard Mabel ring the bell to pick up an order and turned and went back to the kitchen.

“I supposed they’d have a point,” sighed Cliff. “We wouldn’t have the whole global warming thing if we had fewer people and my land was still covered by trees sucking up the carbon dioxide.” ◊

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

article reported that in collisions between 2013 and 2016, pickup trucks were 2.5 times more likely to kill the driver of a car, than other cars. Furthermore, extra gas is required to propel the bulk of a truck.

I recall a farmer who sold firewood by the pickup load, from a large pile on his farm. He claimed to be doing the town boys a favour by providing them with an excuse to own their trucks. In 2021, four of the five top selling vehicles in Canada were pickups. How much wood could those trucks chuck?

Electric vehicles (EV) make more sense as oil prices rise although I’ve heard that EV sales are sputtering because they are still too small.

Whether powered by internal combustion engines or batteries, more energy is needed as vehicle size increases. Smaller rather than larger EVs will reduce the need to mine lithium, cobalt and nickel for batteries and they are cheaper than most pickups.

Other upsides of high oil prices are faster adoption of heat pumps,

There is an upside to high oil and food prices “Can you even squeeze $10 of gas into that thing?” He might have said ‘tin can’ instead of ‘thing.’ The wind was driving snow into my face and my vision and hearing were challenged. He was in the shadow of his vehicle, about three or four times the size of mine. “Nowadays I can,” I said, with a smile.

One upside of high oil prices is that vehicle size may decrease.

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geothermal energy, passive houses and public transportation. While high oil prices may justify redistribution of current oil and gas supplies they could tip us toward more drilling, a definitive downside given IPCC’s ‘bleakest warning yet’ on impacts of climate breakdown (https://bit.ly /3JhWyLJ). However, with determination, we could have more energy sovereignty in Canada by accelerating clean energy production.

Related to the size of vehicles, there is an opportunity to reduce the size of living space per person and to transform housing availability.

An upside of higher food prices is that we might nibble less, thus reducing health costs and reduce wasted food. In Canada, the value of wasted food per year is $49.5 billion, and with associated costs is 2.5 times higher and the total of avoidable and unavoidable wasted food is tallied at 58 per cent of all food (https://bit.ly /3q8k0nb ).

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture calculates that Canadians spent 10.7 per cent of their disposable income on food in 2021.

In my opinion, food is still too cheap and if our system is structured for consumers to avoid paying the real costs of growing, processing and distributing food, then food will continue to be treated like a convenient commodity.

Food warrants respect. It is through food that nutrients and energy flow from Earth into ourselves. Ecological relationships require care and warrant full payments. Ecology is long-term economics and if that foundation is compromised, then long-term poverty and poor health are inevitable.

I understand that higher oil and food prices are serious setbacks to low-income Canadians. A few years ago, I attended a meeting of food company executives who were demonstrably delighted about keeping food prices low. As I listened, I pondered other information about how they squeeze employee wages, arm twist to pay farmers less, escalate volumes and seduce customers to overconsume with excess proportions of salt, fat

and sugar.

Unfortunately, high oil prices are gut punches to those who must travel to work or haul supplies in rural areas with poor or non-existent public transportation. As oil and natural gas prices increase, so will the cost of food production, especially as nitrogen fertilizer costs rise in lock step with energy prices.

I am not convinced that poverty will be solved indirectly, with lower food and oil prices. In my opinion, poverty must be addressed directly.

A guaranteed liveable income is probably the most effective solution.

In Canada we have the luxury of tackling the impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine with higher prices and living more efficiently. In countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mali and Sudan, food shortages will be exacerbated (https://bit.ly/35UiQVr ) and risks of famine are increasing. A global economic system of acquisition and marginalization results in more casualties during a crisis. Why does it take a war to make us recalibrate the rankings of humanity’s wants and needs?

There is a pending drama of “I quit” versus “you’re fired” with respect to cutting off Russian oil purchases or the Russians turning off the taps to Europe. The immediate repercussions on national economies could be severe, especially in least developed nations, who deserve our help, with or without Russian oil and wheat. In Europe and North America, high oil and food prices may be the jab in the ribs that will make us grumble until we see the benefits of wasting less, consuming less and focusing on higher values. ◊

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Pork

Pork models still grinning 10 years later The Player family of Gads Hill were first seen representing pork on Loblaws trucks 10 years ago but a lot has changed since then • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

T

It’s been 10 years since Mike, Cathy, Gord and Tim Player of Playerdise Farms Ltd. (in order on the truck) appeared in Loblaws advertising for Free From pork but the texts still come in from friends and neighbours who see their faces in travels across Canada.

18 The Rural Voice

en years ago, slightly photoshopped and keen, the Player family was plastered on the sides of Loblaws trucks promoting the Free From pork brand.

Today, the family still has those engaging grins but have changed their production protocols and have serious concerns about the pork industry.

Gord and Cathy Player, along with sons Mike and Tim, of Playerdise Farms Ltd. near Gads Hill became instant supermodels in the pork world when their family was chosen to represent the Free From pork sold at Loblaws grocery stores. At the time, the family was raising their pigs antibiotic free and the meat fit the brand. All said and done, it was a great experience for the family.

“It’s been really positive for the pork industry and really positive for us too,” says Gord. “We still get text messages when people see us. I had one recently where someone saw us in Powassan.”

Back when the program was launched, the Players had corporate Loblaws staff out to the farm for a barbecue. It was a good time. “We got to meet industry people we would never meet any other way,” says Gord, who admits he’s a people person with many a story to tell.

Ice fishing is a favourite hobby and wasn’t he up at Lake Nipissing one year when he met a stranger and learned he was a buyer for Loblaws who purchased Playerdise pigs.

“Well, he was as nice a guy as you could ever want to meet!”

The Players take a fair bit of ribbing, too.

“My son-in-law was stuck in traffic beside one of those trucks and he texted me, saying ‘look who I have to look at!’ ” As far as the Players understand, their photo was on 32 trucks that traveled all over the country. As the trucks get replaced, there are fewer Player trucks but until the last one is pulled off the road, their increasingly younger-looking faces continue to promote

Ontario pork. And that’s a good thing.

However, Gord is quick to say that he does not believe Free From pork is better or healthier than any other kind of pork produced in Ontario.

“It’s really just a personal preference,” says Gord. “Free from, non-GMO, commercial….all pork raised in Ontario is good and healthy.” Mike agrees, saying consumer choice is important and if a person wants to buy organic pork, then it’s good they should have that choice. Personally, they produce, buy and eat commercially grown foods.

As time has passed, things change in families, on farms and in attitudes.

For instance, Gord was a bricklayer by trade, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. When he married Cathy, the hours of a bricklayer were difficult on a marriage so he decided to purchase his first farm on Amulree Road and raise 50 sows, farrow to finish in an old bank barn.

When the farm was expropriated to build the Stratford airport, he bought a farm nearer to Gads Hill and built a 350-sow weaner operation, which son Tim now operates. In 1992, that expanded to 500 sows.

In 1994, a new barn to finish 4,000 pigs was built which is managed by son Mike. He is also the crop manager on the 200 acres owned and some 800 acres rented land.

Gord, of course, manages as well but humbly laughs that he’s just in charge of the feed. The trio and Cathy all work together and believe having defined responsibilities and roles creates a viable partnership.

Farm meetings are held daily at the red brick farmhouse over dinner Cathy makes for the family. It works well for the Players and there is a real sense of respect and camaraderie evident during the interview in the farm office.

“Pig farming has been great for us and our family,” confirms Gord. “But I believe the future will look more like the integration style they have in the United States. I think that’s bad for Ontario because when you lose the individual farmers you lose

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another piece of community.”

It’s clear the Players are thinking hard about the industry and their future.

With barns now 20 years old, and no grandchildren on the horizon, there comes a time when farmers have to choose whether to rebuild, stay the course, or exit the industry.

The Players are in that place.

Son Mike knew from a young age that he wanted to farm with his dad.

He got a job on the farm right out of high school and says he learned from the “school of hard knocks.” When Gord’s brother and partner, John, decided to venture on his own, Mike and Tim were able to buy into the family business.

“I had more positive thoughts about pig farming then than I do now,” admits Mike. “There isn’t as strong a cash flow today as there was then. And the constant ups and downs of pricing are tiring.”

All three men cite lack of consistent pricing in the hog industry as barriers to growth and expansion.

It’s hard to build a new barn and expand capacity without a solid prediction of their return on investment. With a new barn costing in the range of $6 million, it’s a hard choice to move forward. Corn prices have increased from $3.50 to $9 a bushel, labour issues are a concern and the longevity of their existing barns is a real worry. Older barns start to break down and disease pressure becomes a real concern.

Located in Perth County and surrounded by pig farms, it’s no surprise that disease is a threat and requires constant vigilance. “We call it PRRS county,” says Mike. (PRRS stands for Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome).

Being on the Free From program – which managed pig disease with vaccines – worked for 10 years but eventually, disease pressure was affecting the fertility of the sows.

They needed to start using antibiotics

to treat illness and manage the breeding herd. Once treated, the Players noticed the sows stayed bred and sow litters increased so they made the decision to become commercial pork producers and leave the Free From program. “To be profitable, we needed to use antibiotics and vaccines,” explains Gord.

The farm at present is profitable and manageable and the sons love being their own bosses and managers. “We get up and we know the work we have to do. We work long hours but we have the freedom to do it,” says Mike.

Will the Players be the face of pork production in another 10 years?

Their faces might still be on the older Loblaws trucks but they aren’t 100 per cent certain they will be raising pigs in the future.

Still, Gord does believe in farming. “When I was in my 20s and 30s, there was no better spot to be in than in the sun and watching a seed grow into a plant, or watch a litter grow up to be a market pig,” he says.

“I hope future generations get that experience because I think there is nothing better.” ◊

Sons Mike and Tim Player (left) each have their own roles on the hog and crop operation with Mike managing crops and finishing pigs while Tim manages the farrowing barn. Gord (above) holds a model of the trucks that have been carrying their faces and promoting Ontario Pork for over a decade now, an experience they describe as a great one.

July 2022 21

Dairy

Industrial? Synthetic? Regenerative?

How farmers will feed the world in the face of climate change was given a doomsday approach by one speaker then explored in terms of protein by a panel at the Arrell Food Summit

A

• By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

s the food system transforms, will commercial agriculture survive or will synthetic and regenerative agriculture surge ahead to feed the

world?

According to Hannah Tucker, a director at Balance Point Advisory, climate change is endangering many foods and livestock we humans hold dear including wine grapes, coffee, chocolate, cows, pigs and sugar. She suggests the industrial practices that surround them puts pressure on

Cows remain a hop topic in discussion about climate change and the future of food with some saying the planet needs less cows while other espouse the regenerative aspect of cattle grazing on pasture.

22 The Rural Voice

their “fragile ecosystems” which led her to question what the modern economy will look like.

She predicts the industrial food system will collapse, the synthetic world and its control of nature will continue to recreate food while regenerative agriculture and its collaborative partnership with nature will grow as an agriculture powerhouse.

These thoughts, along with the future of protein, were part of the discussion at The Future of Food, an online summit by The Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph.

Tucker said the industrial revolution came in 1920 when there were two billion people on the planet living in low levels of development. Fast forward to today, where there are now eight billion people largely living in urban areas with unequaled levels of development. “With advances in computing and electronics, big data, analytics, genomics, robotics, blockchain and more, these capabilities allow us to take precise control at the level of cells and molecules,” said Tucker, who also hosts Disruption Dinners to discuss the changing food system. “When we reexamine the industrial food system in today’s context we see it is no longer aligned, yet we continue to rely on it to our detriment.”

Spelling a doomsday scenario, Tucker suggests industrial agriculture leaves 50 per cent of the population malnourished because the soil is stripped of nutrients.

Meanwhile, ultra-processed food leads to obesity.

Industrial agriculture is one of many culprits leading to the heating of the planet said Tucker and once again, she painted a dark picture of what the world might look like in our lifetime. She said extreme drought in India are hotspots that coincide with dieback of the Amazon rainforest, melting of the permafrost and other climate disruptions which could quickly raise the global temperature leading to desertification of many parts of the world.

From her doomsday world/the collapse of nature scenario, Tucker said we could enter a synthetic world where nature is controlled. It’s already happening with Beyond Burger, where science has decoded the molecular properties of meat and replaced them with molecules from the plant kingdom in mysterious concoctions, before extruding them to get the right texture, then packaging them to look like real meat.

The synthetic world also includes vertical farming, or controlled environment agriculture, which uses less water,

produces more yield and gets food to market in less time.

The third option, the regenerative scenario, includes innovative farmers working with a world rich in demand for ecosystem services, says Tucker.

Hannah Tucker is a director at Balance Point Advisory who suggests industrial‐style farming is nearing its end as regenerative farming needs to take over to protect the climate.

“In this scenario, we eat nutrient-rich food that is carbon negative and biodiversity positive,” she said.

“It’s an ancient philosophy that provides ecosystem services,” said Tucker. Cows would not just be raised for meat. Their grazing would promote C02 absorbing growth and their stomping action would increase carbon and water storage while they fertilize as they go. Kelp as a regenerative crop is a superfood that also provides material for nutraceuticals, cosmetics, biofuel and fertilizer while it contributes to deacidification, oxygenation and five-star habitats for species from phytoplankton to fish.

