The Rural Voice - June 2022

Rural Voice

The

June 2022

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

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PIVOT IS THE WORD

ALPACAS AND TARTS

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Bacon buttertarts, curious alpacas and Rural Rootz make for a sweet day in Bruce County

FIDDLEHEAD FINDS Ben Caesar searches out perennial greens to fill the spring vegetable gap

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Contents The

Rural Voice THE MAGAZINE OF AGRICULTURAL LIFE

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

18

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

32 Columns Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Keith Roulston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Kate Procter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Jeffrey Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Mabel’s Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Woodlots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Agrilaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Departments Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Ruralite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 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

22 JUNE 2022 • Cover Photo Brandon Moffatt of StormFisher Photo by Jeff Tribe

• Deadlines: July Issue – June 14 August Issue – July 12

18 Waste to Energy StormFisher’s huge biodigestor transforms food waste into energy and fertilizer

22 Fiddlehead Edible Greens Ben Caesar grows and sells edible perennials to fill the spring gap

27 Success Panel The pandemic created havoc for businesses but those who turned to direct sales found success

32 From Tarts to Lighthouses A daytrip into Bruce County offers tarts, lighthouses, alpacas, craft beer and a Rural Rootz experience

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

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

36 Turnips in Spring?

Recipe writer Nancy Fisher tries her hand at grilling rutabagas with excellent results

40 Financial Independence Create an emergency fund and track expenses says podcaster

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.

NH

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

Worries about Ontario farmland The Editor, Keith Roulston’s column in the April issue of The Rural Voice provided an excellent summary concerning Ontario’s continuing loss of food land. The calculated rate of loss to housing over the past 40 years has been about 150 acres per day, according to Dr. Martin. It’s a serious situation for farmers and rural municipalities today; it’s a critically

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irreversible situation for our descendants tomorrow.

Keith has urged us to “fight for farmland – now”. I respect Keith’s opinion greatly but is it time to ask whether fighting will do any good.

We farmers are 1.5 per cent of the population. We are grossly outnumbered.

The political, economic, and ideological Goliath we face is multi-headed. We’ve been fighting this war for at least 40 years, and, as the numbers clearly show, we’re simply losing. We can’t change things by fighting, because conflict is unreasonable, and we will only make ourselves look unruly, and we will continue to lose.

The former Waterloo County was home to some of the most productive farmland in the world. It’s gone.

Look at Kitchener, London, Ospringe, Fergus, Shelburne, Simcoe, or Elmira and any other number of urban/metropolitan municipalities within Ontario. The productive, flat, easy-to-farm prime lands are also largely the ones that are being annexed and built on. Conversely, building on land in rural municipalities that has never been and will never be, successfully farmed but is suitable for building purposes is prohibited under the pretense of protecting farmland.

Instead of fighting, is it time we carefully thought about this problem, and followed a rational, practical land-use policy based on the physiographic characteristics and food producing capability of the individual lands instead of on manmade, municipal demarcation lines and social engineering? In a time where rural municipalities are financially struggling to maintain roadways that are underutilized, and farmers are dealing with margins that are, on average, simply too small, something has to give if we are going to preserve our way of life. A growing population has to live somewhere. Providing sorely needed housing on land that is unproductive and unprofitable for farmers would generate significant development and tax revenue for farming municipalities, and this would go a long way towards reducing our farm taxes.

Some of your readers may have

read recently about moves to “deintensify” Toronto. If this happens, and we continue with the present set of land-use policies, it will mean more subdivisions on what is left of our prime farmland at the edge of every urban Ontario municipality – as has been the practice for so long.

Without a rational land-use policy, we’re going to keep slipping. No solution is perfect but based on the loss of 2.2 million acres of farmland over the past 40 years, it’s obvious that we don’t currently have any solution in place. ◊ – Terence Rothwell Wellington North Township Ontario, Canada

Climate change: farmers can do better The Editor, The agricultural groups in Ontario have been working with farmers for decades on climate change and carbon issues. There have been many programs that farmers could get involved in through the different agriculture groups in Ontario. Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association is just one of the groups that has had many programs in place to help with these issues.

Please consider all the programs in Ontario that have been working on the issues of climate change and carbon and write about them in upcoming issues of The Rural Voice.

– Dianne Booker, President Grey County Federation of Agriculture

Deadline for the July issue of The Rural Voice is June 14

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June 2022 3

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4 The Rural Voice

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Ruralite

Edible Perennials

Financial

non-native plants.”

Independence

~ Ben Caesar of Fiddlehead Nursery on why he experiments with edible perennials from around the world, saying a diverse diet improves nutrient balance which leads to a resilient immune system. See page 22

“Creating an

“It is important to plant natives but not demonize

Dad Jokes • How do you get a farm girl to like you?

A tractor • What day do potatoes hate the most?

Friday • Why did the tomato blush?

Because he saw the salad dressing • Why did the pig dump her boyfriend?

Because he was a real boar.

emergency fund should be your

Road Sign Gems • Dogs can’t operate MRI

number one priority.

scanners...but catscan

Over 30 per cent of

• Turning vegan would be a big

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make ends meet • For chemists, alcohol is not a problem —it’s a solution

~Jessica Moorhouse on tips to

becoming financially independent. See page 40

FARMING IN JUNE “We have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order — a kind of artist.”

•

~ Wendell Berry

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

• When looking for faults use a mirror, not a telescope

•

• Birds have bills too...yet they

Sheep or Cow?

keep on singing

While biking on a polder dike in Holland, a herd of Holstein-coloured sheep glanced over and most didn’t bother to get up in this bike-friendly country.

Photo by Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot.

June 2022 5

Lisa B. Pot transferred from my chequing account to this travel savings account and it slowly but surely adds up so that every other year, there are sufficient funds for an international experience. It works so well that if I were a financial guru, I would combine the advice from Moorhouse and Sellery and suggest everyone create a “life goals” account.

Life goals can differ but travel is on my list because it’s a crash course in personal discovery, selfsufficiency, history, business and creativity.

I just returned from a trip to Holland with my father and sister, a trip that gave me a deeper sense of my Dutch roots by connecting with family and exploring the area where my father was born and raised. As sisters, we laughed out any stress we were carrying while also testing the virtues of patience and tolerance. We grew as family members and people, feeling rejuvenated by the kindness and companionship of relatives and the wonder of connection that you feel with family, even ones you haven’t seen for decades. These “strangers” become friends and life becomes richer.

Travel is educational. A trip to the Rijksmuseum provided views and history lessons via the paintings of Dutch artists Vermeer and Rembrandt who captured both simple moments and historical events. It also exposes you to how other people

live, eat, work and live their daily lives. In Paris, we saw families spread out their blankets along the Seine and eating a meal at midnight!

In this city that never sleeps, we witnessed a whole new way of living from our personal routines and this was both exciting and challenging.

As you explore other countries, you are exposed to ideas that fire up your creativity. My Uncle has built a simple wooden structure on his house inancial podcaster Jessica to grow grape vines which then Moorhouse says everyone unfurl into a natural shade system should be tracking their over a hot deck. For a gardener, the spending and setting aside a fund to beauty and practicality of this idea cover expenses in case of emergency. struck me as perfect for my own You can read her financial advice in house and thus, an exciting new this issue. project will soon be launched.

Another financial guru, Bruce Cultural dishes expand food Sellery, asks this simple question: repertoires while walking and cycling “Why are you making money?” stretch your muscles.

For me, Moorhouse’s advice Your personality unfolds as you connected to Sellery’s question in travel and re-discover yourself. In terms of travel ... read on. practicing my poor Dutch and talking First, Sellery’s question: one with strangers, I gained confidence in answer is we NEED to make money. my ability to connect with people by We have to house, feed and clothe using questions to discover what ourselves and even if you are makes them tick. From a Parisian incredibly handy, you’ll need money Uber driver, to an old man at for at least one of the three. Most of Kinderdijk who walks across the us strive to make extra money world to two British girls standing in beyond survival. What for? Sellery the line at the Schiphol airport, I met called it the “context of making people who expanded my views and money” and suggested some people cemented the value of connection. make money for security, to educate Nature and animals make my soul their children, to create a family sing and there is such joy to be had in legacy (such as a farm), to donate or discovering beautiful places. On one perhaps just for prestige. bike ride, I rode with a canal on one The underlying “why” isn’t side and black and white always easy to answer. Why sheep on the other, both do I make money? Certainly, flowing by in peaceful Farm Credit Canada wants me perfection. Walking near to make money to pay my Hoorn, I found two fat Kune farm mortgage. And having six Kune pigs who lumbered to kids has been an expensive the corner of the fence for a endeavor (totally worth it). free scratch on their fleshy However, the reason I write, backs. These were simple have a business and pick up moments but they felt side jobs to make money is magical. because I want both security The best part of travel is AND experiences. Outdoor coming home feeling tired, sports, horses, large gardens or for sure, but so inspired and daytripping with family costs bigger with possibilities, money. International travel is feelings, connections and joy! also high on my list.

All this makes travel a So to make sure I can afford terrific bang for the buck, in those experiences, I created a my opinion. It’s one of the travel fund (along with an Windmills at the Kinderdijk in Holland were stopped with reasons I work hard to make emergency fund). Every the blades at a certain angle to communicate mourning money. month, a set amount is for two people who were murdered in the village.

Why do you? ◊ Lisa B. Pot is editor of The Rural Voice, and farms in Huron County

Why do you make money?

F

6 The Rural Voice

Spring Home & Garden

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June 2022 7

Keith Roulston Keith is former publisher of The Rural Voice.

He lives near Blyth, ON.

Remarkable story makes us think Among the joys of my years being editor of The Rural Voice was the opportunity to hear speakers who left their impression – and among those was Dr. Temple Grandin.

I was thinking that the other day when I pulled the movie Temple Grandin off the shelf and watched it as I do every couple of years. Claire Danes plays the remarkable life of the woman who proved autism was no barrier to making her mark on the world.

Dr. Grandin changed the way animals are handled because her condition allowed her to understand them better than the rest of us could.

It was those insights that brought her to speak to us in Western Ontario

from her position at Colorado State University.

She would never have been able to score her achievements if not for a remarkable mother – so remarkable I should probably have written about her in time for Mothers Day. When Temple was born in 1947, doctors simply didn’t understand autism. Temple’s mother, highly educated herself, was frustrated when doctors told her that her child, who didn’t speak and couldn’t focus, should simply be institutionalized and more or less forgotten. She went to work to reach and teach Temple.

In fact, though the movie doesn’t tell this part of the story, Temple’s parents split because her father wanted to follow the doctor’s advice.

Through infinite patience, Temple’s mom managed to get through to her and teach her to communicate and learn. She was eventually sent off to a boarding school where she was tortured by her fellow students because she was so different.

That’s when a second remarkable person in the form of William

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Carlock, came into her life. A former NASA scientist he became a science teacher at what is now the school that Grandin studied at. He encouraged her and challenged her and she graduated from high school and went on to university.

Another important step in shaping the remarkable life of Dr. Grandin came when she went to the cattle ranch of the sister of her mother’s second husband (though this information is a little obscured in the movie). Here she is at first appalled when she sees cattle immobilized in a squeeze-chute but realizes they become calmer when held in it.

She tries the chute herself and finds it helps her. Later, at university, she builds a chute for herself, but other students and the university throw it out. She builds a new one after creating a study to prove it works.

Similarly after she graduates, she realizes that cattle react differently to handling than humans. She has to overcome resistance to even get into major feedlots to study animal behaviour. She finally meets a feedlot owner who will give her ideas a try but she’s undone by cowboys who tear her design apart and several animals die as a result.

Finally, the intelligence of her handling systems was understood and her designs were used in feedlots, abattoirs and handling facilities around the world.

Dr. Grandin herself supported the film and contributes to the audio commentary on the DVD. You need an open mind to appreciate a talk by Dr. Grandin.

Despite years of communicating with non-autistic people like students and audiences, she still sounds different than the regular speakers you hear at meetings. You have to open your mind and listen to the intelligence of what she says.

There’s a wonderful scene near the end of the movie where she and her mother go to a discussion about autistic children and she excites parents, who have been told there is little hope for her children’s future, by telling them what she has accomplished. It’s a reminder to all of us that there’s so much we don’t know or understand.◊

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June 2022 9

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

New incentives for growing cover crops

M

any farmers have a goal of leaving their farms better than they found them.

Growing cover crops is one tool that farmers have to help them achieve that goal. The Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) has launched a Cover Crop Leaders Program to help farmers who are experimenting with cover crops – providing both financial incentive and technical support through the program, which will run until the spring of 2024.

The program undertaken by the MVCA plans to support farmers who

are taking steps to incorporate cover crops for the first time, or to improve their existing systems. Eligible farmers in the MVCA watershed will enjoy a $15/ac incentive up to 150 acres if they are experimenting with cover crops in combination with reduced tillage techniques.

In order to be considered for the program, farmers must be experimenting with new cover crop mixes or techniques, establish the cover crop and leave the residue over winter, use no aggressive full-width tillage in the crop rotation, must be willing to share their experience with others by participating in outreach, and must be willing to have temporary signs installed if fields are visible from the road.

Priority will be given to farmers who will commit to using cover crops in their operation for two years, farmers who are minimizing soil disturbance and maintaining residue cover throughout their rotation, and to projects that are more likely to sequester carbon.