A comparison chart between Synthetic vs Regenerative agriculture shows that while regenerative ag could be run by small, local producers growing nourishing, whole foods that connect people with nature, synthetic agriculture will be big food companies creating addictive, processed foods that separates people from nature.

As she ended her presentation, Tucker made it clear that comparing the three future options of agriculture doesn’t mean “That everything in industrial is bad and everything in modern is good. Instead, it is a growing awareness of declining opportunities. We need to look at growing opportunities and shrinking risks.”

She predicts there will be three challenges ahead: • Managing the just decline of industrial food • Designing synthetic food for nourishment, not disease • Capturing data and structuring financing to scale regenerative agriculture.

It’s also about choice. Tucker says she has tried every diet from vegan to paleo and has had her views challenged again and again. Now, she enjoys choosing organic foods, learning as much about them as she can, and supporting farmers who raise/grow them.

This discussion led directly into the Future of Protein ... next. ◊

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The future of protein isn’t so neatly cut and dried

F

rom going back outdoors and learning to live off the land to cellular agriculture to the multiple benefits of raising beef cattle, panelists at The Arrell Institute’s Future of Food Summit had wideranging ideas on the future of protein.

With over 3 million flexitarians on the planet, 913,000 vegetarians and just over half a million vegans, Sylvain Charlebois of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie A screen capture from University said 91 per cent of the Arrell Food Summit Canadians still eat meat on a shows the separateness regular basis. However, 46 per and interconnectedness cent of them are concerned about of speakers discussing the environment and how their the future of protein choices impact the environment.

• By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot • The future of protein is a multistakeholder debate and this panel oversimplification and the beef was all for it, politely offering their portfolio.

“Humans took animal culture which industry is very complex. wide-ranging views.

Joseph Shawana, Chef, Professor was small scale and spun it into a “When we shift levers on one part of and Chair, Indigenous Culinary of multi-trillion dollar global, industrial the agriculture system, there are industry,” said Newman. “It had its outcomes we may not want to happen,” Associated Nations With freezers full of farm-raised benefits via cheap, plentiful protein for said Jackson. For instance, if the goal is food alongside freezers full of food a while but at an incredible cost.” to reduce beef consumption by 25 per Beyond environmental problems, cent, what does that look like for the from animals he has hunted and produce he has gathered, Chef Joseph there are health impacts of eating too grasslands? “We might lose 9 million Shawana believes everyone should get much of a good thing and other issues acres of grassland and the carbon that involving labour and animal is stored in those grasslands,” she said. back outdoors.

“We need to engage with local conditions, continued Newman. “We “If we charge down one direction, we communities and farmers to get to have lived through a complete need to be aware of the implications know how your food is raised. Your reworking of the earth’s ecosystem to that go with that.” body is a temple and you should know serve a subsidized industry.”

Her argument is that beef farmers She says advances in food science are amazingly efficient and can what is going into it,” said Shawana.

“I teach my son as we hunt. We skin are giving Canadians new options in improve on respecting biodiversity. the animal and use the grains for terms of plant-based foods and cellular She’d like to see the return of wetlands tanning the hides. We use the bones to agriculture and she feels we are across the prairies as well as make a rich broth. My pantry is all wild entering an age based on plants. conversations with stakeholders to “Sustainable beef should not come edibles,” he explained. come up with solutions for the future.

He doesn’t imagine he would try from a cow… maybe?” she said.

“We know we have a challenge and Newman wants to see less cows as plant-based proteins when he has we need to solve it,” she said. New moose in the freezer. However, he is a they are not a native species to this programs that encourage producers to big fan of growing the Three Sisters – area. “What should be on our raise certified sustainable beef are in corn, beans and squash. “Our people grasslands are bison. Or in my area – the works and being supported by elk.

I think it could be financially were originally vegetarians and ate meat when we needed sustenance. We viable to raise native animals, charge Farm Credit Canada. Also, farmers DO cannot get rid of animal protein people to look at them, kill a few here want to do the right thing as they also because there will be so many and there, and then make it really try to run successful businesses in an problems with protein deficiency,” interesting by putting a carbon price on industry that does not pay a lot of added Shawana. “We need to source it it. Charge for the carbon versus the money for raising beef.

Jackson also supports new as ethically and responsibly as possible cows.” technologies that will reduce the Fawn Jackson, Director of Policy to make sure future generations have a and International Relations, methane footprint and pay farmers for life to experience the outdoors.” storing carbon. “I believe agriculture is Lenore Newman, Director, Food Canadian Cattlemen’s Association Representing the cattle industry, standing and waving and saying ‘we and Agriculture Institute, University Fawn Jackson said she was not on the have solutions’ and we are waiting for of Fraser Valley Lenore Newman believes people panel to say everything is good. the government to say ‘prove it’ and need to “rebalance” their protein However, there are challenges with here is some money to do it.” ◊ July 2022 25

Farming

Passion for farming evident at Ignatius Offering land rentals, community gardens and internships, Ignatius Farm near Guelph also offers a New Farmer Training program • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

P

Heather Lekx is the farm manager at Ignatius Farm at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre near Guelph and recently led participants in the New Farmer Training Program on a tour around the farm to see the community gardens, land rental acres, on‐site businesses and the facilities.

26 The Rural Voice

eople are keen as a bean to learn how to farm.

That’s being proven at Ignatius Farm where the New Farmer Program attracts over 300 participants of which many visited the farm in May for a tour to see just what is going on at this Jesuit retreat.

Located outside of Guelph, the Ignatius Jesuit Centre’s mission is to cultivate spiritual growth and ecological engagement and was once solely farmed

by Jesuit Brothers. When the college at the centre closed, the space was reimagined to include community gardens, community shared agriculture, acreage rentals, an orchard and internships.

“There are so many opportunities and ways to farm,” says Chris MacLeod, the Educational Assistant at Ignatius Farm. “There is a lot of idealism but people are worried about their food security. There was a rush during the pandemic and that took a dip but it did not die off.”

As gardening and farming skills become lost in the general population, new farmers need to learn these skills. Some participants remember these skills learned as a child but no longer have land and miss the opportunity to grow things. With its 600 acres just outside the city of Guelph, Ignatius offers both the land and the training.

The Ignatius Farm New Farmer Training Program offers 40 online workshops and virtual field days with local farms and food businesses. Participants began in April with foundational knowledge and will learn about specialized aspects of farming over the growing season. In November, participants will focus on establishing their own farm businesses.

Registration opened in March and the program focuses on organic farming in collaboration with the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) and the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Many people first find their way to the Ignatius Farm via the community garden. Over three acres of garden are available to rent in 100, 200 or 500 foot lots. Perennial plots are also available for seasoned gardeners with proven weed management skills where they manage their own cover crops, soil protection and fertility. The annual plots are worked

by tractor each fall, planted into cover crops and recreated each spring, depending on the allotments required.

Touring the yet dormant plots early in May, one gardener noted “community gardens are as unique as the space.” The Ignatius plots are framed by old trees, an orchard and are located near walking trails within the centre. It’s an amazing experience to see the plots in late summer and fall when the gardens are lush and vibrant.

As the tour continued, farm manager Heather Lekx led the group to the farm plots. Here, entrepreneurs can launch their own businesses which Origin Native Plants did in 2019. May Moon Flowers is another Ignatius farm launch.

Lekx says farm tenants crop varying acreages to grow field crops, tree fruits, medical and culinary herbs, hops, plants for willow propagation and livestock. Future farmers can rent one acre for $150, multiple acres for $115 and the largescale cropper rents land at $95 per acre. “We want to keep it affordable,” explains Lekz. The farm accepts Requests for Proposals each year.

It’s a unique space with unique objectives. The website explains Ignatius Farm is dedicated to: • Fostering an ecological way of life, for the healing of the world.

• Nurturing a deeper spirituality in people, leading to inner freedom.

• Promoting the production of local sustainable food.

• Providing a welcoming space for individual and communal discernment, and education Lekx explains that the farm operates on three pillars: eco agriculture, eco restoration and eco spirituality. “They weave and intertwine in so many ways.”

University student, Ben Szoller, was on the farm tour and he has chosen to study Ignatius Farm as part of his dissertation on the merging of spiritual training and agricultural training on Catholic sites. “I’m looking at rural flight, social order, the role of farm and land and how it links up with the environment and spirituality,” explains Szoller.

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practical goals. Once the tour reached the old bank bank, each participant had a chance to share. One farm intern said, “We can feel the healing power of the environment above and beneath us. Working the land helps people find themselves.” Sharing that she suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and extreme anxiety, she felt she has discovered her “tribe” during the new farmer program training and that the community and connection to be discovered on farming is what life is to her.

Other comments from participants included: – “I had a plot and did volunteer work here and I came today to be in community with people who share my desire and love for this work.”

– “If you get an opportunity to work on a farm, do it. The learning is rich. Here, there are community field days and work bees.”

– “Combining social work and fun…well, everything I looked for in social work I found in farming.”

– “We have been called in the movement to small plot agriculture to open into new ways of beauty, new ways of food production and new ways of being for our community.”

Intern Aisling shared that she arrived at Ignatius farm post secondary because she wasn’t sure where her life was going and being a lover of nature, she decided to become an intern. “I find it peaceful.

Working in a field maintains my mental and emotional health and I feel this is where I belong and where I want to be,” she says.

Linda is also an intern and is taking the new farmer course. For her, it’s a process of learning to decide if she does want to farm or not. “It’s been on my mind since I was 10 and I’m now 56,” she laughs.

Whether she farms or gardens, Linda loves being a part of this intentional community.

As the day ended, Lisa Conroy shared that she grew up on a farm, worked in the city but found she missed the connection to the land and growing things. She tried farming on her own but to her surprise, found the isolation was not her happy place.

She wanted to farm in a community with other people. When the job of

Ignatius Farm has over 600 acres that was once managed by the Jesuits but declining Jesuit numbers has expanded the scope of farming at the Guelph‐area centre and includes land acres for potential businesses to rent (above) and community gardens for local gardeners to raise their own produce. Farm educators Lisa Conroy and Chris MacLeod (right) help new farmers with practical, organic methods while offering new farmer training online to eager participants who toured the farm in May (below).

July 2022 28

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Culture

The Farm Show: A foundational moment in theatre

Alison Lobb shared some photos she took in 1972 when Paul Thompson and crew arrived at the Lobb farm so they could learn about farming first hand. From left: Miles Potter sitting on the grass; Paul Thompson with his wife Anne Anglin and daughter Severn (middle photo) and Janet Amos with young Robin (right photo).

T

his August marks the 50th anniversary of one of the foundational moments in Canadian theatre – and it all took place in a barn west of Clinton.

Paul Thompson, son of a veterinarian who had practiced in Atwood, decided he wanted to do a play about farm life – which became known as The Farm Show. Alison Lobb, today a municipal councillor in Central Huron and very active in the community, remembers that Thompson arrived at her farm with Ted Johns, a teacher from between Clinton and Seaforth who would later become foundational in area professional theatre himself. They wanted a home for Thompson’s acting company for a few weeks while they went out and learned about the farmers of the community.

Lobb remembers thinking “We’ll just show them around” and taking them along the Maitland and 16th Line area. Ray Bird’s vacant house was suggested as a home base for the company. (Bird, later living near Brussels, died in May of this year.)

It must be remembered that this was a time, early in the 1970s, when theatre was still an infant on the Canadian cultural scene. However, it had been given new stimulus by the Canadian Centennial celebrations in 1967. Until that point, theatre was something borrowed from beyond the borders, whether British at the Stratford Festival or Shaw Festival, or American in large theatres in Toronto that imported touring shows or at a few summer theatres in 30 The Rural Voice

“I thought it (Huron County) was going to look more like west Texas; what did I know?”

Canadian Actor, Miles Potter, on learning about farming in Huron County for the play that came to be known as The Farm Show

• By Keith Roulston • places like Muskoka that reproduced Broadway hits.

Thompson wanted to tell Canadians stories about people you’d recognize. A graduate of University of Western Ontario in London, he’d received a Masters degree from University of Toronto, then studied theatre in France with radical director Roger Planchon who imparted on him an interest in actors creating their own plays.

But Thompson wanted to create a Canadian theatre, so he came home and joined Toronto’s Theatre Passe Muraille (theatre without walls). He arrived in Huron County as a representative of the artists of the era: with a dusty, immense beard, blue jeans and sandals.

The company he brought with him included three women and three men, none of them with any farm

background. His wife, Anne Anglin, was perhaps the most experienced, having spent time with the Stratford Festival. She brought along the couple’s young daughter, Severn.

Joining her was Janet Amos, who had studied academic subjects but inherited the acting bug from her mother, Beth, and brought her son Christopher (by fellow actor Allan Royal). The third actress was Fina MacDonnell.

The male actors included David Fox, coming from a settled life as a school teacher and Miles Potter, both of whom became among the biggest names in Canadian theatre. The other man, Alan Jones, didn’t stay with the production long-term.

Potter, who now lives near Stratford, remembers that unusual summer. “The first (memory) was having never left downtown Toronto for a couple of years after arriving there from the U.S. I literally had no idea where I was going when we set out from Toronto to drive to Huron County, or what to expect. I wasn’t a farm kid so I didn’t know what the countryside or the structures or anything would look like; I was a blank slate. I was, of course, charmed and delighted by the area; I may have thought it was going to look more like west Texas; what did I know?”

The actors shared the house on the Bird farm. “The communal living, the bathing in the river and the rehearsals in a barn were all delightful to me,” Potter recalls. “The rats in the house not so much, but we borrowed a cat. I wasn’t as fond of the research trips we needed to do; like most people, actors are basically shy, and in a funny way, many of the people we interviewed were happier to talk to us than we were to knock on their doors.”

In ones and twos the actors went out and introduced themselves to their neighbours. They would talk to them or work side by side with them, then come back to the farm and work together to improvise scenes based on their activities.

So Fox, for instance, visited Les Jervis who had established a wildlife sanctuary near Holmesville after seeing something similar on a trip to Germany. Later Fox recreated that July 2022 31

visit and gives us a sense of that experience.

Anglin created a song, after speaking with Jean and Mervyn Lobb, about the “Gobs and Gobs of Lobbs” who lived in the area.

Amos recreated the busy life of a farm wife of the era who still stayed home on the farm, trying to do the laundry with an old wringer washing machine between interruptions from children and deliverymen and eventually becoming part of the process, churning like the washing machine.

Potter’s inexperience with farming led to one of the longest, and most hilarious scenes in the play.

Absolutely ignorant of the realities of farm life, he and an unnamed castmate are sent to help in putting away the hay in the era when most farmers used small square bales. He wore shorts!

His first job is working outside, taking bales from someone else who is unloading a wagon. His job is simply to put the bales on the elevator carrying the bales upward to the hay mow in the barn. He quickly learns putting the bale on the elevator in a way that keeps it from tumbling back down is harder than it seems at first. And the bales just keep coming at him!

He’s relieved when, after a load, he’s offered a job in the hay mow.

Here the bales also keep coming in an apparently unending torrent. It’s also hot beyond his belief. And, wearily, he tries to help lift the bales using his unclothed leg. He also discovers the holes between the stacked bales.

Eventually the bales stop coming and he goes to the mow opening and luxuriates in the cooler air. He also discovers the Freshie in the workers’ coolers. Then he looks down and sees another wagon full of bales has pulled into place and the elevator is switched on again and sending another endless stream of bales upward. He goes back to work for the rest of his stay but he wonders aloud why anyone would put themselves through such hell year after year.

There are many other scenes, both touching and funny, built on the rural life the actors experienced.

32 The Rural Voice

The Lobb family from Clinton including Alison Lobb (right) supported the idea and research of doing a play about real farmers by sharing her home and driving the actors around to various farms in Huron County.

Thompson wanted members of the community to see what the actors had taken from their visits and arranged a performance in the Bird barn.

“Some of the cast came to coffee,” recalls Alison Lobb. “They were nervous about performing for the neighbours. Originally they thought there would be about 50 people there.”

Later, Lobb recalled there were 300 people present. The actors also fretted if the community would welcome how they had portrayed their neighbours. Fox, for instance, worried that his portrayal of an old neighbour with a facial tick would be seen as too shallow.

They needn’t have worried. The audience loved what they saw – laughing and crying and applauding.

Jim Fitzgerald, now a resident of Sebringville, was editor of the nearby Clinton News-Record.

He remembered, recently, that he had been called by Millie Lobb, his correspondent for the area, and told about the actors rehearsing the show.

He went out and did a story that appeared in his newspaper prior to the Sunday afternoon public performance and took photos that later were reproduced over and over.

He remembers he found the show so refreshing. “They were actually doing something about us,” he says.

“Most theatre at the time was reproducing English or American stories”.

Thompson had intended to rework the material for a Toronto audience but was urged to play it just as it was.

For the most part, when the show opened in Toronto in late September, it was the same play that had been seen in the Bird barn.

And the urban audience loved it during a month-long run. Urjo Kareda, the Toronto Star’s oftendifficult critic led the praise: “Thompson and his actors have helped us to know, understand and love a community of people beyond our sphere of familiarity. As artists they can have no higher ambition.”

In the spring of 1973 Thompson and the cast (which by this point included Johns) brought the show back to its western Ontario roots, in a tour which included everything from auction barns in Clinton, Orangeville and Listowel to an old fall fair building in Brussels to the basement of Blyth’s Memorial Hall (the upstairs theatre couldn’t be used until a new roof was installed). The tour ended at Stratford’s Festival Theatre.

Later The Farm Show played for an extended run at Ottawa’s new National Arts Centre. The show would also tour New England and travel to Britain for a theatre festival.

During the western Ontario tour, Michael Ondaatje, a friend of Thompson’s (and more famous for his later novel The English Patient and other creations) made a film surrounding the play: The Clinton Special.

Beyond the show itself, The Farm Show had a permanent impact on the Huron County theatre scene. James Roy, the local native who was the founding artistic director of the Blyth Festival, was in the audience that day.

So was I, with my wife Jill and daughter Christina (who played with Severn Thompson and Chris Royal in the hay mow during the performance). I worked to try to bring Thompson and Theatre Passe Muraille to Blyth as a summer base for two years before Thompson became convinced the renovations necessary to Blyth Memorial Hall would never be completed and accepted an invitation to make a summer home in Petrolia’s Victoria Playhouse.

Later, after giving Roy a bit of money to put on a show as Passe Muraille in Toronto, Thompson would tell Roy about the interest in Blyth and Roy, who had been in the basement of the Hall to get vaccinated but didn’t know about the theatre, would visit, and in 1975, after the theatre had been renovated, started the Blyth Festival.

When he left five years later, Amos became the second artistic director. Fox, who died earlier this year, would become one of the young Festival’s biggest stars as would both Anglin and Amos. Thompson and Potter became directors of some of the most popular shows at the Festival. Ted Johns, who had been part of the touring edition of The Farm Show, became one of the Festival’s most popular playwrights and performers.

Perhaps Potter sums up the impact of the show that started in a Clintonarea barn 50 years ago when he recalled recently: “My favourite Farm Show story is one that happened years later. I was directing a show at Canadian Stage in Toronto and David Fox and Janet Amos were all in it. There was a very young

actor in the show, who, when we took some time around the table to talk about ourselves, said that he, Nick, had been inspired to be in the theatre by seeing a movie about a show about farming. It was The

Clinton Special. And we also realized that Nick didn’t know that three people at that table were in the original. He actually thought we were dead. He was (I hope) happily surprised.” ◊

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July 2022 33

Recipes by Carolyn Crawford

Summer is for red currants and raspberries

M

y grandmother always had pies in her freezer. She, her family, and friends got together every summer and prepared them in abundance. Of course, Grandma had a cookstove running constantly day and night, all year round and could put a pie in her oven if she saw someone drive in her lane.

One of Grandma’s favourite pies was made of red currants. They grew plentifully on the farm and became a bone of contention between both my grandparents in their early days.

Grandma would insist that Grandad spread some manure over the currants so that they would produce more fruit. Being a busy farmer, Grandad didn’t want to take the time to do this. His secret reason for avoiding the task was because he did not like how frugal Grandma was when she added sugar to the red currant pies. He disliked it so much that his nickname for red currants was “squeal berries—because the lack of sugar would make you squeal!” Grandma persisted until Grandad relented. He maliciously thought that he would take the team of horses and manure spreader and drive up and down over top of the bushes in effect hoping that they would be destroyed by his over zealousness. Much to his chagrin, the result was a bumper crop of currants and a huge number of pies put in the freezer!

Here is how we make red currant pies in our family.

Red Currant Pie Ingredients: 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 2 tbsp cornstarch 2 tbsp tapioca 4-5 cups (depending on size of berries) of fully prepared, and rinsed, fresh red currants (you may use frozen if you don’t like the tedious process of picking, tailing, and stemming currants!)

3 tbsp butter Directions: Pastry to line and cover a nine-inch pie plate In a small bowl, combine sugar, 34 The Rural Voice

cornstarch, and tapioca stirring to blend. Pour this into a bowl of fresh or frozen red currants. Let this mixture sit about ½ an hour or longer. Stir it occasionally while you make your pastry. Pour now slightly thickened fruit into 9-inch pie plate lined with pastry. Dab with butter evenly across the top of the fruit. Rub your finger dipped in water around

Grandpa may not have liked the red currant pie for the lack of sugar but with the right recipe, red currants and raspberries make delicious summer pies (top) and toppings for cheesecake (above).

the crust edge of the pie and cover with another layer of pastry. Seal well and pinch crust together with your fingers or push down with a fork. Cut away excess pastry. You can cut a vent in the centre of your pie or use a lattice crust or other design on your top pastry. Bake in 450F oven for 15 minutes then turn oven down to 350F for another 45

minutes or until pie has slightly started to bubble. Always watch your pie in the last 15 minutes or more to make sure it does not boil over!

Two women where I attended church in my twenties, used to make red currant and raspberry pie. It is a combination that takes the sweetness of the raspberries and tartness of the currants to a delightfully flavoured pie.

Red Currant and Raspberry Pie Ingredients: 2 ½ cups red currants 2 ½ cups raspberries 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch 1 ½ tbsp tapioca 2 tbsp butter 1 double crust pastry recipe Directions: Gently combine fruit in large bowl. In separate bowl, mix cornstarch and tapioca and add to fruit mixture stirring well to combine. Let sit for approximately ½ an hour to allow for thickening.

Pour into 9-inch pie plate lined with pastry. Dab with butter. Top with pastry and seal well. Cut small vents in the centre of pie.

Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes and turn down oven to 350°F for another 45 minutes or until pastry is browned and pie filling starts to bubble in centre.

Raspberries can make a wonderful dessert even better when added as a topping. This no bake cheesecake recipe with a raspberry topping and a dollop of whipped cream is a great summer dessert.

Black Bottom Raspberry Cheesecake Ingredients: 2 cups chocolate crumbs 3 tbsp sugar ¼ cup butter melted Press the above mixture into a 9inch pie plate In a medium sized bowl, combine the following with electric mixer: 1 package of cream cheese 1 can of sweetened condensed milk Juice squeezed from 1 small lemon 1 cup prepared whipped topping or whipping cream, whipped Pour into a crumb lined pan.

Chill for several hours or overnight.

For raspberry topping: 2 cups raspberries, gently crushed 3 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch 1 tbsp orange or lemon juice Directions: Mix raspberry topping ingredients together in a saucepan and cook on medium heat until thickened.

Chill thoroughly and pour on top of chilled pie or serve cut pie pieces with raspberry topping on each piece.

Add a dollop of whipping cream and sprinkle the top with chocolate crumbs. ◊

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

Jumping worms

I

f you are a member of your local horticultural society I suspect you have already read the warnings about Asian Jumping Worm; also called Snake Worm, Alabama Jumper and Crazy Worm.

I, too, read the notices and thought here we go again, another invasive to battle. The caution cannot come too soon or be taken too seriously.

Worms as a detriment to the bigger environmental picture is becoming more evident to the broader population.

As we were digging around the garden this spring we noticed the worm population and I will admit that I take a bit of pride that it is indicative of a healthy soil. It takes a bit more time for me to dig holes for trees and perennials as I stop to move worms out of the way and make sure they are tucked under another plant with a bit of moisture on the soil. But in our hardwood forests worms have altered the environment for a lot of native species of plants, salamanders, songbirds and orchids.

The forests of North America prospered without earthworms. These communities of trees and understory of native plants live off the nutrient matter from their decaying leaves and the intricate web of mycelium fungal organisms. The introduction of worms in the 1600s via the soil of imported plants and in the ballast of ships has taken its toll. This thick humus cover has thinned or is nonexistent, leaving bare spots. This is not an inviting habitat for tree seedlings and herb species, and contributes to the decline of healthy forests. This may explain the bank along the lakeshore near us. There are a number of trees fighting for dominion against wild grape and hungry vines, and competing with invasive buckthorn, all of which has 36 The Rural Voice

left little if any undergrowth. The dry bare patches are quite evident. It would appear they need some leaves, an injection of native plants and some aggressive trimming of the vines.

Back in our gardens we know worms love the mulch we apply to help keep the soil protected from the heat as well as conserving moisture.

Which is one of the reasons we keep replenishing it every year. Worms in our gardens take the mulch down into the soil and the worm poop (castings) contributes to the soil. In our gardens this process works. Jumping worms consume the mulch from the topsoil quicker than traditional earth worms and in turn changes the soil texture to resemble coffee grounds. August and September are when the adults are the largest and will appear in large numbers, thrashing wildly.

We got a bit of a scare when we

were loading mulch. There is a large free municipal operation not far from us where we got some decomposed bark chip for coarse mulch last year.

We were back there in June looking for mulch for the back boulevard.

After a couple of shovels we noticed a large number of two-inch worms writhing and rolling as we exposed them — not the normal antics of our traditional earth worms. First thing that came to mind was of course jumping worms! We took a photo, cleaned out the mulch we had loaded in the wagon and headed for a pile of sawdust and horse manure. It had not been there as long. Sure enough it was loaded with these same worms.