Over the centuries, cover crops

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have played many roles – from improving soil health, compaction, and structure, to protecting crops from pests and improving water quality. Cover crops are defined in the Ontario Cover Crop Strategy as “plants that are seeded into agricultural fields, either within or outside of the regular growing season, with the primary purpose of improving or maintaining soil quality,” Cover crops grown have ranged from simple – red clover after wheat, to complex mixes that make fields look like a beautiful painting when all of the varieties start to bloom.

Laurent Van Arkel is considered a cover crop champion. His goal is “to improve soil health by having living roots growing 365 days a year.” To meet this goal, he has spent many years developing and promoting innovative cover crop techniques and equipment, and regularly shares what he has learned by hosting visitors to his farm and making presentations across North America.”

•https://www.ontariosoilcrop.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/06/OntarioCover-Crop-Strategy_May-3_Finalv3compressed.pdf.

Ontario farmers participated in the 2020 Ontario Cover Crop Feedback Report which sought to answer questions about the benefits and challenges observed with growing cover crops. Farmers representing 107,900 acres who grew cover crops in 2020 in almost every county and district in Ontario completed the survey. The majority of respondents (91 per cent) reported benefits from growing cover crops. These benefits included improved soil health (68 per cent), reduced erosion (59 per cent), and increased soil organic matter (57 per cent). Over three quarters of the respondents reported that these benefits were realized within three years of adopting cover crops.

Participants also included 211 farmers across Ontario who did not grow cover crops in 2020. The farmers identified barriers to adopting the practice as additional costs (41 per cent), lack of equipment (36 per cent), late harvest of cash crops preventing planting (24 per

cent), and shortness of the growing season (23 per cent).

The Midwest Cover Crops Council is comprised of a group of many people interested in soil health and sustainable agriculture including farmers, non-governmental organizations, commodity interests, and those in academia. Their website is a great resource to learn about cover crops. Several recipes tailored to geographic areas are included on the website at https://mccc.msu.edu/.

Recipes specifically for Ontario included on the site give a detailed, step by step outline that includes planning and preparation, summer and fall work, time of planting, planting method, as well as the recommended varieties to meet to objectives of the farmer. One recipe for corn following wheat is a simple one using red clover. The benefits of this can help improve corn yields, promote better soil, and provide a nitrogen credit.

Another recipe describes the method to use for planting corn or soybeans after wheat. This mix involves growing a mix of oats and radish, both of which are winter killed, which makes it a fairly lowrisk mix. This is used to help control perennial weeds, minimize erosion, build soil structure, and reduce compaction.

There is also a selector tool on the site that helps farmers learn more about which types of cover crops might fit their operations and meet their goals. The recipes and other information provide producers who are new to cover crops a plan to help see how the practice can work on their farms.

MVCA will begin accepting applications June 13, 2022. To apply contact Ben Van Dieten for an application at bvandieten @mvca.on.ca or 519-335-3557 ext.

245. Contact MVCA to get on the project mailing list or check their website for updates. Applications will be accepted until October 2022, or until all funds are allocated. If oversubscribed, priority will be given to projects meeting the above mentioned criteria. ◊

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

A cunning plan

M

y friends of Orkney, we left Clifton and Estelle in Ontario’s northland, at a place of golden dreams, the Jerome Mine. War was once again raging in Europe and Estelle had made a full recovery from an operation which had left her bedridden for weeks, four years earlier.

Clifton was working for wages.

Estelle had found employment as well, serving as housekeeper, cook’s assistant and, when time allowed, pig herder.

The pigs were Clifton’s idea.

Estelle had a more rational opinion of their nature having been raised on a

12 The Rural Voice

farm but he was undeterred. Top dollar was paid for 50 young animals just old enough to fend for themselves. They were trucked north with enough feed for the journey.

The workings were located on a 250acre peninsula jutting into a sizeable lake, the only access being a muddy track passing through a narrow strip of land.

Assumedly, the pigs would stay put, straying only within the peninsula, and by fall each would reach market weight, 200 pounds on the hoof, and the couple could return south for the winter, the fine jingle of coin in Cliff’s pocket, not gold perhaps but enough to start setting things straight.

Surprisingly, only a few were lost over the course of the journey. The remainder, upon being set loose, paused for a moment and having accessed their new found freedom, began browsing upon the greenery, slyly eying the line of trees nearby.

The pigs did gain, though in a modest way, their rakish forms

glimpsed briefly on occasion as they darted through the underbrush along a labyrinth of low tunnels. From the vantage point of a canoe on the lake, they could occasionally be seen sunning themselves along a stretch of sand in a little cove or, as the weather warmed, paddling about in the clear water. Pigs may not fly, but they can certainly swim and swim they did, some making their way to the distant shore, their fate unknown.

The handful that remained were wary things, full of squint-eyed, malignant intelligence. There was an attempt at a roundup, Clifton managing to lasso a couple of the less cautious but after being dragged through the brush for some time, he gave up on the attempt.

Two were shot early in the fall at the garbage dump and the men made a feast of them but Clifton received nothing for that brief bounty, the shooter having noted the savage nature of the beasts, the gamey quality of their meat and the expense of his bullets.

“Thus, were feral pigs introduced to Ontario’s north?” Pinkie asks.

“Not only there, Pinkie. Their progeny has since spread across the land.”

Pinkie, I should explain, is a kind of gentle, chimerical construct but not without some basis in fact. We knew each other in high school and she told me in the not-so-distant past of her father returning home, the scent of his work lingering about him, something I too am most familiar with; a dim, dust-filled space filled with warm bodies, and the scent of warm milk and dung.

“You knew Estelle, but not Clifton?” she asks.

“Estelle, yes, but Clifton only through reputation. She said he was the biggest liar in Oxford County.

There were rumours of infidelity too, a relationship with a tall farmer’s wife. For a short little fellow, barely scratching five feet, my grandfather possessed high aspirations.”

“And your mom, what did she have to say about her father?”

“Not a great deal, Pinkie, though she would repeatedly advise me, ‘Do

not have delusions of grandeur; find yourself good steady work, like welding.’”

• • • Clifton spent nine seasons at the mine, working as an electrician and mechanic. He went north in 1937 when it first opened. Didn’t bother writing and when letters arrived, he’d often set them aside and lose track of them.

It was in the fall that year, the Great Depression lingering, that Estelle fell gravely ill with womanly troubles. Surgery was needed immediately and if she were to survive that a long convalescence would follow – weeks in the hospital.

The county’s Children’s Aid Society arrived at the family’s doorstep. It’s still there, three slabs of squared granite forming two steps and a small stoop; the main entrance to the home James Isbister had retired to and occupied after his death by his grandson, Estelle and five of his grandchildren, three girls and two boys.

Anita, nine, always maintained that she enjoyed the discipline and orderly life the group home provided, a single-story structure; narrow beds lining the walls of its barracks-like space. When she served oatmeal to her own children, topped with creamheavy milk and plenty of brown sugar, her words would always be, “It will stick to your belly. Eat it up.”

She spent three years in the place and then when it was closed, she was fostered.

To be continued...

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

“One of the good things about planting soybeans,” said Dave Winston as he sat down at Mabel’s Grill for breakfast the other morning, “is that you can sit in your tractor cab and listen to your music and you can almost forget that there’s an election happening at all.”

“Hey, remember Mabel doesn’t allow talk about politics in here,” warned Molly Whiteside as she delivered their menus and prepared to take their orders.

“Oh I wasn’t going to talk about politics,” said Dave. “I was talking about how nice it was to be able to ignore politics for a few hours.”

“Between the election and news from Ukraine, I gave up even turning on the news at all,” said George Mackenzie as he took a brief glance at the menu before ordering his usual

eggs and bacon.

“Who needs the agony of watching the news at a set time every night,” said Molly. “I can get whatever news I want when I want it on the internet.”

“See that’s the key word,” said Cliff Murray, as he set down his menu. “Whatever news you want!

Young people get to choose whatever news makes them happy, not what some news editor says is important.”

“Or they look for the stuff that makes them mad, like the stuff on Fox,” said Dave.

“Oh I prefer the news that makes me feel good,” said Molly as she scribbled down their orders “I can go along with her idea of what’s really news,” commented Dave after Molly headed for the kitchen and Mabel.

“See, that’s what got me about watching the national news on TV,” said George. “They give you 18 minutes of news about COVID or Ukraine that makes you ready to slash your wrists, then they have a two-minute lighter story that’s supposed to keep you going until the next night when they make you want

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to do it all over again!”

“Hey, COVID isn’t anything to worry about anymore,” said Cliff with an ironic smile. “So what if a whole bunch of people died yesterday, the pandemic’s all over as far as most people are concerned.”

“See, that’s what I mean,” said Dave. “Even in here I can’t get away from the bad news.”

“Well, hey, I heard a bit on the radio the other day that in a few years people are going to live to be 150 years old,” said Cliff. “Does that make you feel better?”

“Not really, because it’s not going to be me who lives to 150, it’ll be my grandchildren or greatgrandchildren,” said Dave.

“Well I’m glad I won’t live to be 150,” said George. “I can’t imagine what changes you’d have to get used to if you lived that long. I mean, I remember when we got two television stations, and we were kind of thrilled with that! Then we got satellite dishes and the internet and we got more and more choices but it just makes more work making a decision. Heck I remember, as a kid, Andy Griffith came on TV and you just watched it!”

“Who?” said Molly as she delivered their orders.

“I’m glad you asked that because I was kind of wondering myself,” said Dave.

“It’s like everything else,” said George, ignoring the question. “I mean, take food. When I was a kid we had meat and potatoes and whatever else grew in our garden.

The other day I was watching this morning TV show and the women were griping the price of avocados had gone up. When I was young avocado was a new colour for your stove.”

“I love avocados,” enthused Molly. “Guacamole, quesadillas . . . I bought a whole book of recipes for avocados. Except like the ladies on TV said, they’ve gotten awfully expensive. Thanks to you guys.”

“Hey, we can’t even grow avocados around here,” objected Dave.

“See people don’t even know what we grow anymore,” said George. “It was so much easier when people simply ate the fruits and vegetables we grew.” ◊

June 2022 15

Viewpoint Jim Verwer is a member of Ontario Barn Preservation and lives in Oxford County

Licence plates mark time in the barn granary

Old license plates were often repurposed in places like old farm granaries to cover holes chewed by rodents.

These quick fixes now reveal parts of automobile history by the quality of the metal and the dates stamped into the plates.

O

ver 100 yearsago the Gregory Homestead near Uniondale, like many other farms throughout Ontario, was revolutionized with the arrival of the automobile. It signaled the beginning of the end for horse-drawn power.

The history of change that occurred in farming over the last century in the former township of East Nissouri, now part of Zorra Township in Oxford County, can be found in the local history book

16 The Rural Voice

published in 2012- East Nissouri Township- People, Perseverance, Progress. But a sense of a timeline and clues to some of the changes happening there and on farms

everywhere can also be experienced with a visit to the barn’s granary and seeing the dated license plates left there by several generations of the Gregory family.

One of the oldest, from 1919, was nailed over a hole in the traditional wooden granary found on the second floor of the main barn which still stands proudly overlooking the neighbourhood. Another with telltale features of an earlier vintage — flat sheet metal with a wire frame — was also revealed, but rust from condensation rising from the stables below over the ages made it illegible.

Remarkably, the keys from the farm’s first automobile — the famous Ford Model T — which would have boasted the plates, were discovered in the attic of the farmhouse.

Numerous other long-gone vehicles that once served the farm also left their mark on the walls of the huge L-shaped timber frame barn’s granary, spanning the decades up to the 1960s, before outside steel grain bins began to replace the way the harvest was stored on the farm.

World War 1, the Great Depression, as well as World War 2’s immense need for steel, only edified the resourcefulness of farmers in repurposing any piece of scrap sheet metal by covering holes

chewed by rodents in the granary’s wooden sides. Unknowingly this practice, combined with the quality of metal and paint used to produce vintage plates, led to their preservation there.

Dimensions varied over time.

Plates up to 1920 were stamped from the thickest metal and were larger than the subsequent 1921 version.

Plate size grew in the late 1920s, before evolving to the traditional size used today. Colour schemes varied

from year to year which would have enabled expired plates to be easily identified. They draw your attention when compared to today’s generic style.

Ontario introduced decals in 1974 which meant plates no longer had to be changed every year.

Consequently, they became less abundant and less desirable for collectors without the dates stamped into them. However, Premier Ford’s short-lived blue plates could become

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But as more of these long-standing structures perish, the lure of discovering a refuge for footprints in time will also fade away. ◊

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Food

StormFisher creates energy from waste • By Jeff Tribe •

If it should have, could have or would have been food, it can be “digested” into energy and fertilizer StormFisher Vice‐President of Development, Brandon Moffatt, is pleased to turn other people’s trash into treasure through a leading‐edge process, beginning with primary processing at its Drumbo Resource Recovery Centre.

S

tormFisher Vice-President of Development, Brandon Moffatt, has heard more than once about one person’s trash being another’s treasure.

“That’s very fair,” he allowed, adding the other metaphor he catches frequently is “we’re a dairy cow.”

Officially, StormFisher “develops and operates facilities that recycle food, waste, energy and water in an environmentally and economically-sustainable manner.”

But a company which takes its highly-recognizable and memorable name from the founder’s observation that “after a storm is a good time to go fishing” combined with advanced technology being imported into the United States (rather than the other way around), has enough confidence and sense of humour to be good with “trash from treasure” or “dairy cow”.

“That’s a good one too,” Moffatt smiled.

A University of Waterloo renewable energy and food waste graduate who grew up on a farm near Watford, Moffatt was recruited to StormFisher from a consulting company in 2006. Liking what he saw was enough for Moffatt to buy in as a partner in 2009. In very broad terms, the company produces energy and fertilizer from municipal, industrial, commercial and institutional organic waste.

“If it should have, could have or would have been food, we’re good,” Moffatt summed up succinctly.

18 The Rural Voice

StormFisher uses a two-stage process beginning with impurity removal and primary processing at its Drumbo Resource Recovery Centre. Its location combines access to source material intake and a quality labour pool with convenient connection to the 401.

Municipal source separated green bin organics and packaged food waste is essentially spread out in order to identify and remove larger physical objects (a metal trailer hitch for example) with the potential to either damage or jam the two hammermills which break product down into a more optimal form for stage two. Belly screens in the hammermills separate and divert smaller items such as plastic table utensils. The two production lines are capable of handling a limited amount of materials like oyster shells, for example, although not a full truckload. One memorable load of athletic uniforms, for example, was also an outright reject.

“No, we can’t handle football jerseys,” Moffatt smiled.

The process yields three main categories of product, beginning with clean organics ready to be transported onward to anaerobic digesters including StormFisher’s London-based and other related biogas operations, as well as third-party digesters. Residuals are routed to a landfill, and recyclables, shipping and food packaging, reclaimed where possible from industrial food items. “Cardboard, pallets, things like that.”

Odour control is a crucial part of operations, says Moffatt, vital to being a “good industrial citizen” and maintaining community support.

“We need to do a really good job to make sure we are not a nuisance.”

The plant operates under negative atmospheric pressure, pulling air inward, thereby controlling and compartmentalizing odours for treatment with a thermal oxidizer. Its operational temperature of 800 degrees Celsius has proven more successful than simple filters during summer heat.

“So we ensure we don’t have any issues for our neighbours,” says Moffatt.

Primarily processed organics are transported to StormFisher’s biogas plant located a short drive off the 401, south of London. In very basic terms, targeted anaerobic digestion utilizes a natural bacteria-driven process within sealed tanks, producing renewable natural gas.

Digested organic materials are then used as Canadian Food Inspection Agency-registered granule and liquid fertilizer which is sold to local cash croppers.

“Who use it as a replacement for synthetic,” said Moffatt of a 3-3-1 material valued as good organic matter with beneficial carbon-tonitrogen ratios and levels of micronutrients.

“Iron and sulphur and other things like that you might not get with a synthetic fertilizer.”

StormFisher organic fertilizer is used for corn and wheat in particular, says Moffatt.

“They like the anaerobic in the product because it’s readily available.”

A very basic example of the closed loop StormFisher’s process generates is fertilizer supporting crop production to feed beef cattle, which ultimately are processed at the Better Beef plant in Guelph. By-products from that location are repurposed through anaerobic digestion in London, resulting in both energy and fertilizer which is cycled back through the original farm in a win/win/win situation.

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or refined further for use as an external fuel source. Resultant refined product is injected into a pipeline either for sale, or use in StormFisher’s own transportation trucks which roll down the road powered essentially by waste.

The process goes beyond carbon neutral says Moffatt into carbon negative fuel production. “Rather than just reducing greenhouse gasses, we are a carbon sink. It’s one of the only carbon-negative fuels in North America.”

StormFisher’s approach presents significant advantages from an environmental perspective, creating useful and crucially, saleable items from waste. The “feel good” approach symbiotically benefits both rural and urban areas, creating a viable repurposing option as well as positive bottom line potential for the company and its shareholders.

StormFisher’s fees to accept waste material are very competitive with landfill tipping rates, says Moffatt, its fertilizers are in demand and natural gas produced in its environmentallypositive manner commands a premium over its fossil equivalent.

“I’m in the business frankly, to make money. Otherwise we don’t get the privilege of doing what we do.”

StormFisher’s $60-million London biogas plant opened in 2012, another $20-million was put into Drumbo’s primary processing facility in 2019/2020. The $80-million total investment has created significant area spinoffs along with 50 direct jobs, 10 in Drumbo and 40 in London, some of which also support Drumbo’s operation.

“It’s not just a line model that puts things back in a landfill, it’s money that keeps going round and Top: StormFisher Facility Supervisor Bud Davies illustrates some of the products diverted from the waste stream and converted into biogas and fertilizer.

Middle: StormFisher converts what would have been a big pile of trash into energy and fertilizer beginning with primary processing near Drumbo.

Bottom: StormFisher’s Drumbo Resource Recovery Centre yields cleaned organic matter ready to be transported onward to its London biogas facility for anaerobic digestion.

20 The Rural Voice

round to support these local communities,” says Moffatt. “It’s kind of a bit of what defines us.”

Beyond environmentally-friendly electricity and natural gas, the concept has also generated considerable interest throughout North America. It has been Moffatt’s experience through conventions in California, for example, that StormFisher’s approach is leading edge, and in demand. “Because frankly, we are good at what we do.”

The London and Drumbo facilities represent the company’s core infrastructure, however it has been successful in exporting

technological and operational direction to sites in both Michigan and New York State.

“A key part of this good news story is the build out of this infrastructure in Ontario is leading to other opportunities in other parts of North America,” says Moffatt.

In conclusion, the concept of reusing rather than wasting materials is a timeless tenet of rural life, but the time for StormFisher’s modern interpretation has clearly come. “We need more of this infrastructure in the province,” Moffatt concluded. “The challenge is where and how to build it out.” ◊

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Gardening & Greenhouse

Edible perennials fill the spring gap Almost 30 before he put a shovel in the ground, Ben Caesar is now committed to permaculture and edible landscaping at his Fiddlehead greenhouse • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

T

Ben Caesar of Fiddlehead Nursery uses grape vines growing up in his greenhouse to provide shade for his edible perennials during the hot summer months. The innovative method is part of his natural focus at the greenhouse as he promotes permaculture and the use of perennial plant eating.

22 The Rural Voice

here’s a curious vine growing in Ben Caeser’s greenhouse at Fiddlehead Nursery near Kimberley. Maybe it’s not how curious the vine is, but HOW it’s growing.

Emerging at regular intervals from the centre of the greenhouse are seedless grape vines, which have been trained to grow straight up and then spread across the crossbars of the greenhouse. During this interview in late April, it’s hard to imagine why someone would grow grapes inside a greenhouse.

“Actually, when the vines leaf out, they provide the shade the plants need from the hot sun inside the greenhouse,” explained Caesar. “Before they leaf out, I get all the sun I need for spring seedlings.”

“Where did you get that idea from,” I questioned, marveling at the ingenious concept for nonmechanical greenhouses. “I thought of it myself actually,” says Caesar, quietly.

There’s a lot to learn from this man who was 27 before he even put a shovel in the ground. Educated in English literature and a carpenter by trade (he still does carpentry in the winter) Caesar was helping a friend plant nut trees one summer when he felt a shift in his life’s purpose. That friend, Ahren Hughes of Blackshire Gardens, was passionate about permaculture and edible landscaping.

“He really inspired me,” remembers Caesar. “I had been concerned with the environment my whole life but my concern was very top down.” He participated in protests but saw no change or consequences to his actions. “I felt very deflated.”

Learning about permaculture, Caesar decided to take a “bottom up” approach and take responsibility for his own actions. “The idea of self-sufficiency really appealed to me.”

Reading books and learning from others finetuned his thoughts and drive to create edible forest gardening techniques. He began research on which plants would work well in the Beaver Valley/Ontario climate and he soon realized how difficult it was to find perennial salad greens and vegetables.

“So I hatched my dream to start a nursery with plants that I had trouble finding,” he says. He purchased a 30-acre horse farm just off the Niagara

Escarpment 11 years ago. Fiddlehead Nursery was born a year later and continues to expand its offerings with such perennial vegetables as: • Seedless sorrel – great for salads and as a raw vegetable • Cutleaf coneflower – the leaves are edible and the flowers attract pollinators • Patience dock – eaten when the greens are young • Sweet Cicely – the leaves taste like licorice and the seeds are great for pickling • Caucasion spinach – a vine related to spinach that thrives in the shade • Hostas – the spring shoots are edible, all varieties, and are popular in Japan • Stonecrop – succulent leaves are great in salads are year around • Solomon’s seal – the spring shoots are like asparagus • Hops – young shoots are edible and the hops can be used in brewing • Daylilies – the flowers are excellent in tempura (like a squash flower) and the unopened buds are used as a vegetable in China and Taiwan Sorrel and chocolate mint are popular sellers along with anise hyssop, a native plant from which the leaves are good in salads. It also makes a great tea, says Caesar.

Caesar loves experimenting with international varieties of plants, believing they add biodiversity to the landscape and to the human diet. “A diverse diet means a more nutrient balance which leads to a resilient immune system,” he says.

He does advocate the growing of native plants but believes there is room for all plants For instance, Autumn olive, a deciduous shrub native to Asia, is an invasive plant on his farm. “It’s awash with insects that get their food from it and in the fall, it produces berries for wildlife and for me,” he says. “Plus, autumn olives are great nitrogen fixers.”

“It is important to plant native species but not demonize nonnatives,” he says.

Non-native plants he is experimenting with include: • Korean aster: “This plant is foraged in the wild in Korea.”

• Victory onions: “These are

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foraged in Siberia and northern China and used to make a fermented paste.”

• Honewort: “These are native woodland perennials that taste a little like parsley.”

After a chat in the kitchen, Caesar takes me to his outdoor perennial vegetable garden where I sample sorrel leaves, fennel, sweet cicely, plantain dock, caucasian spinach and hops. I refuse to sample lovage because I’ve grown it before and the celery-flavour is not appealing to me.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavours of the other perennials.

It was April when I visited Fiddlehead and even this early in the season, there were enough perennial vegetables to harvest for a salad or vegetable entree. There is much to see here. Casesar has a tree seedling starter, a fruit shrub cutting centre, an old bank barn foundation where he overwinters the perennials, plus the greenhouse with its grape canopy. A burbling brook runs by the greenhouse and fruit trees line the laneway. There’s a lot to see, some perfectly neat, some areas not, but all the result of much research and understanding of plant culture.

Caesar shares his knowledge by offering tours to horticulture groups and other interested parties. He also offers workshops on edible garden design and taste-tests of the perennial plants.

A basic tenet of edible garden design is to not disturb the soil to allow the sequestration of carbon in the soil. Low maintenance is another focus and he advocates the use of perennial groundcovers to prevent weeds. His top five recommendations for perennial groundcover mulch include: • Seedless sorrel • Rhubarb • Jerusalem artichoke • Chinese artichoke • Strawberries.

Rhubarb seemed a surprising choice but Caesar encouraged me to think of my own rhubarb patch and 24 The Rural Voice

Ben Caesar starts seedlings inside a specially constructed “tent” within the greenhouse in early spring. They will move into the main greenhouse where signs explain the plant’s need and purpose. Perennials from last season are overwintered in the foundation of an old bank barn (left) on the farm. The foundation stones were repaired and provide shelter from the wind. Bottom, Caesar harvests sorrel for the evening meal.

$679,000 indeed, there are no weeds under it as the leaves form a perfect weeddeflecting canopy. Strategically placed in a garden, rhubarb serves the same purpose.

Strawberries are also valuable as ground cover. While the plants won’t be as productive, they do outpace the weeds.

Another element of edible garden design is to design the canopy first.

“Trees take the longest to establish so space them so that when they are mature, you still have a gap between them to plant in between.”

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Ben Caesar were in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. While he couldn’t host as many workshops, his greenhouse business has been booming the last two years. “A lot of people were keen on growing any type of food,” he says. “A lot of people who come here are new to gardening and are hungry for information.”

He gets the biggest reaction on his taste test tours. “They taste flavours they have never had before,” he says.

Plus, perennial vegetables can serve up salad or stir-fries long before the first lettuce and peas are ready from the annual plants most gardeners grow. There’s a whole world of perennial salad greens and vegetables to uncover and Caesar is helping guests to his greenhouse discover it. ◊

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26 The Rural Voice

Business

Being able to pivot equals success • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

C

reating connection with customers via direct marketing was definitely the right route to take for future success, says Kevin Snyder of Snyder Heritage Farms in Wellington County.

Speaking on Farm and Food Care’s “Success” Panel in March, Snyder says the maple syrup and turkey farm is fifth-generation strong. It was the strength of family and a move to direct marketing that kept the business successful through COVID-19 and will help it grow in the future.

“Direct marketing was a good move for us,” said Kevin, explaining that even though they are only open two days a week, the people who want to source local, quality goods will find producers offering it. This was especially true during the pandemic lockdowns when the family saw many new customers coming to the farm.

“With new customers and old customers, that led to an issue of supply,” he said. The family and farm had to “ramp up” production.

“It’s not good to run out of supply but looking back, we realize it made us stronger,” said Snyder.

The family decided to streamline their product base and focus on quality over quantity. “The customer base that comes out here has high expectations on food quality but they understand that we are not a huge corporation or even a huge farm. They understand that some products are seasonal,” he said.

If the quality is there, then “customers appreciate that and will come back, even during the harder times,” said Snyder.

“I was always told that if you have a good product, then customers themselves will sell your stuff.”

Focusing on solutions rather than focusing on the crisis defined success for Erin McLean of McLean and Buckthorn Berry Farms near Lakefield in Peterborough County.