I hated to go home empty handed so we moved our wagon over to the fresh end of the sawdust/manure pile.

It was unloaded in the last few days and was actively composting and the steam was rising as we shoveled up a

load. It seemed fine but we kept our eyes open for any signs of the wiggling worms. We used it sparingly around the yard and kept it away from the stems of perennials and shrubs.

I sent the photo of our wriggling worm to Dr. Michael Mctavish, University of Toronto as directed by a warning notice posted by Ontario Master Gardeners. Dr. Mctavish is with the Institute of Forestry and Conservation, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto.

His prompt reply assured me it was not Jumping worms as the colour and placement of the clitellum (the raised band around the body) were not of this species, but to be vigilant. There are actually 17 species of jumping worms reported in the United States.

The first report in Canada was in 2014 on the Ojibway Prairie in Essex County and by the summer of 2021 several more sightings were reported in Ontario in Wheatly, Hamilton and the Toronto region. Most were in home gardens, and in a semi-natural

ravine. (Info from Invasive Species Centre) Jumping worms are coming into Canada via horticulture products so gardeners are one of the first lines of controlling the spread. It would be a smart thing to check out Invasive Species Centre website and print out some of the handy fact sheets, which include photos. They offer details on how to avoid getting them, indentification and management.

They also record sightings. A good site for information on invasive species in general. https://www. invasivespeciescentre.ca And if that was not enough! You may have received a packet of seeds in the mail that you have not ordered.

Who doesn’t enjoy some free seeds?

But these ones are unnamed and could be invasive, carry plant diseases and wreak havoc in our agricultural and natural areas. If you receive a package of seeds that you did not order call the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

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Advice

Inspiration from a Humboldt crash survivor Kaleb Dahlgren tells Beef Farmers of Ontario he “focuses on the things I can control” to move past hockey tragedy • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

T

his past summer, Rob Lippsett said he started to feel a little differently. He lost 40 pounds and did not look well. He could see people looking at him with curiosity but he was silent about how he was feeling.

“I had always told others to reach out to people but I realized I wasn’t doing that,” said Lipsett at the annual meeting of Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO), held virtually on February 24.

“So I did reach out to someone I trusted and heard words like ‘weak’ and ‘get a grip’.” Those words pushed him further down the hole he felt he was in.

“I could do enough to function but it was exhausting,” admitted Lipsett who runs a 150-head cow-calf operation in Annan. He was president of BFO at the time and a director for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.

While struggling, Lipsett heard a presentation by Kaleb Dahlgren, a Humboldt crash survivor who has since gone on to write a book and calls himself a community builder.

“He was so open and remarkable that I felt encouraged to open up and be vulnerable,” said Lipsett. “When I did speak up, I realized there are a lot of people suffering in silence and this has to stop. I am standing here asking you for help. I want to ask you to stop the stigma surrounding mental health and farming. We are not weak.

We are not soft. We will come out stronger if we work at this together to make agriculture an open, safe space.”

Lipsett urged listeners of the virtual meeting to look inside themselves and find kindness and empathy to offer an open ear.

“Listening is free and I have found when I talk about what I am going through, I can feel the burden coming off my shoulders.”

38 The Rural Voice

He also encouraged farmers to make use of the Farmer Wellness Initiative hotline at 1866-267-6255 which offers a listening ear by professional counsellors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Lipsett then welcomed Dahlgren to share his story overcoming the Humboldt tragedy – the collision between a transport truck and the Humboldt hockey team bus that resulted in the death of 16 hockey players. Thirteen players survived, but many have lifelong injuries.

Dahlgren was one of them but Kaleb Dahlgren is a Humboldt crash says choosing to “focus on the things I can control” helped him survivor and is now studying to be a through the tragedy. His story, chiropractor while also sharing his story however, began when he was four at events, such as the Beef Farmers of years old.

Ontario virtual annual meeting held in Kaleb Dahlgren February.

“I was born and raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan,” himself to the needles. began Dahlgren. He had a wonderful Years later he would read a quote family and ate, breathed and slept that said, “Life is 10 per cent what hockey. happens to you and 90 per cent how One day when he was four, he felt you react to it.” That quote stuck so thirsty. He drank a glass of milk. with him and made him realize he Then another and another until the could choose how to respond to his babysitter who was watching him situation. “I decided to live life to the realized he had drunk four litres of fullest and chase the things I wanted milk. The babysitter called to accomplish,” he said.

Dahlgren’s father who took him That meant at the age of 16, he home and encouraged him to go to left home to play Triple A hockey, the bathroom. Within minutes, enlarging his “family” with his Dahlgren was lapping water into his fellow teammates and coaches. He mouth with a toothbrush. became an ambassador for JDRF, a Alarmed by this behavior, his non-profit that funds Type 1 diabetes parents took him to the hospital research and started his own program where young Dahlgren was called Dahlgren’s Diabetes. The diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and program was aimed to educate, learned he would require daily support and befriend young kids with insulin shots for the rest of his life.

Type 1 diabetes by taking them to As a little boy, Dahlgren didn’t fully dinner and a hockey game and understand what was happening and having an open dialogue about would hide when it was time for his diabetes. shot. It was a lot for a little boy to “It’s a mentorship program to understand but eventually, he create relationships and show that accepted the situation and resigned diabetes does not have to stop these

kids from realizing their dreams,” explained Dahlgren. “I tell them that I manage diabetes, I don’t let diabetes manage me.”

At the time, Dahlgren was 18 and playing with the Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. It was going really well and he was going to be named captain in his final year but he did not feel fulfilled. “I asked for a trade and I was traded to the Humboldt Broncos, which was a bigger community than Wilcox.”

Right from the start, Dahlgren had a connection to the team and his coaches. Darcy Hogan was the head coach and led by the team’s Core Covenant, of which the first line read “Family first.” Dahlgren said he was taught to treat team mates and coworkers with respect, to be thankful for the opportunity to wear the Bronco jersey and to play each game and practice with passion and determination.

“The Broncos were like family to me. It was one of the best teams I had ever been with,” remembers Dahlgren. They would hang out off the ice and the connection was real. n the fateful day of the crash, the team was in the semifinals and travelling to play the opposing team. “Both teams had what it took to win the league championship. We were down 3-1 in the series but we knew we could win the next game and take it to game seven.”

As was his way, Dahlgren decided to get focused while riding the bus.

He put in his headphones, pressed play, closed his eyes and BOOM… everything went black.

“I did not remember anything after the accident for four days,” said Dahlgren. He was diagnosed with post traumatic amnesia. However, a first responder on the scene recalls helping Dahlgren who was walking around, trying to help others. He asked Dahlgren what was wrong and Dahlgren replied his neck and back were hurt. Then he said, ``My name is Kalen Dahlgren and I have Type 1 diabetes,” as he was put into the ambulance. Dahlgren remembers none of it.

In the hospital, doctors discovered his injuries were quite serious.

Dahlgren had a traumatic brain

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Thankfully, that was not to be.

Within a few days, Dahlgren was able to communicate and remember most things…except for the four days following the accident. Or even the accident itself.

“The worst part was not my injuries. It was losing 16 people who I loved and considered family,” said Dahlgren. “I could not attend any funerals because I was in the hospital so I felt I did not have any closure.”

What helped him recover was a homemade poster he had made years previously, that hung in his room. It was called “Things you can control: and listed things such as a work ethic, effort, feelings, perception, actions, reactions, beliefs, the way you treat others, what you intake, habits, emotions, thoughts and attitude.

“After the crash, I had to focus on things I could control. I could not control the driver of the truck that blew the stop sign. I could not control why I was alive and others were not. There was no rhyme or reason to who died and who did not.

What I could control was attitude and work ethic and how I wanted to honour those by moving forward,” explained Dahlhgren.

Sharing his story is one of the ways he honours the legacy of his team mates. As he worked through survivor’s guilt, Dahlgren asked himself if he switched places, and he had been the one to pass away, how would he want the survivors to live?

“For me, I know I would want the ones who got to see another day on earth follow their passions and be truly happy.”

For Dahlgren that has meant earning a degree at York University.

He had hoped to play for York Lions hockey team but was advised that because of his brain injury, he could not risk further head injuries. School was harder due to the brain injury and he required tutors and academic accommodation but he graduated

magna cum laude and is now studying to be a chiropractor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he took time to write a book called Crossroads about his experience as a crash survivor. He donates a portion of sales from the book to STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service).

During the question and answer period after his presentation, Dahlgren was asked if he still had a good relationship with other survivors.

“Yes, I do. We hang out every summer and have done since the crash. We want to be there for each other as a team for the rest of our lives,” answered Dahlgren.

Another listener commented on Dahlgren’s confidence and wondered if being diagnosed with diabetes as a child held him back.

Dahlgren said he used to hide in the bathroom when he had to inject himself with insulin at school. Once, a child peeked through the stall and witnessed it, then ran screaming from the bathroom that Kalen was needling himself. “Everyone came up to me and asked if I was injured, or

sick or addicted,” remembers Dahlgren. “All these questions that a Grade 5 kid should not have to answer. I felt so defeated because I did not want to be treated differently.” He said he wished someone could have come to his school to talk about diabetes so that he did not have to educate his own classmates about the disease. Also, to make it more acceptable to be different. “If we can accept what makes us unique, then that gives us confidence.”

Lastly, Dahlgren commented on physical, mental and emotional health. “Growing up I had physical strength,” said Dahlgren. “Then I developed mental strength but I did not have the emotional strength to be vulnerable.” He learned during his first speech, which led to an interaction with a listener, that talking about death and grieving is very powerful and connective. “We need to talk about our feelings and our emotions. We need to talk about the hard things. We are all human and life is not always sunshine and rainbows.” ◊

July 2022 41

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News

• By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

Meat matters and farmers need to talk about it Jennie Hodhen tracks meats statistics and says the person who tells the better story is going to win the hearts and minds of consumers

W

hen COVID-19 numbers go up, people buy more meat.

So says Jennie Hodgen, PhD and senior account manager with Merck Animal Health who was a speaker at Beef Day during Grey Bruce Farmers Week held back in January. Her presentation provided lots of meat statistics and her goal was to encourage beef farmers to take care of their animals and talk to people.

“The person who tells the better story is going to win,” said Hodgen, who urged producers to let people know they take great care of their animals. “People feel good when they know producers are doing the latest and greatest to take care of their animals.”

And despite the loud cries from vegans and animal activists, a lot of people eat meat. “We continue to see numbers of people who eat meat go up and not only that, they are eating more meat per person.”

Statistics from the Annual Meat Conference revealed 71 per cent of Americans consider themselves meat eaters while 19 per cent identify as flexitarian, six per cent as vegan/vegetarian and four per cent as pescatarian. “There is now a fifth group known as reducitarians who do not want to go vegan or vegetarian because they understand the value of red meat but they are concerned about animal welfare.”

Flexitarians are primarily vegetarians who occasionally eat meat. They focus on issues relating to health, the planet and social responsibility and are very aware of animal welfare, which makes them feel guilty for eating meat, said Hodgen.

North America as a whole is a “ground beef continent,” said Hodgen. “In the United States we are up 21 per cent for ground beef sales.”

Ground beef’ versatility and

Jennie Hodgen, PhD and senior account manager with Merck Animal Health availability is what drives these sales.

Also, knowledge base. “We are moving into an era where people are not as familiar in the kitchen as some of us grew up being,” she said.

Recognizing that, there is room in the market for value-added offerings in the beef industry, particularly products that are easy to transport and are packaged for convenience.

There is a wide variety of customers, however. Some customers want to buy direct from the farmer.

Some want to chat with the meat guy behind the meat counter. Others just want frozen meat in cases. One approach Hogen believes will become popular and effective is having QR codes on packing. “This will shift how consumers can access information,” she said. QR codes can link consumers to producers and share the story of where the beef came from.

When chatting with consumers about their number one food claim, the answer is protein. Customers are keen to purchase protein. The ironic thing is that beef is all about protein yet consumers indicate it is not even in the top three choices of what they purchase to get their protein.

“What!!!” exclaimed Hodgen.

“That’s our number one nutrient source and we’re not in the forefront

of consumer’s minds of where to get protein??

There are huge opportunities to have that conversation.”

While promoting protein, farmers need to be just as active promoting animal welfare. Hodgen said statistics from the Annual Meat Conference show consumers have different ways of defining welfare: • 60 per cent: access to the outdoors • 60 per cent: handling during slaughter • 58 per cent: amount of living space • 57 per cent: type of food the animal eats • 55 per cent: avoidance of growth hormones/steroids Other concerns beef farmers need to be ready to discuss with consumers is how the drought around the world is affected by cattle. She said there also needs to be continued focus on the environment and focus on traceability.

Ultimately, she said, it’s about who tells the better story. “Are we making sure the narrative around drought and cattle is positive?” she asked.

Additionally, she urged beef farmers to try and find commonality with consumers when having conversations. ◊ July 2022 43

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

Wheat prices as volatile as the war The commodities that we often discuss continue to be influenced heavily by the developments of the war in the Ukraine, with the Russian invasion. The markets are experiencing large ranges within any given day, along with the perception of sentiment change according to various government announcements.