Sharing her thoughts on the panel presentation, McLean said COVID-19 was “pretty intense” for the family who relied on on-farm festivals for a significant portion of their income. When they had to cancel their opening festival days before it was scheduled, there was some significant stress.

However, they opted to launch an online store with options to pick up products at the farm or a pick-up location. It proved to be the perfect move. “It’s something we are still using and we will not go back because so many people love it,” said McLean.

Pivot became the word of the year in 2020 and McLean

Kevin Snyder (top) says selling from the home farm keeps both business and family strong. It was a message echoed

by Marianne Edward (above, left) of Sheldon Creek Dairy near Loretto and Mike Buis, of the Bloomfield Feed Company (above) in Chatham. All three were part of a business success panel hosted virtually by Farm & Food Care in March.

Direct marketing is a good move for business success say panelists on Farm & Food Care panel June 2022 27

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and her family are very proud of their ability to adjust.

They added a red light/green light to their farm store to make it easier for customers to maintain distance requirements as needed. Staff wore tshirts that read “Thank you for keeping a 44 strawberry distance from everybody else around you” which added humour to the situation.

The family also expanded their wholesale market to make up for lost festival income and were delighted to realize that 2021 sales increased over 2020 sales, even without the on-farm festivals. “We changed a lot of how we do things and now we are pondering if there is still value in having those festivals.” Does the work required to host them equal the profit they generate? However, the community is asking for the festivals to return. Moving forward, McLean said in the spirit of “pivoting” the future of festivals will incorporate what the community needs and that the family needs to “find the middle ground of what works best for everyone.”

Marianne Edward of Sheldon Creek Dairy in Simcoe County was another farm business owner to make extreme pivots. When the pandemic hit, the family went from a wholesale and distribution model with sales at farmer’s markets, to launching an online and on-site farm store.

“We have all the farmer’s market materials so we were able to take payments. Customers would order online, drive into our parking lot, pop the trunk and we’d load it in,” remembers Edward, the daughter of owners Bonnie and John Den Haan.

Edwards is the manager of Sheldon Creek Dairy Operations.

“We had to become innovative and listen to our customers more than ever,” shared Edward. With restaurants shutting down overnight and unable to pay bills, adding the retail space allowed the business to thrive. Sheldon Creek was able to sell their own dairy products while expanding to offer other essentials.

“People would ask if we had flour and we would say no, but we’ll have some next week. Then we drove to a flour mill, bought bulk flour, and were able to package and sell it,” explains Edward. “There was a lot of

adjusting to support what customers wanted.”

The family set up a tent, which Edwards admits was “freezing” in January and then expanded during COVID-19 with a new processing facility that had space for a retail store. They partnered with cheesemakers to offer more products.

“One of the questions we continually ask ourselves is ‘are we ready and are we prepared’?” said Edwards. They also got the entire team on board and continued to ask questions. “How can we be flexible?”

“What is best for us?” “How is your energy?” “How are you feeling?”

“It’s never been more important to communicate and to have empathy,” said Edward. “Mental health is so important so we check in with staff and we check in with ourselves.”

Edward said it is also crucial to celebrate the wins. There will always be challenges but going out for meals or rewarding staff for hard work is vital. “The best thing we ever bought was a hot dog steamer for hot dog days on Wednesdays,” laughed Edward.

The Bloomfield Feed Company in Chatham knew when the pandemic hit, they didn’t want to cut jobs and they wanted to focus on health and wellness. “We had 18 staff members and multiple businesses going but the only one that shut down was offering riding lessons at the equine farm,” said Mike Buis, owner of the cattle,

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feed and horse company. “We were able to shuffle staff around.”

Some staff members needed to be able to work from home so the company switched to an online accounting program so bookkeepers could juggle their work and homeschooling. The switch turned out to be great for everyone, as Buis said he loves that he can now look at the books “from the comfort of my house” instead of going into the office.

Having a good rapport with abattoirs was critical to maintain product levels and when some products were back-ordered, “customers were understanding.”

The company was able to meet demands of people wanting to buy local and become “backyard farmers.” The company sold a lot of chicken feed and waterers and staff were able to coach customers on booking abattoir space for their butchering needs.

On top of it all, the company expanded with a new build in the middle of the pandemic and could not order supplies or even hire contractors. “We managed to pull the staff together and did the construction ourselves with the staff.

We made it work,” remembers Buis.

Success is ultimately about being resourceful and supporting staff, concluded Buis. “It’s about looking at finding solutions to keep everything moving forward.” ◊

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Travel

Bacon tarts fuel a journey into Bruce • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot

Alpacas lead the way before Rural Rootz closed for the day on a daytrip in Bruce County Adria Graham is swarmed by friendly alpacas eager for a treat while her mom, Dee, watches on. The duo run DL Farms, raising alpacas and selling alpaca wool products.

A

lpacas and tarts were at the top of the list for a day trip into Bruce County and both those things could be found at the southernmost end of Bruce, in the small town of Lucknow.

Adria Graham was making dryer balls of alpaca wool when Jason and I drove down the laneway of DL Farms on Highway 86, east of Lucknow. Aria’s mom, Dee, soon came outside and before we knew it, we were in the field with the alpacas, watching as the giant herd of females ran toward us hoping for treats. Adria was prepared with a pail of corn and Dee was pointing out her favourite females by name. An old horse, formerly a cattle horse, wandered out for a pet and then we headed to the barn to meet the males, each one also known by name.

The remnants of farm implements lay scattered around the farm and the gates are rusty and cockeyed but it’s clear Dee and Adria pour all their energy into their alpacas. They keep meticulous breeding records and run a very neat and organized on-farm store selling alpaca wool products. Dee and Adria welcome visitors, have limitless knowledge of alpacas and will allow guests to walk one of the males for a donation toward feed costs. I know I’ll be returning to do a feature story on this mother and daughter team and learn more about raising alpacas.

From DL Farms, we headed straight west into the village of Lucknow where I Want That Bag (IWTB) consignment store is the perfect stop for those who love thrift shopping. Artfully decorated, IWTB is a great place to find a treasure on a summer day in the Bruce. It was a busy place this Saturday morning but staffers Deb Zondervan and Sharon Petteplace paused for a photo before getting back to work.

Before leaving Lucknow, you have to pop in the Armstrong Bakery for their tarts. We got two bacon butter tarts, two pecan butter tarts, and two cherry tarts for the road from servers Shelby Furness and Eva Neudorf. So good.

We kept west to hit Highway 21 and if you like old, abandoned houses, you will catch sight of one on the right. Stop on 32 The Rural Voice

the side of the road at just the right spot and you can see right through the top window to the trees behind and ponder why such a statuesque house was left to deteriorate.

Head right on Highway 21 and you’ll pass the Pine River Cheese Company which will soon reopen to sell local cheese. Keep going and turned left into Point Clark to admire the Point Clark Lighthouse which was one of the few lighthouses to be built out of stone between 1855 and 1859. Now a national historic site, the red and white lighthouse is striking against the blue sky and it still works! Tours are available during the summer months. It’s a good place for a picnic and a splash in Lake Huron, though perhaps not in May when we went on this tour.

Those tarts were making us thirsty so we popped into Grey Matter Beer Co. located in downtown Kincardine and ordered a flight to sample from a table facing the lake. The view of the lake and the fermenting vats inside the building were spectacular while the craft beers each presented a distinctive flavour. Brewer Logan Wolfe served us and we learned that their American Lager is the brewery’s best seller. Grey Matter also offers an experimental beer program for 30 weeks starting in

October where customers can sample a new batch of beer every week.

Inverhuron Provincial Park was next on the route but take care flying down the road to the park because the speed bumps will make you airborn,

something Dodge Caravans were never meant to do.

Hunger drove us into Southampton where we opted to dine at the Walker House, which had been in the Walker Family from 1915 to

Lucknow was full of friendly faces on a May daytrip. At top, Deb Zondervan and Sharon Petteplace help customers at the I Want That Bag consignment store in Lucknow while (above) Shelby Furness and Eva Neudorf serve tarts and baked goods to customers from Armstrong’s Bakery. Drive further north on Highway 21 and travellers can visit the Point Clark Lighthouse (left) which was built out of stone. Tours are available during the summer.

June 2022 33

2013. Before that, it was one of Southampton’s first structures offering a livery and a fresh milk from cattle that were led to pasture at nearby Fairy Lake. Pigs were once kept in the back for garbage disposal and food was kept fresh with ice from the lake. These days, it’s a modern restaurant with the tin ceiling being a remnant of its former use as living quarters. We had crab cakes, fish and chips and the smokey bison burger, which came out on top as the best tasting of the three.

Rolling out of the restaurant, we had so many other places to see on this day trip plan – Saugeen Bluffs, the Bruce Trail, Paisley and the Saugeen River – but I had severely underestimated how long it would take. Since I had already booked time with Tom and Dee Brewer Logan Wolfe (top) served up a Ashman of Rural Rootz flight of craft beer made at Grey Nature Reserve in the Matter Beer Co. in downtown South Bruce Peninsula just past Wiarton, we Kincardine before we sat down for made a beeline for their crab cakes (left), fish and chips and place and I’m so glad the smokey bison burger at the we did.

Walker House in Southampton. Below, Tom and Dee were Tom and Dee Ashman have used their wonderful hosts as they engineering and artistic skills to create walked us around their home carved out of 100 a stunning garden amongst the rocks acres of bush lot. In the and trees of Niagara Escarpment at 1970s, the couple drove Rural Rootz near Wiarton. Dee has by, saw it was for sale started creating art out of hub caps. and Dee said, “that place is mine.” With no house, running water or septic system, they built it all from scratch and have created an oasis in these woods. With her creative energy and his engineer’s mind, they have designed gorgeous gardens, fanciful artwork, labyrinths, a sound garden and camping spaces, all tucked inside a stunning bush in the Niagara Escarpment. An on-site store features Dee’s artwork and crystals.

I had a good chat with Dee inside their home, with a wall of windows facing into the bush. Everything I learned cannot fit into this daytripping story so I will return this summer to write a story on their fascinating journey.

For visitors, just know this is a place to see, learn and BE. Dee and Tom encourage you to ponder, be thankful and seek the spirit. Now a 34 The Rural Voice

protected sanctuary via a conservation easement, they offer forest therapy sessions and guests are encouraged to walk the trails to see a beaver dam or the crevice caves.

Payment is by donation and they are open Mothers Day to Labour Day from 10 to 4.

Time really does fly when you’re having fun so a planned walk along the Oliphant Fen had to be abandoned and it was clear on the drive home that daytripping the Bruce should be broken into

segments. I was too ambitious with my daytrip schedule.

However, on the way home we made one last stop. Bruce County is known for its beef farms and we had yet to see cattle on pasture. With the sun starting to set, we were lucky to notice a pasture on the side of the road near Alvanley. We pulled over, got out, and had a laugh watching young calves cavorting around their pasture. Spring fever! It was the perfect finish to a long but wonderful day in Bruce County. ◊

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June 2022 35

Recipes by Nancy Fisher

Berries, carrots and two ways to grill rutabagas

E

very spring I look forward to firing up the BBQ and cooking over a flame. Even when it is a bit too cold to be standing out there, or it starts to rain or snow, the first chance I get I’m snapping my tongs and firing up the grill. While it is easy to resort to familiar favourites of burgers, sausages and foil wrapped baked potatoes, I also like to try out new things to see how they adapt to the grill. To be honest, I do not consider myself a grill master, nor do I have a very fancy BBQ, but I did buy a metal basket for cooking vegetables and I have been enjoying it very much.

On June 17 and 18 the village of Blyth is hosting the Rutabaga Festival so I thought the time was right to test this under-loved vegetable on the grill. My go-to method with other root vegetables is wrapping in foil so I did a packet of rutabaga in that style and more in my new basket. For both styles I peeled, chopped and par-boiled the rutabaga until it was fork tender. I use this partial cooking method for most BBQed vegetables. I wrapped half of the rutabaga in a double layer of foil and added a bit of oil, a tablespoon of butter and some seasoning. In this case I used a commercial blend of Cajun seasoning for both styles. After wrapping tightly, I placed the packet on the upper shelf of my BBQ and let it roast for about 20 minutes, keeping an eye on it and moving it to a cooler side when I thought it might be getting close to finished.

The other half of the chopped, parboiled rutabaga I tossed with a bit of oil and the same seasoning.

I preheated my cooking basket for

about three minutes and then tossed the rutabaga in. I made sure to turn the flame to a medium low setting and stirred it often to prevent burning. It caramelized wonderfully and was cooked in about 8 – 10 minutes. As most grills are different, this will vary based on the level of heat you are using and placement on the grill.

Both results were delicious and it is nice to use what I often think of as a winter vegetable in another season. I’m excited to vary the seasonings – the Cajun spice was great and went with the rest of the meal I was serving, but I’d like to try some more traditional flavourings like nutmeg, and maybe a bit of brown sugar. The foiled wrapped version was much like cooking it in my oven, but I did really enjoy the colour and caramelized flavour of the portion cooked in the open basket. If you are looking for a slightly different BBQ vegetable, give rutabaga a try.

Along with things from the grill, June is all about the salads. Since I have a family member who is vegan and

Grilling rutabagas is a neat way to add this fall vegetable to the spring and summer menu. You can cook them wrapped in foil or in metal basket (above). For those who like fresh salads, Carrot Apple Slaw (left) is sweetened with honey.

Strawberries can be added to muffins (top, left) if you cannot eat them all fresh. Top them with crushed strawberries and icing sugar to create a pink glaze.

36 The Rural Voice

Recipes some who just don’t like mayobased salads, I am always eager to try alternatives. This carrot apple slaw was a nice change. It is very sweet so adjust the amount of honey if you want to tone that down or replace it with sugar for vegans.

Carrot Apple Slaw Ingredients: 2 large carrots grated with the largest side of your grater 1 apple not peeled - I used a Gala, but a more tart variety might be nice to cut the sweetness 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons oil - I used an extra virgin olive oil and it may have been a bit too fruity, a neutral flavoured oil might be better.

1 – 2 teaspoons honey - adjust to taste or use table sugar for a vegan friendly version Pinch of salt ¼ cup chopped cashews or pistachios (optional) Fresh herbs of your choice (optional) Directions: Peel and shred the carrots – you can julienne them but I don’t have that kind of patience. Chop the apple into julienned slivers. Mix gently in a serving bowl. In a separate bowl mix lemon juice, honey or sugar and salt. You may want to add some fresh herbs, mint would be very nice. Pour dressing over the carrots and apple and combine. Keep refrigerated until serving. Top with some chopped nuts at time of serving.

A refreshing change from a cabbage slaw and very kid friendly too. une is also strawberry month.

Although it seems like we can get fresh berries most of the year, we all know that the very best are the ones you pick down the road at one of our berry farms. I wait all winter for that first juicy bite. But if you have a lot of strawberries and are looking for other ways to use them up, you might like to try a strawberry muffin. This is my standard go-to muffin recipe, and I admit it makes more that 12 regular sized muffins depending on how much extra stuff you put in. In this

case I made 12 extra large muffins using the oversized paper cases, but you can stretch the batter out to 14 or 16 if you portion smaller.

Strawberry Muffins • Preheat oven to 350°F Ingredients: 3 cups all purpose flour 1 cup sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup vegetable oil 2 cups chopped strawberries (or raspberries – frozen work great) Directions: In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside In another bowl beat eggs, milk,

vanilla, and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry mixing until just moist.

Gently fold in strawberries.

Spoon into muffin cups – either paper or greased pan. To be fancy and if you have smaller cute strawberries place a half strawberry on top and sprinkle with some coarse sugar.

Bake 30 – 35 minutes for 12 large muffins or slightly less for more, smaller muffins.

As always check with a toothpick a few times to be sure they are cooked through.

If you want a pretty pink glaze, thoroughly crush 1 or 2 strawberries in a bowl and mix with icing sugar to form a thin glaze. Strain through a sieve and drizzle over cooled muffins. ◊

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

Moving the rock garden

I

t has been a busy spring around here as we dismantle a small deck in preparation for a bigger deck.

The work includes moving a 30year-old rock garden. It must have been magnificent when newly mature. It is 12 feet by 10 feet deep and sweeps from the ground beside the deck up to three feet along the house foundation wall. It faces south and is full of wooly thyme, rock cress, creeping phlox, lavender, candytuft, and a wonderful late blooming chrysanthemum. Tucked in here and there are patches of creeping fleshy sedums for added texture.

The colour starts in the spring with robust looking snowdrops and then rolls into the lavender and pink creeping phloxes. The purple rock cress takes over mid-May. It is the assorted shades of green and greys and variety of small leaves that keep the garden lively looking. There are a few later additions of red euphorbia, lavender and late blooming crocosmia and it all finishes in late September with a cloud of dark lavender perennial chrysanthemums along the top level.

Rocky outcroppings still peek out here and there and the garden includes lovely pocked rocks from Bruce County.

We needed to remove the east half of the garden directly in front of the foundation. We started with the front rocks tucked along the edge and discovered some of them were well embedded but they were easy to handle for the most part. We then had to start removing plants, which were cascading over and hiding the larger rocks. The creeping phlox had a lovely skirt that we lifted to see how 38 The Rural Voice

far back the rock below was and to find an insertion point for the shovel.

The plants were lifted with as much soil as possible, which was not easy as they were quite large and the stems root along their length create a shallow root mass. We prepared for the dig by watering the night before to help hold the soil. Rather than cutting the mat of plant into smaller pieces to put into half-gallon pots, we lined cardboard boxes with large plastic compost bags (pays to have a few things to recycle!) and set them on an inch or two of loose soil; patted them carefully down to make contact with the soil and watered well. They were donated to a fundraising plant sale and looked good when their gardeners took them home.

We did transplant some to a new small rock garden with compostenriched soil at the front of the house where they could experience the full sun they love. We carefully pushed on the plant and inserted a few fingers in a number of spots to make sure there was contact with the soil below. They have settled in quite well with regular watering.

The next layer was like uncovering icebergs. Three-quarters of the rocks were below ground and well anchored with assorted broken

bricks used for leveling. It was difficult to see where to dig. Once excavated, the next job was to simply try and roll them out of the work zone area — easier said than done.

But we persevered with the aid of assorted crowbars, shovels and more brick to build up the angle. They aren’t far from the work zone and we are thinking of simply rolling them back just a wee bit and starting another rock garden when the deck is completed.

Rock gardens are truly a work of art. This one was more than artfully arranged rocks in a single layer. It also included the eavestrough downspout which cascaded over a large flat rock providing moisture for butterflies and small creatures. The trough itself was overgrown for part of its length.

I understand that amending the soil with certain grades of gravel or sand helps aid drainage for a variety of alpine and rock loving plants. This garden was filled with wonderful topsoil that we have excavated and saved to top up another garden.

In the part of the garden we are hoping to leave undisturbed is a magnificent patch of glowing white Candytuft (Iberis) which is only eight inches high in our garden. It faces the

An overgrown rock garden gets dismantled to make way for the creation of a larger deck. Plant sales benefitted from the move and new beds will be created to make use of the displaced rocks and perennials.

hot sunny south and does well in poor to average soil. Every two to three years it is recommended that it be sheared back by half to two thirds to develop new growth and more flowering. Like many of the rock garden plants we have, this one requires little effort to extend their mat. As the stems spread outwards, they may root where they touch the ground. Any dead spots from winter can be sheared away. Unlike some perennials, division is rarely required to rejuvenate the plant.

We had to move one overgrown lavender plant. They have always been a bit of a mystery to me. I think it is because I hate to prune too deeply. Once you have seen where the new growth starts in the spring, you can cut back to that point or a bit more. Shape it well and let it go.

Well I was a bit ambitious for a change and it got nicely trimmed and moved to a sunny location with a rock beside it to warm the soil in the spring. I’m keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

Inheriting a mature garden is both a delight and a challenge. We trimmed back overgrown shrubbery, widened up the borders and applied ample amounts of compost. We cut a swatch of new gardens with the aid of a sod cutter/lifter and we are now moving rocks about, which is a true labour of love. With any new project, I recommend proceeding with some caution but move ahead with joy and enthusiasm. We are looking forward to seeing how this all finally comes together. New projects are as much fun as loving the old projects. ◊

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Finance

Financial independence comes with questions The path to financial independence starts with taking care of yourself and then asking yourself key questions about income, expenses, assets and liabilities • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot •

J

ust as flight attendants advise passengers to put on their oxygen masks first so they can help their families, financial expert Jessica Moorhouse says farmers need to take care of themselves first when it comes to financial independence and being able to support their families.

“Taking care of yourself means prioritizing your mental, physical and emotional health. Self-care is not selfish. It’s about taking care of yourself so you are in a better position to take care of others around you,” says Jessica Moorhouse of the More Money Podcast. She was a featured speaker during Farm Credit Canada’s Young Farmer Summit held virtually in March.

Financial planning is part of that self-care and while Moorhouse admits she knows nothing about farming and can “barely keep houseplants alive” she lives in the world of personal finance and financial planning. In that world, she helps people achieve financial independence because it provides more options in life.

“If you want more training, you have that option because you have money in the bank. If you want to take a break from the family farm and travel, you can do that because you have money in the bank,” says Moorhouse.

But how do farmers make sure they have money in the bank?

One way is to think of FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early), a movement in the world of personal finance where young people are choosing to save 25 per cent of their gross income in order to have a big enough nest egg so they never have to work again. “It can be pretty extreme and not the only way to achieve true financial independence,” explains Moorhouse. She has chosen 40 The Rural Voice

Jessica Moorhouse of the More Money Podcast was a featured speaker on Farm Credit Canada’s viritual Young Farmer Summit and offered advice on how young farmers can achieve financial independence. not to be part of that movement, but does aspire to the goal of freedom.

Instead, she uses more sustainable life choices.

“For me, true financial independence includes doing meaningful work that you enjoy and gives you purpose,” she said.

It begins with asking yourself a few key questions: • How much money do I have coming in?

• How much is in the bank?

• How much do I have in terms of personal assets?

• What is my cash flow?

• How much money is going to savings?

• How much money is going to expenses?

• What are my debts and liabilities?

With these answers, you can create a net worth statement and see where your money is going.

Then, you create a spending plan that works. “Set it up and then adjust it once a year or when a big life change has happened,”

recommends Moorhouse.

Keeping track of your spending is absolutely crucial.

“People hate it when I tell them that but it is a game changer. Your budget is what you want to happen with your money. Your spending IS what is happening with your money,” said Moorhouse.

With this tracking system, you can see habits that need to change.

Maybe you’ll notice that you purchased too much takeout. By tracking your spending, you can see where you need to “reel it in” to achieve the goal of financial independence.

Other tips Moorhouse provided include: • Create an emergency fund: “This should be your number one priority.

Over 30 per cent of Canadians do not have sufficient funds set aside to cover three months worth of expenses.”

• Wear your life jacket: “This is where insurance comes in. Three key pieces of insurance that everyone should have are disability insurance,

critical illness insurance and life insurance.”

• Learn to invest: “You don't need to do this alone. We don’t all need to be financial planners. You can set up your budget and track your net worth and spending but for something like a financial plan, you want to work with a professional.”

• Read free resources on the internet: “With finance, a lot of good advice isn’t new. Pick up books that have been around for a while and invest in your own financial literacy.”

• Have a business and personal account: “I had a specific account for business and personal and then I would pay myself a salary. It would vary, but it was a percentage of the income after expenses.”

• Listen to the More Money Podcast: “I have a huge list of books on my website and you can also follow me on Instagram to see who I follow. There are a lot of great financial advisors out there … including myself!” ◊

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

Ukraine farmers are planting their fields despite great challenges Talk of inflation is all the buzz.

Inflationary forces continue to be strong; prices for goods and services are noticeably higher. Gas prices are often talked about as being the general public’s barometer of inflation and as we all know gas prices are record high. Economic growth has rebounded strongly from the past few years of stagnancy and employment is high.

Not only is the strong economy

pushing prices higher, but supply chain shocks have impacted commodity production and distribution. Notably the effects toward the distribution of commodities is worsened with the ramifications of the Ukraine/Russia conflict. This brings us back to fuel prices again. European nations are talking about weaning themselves off Russian oil and this is pulling diesel from North America, a market that is currently undersupplied itself.

U.S. Distillate inventories are well below the 15-year average, down about 20 per cent or around 28 million barrels from the average.

Distillates are used to make a variety of energy products, including jet fuel and diesel. This situation is not likely to remedy any time soon as refining capacity hasn’t seen investment or capacity increases for quite some time. This is the sentiment of the Saudi oil minister, who has been active in oil markets since the 1980s.

He is quoted as saying, “The world needs to wake up to an existing reality. The world is running out of energy capacity at all levels.” He

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continued, “that lack of investment is catching up with a lot of countries.”

Central banks of the world are taking notice of the inflation and they are making moves in an attempt to slow the economy to a less expansionary pace. One of the manners in which they do this is through interest rates, and rates are moving higher. Expectations are for rates to continue to move higher in subsequent rate announcements. The fear of some market pundits is that interest rates could be pushed high enough to cause economic slowdown, if interest rates overshoot and cause a recession. That seems to be a worry for another day though as inflation is a sufficient worry of today.

Ukraine has been making great progress with planting this year, despite the remarkable challenges they are confronted with. The Ukrainian Ag ministry reports that the planting pace is delayed – logistical issues, weather and also curfews have delayed planting pace.

Ukrainian officials have estimated that the nation would plant in the range of 14 million hectares this spring, compared to about 17 million hectares planted last year. As of the first week of May, reports show that almost nine million hectares have been planted. Of the seeded acres, growers are shifting to short season crops predominantly – at the expense of corn acres. Not only will spring grain crops be ready for harvest sooner than corn, but they also require much less finance capital as growers have limited funding ability.

Growing the crop is a start, but getting it harvested and shipped is another. Ukraine is losing access and usage of its major ports. It is necessary for the country to hold control of ports, most especially Odessa or efficient movement of grain from the region will be lost. If this were to be the case Russia would wield more control of world wheat supplies – wheat supplies are likely strong political leverage to a hungry world.

World wheat market prices continue to be strong. There is just too much unknown and uncertainty for the market to soften until more is known about supply. There is

Markets uncertainty as to how much wheat will pass through the Black Sea this coming year. India which has began exporting wheat, is now considering holding back from further sales as new crop production is challenged by extreme heat. Recent estimates indicate that India could produce six to eight million tons less than once expected this growing season. The prairies and the Dakotas – both spring wheat country, have seen cold wet weather and spring wheat acreage could fall from early expectations. Wheat markets have taken notice of this potential planting issue and have moved higher encouraging growers to get wheat in the ground. The U.S. HRW crop has finally seen some rain. Crop ratings for the crop also improved slightly in subsequent weeks, but with the hot, dry forecasts it is hard to imagine the crop won’t slide back again.