The United Nations (UN) put through a proposal to Russia, for

44 The Rural Voice

Ukrainian grain to be exported to world markets. The need for this grain to foreign nations, most especially poorer nations of the world, is dire. The UN predicts that 1.4 billion people could be severely affected by the continuing conflict. A World Food Program official called the Black Sea area the “silver bullet when it comes to avoiding global famines, global hunger.”

The UN proposal was for Russia to allow safe passage of Ukrainian grain in exchange for the removal of western sanctions on fertilizer exports from Russia and the Russian puppet state Belarus. This proposal was of little effect to Russia, as they continue to ship fertilizer tariff-free to much of the world regardless of western sanctions. So Russia rejected the proposal, stating that they would require much more than is currently proposed. Russia maintains that they can address the world food security issue, as they are set to harvest a potentially record crop. Russia has vast grain supplies of their own and would be happy to sell grain at high prices in order to “help world

buyers”. While this conversation unfolded wheat markets rallied on the expectation that a grain shipment resumption from Ukraine would not be achieved.

From this Russian government assertion, the market was surprised only days later when Russia said that they would allow vessels to exit Ukrainian ports via “Humanitarian Corridors” that Russia would establish. Russia said they would be able to guarantee the safety of grain vessels. This assertion then aided in pushing market prices lower, as hopes that grain could flow allowing for Humanitarian shipments. But only a few days later Russia hit a major grain storage facility in a port town called Mykolaiv. Wheat markets again rallied sharply on news of this strike, and other grain facility attacks also. Market players are losing confidence that Russia would ever live up to their statement that they would allow vessels to exit via Ukrainian ports.

Well now, Russia and Belarus have a new idea to aid grain movement. Their proposal is to rail grain from Ukraine to Belarus’s ports on the Baltic sea, thereby avoiding ports blockaded in the Black Sea. This proposal from Belarus (with the support of President Putin) is flatly rejected by Ukrainian officials as they view the plan with skepticism.

Ukraine President Zelenskiy stated his disapproval of the plan as he stated, “We are not yet ready to follow this format and help our ‘friendly’ neighbors.”

Their objection to ship on route to a Russian ally seems to be well justified. Not long ago a Russian wheat shipment was rejected in Egypt as it was deemed to be Ukrainian grain, stolen by Russia.

The ship loaded from a Ukrainian port from the Russian controlled region of Ukraine. When questioned about the shipment it is reported that a Kremlin authority denied the accusation and did not know where the information came from. But U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that Russia is “pilfering” Ukraine’s grain exports for their own profit. Ukraine maintains that Russia is shipping their grain through Turkey and Syria. Russia and Turkey

Markets announced a plan to open Odesa for a safe corridor. But the Ukrainian government does not agree with this plan as credible as trust in Russia’s word is not possible.

The Ukrainian foreign minister of foreign affairs stated, “Putin says he will not use trade routes to attack Odesa. This is the same Putin who told German Chancellor Scholz and French President Macron he would not attack Ukraine, days before launching a full-scale invasion of our country. We can not trust Putin, his words are empty.” But Turkish officials have reported that a lot of progress has been made in establishing trade routes from Ukrainian ports. Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov is currently scheduled to visit Turkey’s capital, for talks in creating the humanitarian corridors, as Russia still has blockades around these ports.

Turkish media reports that Turkey’s navy would be willing to escort vessels to assist them in reaching world markets.

Ukrainian growers have done well with seeding, in the areas where planting has been possible. Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry reports that some of the more intense conflict areas will see plantings down 70 per cent. While these heavy conflict areas will see reduced acreage, other areas within the country saw higher plantings than were expected. While planted acres have increased from prior expectations yields are still very uncertain with limited field inputs available to growers. And while planted acres are occurring, concerns and questions remain as to what harvested acres will be in many regions if the conflict continues.

Even if crops are harvested there are still fears that the grain may not make it to market. Ukraine had a pre -war storage capacity of about 60 million metric tonnes (mmt). The most recent estimate is that greater than 20 mmt capacity is either destroyed or under Russian control.

As a result plastic silo storage bags are being considered as a temporary alternate. But this method of storage is expensive and possibly subject to large storage loss. ◊

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

Giant hogweed is a colossal mistake

I

t is the time of year when most plants are at their vigorous growing and flowering stage.

Some of these plants are beautiful while others are less desirable. Often beauty is in the eye of the gardener or crop producer. While we try to be mindful of our irreplaceable pollinators, it is hard to ignore those pesky flowering plants that will set seed and lead to a larger population next year.

Many of these plants that are undesirable were introduced by our predecessors for either gardening or cropping. One of the plants that I struggle to understand the rationale in bringing into our gardens is giant hogweed. Sure, it’s an amazingly huge plant with an awesome flowerhead, but how did past gardeners think that handling this

plant for a showy garden was a good idea? As a reminder, giant hogweed contains a sap that is phototoxic which makes our skin incredibly sensitive to ultraviolet light whether it is natural or artificial light. If the sap is on skin and the skin is exposed to sunlight, there is a very large possibility that the result will be severe burns.

With the enormous flowerhead comes an enormous number of seeds.

Each flowerhead of giant hogweed can contain between 50,000 and 120,000 seeds. These seeds can remain viable in the soil for up to 15 years. Once a seed has germinated the plant may sprout and continue to grow for up to five years prior to flowering. This makes a lot of sense when you consider the energy that must be stored to produce that massive flowerhead. The plant will die after flowering.

While herbicides can be effective in controlling hogweed in populations, many stands of hogweed occur close to watercourses where herbicides cannot safely be used. In large stands, my go-to for hogweed is herbicide. In small young stands or for individual plants, I like to put on protective clothing including safety glasses and use a shovel to cut the plants off beneath the soil.

Obviously, being very careful to

direct the plants away from myself as they fall. This shovel method works well for small plants but is very risky for large plants. I have scared myself a few times shoveling off some eightfoot-tall plants that caught other plants and changed the direction of their fall.

If you choose to eliminate hogweed using a shovel, please be very careful and ensure that everything used is washed thoroughly with soap and water prior to being exposed to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet light. It is always best to work in the removal of giant hogweed on days that are not sunny.

I prefer to use the shovel method in the rain, while wearing my rain gear which can be easily washed. The hogweed may resprout and require a second round of shoveling, there is a need to revisit the site to verify success or to plan for another round of shoveling.

Giant hogweed has a few plants that are similar in appearance that may also cause problems for those that brush against them, but mostly have no impact on humans that touch the plant. Our native angelica looks generally quite like giant hogweed, but only causes a reaction in an unfortunate few. Angelica grows to be quite large but does not have a hairy stem and its flower is in a

Giant Hogweed is an invasive species that can be cut down, as long as people safeguard themselves from the phototoxic sap which burns skin. Herbicides are also effective controls of the weed.

46 The Rural Voice

globular shape as opposed to the giant hogweed umbrella shaped flowers. Giant hogweed has a mainly green stem with purple spots or blotches, while angelica has a more purple stem.

While there are many other plants whose mere existence irritates people, there are a few different plants that can cause those that come into contact with them great discomfort. I hope that everyone knows how to identify poison ivy.

Poison ivy is known by many to have three leaves, white berries, and a woody stem. What many people do not seem to realize is that poison ivy can be a lower growing plant, a shrubby plant, or a vine. Also, given that poison ivy is a woody stem, the stems are still present over winter.

The oily substance that causes a reaction in some humans can be encountered year-round. Poison ivy doesn’t just affect humans when in leaf. Poison ivy does respond well to many herbicides. It is recommended that herbicide users try to use a chemical that will not harm all the plants in the area as poison ivy does not like shade and could quickly reestablish into open sunny areas.

Looking at other ways that plants can harm people brings me to ragweed or giant ragweed and other plants whose reproductive ways cause allergic reactions to many.

While common ragweed has been around for many years and has afflicted many allergy sufferers, I hadn’t seen giant ragweed until a few years ago. That is either a reflection on the spread of the plant or my lack of travels into areas that it inhabited.

Ragweed is the top Ontario plant known to cause “hay fever”, it is therefore quite important that we work to eliminate as many populations of ragweed that we can.

Some ragweeds are resistant to certain herbicides so be sure to check the product label or the Ontario Weeds guide.

There are many plants in our forests and natural areas that are invasive or harmful and it is good to try to control them. It is hard to look down to identify plants and not see those darn slithery snakes that live in that lower layer. ◊

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When outside,

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

But why take chances? Protect yourself and others:

Use bug repellants approved by Health Canada.

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

Limit time outdoors during dawn and dusk.

Check your body for ticks.

Check your pets as well. www.hpph.ca 1-888-221-2133 July 2022 47

Call us today for all your building and renovating needs.

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

48 The Rural Voice

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

Rights of First Refusal – give them the attention they deserve In the real estate world, a Right of First Refusal (“ROFR”) creates an opportunity for the holder of the right to match an offer made to purchase a property – it’s a “sort of” option to purchase that will arise in the future under certain circumstances.

In the most common scenario, the owner of the property has an obligation to offer the property for sale to the holder of the ROFR when the owner receives a bona fide thirdparty offer to purchase and intends to accept the offer. The holder of the ROFR can then choose to match the terms of the third-party offer and purchase the property. If the holder of the ROFR doesn’t choose to match, the ROFR will in most cases be exhausted.

A ROFR is commonly created through agreement between the owner of a property and the person to whom the right is granted. Often the ROFR will be given back to a vendor in a property transaction. The vendor sells the property to the purchaser, but the purchaser agrees that the vendor will have a ROFR to repurchase the property if the purchaser decides to sell. This ROFR is not a true option to re-purchase that can be exercised by the vendor at its discretion. Instead, the purchaser (the new owner of the property) must first decide to sell the property, which gives rise to the obligation to offer it for sale to the vendor (the previous owner of the property).

Sometimes the ROFR will be granted in a detailed and lengthy stand-alone agreement prepared by the parties’ lawyers. Probably more often than not, though, the ROFR is an afterthought thrown into the schedule of additional terms attached to an Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Does a statement as simple as “Vendor will have the first right of refusal to purchase the property from the Purchaser” create an enforceable ROFR? Maybe. Maybe not. A judge being asked to enforce the ROFR would need to “read into” the agreement one or more implied terms: that the Purchaser must present the Vendor with any offer the Purchaser is prepared to accept and that the Vendor would then have an opportunity to match the offer, the Vendor’s right to be exercised, as stated by the Court of Appeal for Ontario in one decision, “in a reasonable time given the circumstances that exist when the offer is made.”

The enforceability of the ROFR is of most importance to the party who is granted the right, so that party would be well-advised to take the time to craft an agreement that won’t depend on the Court’s willingness to infer the existence of unwritten terms. At a minimum, the ROFR should spell out that when the property owner receives an offer to purchase the property that the owner is prepared to accept the owner must notify the ROFR holder of the offer and its terms. And the ROFR should provide clear direction to the ROFR holder on how to exercise the right and within what period of time the right must be exercised. The ROFR holder may also want to impose conditions on the terms of third party offers that may be considered by the property owner so that the owner doesn’t use unreasonable terms such as excessively high deposit amounts or very short closing dates to render the ROFR impossible for the right holder to exercise.

This should probably go without saying, but an agreement for a ROFR should always be made in writing. In Ontario, legislation called the Statute of Frauds, R.S.O. 1990, c. S-19 provides the following: No action shall be brought to

Agrilaw charge any executor or administrator upon any special promise to answer damages out of the executor’s or administrator’s own estate, or to charge any person upon any special promise to answer for the debt, default or miscarriage of any other person, or to charge any person upon any contract or sale of lands, tenements or hereditaments, or any interest in or concerning them, unless the agreement upon which the action is brought, or some memorandum or note thereof is in writing and signed by the party to be charged therewith or some person thereunto lawfully authorized by the party.

Generally speaking, contracts for the sale of land must be in writing to be enforceable. One exception to that rule is the equitable doctrine of part performance. If it can be shown that an oral contract was made and that part of the contract was performed by the parties, then the Court may find the contract is enforceable in spite of the Statute of Frauds. As stated in the decision of the Court of Appeal in Erie Sand & Gravel Ltd. v. Seres’ Farms Ltd.: The purpose of s. 4 of the Statute of Frauds is to prevent fraudulent dealings in land based on perjured evidence. However, Equity will not allow the Statute of Frauds to be used as an “engine of fraud”. It created the doctrine of part performance to prevent the Statute of Frauds from being used as a variant of the unconscionable dealing which it was designed to remedy: see Hill v. Nova Scotia (Attorney General) [1997] 1 S.C.R. 69, at para. 10. The requirements in s. 4 of the Statute of Frauds must give way in the face of part performance because the acts of part performance fulfill the very purpose of the written document - that is, they diminish the opportunity for fraudulent dealings with land based on perjured evidence.

In the ROFR scenario, if the party seeking to enforce an oral ROFR has performed some act under the agreement in reliance on the existence of the ROFR (such as the

provision of services), the Court may support the ROFR. However, nothing should be taken for granted. If you want a ROFR, do it right. ◊ ______________________________ John D. Goudy’s law practice includes real property and environ-

mental litigation, expropriation law, energy regulation, and regulatory offences.

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

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

July 2022 49

People

• By Karen Hill •

Missing plaque washed up on the Avon River A memorial plaque carved by Ashley Graul for her grandmother went missing six years ago and turned up near Stratford

G

arry and Karen Hill were planting trees along the Avon River on their farm, the Glen Avon, located south of Stratford.

Recent flooding (five feet above normal levels) brought up a piece of driftwood to the spot Garry was preparing to dig for a tree planting.

The driftwood had markings on it, so it was set aside. Days later being curious about the markings, Karen tried to clean up the algae that had taken residence on the wood. The amount of growth had hidden a message literally from the grave.

Once the wood dried, Karen realized it really was a plaque, and the name of Mona M. Quigley was revealed. Her birth date was legible, but her date of passing was not as defined. With the driftwood located in the Downie section of Perth South, and with history books and old county maps, Karen became a detective and searched for the family Quigley. None were found.

With the Hill family having six generations in Downie, Karen was confident the driftwood did not originate in Downie….and considered the location where it was found along the Avon River.

Was it possible this little piece of driftwood, lovingly carved by someone, travelled six or seven miles down the river?. Every local person knows the Avon River is not a canal style of waterway. It starts in the northern part of the County of Perth before curving through Stratford. It has at least one sharp curve through the Village of Avonton, in Perth South, where a mill once took advantage of the water speed from the change in the water course.

Karen’s next step was plugging into the search engine, Find a Grave, to locate a possible original home of the memorial driftwood. Up popped a picture of Mona’s stone grave 50 The Rural Voice

marker, along with those of her mother and brother, in Stratford’s Avondale Cemetery. The picture is thanks to BJ Wiehle. Pictured also was the wooden plaque, right beside the stone grave marker.

Mona’s birthdate and date of passing coincided with the dates on the Memorial plaque. It was a

A plaque carved to commemorate the death of Mona Quigley disappeared six years ago and was discovered on the river bank on a farm south of Stratford

by Garry and Karen Hill.

Happy to have the plaque returned is (right) Marlene Quigley and niece Ashley Graul.

Below: Carol Fleming, Jenny Evans, Ashley Graul and Marlene Quigley.

match….and another clue was added to the search; Mona’s maiden name of Lillow. But again, no persons with a surname of Lillow currently resides in Stratford, nor could Karen find any in Perth County. But there were some outside of the County along with other Quigleys.

Now that the plaque’s original

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home was located, both Karen and Garry wanted to return the plaque to a member of either the Lillow or Quigley family. Replacing it back to the cemetery would surely cause it just to float away again. The effort to carve out the memorial, struck a chord with them. They noticed the rose on the plaque was the exact one on the grave marker. To find the owners of the plaque would require a search on social media.

Enter Garry’s brother Stewart, who is the Hill family historian. He consulted Ancestry.ca, found Mona and created a family lineage to see if a local name might be found.

Through Ancestry, Stewart discovered that Mona had been married to a Henry but this was not specific enough. Also, once Mona married into the Quigley family, her life took a different turn.

Stewart then accessed Facebook, with the family names of Lillow and Quigley. Sure enough, a Marlene (nee Quigley) came up.. She was not only alive but also living in Stratford.

And she was Mona’s daughter.

Stewart called her – it was Mother’s Day by chance – to leave a message.

Marlene called back, and Stewart provided her with Garry’s contact information.

A few phone calls later, Marlene and her niece Ashley arrived at Karen and Garry’s farm to take possession of the prized memorial plaque. For a few hours, Karen and Garry’s story was related to them, and Ashley revealed it was she who had carved the plaque in a loving tribute to her grandmother.

Through this all, Mona became a person to Karen, Garry and Stewart with his wife Kathy.

This story began due to chronic flooding in the part of the Stratford cemetery that brought the memorial plaque to Garry’s feet, green with algae, weathered by wind, water, and sun. Within a month of its discovery and the results of various attempts at sleuthing, the plaque was placed into the hands of its rightful owners. It had been missing for six or seven years…. slowly making its way down the Avon River, getting a push – or not-so-gentle-nudge – with each subsequent flooding. ◊

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July 2022 51

People • By Gary West •

Students turn cream to butter at “I Farm”

A

fter a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, “I” farm, Perth County edition, welcomed 520 students to the Rotary complex in Stratford recently.

Fourteen Perth County elementary schools were invited to learn about agriculture and where their food comes from. Producers representing the dairy, beef, egg, grain and pork industries in Perth County collaborated on the event as well as staff and volunteers from the Gaylea dairy heritage museum and farm safety association.

Each session featured eight learning stations and a good balance of “hands on” interactive learning

which included live cows and pigs for the students to see; reading ingredient labels on everyday food products to identify which grain was in the product; demonstrations on making butter and learning about early pioneers. They also learned their eggs do come from a laying hen. Students were also treated to a snack featuring a choice of milk and a cheese string. Event sponsors for the event included the Perth County Federation of Agriculture, CIBC, Libro Credit Union, FCC, and Scotiabank.

Event coordinator, Heather Robinson, is a dairy farmer living near Listowel. She was happy to see

Donated tractor sells for $2,600 at relief sale

T

his Massey Harris “Pacemaker” which was built around 1938 was loaded and moved to the Mennonite Relief sale in June. It had been on display for many weeks leading up the event.

Pictured from left is North Easthope tractor club president John Mohr, along with club members Wayne Gerber and John Schyff. The tractor had been donated to the club by Hoerle’s farm market to be sold as a donation to the Relief Sale and brought $2,600.

Another fully restored tractor — a Massey Ferguson 35 — was donated to the sale by Owen Cook and Larry Bearinger and brought $4,900 at the fundraising event. ◊

52 The Rural Voice

Three generations of dairy farmers — Perth Dairy Educator Janice Danen with her daughter Adriana and mother Emma Boerson (left) — explained the process of churning cream into butter at Perth’s “I” Farm event where elementary students learn about many aspects of agriculture. so many schools and students involved and stated the comments were very positive from the teachers and parents who attended the day.

They hope to continue the annual event again next year in June, and if any parent or educator needs more information, please contact Heather at de-perth1@milk.org ◊

The

Rural Voice

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

QUALITY METAL ROOFING, SIDING & TRIMS

Lucknow Auto Parts Supply 519-528-2220 Email: lap@porters.ca

DL Distributing Dave Mustard 519-794-3334 Authorized Dealer

Tough on Winter, Easy on You

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

519-363-3757

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

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Profitable, Actionable, Advice Crop Planning SWAT Maps/Soil Sampling Variable Mapping/Scripts Cropwalker Newsletter Jonathan Zettler CCA-ON, 4R NMS 519-323-7505 jz@fieldwalker.ca fieldwalker.ca

STEFFEN WELL DRILLING 519-531-0355 TEESWATER, ON

mike@steffenwelldrilling.ca

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

July 2022 53

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Horse & Livestock Car, Utility & Recreational any design, hitches trade-ins welcome super after sales service Leadership in energy and environmental design

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STEVEN NIXON

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

Serving the area since 1999

Broker WILFRED MCINTEE & CO. LIMITED

Bus: 519-357-2222 Cell: 519-531-0252 Email: nixon@execulink.com Web: www.stevennixon.com

318 Josephine St., WINGHAM, ON N0G 2W0

89739 BELMORE LINE, WROXETER $1,800,000.

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Full service to all boats and marine engines

ARGYLE Marine & Small Engines Inc.

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RESIDENTIAL

Farm Drainage

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

Newton, Ont. 519-595-4545

54 The Rural Voice

NEW CONSTRUCTION RENOVATIONS

519-524-0253

Organic Growers Wanted Long term production contracts available for HR Winter Wheat, Winter Barley, Winter Spelt and Winter Canola Also available in 2022 : production contracts for Soybeans, Edible Beans, Sunflowers, Peas

• Farm Lanes • Campgrounds • Driveways • Horse Riding Arenas

contact: Wehrmann Grain & Seed Ltd

RR 1 Ripley, Ontario N0G 2R0 Cell: 519.955.0386 • Office: 519.395.3126 • Fax: 519.395.2935

e-mail: ingasven@hurontel.on.ca

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519-525-6295

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

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

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CONSTRUCTION -------------------------------------------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 -------------------------------------------Janmaat Custom Bale Wrapping.

In-line wrapping any size round bale and any size square bale up to 6 1/2 feet long. Also individual round bale wrapping. Call Cody 519-955-3384.

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

Call 519-625-8242 or 519-2741490.

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FARM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE -------------------------------------------Reist, 3 point hitch, pto driven gear box pulley. 519-357-2509.

-------------------------------------------International 82 combine, pull-type, with pick-up and extended grain bins, works good, stored inside.

519-376-2719 (leave a message).

-------------------------------------------FARM SERVICES --------------------------------------------

FOR SALE -------------------------------------------Available for cover crops after winter wheat we have forage peas, oat/pea mixes, pure oats and special mixes with radish and brassicas. For pricing contact Courtney Grain & Seed (2015) Ltd., 225 Hwy. 21, RR 1, Ripley. Phone 519-395-2972. Ask for Carmon or Mitch.

-------------------------------------------Alfalfa hay mixtures, pasture mixtures, top dressing for pastures, and a selection of organic grass seeds. All mixed to your personal needs. Also red clover for plowdown. Available at Courtney Grain & Seed (2015) Ltd., 225 Hwy. 21, RR 1, Ripley. Phone 519395-2972. Ask for Carmon or Mitch.

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

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

Advertising in The Rural Voice – A Wise Choice!

Call Today! 519-523-4311

EGGER FARMS CUSTOM BALING

• 3x3 Bales Automatic Acid Applications, Roto Cutter.

Individual Bale Wrapping 6' bales

Call Fritz: 519-292-0138

July 2022 55

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

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FOR SALE -------------------------------------------Large assortment of fabric and quilting supplies. Also handstitched quilts (some crib to king size) and retail dry goods. 10 kilometres north of Kinloss, take Bruce Rd. 1 to Sideroad 30, Brockton and first farm on left. Fire#418.

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

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

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

Listowel. Phone Aden 519-5957775.

-------------------------------------------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 -------------------------------------------For sale - sheep, Tunis breeding stock, yearlings or one-year-olds with lambs. Pieter Biemond, Eastern Ontario. Text or call 613802-8062.

-------------------------------------------Bison herd dispersal, 40 head, cows, calves, heifers and bulls.

519-935-0950.

-------------------------------------------Suffolks - purebred yearling rams, ram lambs and ewe lambs. British bloodlines M-V negative, closed flock, GenOvis tested. Several bloodlines available. 519-2337896.

-------------------------------------------Rabbit breeding stock. High quality genetics available in Ontario. Order your PS40 bucks and PS19 does today. CuniON@tcc.on.ca -------------------------------------------Limousin bulls, open and bred females available. Smart Limousin, Meaford 519-372-7459. smartlimo@bmts.com www.smartlimousin.com -------------------------------------------Red Angus/Simmental, Simmental and Red Angus heifers bred to calving ease Red Angus bull for Spring 2023 calving. James and Joan McKinlay 519-599-6236.

-------------------------------------------McKague Charolais Bulls, registered purebred yearlings and two year olds, polled or dehorned. Bred heifers available. Wingham 519357-3808.

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

-------------------------------------------RESTORATION -------------------------------------------The Olde Tyme Radio Centre – antique radios, clocks, gramophones, telephones; sold/restored. (vintage autoclock radio, speedometer, tachometer repaired). Belgrave 519-357-4304, www.oldtymeradio.ca --------------------------------------------

RETAIL & GIFTS -------------------------------------------Stitches with a Twist – 404 Queen St., Blyth, 519-523-9449. Yarns, needles, notions, patterns, books and lots more yarn.

-------------------------------------------SERVICES -------------------------------------------Langside Chainsaw & Small Engine Sales & Service – chainsaws and accessories, string trimmers, power cutters, small engines, v-belts, lawnmower sales and service. Isaac M. Martin, 378 Langside Street, RR 5, Lucknow, ON N0G 2H0.

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

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

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

Cell 519-274-5000. www.croninpouredconcrete.ca --------------------------------------------

56 The Rural Voice

DANNY’S

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

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

Ph. 519-528-3019 Specializing in on Farm Pest Management Serving Southwestern ON, Golden Horseshoe, GTA Email: info@sgsltd.ca

519-692-4232

www.sgspestmanagement.ca

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

UPCOMING EVENTS --------------------------------------------

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

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

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

-------------------------------------------UPCOMING EVENTS -------------------------------------------ZURICH COUNTRY FAIR JULY 2224, 2022 – Fireworks at dusk on July 22; Saturday, July 23 - parade at 11:00 a.m. followed by the opening ceremonies. Exhibits, horse shows, children’s entertainment, evening dance and elimination draw; Sunday, July 24 - garden tractor pulls and Bingo. www.zurichcountryfair.com -------------------------------------------Deadline for the August issue of The Rural Voice is July 12, 2022

Huron County Cruisers is hosting a Cruise-In night, Friday, July 8, 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. (rain date July 15); Harriston Rd. 87, Howick Community Centre. Hosted in memory of two prominent ladies from the Huron County Cruisers.