With all this in mind and production risks seemingly everywhere, U.S. wheat is still not in demand into world markets. U.S. futures are just too high to export.

U.S. futures are too high to feed wheat. U.S. wheat is priced to be stored and held in reserve in case production fears materialize.

It’s been a slow start to the U.S. planting season, as it has been here also. Early season planting has been slowed by cool temperatures and some heavy rains throughout much of the corn belt. After the first week of May, U.S. corn planting was estimated to be at 22 per cent complete, compared to the average pace of 50 per cent. The U.S. corn balance sheet cannot afford to lose planted acres. ◊

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June 2022 43

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

We need forest walks but how do they influence wildlife?

F

or most of my childhood we had a dog on the farm. Like most farms, our dog was greatly appreciated for its control of pests, security (which was usually just implied), and great companionship. We had many different dogs over the years, some big, some small and most of unknown breeds. Our dogs mainly spent their time outside roaming free, but were occasionally allowed to come into our home as a member of the family.

When our dogs were outside there

were no boundaries — they traveled wherever their nose or interests led them. Most of our dogs stayed closer to our structures and never wandered too far as they either lacked the hunting spirit or were too well fed to be enticed to track wildlife.

When we went to the bush for digging leeks, cutting firewood, tapping trees or any other purpose, our dog typically followed along.

Again, there were no boundaries, but the dogs usually stayed close. While we often enjoyed glancing over at the dog to see what it was up to, not once did we ever think about what it meant to the creatures of the forest for us to have our companion in the forest with us.

While many of our forests have trail systems through them for visitors to enjoy, forest products to be removed, and for wildlife to use for easy passage, these trails bisect the property into many smaller segments. Even if the trails are narrow, they still alter the forest from being a forest that has interior characteristics to a forest that has increased edge areas.

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Daisey the dog watches the deer, and the deer watch her during a recent forest walk.

A forest that has interior characteristics is without any major breaks or edge areas within 330 feet (100 meters) of its edge. These forests offer unique habitat opportunities for many wildlife species and are to be considered as a valued forest.

When I walk my dog through a forest, I often think that I see more wildlife than when I walk alone.

Most often the critters are scurrying away from us. Luckily, they usually only travel a short distance then stop, thinking that they are camouflaged or safe, otherwise I would only get to see the backsides of each creature. In forests that have greater numbers of visitors or where wildlife has never been threatened by a visitor, I am amazed at the comfort in which wildlife accepts us into their space.

I have photos of the back of my dog’s head while we spend time watching wildlife. I take the photos as such, to show the patience that both my dog and the wildlife exhibit when watching each other. Maybe that herd of deer could sense that my dog is nothing but fluff, or that she is being firmly held on a leash. How could they overcome their instinct to flee from me and my beast of a dog?

If we take a moment to think about it, my domestic dog is related to those that hunt wildlife for food.

Woodlots Surely there is some scent of those relatives that can be detected over the fragrance of the shampoo that remains after one of her ever-so-fun baths. I am certain that most creatures that we encounter in more natural, off-trail forests are fleeing for their lives. Does this mean that they abandon their young, relocate their nest or stop foraging in certain locations? Or is it a temporary jaunt away from an area to distract my eye like a killdeer from its nest?

When our trails or forest roads are close together, our influence on wildlife is amplified. If I walk my dog on a trail which forces wildlife to flee, and another person walks their beast on another nearby trail, do the critters have anywhere safe to go? I liken this to my own feelings when I catch a glimpse of someone else walking the trail in the distance.I wonder how long they knew I was there while I was completely unaware of them. This past weekend I wondered the same as my son and I had stopped in the forest for a chat, turned off the four-wheelers and headed out on a walk. As we travelled a piece away from the bikes, there was suddenly a rustle, and a white-tailed deer ran out of the area where we had parked and chatted. That poor deer had to stand perfectly still to hide from us, while we just leisurely chatted. How long would it have watched us?

The birds are quite vocal at this time of the year. As they sing their mating calls, the birds perch safely up high in the trees. I find that the birds will keep calling provided I don’t move around too much to try to get to see their beautiful feathers. The birds don’t seem to mind if it is just me or if I bring the fluffy beast with me. Luckily, I haven’t had to see the side of my dog where the killer comes out. Truthfully, my biggest fear is that my dog will try to kill a snake and as a part of the process, throw it at me.

I prefer to think that my walks through the forest have minimal impact on the forest inhabitants. I hope to be correct as I don’t want to go without my walks through the forest, on trails or not. ◊

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

From the Depths To the Heavens – “Air Parcels” in Ontario Cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos. The meaning of this Latin legal maxim is that the owner of the soil has rights not only to the surface of the land, but to the air above and the depths below – to Heaven above and all the way in the opposite direction. The phrase is in Latin, but it doesn’t come to us from Roman law (though it is believed that the principle applied to some extent

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46 The Rural Voice

in Roman law). The first English law statement of the principle was apparently in 1586 in a case called Bury v. Pope. Later, Lord Edward Coke formulated the principle as follows: “And lastly, the earth hath in law a great extent upwards, not only of water as hath been said, but of aire, and all other things even up to heaven, for cujus est solum ejus est usque ad coelum, as it is holden”.

The right of landowners “to the depths” was mentioned in later formulations of the principle, particularly in the United States.

Of course, the reality is not nearly as simple as the Latin phrase suggests. Land ownership in Ontario does include rights to more than just the surface of the ground – a “bundle of rights” – but those rights are not unrestricted. When it comes to the right to the space above a parcel of land, the owner of the land has an exclusive right to use a certain column of air space. That exclusive right enables us to walk on the land and to construct buildings into the air. We can prevent neighbours from building structures that overhang into

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our column of air space. We can generally trim back trees that overhang into our yard. But owners of the surface of the land don’t get to say no to airplanes flying overhead.

Land ownership doesn’t truly extend to the heavens.

For the air space that does attach to the ownership of land, the law in Ontario (and in other jurisdictions as well) allows for the segmentation and alienation of the space – in the right circumstances you can sell the space above your land. The Registry Act in Ontario provides for something called a “strata plan”, “strata” being the plural of a Latin-derived term used to mean “layer”. With a strata plan, a landowner can not only subdivide land on the horizontal plane (like lots on a plan of subdivision) but can subdivide vertically. The subdivider can define vertical planes or sections that can be sold to purchasers. These “air parcels” are registrable under the Registry Act and the Land Titles Act. You can own layers of air space without owning the land beneath.

If it’s possible to own “air parcels” that are defined and registered in the Land Registry, you won’t be surprised to learn that the question of whether “air parcels” are taxable has now arisen. That question was put before Justice Frederick Myers of the Superior Court in an application heard in April of this year. Is an “air parcel” assessable “land” for purposes of property taxation under the Assessment Act? Justice Myers’ conclusion was that it is not.

The Applicant purchased blocks of space above railway lands near Lake Ontario in Toronto and asked for zoning approval to build structures on a physical deck within the “air parcels” some 27 feet above the ground. The deck would become the base for future structures to be erected, with the railway located beneath on the ground level. In order to attach the deck to the ground, the Applicant bought easements with the air parcels that would allow it to enter on the ground below in order to build the deck and attach it to the land.

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (“MPAC”)

Agrilaw and the City of Toronto argued that air parcels are like land because they are “defined, conveyed, and registered like land” and should, therefore, be taxed like land: The respondents submit that air parcels are land because they are conveyed like land. They are described in deeds like land. The deeds can be registered like land.

Land Transfer Tax is paid on the transfer like land. They look like a duck, quack like a duck, and therefore are a duck.

All “land” as defined in the Assessment Act is assessable for property taxation purposes unless an express exception in the Act applies.

MPAC and the City contended that, although air parcels are not specified in the Act as “land”, the definition of “land” is “inclusive and not exclusive”. If the right to air space above land is part of the bundle of rights that comes with ownership of the land, then air parcels should fall within the broad and inclusive definition of “land” under the Act. Justice Myers noted, though, that “land” is defined differently under the Assessment Act than it is at Common Law (which includes the Latin maxim “Cuius est solum”).

And, in any event, MPAC and the City were unable to point to any Common Law precedent that recognizes “air parcels” as “land” or a kind of “real property or real estate”. As long as the air parcels remained nothing but parcels of air, they would not count as “land” under the Assessment Act and would not attract property tax. However, and this was acknowledged by the Applicant, once the deck was built and affixed to the ground (“buildings in the air”), “land” would be created and would be taxable. Until then, the air parcels are “just empty envelopes of space with development potential.” ◊ ______________________________

Corey Hoffarth

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John D. Goudy’s law practice includes real property and environmental litigation, expropriation law, energy regulation, and regulatory offences.

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

June 2022 47

48 The Rural Voice

People

• By Gary West •

Golden Guernsey milk offers A-2 alternative

I

f you have ever wanted to try something different than what your normally see in the grocery store, you might want to try Eby Manor Golden Guernsey A-2 milk.

Waterloo county dairy farmer Jim Eby and his Guernsey cows attracted the attention of many magazine writers and foodies since he started marketing, selling and distributing his own Guernsey milk, cream and cheese.

The farm is located on the eastern edge of St.Jacob’s (where tourism runs wild) and when you follow the “Golden Guernsey” signs, you are led to the laneway of what could only be described as one of the most picturesque dairy farms in this part of Ontario. There really isn’t a straw out of place either inside or outside the dairy barn, and this writer was lucky enough to be there at milking time.

All aspects of biosecurity are met and the cows are super clean and comfortable, and very much at ease at the sight and sounds of a stranger.

The mild-mannered and congenial Eby was more than happy to explain how the operation worked from the cow’s udder to the glass milk bottles that they market their fluid milk in.

He also explained that after years of time and effort, they now sell their “Golden” milk to over 200 outlets, including farm markets, stores and restaurants all over Ontario.

The family also sells out of their own farm store, where you can purchase 2% milk, 4.8% whole, cream top milk that’s pasteurized but not homogenized, along with 4% chocolate milk. Those who have tried say it is the best full-bodied chocolate milk they have ever tasted.

The Ebys milk 60 purebred Guernseys from a herd that was started by his parents — Howard and Ann — over 60 years ago. All their cows produce A-2 beta casein milk which is non- inflammatory. In simple terms, this means that consumers young and old who react to standard milk can enjoy A-2 milk products without experiencing

any digestive discomfort.

During the hour we were conversing, many cars were coming and going with people purchasing dairy products from the farm store. When asked why they travelled out of Kitchener to come to the farm, a young couple with two young children said they heard about it from their neighbours. They had a child that was lactose intolerant with casein sensitivity to regular milk and were interested in trying the Guernsey A-2 milk. Their friends had a child who experienced the same symptoms and found the milk from this farm had no harmful side effects. To them

seeing was believing.

After observing this farm family up close and personal, I surmised their dairy farming life had taken a different turn than the majority of dairy farms in Ontario, but they are filling a niche market that might otherwise be unmet. ◊

Top: Jim Eby is the owner of Eby Manor Guernseys which has bred their cattle to produce A‐2 milk for milk drinkers who are sensitive to casein in milk. They direct market their milk at the farm. Jaclyn Brubacher (above) is a student and was raised in the city. She has milked at Eby Manor Guernseys for the past four years and says she loves her job on the farm.

June 2022 49

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Hesston 7020 Forage Harvester, hyd. hood, good shape .............$3,600.

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New Holland 404 Hay Conditioner, steel rubber rolls, 540 PTO.........$1,650.

For pictures go to www.farms.com/used-farm-equipment/dan-seifried-farm-equipment/

DAN SEIFRIED EQUIPMENT 8th Line East, Harriston Established 1986

519-338-2688 50 The Rural Voice

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

$

New Holland 25 Whirl-A-Feed Forage Blower 540 PTO, good shape.

Price

Lucknow location also offers • septic pumping • ready mix • aggregate and decorative stone

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A Country Guide for the Rural Homestead Country Quilting Piece a quilt you love, we can quilt it! ** Custom Machine Quilting **

Fabric, Quilting Supplies, Ready & Custom Made Quilts 519-625-8435 heather@thequiltplace.ca www.thequiltplace.ca 3991 Perth Rd. 107, Shakespeare, ON

For the quilting enthusiasts, we have everything you need.

Cottons, flannels, fleece, wools, books, patterns 84849 Ethel Line, Brussels, ON

519-887-9456

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Fabrics, Quilts & Much More 519-392-6046 3855 Bruce Rd. 4, 5 kms. N. of Teeswater

June 24th ~ Fabulous Friday - “X,Y, Z” Day 20% off X-wides, yellow, zoo animals, etc.

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June 2022 51

Ba at ttery power. made by stihl. ƒ b g a 57 BAT TERY BLOWER

M SA 1 2 0 C - B Q BAT TERY CHAIN SAW

M SA 14 0 C - B Q BAT TERY CHAIN SAW

AK 2 0 • AL 1 01 • 11 8 WH • 2 . 3 KG/5 .1 LB ①

AK 2 0 • AL 1 01 • 11 8 WH • 2 . 5 KG/5 . 5 LB ②

AK 30 • AL 1 01 • 1 87 WH • 2 . 6 KG/5 .7 LB ②

AK 1 0 • AL 1 01 • 59 WH • 2 .9 KG/6. 4 LB ①

SAVE $30

SAVE $30

SAVE $30

SAVE $20 2

269

MSRP $299.99

$

9 99

399

MSRP $ 429.99 with 12 " bar

$

99

449

③

$

34999

MSRP $ 369.99

MSRP $ 479.99 with 12 " bar

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AK 1 0 • AL 1 01 • 59 WH • 2 . 6 KG/5 .7 LB ①

AK 2 0 • AL 1 01 • 11 8 WH • 3 . 3 KG/7. 3 LB ①

AK 2 0 • AL 1 01 • 11 8 WH • 3 . 8 KG/8 . 4 LB ①

SAVE $ 50

SAVE $30

SAVE $30

③

$

9 34999

③

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③

MSRP $ 529.99 Gr

MSRP $299.99

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Shop local. Buy STIHL .