Donations to local Wingham Foodbank. Music during the event.

Contact Verdun Zurbrigg for information, 519-444-8551.

-------------------------------------------Spring Breakfast – Van Egmond House, Egmondville, Sunday, July 24, 2022 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Adults $10, children under 10 - $5, preschool free.

-------------------------------------------Kettle Valley Pioneers Elgin Historical Show, August 13 – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; August 14, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission: adults $5, children 12 and under free. Friday Beef and Pork Barbecue, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. extra: adults $20, children under 8 free. Sunday breakfast, 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. extra: adults $10, children under 10 $4, under 5 free.

Wood carver –making two wooden benches, sawmill, ice cream booth, vintage vehicle display, antique tractors and more. Entertainment Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dan Patterson Park – Old Farm Equipment 519-269-3977.

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

Cash rent, share crop. Contact Paul at Hill & Hill Farms, 519-2333218 or 519-525-3137 or email: paul.hillhill@tcc.on.ca -------------------------------------------Round bales of horse or cattle quality hay picked up. Wanted to buy: small square bales of wheat straw, conventional or rotary. Call Riley Gorman 519-3211012.

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

CLASSIFIED WANTED -------------------------------------------28x48 Dion threshing machine.

Phone evenings 905-983-9331.

-------------------------------------------Looking for pasture for summer 2022 in North Huron/South Bruce areas. Fence repairs ok. Contact Justin at 519-357-8272.

-------------------------------------------Young farmer looking for land rent, sharecrop, or custom work opportunities. Good environmental stewardship and professionalism.

Short and long term. 519-200-7845 or hundt.chris@outlook.com -------------------------------------------Scrap Cars Wanted – 20, 30, 40 yd. scrap metal bins available. We sell quality used auto parts. Wanted to buy – scrap cars, trucks, farm machinery, heavy equipment.

Kenilworth Auto Recyclers. 519323-1113.

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

Call Joan at 519-523-4311 to place your classified ad

• AGRICULTURAL • COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL 5" Seamless Steel and Aluminum Eavestrough Rugged steel eavestrough for today’s metal roofing systems.

Siding • Soffit • Fascia • Steel Roofing 411575 Sideroad 41, Mount Forest

519-323-9841 July 2022 57

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

Strong Communities.

Sound Policies.

Sustainable Farms.

Cultivating every acre....what’s the community cost?

There is no doubt that poor driving conditions foster motor vehicle accidents. This is why we try not to contribute to poor driving conditions: whether it is keeping spent oil and trash off the road, or not pushing snow from our sidewalks and laneways onto the street.

Over the last few years, the board of NFU-O Local 344 Grey have lamented how farming practices are contributing to dangerous driving conditions. Not intentionally, as in the examples above, but as an unintended side effect of removing hedgerows and windbreaks along our roads. In the winter, snow is now increasingly drifting from fields onto these roads. Blowing snow and drifts have contributed to accidents throughout our region. Living with some hard winter driving conditions is part of living in the snow belt, but the severity of whiteouts and drifting depend on how we, the community, manage our landscape.

When I drive from Wiarton to Hanover on the county line, from Jackson to Hanover on Grey Rd 3, or along Hwy. 21 to Kincardine, I can consistently observe that where trees shelter the road in the dominant wind directions, road conditions are relatively good. Whenever the road is beside an open field, a permanent drift of snow limits visibility and creates treacherous conditions on the road. In the last decade, this has gotten worse in Grey County – once again, conditions begin to resemble those historic images of the 1920s when deforestation and desertification had devastated our landscape. These led to vast tree planting programs and ultimately, after Hurricane Hazel, to the foundation of Ontario’s Conservation Authorities.

Last year N F U-O Local 344 contacted Grey County’s planning department, as well as private insurers inquiring about any data they might have correlating areas with no windbreaks or treelines and wintertime

motor vehicle accidents. Everyone we contacted agreed that yes, poor winter road conditions and in particular snow drifts lead to accidents. We learned that data exists that could link winter accidents with road conditions, however this data is scattered across multiple government entities. The OPP, the county, the conservation authorities and transportation ministries all own a piece of that puzzle. What is needed is for a government entity to take responsibility to compile this data and determine the costs that avoidable snow drifts are creating for our community.

Today, programs exist that pay for living snow fences. These programs pay for tree planting or for leaving corn standing. Yet, these programs are effective only if they protect sufficient road to reduce overall risks. The Local 344 Grey board perceives that current programs are not succeeding to make our roads safer – there is far too little uptake. Something is not working.

There is a personal gain in income for the farmer who is able to expand their acreage, however, we feel that this benefit is likely outweighed by costs borne by the community as a whole— such as those for increased winter maintenance, property and personal injury and damage and potential lost winter tourism.

We feel that farmers and landowners have a responsibility to our community, just as our community has a responsibility to support our farmers.

When windrows are removed and, as a result, the community suffers, then we don’t live up to this mutual responsibility. At the same time, farmers should receive adequate support for putting in windrows, or for leaving existing windrows intact.

Maybe more importantly, farmers also need support to maintain and renew windrows year by year. In the present reality, this social contract between landowners and our community of road users is broken.

The NFU Grey board asks that our local government agencies (O P P, ministry of transportation, municipalities and county) gather the information needed to communicate the actual cost that preventable snow drifts on roads are creating for our community. We should also identify hotspots, where accidents happen most frequently.

Then, we need governments to create programs that work at scale and over the long term and actually improve driving conditions on roads. Policies should be designed in consultation with farmers, in order to ensure that they address the actual barriers that farmers face in protecting our road safety. Our community deserves policies that will outlast the next election cycle.

Once programs offer relevant support, we also need mechanisms that discourage non-compliance. With a few bad apples, the reputation of all farmers, and owners of farmland, suffers in our community. Landowners who refuse to contribute to reducing community costs and increasing community safety may be incentivized with higher insurance premiums, fees, or taxes. But sticks should be a last resort – I am certain that no farmer that I know would willingly foster car accidents. I am sure that farmers would want to play their role in a healthy community, based on solid information and appropriate support.

Thorsten Arnold is a farmer in Grey County and a member of the Local 344 (Grey) Board.

Local News/Events Local 340 (Waterloo/Wellington): Local 340 will be hosting a Sunday Social on Sunday, July 10th at 2:00pm at Rural Roots Brewery in Elmira. Come spend a fun afternoon getting to know (or reconnecting!) with your fellow 340 members!

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

Perth County Pork Producers NEWSLETTER

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

Research valuable for daily production routines Whether you are making money hand over fist, or losing the shirt off your back; whether you are going to be farming for a few more decades, or a few more months; whether you send 100 or 1,000 pigs a week to market, you send a dime per pig to research.

It may seem decadent for the province’s pig farmers to pay over half a million in homage to the ivory tower, but I would argue that it is a privilege. We are fortunate to live in a province where we have the ways and means to support the work of peeling back the layers of ignorance to reveal a better way of raising hogs.

It is the best investment in the future of our industry that we can collectively make. Not only does it provide us with knowledge to farm better, it also serves as an opportunity to introduce talented young minds to the opportunities in our industry.

But all of this research does not do any good if you don’t read it. For instance, in 2013 Ontario Pork funded a study that found that supplementing piglets with a 200 mg. injection of iron during their first week of life was insufficient to prevent iron deficiency at weaning.

This reflected iron injection protocols on my farm, but I hadn’t noticed any iron deficiency, so I followed up with my veterinarian.

Greg Wideman at South West Vets said that in a few nurseries, where pigs were not thriving after weaning, further investigation revealed that the weaners were iron deficient. But he referenced a Kansas State University study from 2019 where researchers tested the dosage, and timing of the iron injection. This study found that a 200 mg. dose of iron at four or six days of age provided the best growth in the nursery. His conclusion was that iron administered on dayold pigs is probably too early. He also emphasized the importance of consulting with your vet before

making production changes based on one research article. Production practices need to be based on the full body of knowledge, not one study.

I have to agree with Dr. Wideman’s self-serving advice.

Reading some of the research articles

on the Ontario Pork website reminded me how little I know about pork production. It also gave me an appreciation of how much research has gone into the details of our daily production routines. It was certainly worth the read. ◊ – Submitted by Craig Holshof

Local Pork Products Available Fill your freezer with local pork products Order today from: Tanya and Darryl Terpstra (519-291-7603) Dave and Ruth Kloostra (519-347-2619) or visit Leis Feeds in Milverton, open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

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

Pork supplied by: Perth County Pork Producers July 2022 59

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

Grey County Federation of Agriculture in the community With COVID-19 restrictions lifting and in-person community events resuming, Grey County Federation of Agriculture directors have been active in their communities sharing agricultural information.

In April we participated in Earth Day in Owen Sound which hosted over 200 community members. This was a great day for us to discuss farm land preservation, MZOs and land use planning with event attendees.

Supplying seed packets was a great initiative to bring people to our booth.

In May we hosted an All Candidates Meeting inviting all nine candidates in the riding of Grey Bruce Owen Sound to attend. The debates were centered around agricultural issues, but audience questions were included on all topics relevant to our area. There were great discussions from the candidates to help people choose who to vote for on June 2. The event was well received by attendees as well as candidates and also could be viewed online via our Facebook page.

Congratulations are extended to Rick Byers on his win and we look forward to working with him in the coming months/ years.

June found us in Feversham for the Grey Highlands Rodeo. This soldout, three-day event was jam-packed with activity in support of the new Markdale hospital. The rain Friday night didn’t discourage attendees from supporting a great cause in the

community. This was a great opportunity for us to engage in discussions about agriculture, along with answering questions while handing out seed packets and Real Dirt on Farming magazines.

In July you will find us at the Holstein Rodeo, so please stop by our booth we look forward to seeing you there. ◊

– Congratulations! –

GCFA 2022 MEETINGS • August 11 • September 8

• October 13 • November 10

DUE TO COVID­19 GCFA Board Meetings have become conference/video call format. Please contact the office if you are interested in taking part.

GCFA extends Congratulations to Simon Deboer and Linda Freiburger this year’s recipients of the Tommy Cooper Award. Both are exceptional advocates for agriculture and well deserving of the award.

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

60 The Rural Voice

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

NEWSLETTER

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

A million dollars a mile and they can’t pave it fast enough During the recent provincial election the plan to increase development and build more houses was very much part of the election campaign for the major parties in Ontario. Some want to build more faster and some are trying to preserve some land. It was encouraging to at least see the issue be one of the more important issues that was being discussed.

The OFA has been following the loss of farmland to development for a long time. We used to quote the fact that 175 acres a day was being lost forever. Unfortunately, inflation has hit that number too and now we have found that about 320 acres a day is being converted to development and permanently taken out of agriculture production at a time when the world needs the food it could produce more than ever.

In most of Ontario farmland is laid out in 100 acre lots, 10 lots back to back forming a block 1.25 miles square. That means that as you drive down a concession road that the lots front onto, every mile you drive you pass 800 acres. Using 185 bushel corn, 50 bushel soybeans and 85 bushel wheat and today’s closing prices at my local elevator; $9.31 for corn, $21.83 for soybeans and $12.53 for soft red winter wheat, that gives a total of $1,034,373 per mile in gross revenue. If you have some livestock, specialty crops or better yields, that is likely enough that we can say on average in

BCFA 2022 MEETINGS • August 22

• October 24

• September 26

• November 28

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

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

Ontario, farmland is going to produce a million dollars per mile this year. That is a big number and most of that money will be spent in the local area. That makes the fact that we are losing 320 acres a day even more important. The Ontario economy is losing about $413,000 in output every day and compounded yearly. Is the new 400 series highway going to replace that?

What about the young farmers that would like to buy 1-200 acres and start farming? Every day two of them have to disappear because the land they want just started to grow roads, houses or factories.

Those farmers that get pushed out will never come back and represent a great loss of innovation and energy that Ontario agriculture needs to continue becoming more productive.

As the re-elected Ford government gets back to business, and we elect new municipal governments this fall we need to be much more vocal about the contribution that agriculture is making to the Ontario economy and that we can’t afford to pave over any more Ontario farmland. ◊ – Submitted by John Gillespie BCFA Vice President

Medical students head out for agriculture day Medical students at University of Western’s Schulich School of Medicine are required to spend a week in rural Ontario understanding rural medicine.

BCFA understands the need for farm families to have local family doctors so they take the opportunity to be part of exposing them to rural Ontario. On June 1, 2022 six students from Walkerton hospital headed out for an agriculture day.

First they caught the end of morning milking at Ikendale Farms.

The Kuntz family gave an excellent tour and explained the dairy industry to the students. The students all from urban centres were thrilled to milk their first cow as well as learning about the dairy industry and Quality Milk programs in place.

They then visited Lang Farms and were toured through the elevators, chemical shed and seed barn where the students learned about how the elevator works and discussed chemical storage and handling.

Next stop was Huron Tractor to see the size of equipment and learn about the hazards, each of the students were able to have a turn driving one of the tractors.

At the Mildmay Fire Hall, Scott Miller made an excellent presentation in regards to medical professionals and the media and situations they may be faced with in their futures, especially during crisis situations. Also, Tammy Ribey spoke on animal-induced injuries that the students might face in their future discussing how the human medical professionals can work with animal professionals. Dianne Atkinson made a presentation regarding farm safety which was followed by a tour of the fire hall where all the equipment used by firefighters was explained and each student had a chance to dress the part while enacting a rescue.

It was an excellent learning day for our future doctors, and they were impressed with everything that Bruce County has to offer.

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

July 2022 61

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

Think safety this summer Today I would like to write about something that hits pretty close to home. That topic is Farm Safety.

Farm safety starts at home, it’s not just about equipment travelling down the road farm to farm. The Canadian Agriculture Safety Week has come and gone (it was in March), but it doesn’t mean we can let down our guard. You may think nothing will happen because you’ve done a certain job the same way many times, there is always that one off chance that an accident will happen. It can happen anytime, anywhere to anyone at any age at any time of the day.

We’ve all experienced one of those close calls and think to ourselves, “Wow, that was close, good thing I got out of the way or good thing I was standing over there”. Agriculture ranks among the most hazardous industries.

Farmers are at very high risk for

fatal and non-fatal injuries. Farming is one of the few industries in which family members (who often share the work and live on the premises) are also at risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries.

I’m sure many of you have recalled sitting at a meeting where the guest speaker was someone who had survived a farm accident. You likely thought to yourself, something like that won’t happen to me or anyone I know. Well folks…I can tell you those accidents do happen. Please make sure you have an accident plan on your farm. You never know when you might need it.

Recently, a neighbour was injured in a freak accident. He sustained a very serious head injury. Presently, he is still in the hospital but on the long slow road to recovery. We are lucky to have good healthcare when we need it. We live in a pretty good

neighborhood and there is a lot of support from friends, neighbors and the community.

So, remember, keep your equipment in working order, make sure everyone understands the tasks they are working on, take your time and don’t rush to get jobs done. Take one extra second to think about safety.

Lastly, the most important things of all are make sure you are getting adequate rest and take time for yourself.

Please check out the following links for more information about safety on the farm.

•https://www.casa-acsa.ca/en/ canadian-agricultural-safety-week/ • http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/ english/engineer/safe.htm – Submitted by Joanne Foster Director, Perth Federation of Agriculture

The Century Farm Show Episode 6: Johnstondale Farms

By Jeanette Schramm (Huron Perth Junior Farmers) The Century Farm Show is a docu-series created by Huron Perth Junior Farmers in partnership with the Huron Heritage Fund, Lake Affect Media and The Staysh. Our goal is to highlight the enduring legacy of the Century Farms of Huron and Perth Counties; the series consists of 12 videos that each feature a different family, their farm, and their history.

Catch a new episode at the end of each month in 2022 by visiting the Huron Perth Junior Farmers’ Facebook page (@huronperthjf).

The sixth farm featured in our Century Farm Show is Johnstondale Farms. Elizabeth and Georgina Johnston take us through the history of the farm, purchased by their family in 1893. The Johnstons raised veal calves for a time before transitioning to finishing beef heifers. The barn is the scene of many great memories, as every family member was included in the chores and the passion for farming was passed on to the next generations.

For Elizabeth and Georgina, this love of farming helped them find a community with Junior Farmers. As alumni of JF, they speak highly of the friendships they made while participating in bus trips and international exchanges through the organization. To learn more about the Johnstons and their experiences both on and off the farm, check out the Huron Perth Junior Farmers on Facebook - episode to air on June 30.

Thank you to all our sponsors for your support of The Century Farm Show. * The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Perth County by the PCFA.

62 The Rural Voice

Index Argyle Marine & Small Engines..54 Belore Trailers ............................54 Bernie McGlynn/SB Flooring ....47 Bervie Supply Energy Ltd ..........40 Bester Wood Products................47 Bio-Ag ............................................2 Boonstoppel, Dave & Elly............17 BP Dust Control ..........................55 Canadian Co-op Wool Growers..24 Chalmers Fuels............................23 Cover Crops ............................13,15 CropQuest Inc ............................29 Cross Country Eavestrough ......57 DJ Henry Homes & Renos ..........54 DL Distributing ............................53 Easy Lift Doors ..............................8 Egger Farms ................................55 Embro Tractor Pull ......................33 Exeter Rodeo ..............................12 Farm To Table ..........................9,42 Fieldwalker Agronomy ................53 Food Day Canada ........................11 Gerber’s Workwear ....................24 Grey-Bruce Construction ..........29 GRK Products ............................23 Hanover Honda ............................10 Hardi ............................................14 Harold Jones Enterprises ..........54 Hayden Water Wells ....................16 Hill & Hill Farms............Inside Front Hunter Steel Sales..............Cover 5 Huron Commodities ....................31 Huron Perth Public Health ....27,47 JA Porter Holdings ......................63 Kenpal Farm Products ................39 Kingwood Bins ............................33 KMM Farm Drainage ..................63

Kraemer Concrete Ltd ................54 Kuepfer Farm Drainage ..............54 Keupfer’s Fire Wood ..................53 LAC ..............................................55 Lakeside Shelving & Racking ......2 Lisa Thompson MPP ....................19 Listowel Fair ................................19 Live Landscape ..........................37 Lucknow Auto Parts....................53 Lucknow’s Music in the Fields..Cover 3 Mapleview Agri............................20 Marquardt Farm Drainage ..........24 Martin Farm Wagons ..................31 Martin’s Nursery ..........................45 McIntee Real Estate....................54 Michael’s Stabling ......................27 Mike Boven Carpentry ................54 MNP LLP ......................................51 Moore Hemsworth ......................17 Morris Sachs Silo Construction ..29 Nature’s Wave Inc ........................41 North Huron Carpentry ..............48 Nuclear Waste Management ......45 Nuhn Forage................................44 Ontario Forage Council ..............39 Preserve & Store ..........................7 RBC Ag West ..............................40 Ridgeway Metals ........................53 RKM Grain ..................................55 Rural Living..................................37 Rural Voice Books ..............Cover 6

Sauble Beach Motorsports ................17,29,35,49 Schmidt’s Farm Drainage ............12 Schweiss Doors ..........................49 Sew & Save Centre ....................35 Sharp’s Creek Forge ..................48 Steffen Well Drilling ....................53 Superior Barn Painting ......Cover 7 SWO Diesel ........................Cover 7 Townsley Barn Painting ..............57 Travelling Local..........................3,4 Triple P Consulting ......................51 Trouw Nutrition ............Back Cover Waddell Engineering Ltd ............51 WD Hopper & Sons Ltd ..............17 Wehrmann Grain & Seeds ..........55 West Wawanosh Mutual ....Cover 4

The deadline for the August issue of The Rural Voice is July 12, 2022

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THE RURAL VOICE MAGAZINE

www.porters.ca Lucknow (head office) 519-528-3537 Owen Sound 519-372-1636 Stratford 519-271-5554

Don't Delay Subscribe Today!

Produced by people with farming in their blood. Serving more than 11,000 readers in the region.

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The Rural Voice

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519-523-4311

Lucknow location also offers • septic pumping • ready mix • aggregate and decorative stone Division of J.A. Porter Holdings (Lucknow) Ltd.

TILE DRAINAGE PAYS! Let a good drainage system work for you to help improve: • Soil erosion • Aeration • Crop yields • Soil warm up 43479 Blyth Road • Crop rotation • Harvest length (R.R. #1) Walton, ON N0K 1Z0 • Land values • Soil conditions • Fertilizer efficiency E-Mail: kmmfarmdrainage@outlook.com • Plant growth

CALL THE EXPERTS! Business: 519-887-6428 Ron McCallum 519-524-3543

Chad McCallum 519-955-1588

GPS Grade Control & Mapping

July 2022 63

HURON

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

County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER

All Candidates meeting hosted by HCFA

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

Upcoming Events July 1 - Happy Canada Day! July 22-24 - Zurich Country Fair.

Visit: www.zurichcountryfair.com

HCFA AND PCFA

JOINT BOARD MEETING July 20

Brodhagen Community Centre Contact the HCFA or PCFA office for details The HCFA hosted an All Candidates Meeting for the Provincial Election in June. The meeting was moderated by HCFA President Rob VandenHengel and participating candidates included: Ronald Stephens (Independent), Gerrie Huenemoerder (Ontario Party), Lisa Thompson (PC), Shelley Blackmore (Liberal), Laurie Hazzard (NDP) and Matt Kennedy (New Blue). Unable to attend were Green Candidate, Matthew VanAnkum and Alliance Candidate, Bruce Eisen.

Send in your nominations!

We are collecting nominations for the yearly Huron County Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture Award. Please include in the nomination the name, address, phone number of your nominee. Your nomination should include an explanation for the nomination such as the person or groups contribution(s) to agriculture and rural life in Huron County. The nomination must be signed by the nominator.

Please send nominations to the HCFA office – deadline is September 19

HCFA Director profiles: Marinus Bakker

Marinus Bakker joined the HCFA board as a representative for the Ontario White Bean Producers Marketing Board. He was president of that Board in 2013 when they amalgamated and became the Ontario Beans Growers. He was president of the HCFA in 2011-2012 and has worked on a number of HCFA committees and PAC. He is also a member of Huron Grain Farmers and Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association. He was honoured to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture & Community in 2017 from the HCFA. He has a cash crop farm near Auburn and is a member of the local Lions club.

Larry Plaetzer

Larry Plaetzer is a director on the HCFA board as a Hullett Township representative. He is also a member of the Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association. He farms near Auburn on a century farm, where he has a beef feedlot and cash crops.

Larry has experimented with organic, no-till, cover crops, and strip tillage. He is currently a seed grower for Corteva (Pioneer). Larry is in the lengthy process of succession planning in order to transfer the farm operation to his son Jeff.

Save the date!

Huron County Federation of Agriculture

ANNUAL/REGIONAL MEETING October 27, 2022

Holmesville Community Centre

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Lisa Thompson on her re-election as the MPP for Huron-Bruce. We look forward to working with Lisa to ensure a profitable, sustainable and vibrant future for Huron County Farmers.

IPM 2017 Scholarships The Huron County 2017 IPM Trust Fund is offering scholarships.

Students can apply until July 31.

An application file is available on the Huron IPM 2017 Trust Fund Scholarship Facebook Page or email: jbishopipm2017@gmail.com for an application Candidates must have completed their first year of Post-Secondary training and be enrolled in their second year of any College or University, or have completed a school training session in the trades.

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

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

64 The Rural Voice

Summer 2022 print editon out now!

FREE Summer 2022

Hidden Gems of Huron County Hidden Gem ms of Huron County

Distributed FREE at tourist information booths, town halls, retail outlets, accommodations, and restaurants throughout the county and beyond

Digital issue available online at stopsalongtheway.ca

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Enjoy the best of Summer!

BEYOND REACH Set in Perth County and in the Muskokas, this novel follows three generations of women who struggle to connect with each other. It explores chronic depression and how it affects not only the one who suffers from it but the whole family. Local author Sandi Plewis highlights the need for women to find their voices and claim their own power and takes readers on a journey of self-discovery and hope. $25.00 (10% of sales will be donated to Huron Hospice).

BARNS OF THE QUEEN’S BUSH From pioneer log barns to elegantly constructed timber-fram monsters, this book illustrates and tells of the barns that made the region flourish in agriculture (most stories from Grey and Bruce Counties). $34.99

The Rural Reading Room Specializing in Rural Living & Local Authors

A PADDLER’S GUIDE TO THE RIVERS OF ONTARIO & QUEBEC Inside are 20 top river trips through the wilds of Ontario and western Quebec.

Includes maps, directions and colour photos. $19.95

BARNYARD GAMES & PUZZLES Join your favourite farm animals for games, jokes and puzzles barnyard style! Crawl your way through a worm squirm, or find out how to tell if there are cows in your refrigerator. $12.95

THE GARDENER’S WEED BOOK Learn time-saving tips for weed management. Identify more than 70 common garden weeds. Put weeds to practical use. Learn how to control weeds organically by mulching, hand weeding, and using smother crops. $19.95

UNFORGETTABLE ONTARIO This beautifully illustrated guide celebrates 100 of the destinations and events that make Ontario an unforgettable place to travel. $29.95

UNFORGETTABLE CANADA Explore your country, if only in print with this beautifully illustrated tour to 100 destinations across the country from Signal Hill, Newfoundland to the killer whales off the west coast to the Yukon’s Top of the World highway. $29.95

TOP 160 UNUSUAL THINGS TO SEE IN ONTARIO Ron Brown just keeps finding more interesting places to visit.

This book reveals the best odd, unexpected and fascinating places and things in the province. $29.95

Total

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BEYOND REACH THE RIVERS OF ONTARIO & QUEBEC BARNYARD GAMES & PUZZLES GARDENER’S WEED BOOK BARNS OF THE QUEEN’S BUSH UNFORGETTABLE ONTARIO UNFORGETTABLE CANADA TOP 160 UNUSUAL THINGS TO SEE IN ONTARIO Check out huroncitizen.ca for more books

$25.00 $19.95 $12.95 $19.95 $34.99 $29.95 $29.95 $29.95

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.

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HOLSTEIN FEED MILL (2015) LTD.

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