Dealers may sell for less . Pricing on all chain saws and blowers will remain in effec t until June 24 , 202 2 . Pricing on all other power tools and accessories will remain in effec t until July 29, 202 2 . Illustrations and descriptions are as accurate as known at the time of publication and are subjec t to change without notice. STIHL Limited is not responsible for a printing error, the local STIHL Dealer has the final authority to set produc t pricing. Pricing valid at par ticipating dealers only while supplies last . ① Weight without batter y. ② Weight with powerhead only. ③ Unit priced with batter y and charger.

FORMOSA

Lloyd Kuntz Sales & Service 519-367-2913 lloydkuntz@wightman.ca

LUCKNOW/MT. FOREST

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Pr ize •

O OT ®M HAR LEY-DAVIDSON

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MITCHELL

Wighty’s Repairs Inc. Highway 8 West

www.wightysrepairs.com 519-348-0404

DUNDALK

Robert’s Farm Equipment

Highland Supply

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

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

GODERICH

52 The Rural Voice

MILVERTON

Argyle Marine & Small Engines Inc.

Albrecht’s Chain Saw Service

3 kms. N. on Hwy. 21

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

519-524-5361

*

WIN

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MSRP $ 379.99

FOR A CHANCE TO

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The

Rural Voice

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

Non-GMO & Organic Seed sales, seed cleaning, drying & licensed truck scale

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

A complete line of nutritionally balanced Non-GMO feeds Roasted soybean sales and custom roasting

Steven: P/F: 519-363-0152 Jeffery: P: 519-363-5933

701234 Side Road 5 RR #4 Chesley, ON N0G 1L0

QUALITY METAL ROOFING, SIDING & TRIMS

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

The Better Choice, Plain and Simple

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

Whitechurch Welding

DL Distributing

- custom tubing gates - 1"x1" sq. tube and diamond gates in stock - custom welding & equipment repairs

Dave Mustard 519-794-3334 Authorized Dealer

Luke Martin 60 Grey Ox Ave., Teeswater, ON N0G 2S0

Tough on Winter, Easy on You

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

June 2022 53

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

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

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

KRAEMER CONCRETE LTD.

PACKERS: WE BUILD RUBBER TIRE PACKER SPECIALISTS

Two Locations to Serve You!

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Fax: 595-4903

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

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

SALES & SERVICE INSTALLATION & PARTS

Leadership in energy and environmental design

Devon Henry 519-505-2473 84772 McDonald Line • Box 616 • Brussels

devonjhenry@hotmail.com

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

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

Full service to all boats and marine engines

ARGYLE Marine & Small Engines Inc.

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

Farm Drainage ROTH DRAINAGE LTD Quality Workmanship Since 1948 * Farm Drainage * Excavator & Backhoe Service * Municipal Drainage * No Obligation Quotes

Gads Hill 519-656-2618

Blyth 519-895-6367

1-866-494-2618

54 The Rural Voice

• Farm Lanes • Campgrounds • Driveways • Horse Riding Arenas Brent Pryce

519-525-6295

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

Newton, Ont. 519-595-4545

This space could be yours!

Call to place your ad:

519-523-4311 ruralvoice.ca

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

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

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

-------------------------------------------FARM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE -------------------------------------------Six-section diamond harrows.

519-357-2509 -------------------------------------------Reist, 3 point hitch, pto driven gear box pulley. 519-357-2509.

-------------------------------------------Augers, 3 - 10 ft sections, 6 inch diameter. 519-357-2509.

-------------------------------------------Pasture Pump Aquamat. 519-3572509.

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

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

FOR SALE -------------------------------------------Martin’s Nursery & Bee Supplies Etc. Large selection of flowering trees, shade trees, fruit trees and hydrangeas and other shrubs. We have the plants you need to make a living “privacy hedge” or snow fence 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.

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

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

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

June 2022 55

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

CLASSIFIED

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

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

Sittler Grinding. Rick Sittler.

-------------------------------------------LIVESTOCK FOR SALE -------------------------------------------Suffolks - purebred yearling rams, 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.

Open females available. Wingham 519-357-3808.

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

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

REAL ESTATE -------------------------------------------Selling or buying farmland, residential or commercial. All properties needed. Call Greg or Dwaine Nicholls, Brokers for GA Nicholls Realty Ltd. Greg 519291-0507, Dwaine 519-492-2002.

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

Ph. 519-528-3019

56 The Rural Voice

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

519-692-4232 www.sgspestmanagement.ca

DONALD A ANDREW ACCOUNTING

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

DANNY’S

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

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

Milverton Tractor Pull Saturday, July 9th ~ 1 pm Milverton Agri Centre Admission $5 www.milvertonag.ca 519-595-3247

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UPCOMING EVENTS -------------------------------------------Spring Breakfast – Van Egmond House, Egmondville, Sunday, June 12, 2022 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Adults $10, children under 10 - $5, preschool free.

-------------------------------------------21st Anniversary Dungannon Super Pull, Saturday, June 18, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. More information contact Steve 519-524-0019. Kick the weekend off on Friday, June 17, 2022 with the Stoneboat Pullers at 6:00 p.m., followed by an outdoor dance from 9:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. Age of Majority.

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

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.

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

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

WANTED -------------------------------------------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.

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

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

Call today to place your ad in the Classifieds!

519‐523‐4311 or joan@northhuron.on.ca

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

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

Ontario Antique Trucks presents 2022 Spring Show at Teeswater Fairgrounds, Saturday, June 11, 2022 starting at 10:00 a.m.

Everyone welcome! Free admission, food both, camping available, displays. Hosted by Maple Hill Farms, Gaylea and Teeswater Concrete. For information contact Verdun Zurbrigg 519-444-8551 or Bob Ireland 519-357-6780.

-------------------------------------------South Bruce Tourism’s Annual Father’s Day Vintage Tractor Tour Sunday, June 19th from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

“A Daytrip Back in Agricultural History”

On-farm displays of tractors, automobiles and other vintage pieces.

Throughout South Bruce Mildmay, Formosa, Teeswater and Belmore

More info and maps available at: www.visitsouthbruce.ca

June 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.

Hi! I’m Krista: Introductions from NFU-O’s New Executive Director It is hard to believe a year has passed since I started with the NFUO. What a great year! It was like coming home. Coming home to a family of like-minded individuals who are concerned about the future – the future of our soils, waterways, ecosystems and food systems.

I count myself lucky. I grew up in rural, small-town Ontario, and knew from a young age where my food came from and how it was grown.

Our family got our meat from our local farmer friends. We spent many days visiting our friends on that farm, saw the cattle grazing, and knew how our meat was raised. It was slaughtered at a local abattoir in our town, and everyone knew the butcher by name.

My grandparents, who lived in the next town over, had an urban lot-sized garden, where all of our vegetables and dried beans were grown. I have so many memories as a child of walking the rows and rows of vegetables, helping to harvest peas, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, chard and endive, to name a few. My favourite, though, was likely the perennial patch of asparagus at the back of the garden. It was a magical place at the end of the row of apple trees. Every year in late summer the house was filled with trays of beans drying in every room. Growing up with my hands in the soil was something that stayed with me.

I returned to my roots after settling down with my own family. Although our yard was not as large in Cambridge as what we were used to in a small town, we did our best to create a diverse garden system. In our small urban lot, we had a raspberry patch, apple tree, peach tree, many native and berry producing trees like elderberry, serviceberry, and sumac.

We also had a tallgrass prairie patch

for pollinators in our front yard along with a number of raised beds for summer and fall eating, including potatoes, kale, chard, spinach, lettuces, beans, peas, carrots, beets, zucchini, cucumbers, garlic, a few herbs, and a small patch of strawberries. We made use of vertical gardening, permaculture techniques, companion planting and even experimented with cover crops! One year we were successful at growing corn, beans and squash in our tiny space.

We lived and gardened in this space for 18 years. We also grew community around this space. Our neighbours were always interested in what we were doing and why, and so we started a bit of a gardening revolution in our neighbourhood!

We also started a local organic buying club so that we could source anything that we could not grow, from farmers in our community. It was small and intentional, just like our gardens, but left a big impact.

We sourced local, organic meats, dairy, eggs, storage vegetables, and fruit for canning and preserving.

Summer and autumn were filled with canning peaches, pears, and plums, making raspberry, strawberry, and apricot jams, baking fresh fruit pies and various seasonal crisps. And, experimenting with homemade fruit roll-ups and other fun kid foods!

Three years ago, we moved from that family home. It was hard to leave our neighbourhood and our gardens.

But we are putting down new roots across town, which has definitely been a work in progress. The soils are a heavy clay here, and the exposure is not quite the same. It is hotter and drier in our new yard. And sometimes, much wetter! Last year my kale and chard were devastated by earwigs in

the early days of the growing season.

However, with a few natural deterrents they did make a full recovery. I was happy to have kale for fresh eating and freezing for winter soups. In my spare time I am working on building healthier soils and creating a more diverse garden oasis, and one day hope to add some backyard hens. When I am not puttering in my gardens, I can be found at high school rodeos, reined cow horse events and hunter jumper shows with my teenage equestrian daughters, proudly wearing my NFU hat!

I look forward to the year ahead and working with Regional Council and members on our next five-year strategic plan, and continuing to work with members and Locals on issues that impact farms and farmers in your communities. I enjoyed working with and meeting many members this year and look forward to visiting a few members’ farms this summer, as things open back up again. In the meantime, please reach out anytime: krista@nfuontario.ca. Here’s to a successful season for all of our NFU-O members!

Krista Long is the Executive Director of the N F U-O and an Associate member of Local 340 (Waterloo-Wellington).

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

Polly Hoekstra, President phoekstra@hotmail.ca / 226-580-0174

Perth County Pork Producers NEWSLETTER

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

It’s barbecue season!

Here is one of my favourite rib recipes for you to try this season. This recipe is for appetizers for four people.

To make a whole meal, adjust the quantities accordingly.

Sticky Glazed Pork Ribs Ingredients: 3 Tbsp. honey 1 tsp. soy sauce 2 tsp. Chinese five spice powder: hard to find, but worth it!

Ground black pepper 12 pork back ribs: less meat, but more surface area to spread the sauce on Preheat the barbecue to 400˚F. Combine the honey, soy sauce, and five spice powder in a large bowl, then season with pepper. Add the ribs, and coat them with sauce.

Put the rack of ribs on edge in the barbecue, use a rib rack, or an empty can to hold them there. Turn off the burner beneath the ribs, and adjust the other burner(s) to maintain temperature. Barbecue the ribs to a minimum internal temperature of 160˚F, approximately 30 minutes. The ribs should look glossy and well browned when they are done. If not, lay them flat on the grill over a lit burner to make the outsides crispy.

Enjoy! ◊ – Submitted by Craig Hulshof – Recipe courtesy of Sellers Publishing’s “500 appetizers” by Susannah Blake

Local Pork Products Available

The Perth County Pork Producers Association

Fill your freezer with local pork products

This is a part-time position that is approx. 8 - 10 hours per month.

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 -

is seeking a Secretary-Treasurer

Duties include: • Taking minutes at monthly meetings (approx. 10 per year) • Typing up said minutes and distributing to delegates.

• Along with President, creating and distributing agenda for meetings.

• Distributing information to delegates between meetings • Monitoring the county association email account • Looking after finances (deposits and account payments) • Create, distribute, and present a financial statement for monthly meetings • May also include other administrative jobs assigned by the association Please send your application to perthcountyporkproducers@gmail.com

June 2022 59

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

Celebrating Environmental Stewardship - Grey Dufferin Community Pasture GCFA sits on several boards throughout the county. One of them is the Grey Dufferin Pasture Committee.

It was recently awarded The Environmental Stewardship (TESA) Award. The following is excerpts from an article featured in the Canadian Cattlemen Association Bull-e-tin.

The Beef Farmers of Ontario Environmental Stewardship Award recipient for 2022 is the Grey Dufferin Community Pasture.

The 700-acre community pasture that includes about 100 acres of creeks and riparian areas, was established in 1979 following the amalgamation of several smaller farms. It is the largest block of pastureland in Grey and Dufferin Counties.

Operated under a rotational grazing system since 1980, the whole management strategy has evolved and intensified over the years, recognizing the need to protect sensitive wetlands and riparian areas, along with applying proper grazing and forage management practices. Those practices have protected and enhanced wildlife habitat, while at the same time improving forage production, which has supported increased beef production.

“Over the decades the farm has been able to gradually increase its cattle numbers, from a couple hundred head in the early 1980s to 600 head of steers and heifers today,” says Swidersky.

“Throughout the years, the management of the grazing has evolved from having four different smaller groups of cattle which were moved every seven to 14 days to now, where there are two larger groups which are divided into smaller fields with temporary fences and moved every two days. The plan is to allow 45 to 50 days rest on a 120-day grazing season.”

Proper grazing and forage management has been a priority for community pasture patrons from the start. In the early 1980s, the farm sold sawn logs and firewood from its woodlot to fund the fencing and cross fencing projects. That project also included exclusion fences to keep the cattle out of the creek and other sensitive riparian areas.

In the early years, the community pasture’s board of directors made it a priority to provide livestock with clean water through an off-site watering

system. With the help of some government programs there were several kilometres of buried and surface water lines installed. At the same time, there were also seven different watering points developed. These consisted of cement water troughs that were placed on gravel, cement or recycled asphalt shingles bases.

The whole watering system is based around the water drawn from a 100-foot drilled well. “We are extremely fortunate to have a reliable source of high quality water,” says Swidersky.

“The well consistently maintains a water level 15 feet from the top.”

Along with fencing to exclude cattle from the waterways, Grey Dufferin Community Pasture has also been proactive in protecting its watercourses by installing environmentally-friendly low-level water crossing structures and culvert systems. This allows both cattle and equipment to cross the watercourses without disturbing the creek beds.

Being in a higher rainfall area, Swidersky says the Grey Dufferin Community Pasture generally has to be managed for wetter growing conditions as opposed to drier conditions, although some years, lack of moisture is a concern, too.

Weather and moisture variability requires the management plan to be flexible and adaptive to growing conditions. While proper fertility has been important over the years to maintain and improve forage production, the community pasture did make an important change a few years ago to enhance environmental stewardship.

For many years, nitrogen fertilizer was applied to provide nutrients to forage crops. Swidersky says over time it became apparent that there were problems with this strategy both economically and environmentally.

“In wet years it was difficult to get application equipment on to the farm to apply the product,” he says. “There was also the danger of leaching nitrogen into the nearby creeks. This was a cost to the dollars invested, grass and animal performance as well as the possible loss of the product into the nearby creeks. In the dry years it was a struggle to see a return on investment on the fertilizer applied.”

As an alternative to applied nitrogen

fertilizer, the community pasture for the past five years has been applying a purchased municipal compost product to forage crops.

“This product, with high nutrient value, has shown impressive results,” says Swidersky. The compost has been applied to one third of the farm each year, so regardless of the weather (hot, cold, wet, dry) the results will be seen at a steady pace throughout the years.

Another result of using the compost is the grass is taller and thicker, with a more diversified mix of grass species and legumes throughout the year. Use of compost also eliminates the risk of nitrogen loss and environmental impacts.

From the conception of the Grey Dufferin Community Pasture, it has always been a priority to encourage research and education, that includes local annual farm tours and as well as by co-operating in research projects with government, academia, and private environment groups. Throughout the years there have been research projects involving rotational grazing, pollinators, forage utilization, grassland birds, and parasites to name a few.

“Grey Dufferin Community Pasture is very proud to be stewards of one of the largest areas of grasslands and pasture in both Dufferin and Grey Counties,” says Swidersky. “This property not only provides feed for cattle, it provides a habitat for many species of birds, mammals and amphibians. Some key environmental goals the board of directors have identified are to build soil organic matter with the use of compost and grazing management.

“It is believed that the more resilient, more productive and diversified the grasslands, lowlands, and wooded areas on the Grey Dufferin Community Pasture are, the better the cattle’s health and growth will be as well as the better the habitat for all the wildlife that call the pasture home.” ◊

GCFA 2022 MEETINGS • June 9 • August 11 • September 8

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

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

60 The Rural Voice

• October 13 • November 10

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

NEWSLETTER

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

BCFA Progressive Agriculture Safety Day is back Do you have a child between the age of five and 12? Would you like them to have a fun and free educational day? Then please sign them up for one of the three (3) Progressive Agriculture Safety Days being held in Bruce County this July.

After a two-year hiatus, the safety day committee is back to teach children safe practices and share ideas for them to use in everyday life. The Safety Days are based on learn-as-you-play principles with hands-on learning and activities to teach the principles of safety.

Each child will receive a t-shirt to remind them of their day of learning and a take-home goody bag with activities and games to do at home.

Lunch and snacks are provided.

The first scheduled Progressive Agriculture Safety Day is to be held at the Teeswater Agri-Curl at 64 Gordon Street East in Teeswater on July 5. St. John Ambulance will be in attendance and teaching Basic First Aid, South Bruce Fire and Rescue will teach the principles behind Stop, Drop and Roll as well as Chemical Look-a-Like game. Can you tell the difference between blue Windex and blue Gatorade by looking at it? Put yourself to the challenge! One of our main learning modules will be Grain Engulfment enactment and a rescue from that situation. These will be some of the topics that are discussed and more during the Safety Day.

The other scheduled days for Bruce County will be July 12 at The Annex, 6 MacKay Street, Tiverton and the third day will be July 19 at Elmwood Community Centre, 38 Concession 10, Elmwood.

You can sign your children up for any of these days or all three if you would like by contacting Dianne

Atkinson at brucesafetyday@ yahoo.com. She will return your email with a registration form that needs to be filled out. It should include the child’s information and emergency contact information.

The days are filling up fast, so contact Dianne to reserve your spot. ◊

BCFA 2022 MEETINGS • June 27 • August 22 • September 26

• October 24 • 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. * The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Bruce County by the BCFA.

June 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

After the election ...

As another provincial election’s results are upon us, we have both the opportunity and responsibility to work with our new MPP. The job of farming has continued on and its necessity has not changed.

Farmers have become a small percentage of the voters, but we do feed the world. We must continue efforts to ensure that both the government and our fellow citizens do not forget that, as our work impacts everyone. Despite some commodity market prices seeing record highs, many farmers have also faced two years of high input costs such as fertilizer, feed and energy sources. These prices are only a fraction of the story, and we need to share more of agriculture’s story.

Ontario loses 175 acres a day to development. At the current rate of development there will be no farm land left in Ontario in 193 years. This may seem like a long time but we need to discuss where the balance is to feed our population. Another way to look at land loss would be to take all the development in Ontario and if you focused it in Perth County we would develop all the farmland in our County in 7.8 years. This could help give you scale to the massive agricultural land loss that is occurring in our Province Perth County has some of the best

farmland in Canada and we must preserve it! Our local urban settlements can help by focusing growth to build upwards, not out, covering further precious farmland.

Responsible land use planning is vital to farmland preservation. Our feedback is vital on policies such as local Official Plans, and how the Provincial Policy Statement is applied in our area.

The last two years have highlighted how vital it is for our country to be able to provide food, fibre and fuel for our communities.

Canadians cannot depend on other countries to feed us. This was evident in the pandemic, with various supply chain issues occurring in multiple industries. Ontario farmers continued to increase efficiency and production to try to feed us while supplies from other countries dropped.

Manufacturing of Canadian food and products needs to come back.

We all need to keep reminding our politicians of the necessary role agriculture provides, time and time again.

I urge you to call your new MPP and remind them of agriculture’s important role, and how they can best support our industry. Talk with them often, hopefully they will listen and impact the future. ◊ – Submitted by Robert Martin PCFA Director

Save the Date!

Perth County Federation of Agriculture

Harvest Gala In Person!

November 19, 2022

Perth County Federation of Agriculture

BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS President - Julie Danen Vice President Derek Van De Walle Executive Members Chris Tegenbosch Tyler Denham

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Julie Danen Tyler Denham Joanne Foster Tim Halliday Robert Martin Julie McIntosh Eric McLagan Chris Tegenbosch Darryl Terpstra Derek Van De Walle Sharon Weitzel Sara Wood

OFA ZONE 7 DIRECTOR Ethan Wallace

OFA ZONE 7 MEMBER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Margaret Vincent

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

62 The Rural Voice

Index AG Hayter Contracting Ltd ........15 Argyle Marine & Small Engines..54 Bernie McGlynn/SB Flooring ....44 Bervie Supply Energy Ltd............51 Bester Wood Products................44 Bio-Ag ..........................................41 Blyth Festival ..............................45 Boonstoppel, Dave & Elly ..........25 BP Dust Control ..........................54 Canadian Co-op Wool Growers ..21 Chalmers Fuels ............................21 Crop Management ..................17,19 CropQuest Inc ............................23 Cross Country Eavestrough..........2 DJ Henry Homes & Renos ..........54 DL Distributing ............................53 Easy Lift Doors ............................14 Egger Farms ................................55 Farm to Table ................................4 Father’s Day ..................................3 Fieldwalker Agronomy ................53 Five Star Seeds ..........................53 Gerber’s Workwear ....................26 Grey-Bruce Construction ..........47 GRK Products ..............................10 Hanover Honda..............................8 Hardi ............................................41 Harold Jones Enterprises ..........54 Hill & Hill Farms ..Inside Front Cover Home & Garden ........................7,9 Hunter Steel Sales..............Cover 5 Huron Commodities......................11 Huron Perth Public Health ....42,43 JA Porter Holdings ......................50 Keith Siemon Farm Systems ......54 Kenpal Farm Products ................25 Kingwood Bins ............................26 KMM Farm Drainage ..................37 Kraemer Concrete Ltd ................54 Kuepfer Farm Drainage ..............54 Kuepfer’s Firewood ....................54 LAC ..............................................39 Lakeside Shelving ......................39 Lands and Forests Consulting....45 Live Landscape ..........................39 Lucknow Auto Parts Supply ......53 L-Wood Landscaping..................63 Mapleview Agri............................48 Marquardt Farm Drainage ..........46 Martin Farm Wagons ..................47 Martin’s Nursery ..........................63 Moore Hemsworth ......................35 Morris Sachs Silo Construction ..43 Nature’s Wave Inc ......................57 Nuclear Waste Management ......50 Nuhn Forage ................................12 OFA ................................Cover 3,13 Ontario Standardbred Adoption 35 Outdoor Recreation ....................28 Parker & Parker ..................Cover 4 Preserve & Store ..........................11 Raynbow Signs............................55 RBC Ag West ..............................15 Ridgeway Metals ........................53 Roth Drainage ............................54 Royal LePage - Steacy Den Haan ..13 Rural Living ..................................51

Rural Voice Books ..............Cover 6 Sauble Beach MS ......23,29,37,63 Schmidt’s Farm Drainage............26 Schweiss Doors............................16 Seifried Farm Equipment ............50 Sew & Save Centre ....................39 South Bruce Tourism ..................57 Steffen Well Drilling ....................54 Stihl Ltd ......................................52

Superior Barn Painting ......Cover 7 SWO Diesel ........................Cover 5 Townsley Barn Painting ..............56 Travelling Local ......................30,31 Triple P Consulting......................23 Trouw Nutrition ............Back Cover Waddell Engineering ..................43 WD Hopper & Sons Ltd ..............43 Whitechurch Welding..................53

Elwood Kuepfer 519-363-9493 Grey Rd 25 #581053, Chesley ON N0G 1L0

Landscaping & Wood Clearing has trees available for planting in all sizes.

Cedar, White Pine, Silver Maple, Norway Spruce, White Birch & Hackberry.

Lawn Seeding & Sodding Tree Pruning & Planting and maintenance, etc.

Natural & Coloured Mulch

Martin’s Nursery

Bush Lots Cedar Logging Yard Trees Stump Grinding

Hydrangea Shrubs & Trees

Honey

Shade & flowering trees, For Sale Large selection of Fruit trees (fruit bearing age) Spruce, pine, cedars, hedging & windbreaks, We sell a complete line of Bee Supplies; shrubs, grasses including Extracting Equipment, ORHBS Select & much more! jars, pails, Varroa mite treatments Queens (weekly) and Bees, Nucs, Queens. during season

BEE Supplies Etc.

c/o EMANUEL E.M. MARTIN 42661 Orangehill Road RR #1 Wroxeter, ON N0G 2X0 1 Concession North of Wroxeter on Belmore Line Mon. - Sat. 7 am - 6 pm

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

June 2022 63

HURON

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

County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER

HCFA sponsors Century Farm Show – Episode 5

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

Upcoming Events June 3-5 - Clinton Spring Fair.

Details at clintonspringfair.com June 18 - Dungannon Super Pull.

Details at dungannontractorpull.ca June 19 - Happy Father’s Day! Huron County Federation of Agriculture

BOARD MEETING Monday, June 27 8:00 p.m.

Vanastra Office The Century Farm Show Episode 5: Dodds Century Farm Limited 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).

In the fifth episode of The Century Farm Show, we meet Don Dodds, owner of Dodds Century Farm Limited. Don is the fourth generation

of his family on the farm, which he owns with his wife and son, Paul.

After taking over from his father, Don primarily raised pigs, however he eventually transitioned to managing a herd of purebred Limousin cattle. Today, the farm is used for cash cropping hay, corn, wheat, and beans, as well as keeping some cattle on pasture for the neighbours. Looking back over the years, it’s the sense of community that Don cherishes most. Memories with neighbours and friends remain a key part of the farm’s heritage and legacy. To hear Don share more about the rich history of his family’s Century Farm, check out Huron Perth Junior Farmers on Facebook episode to air on May 26.

Thanks to the Huron Federation of Agriculture and the Huron Heritage Fund for generously sponsoring this episode. ◊

HCFA Director profile: Paul Klopp Paul Klopp farms with his family near Zurich. The Klopp family farms a mixed farm including beef, pigs, corn, beans, edible and soybeans.

Paul has been involved in Huron County’s farm groups since 1981 and at present time is on the HCFA Board as a director. He was previously a director representing the Huron County Pork Board.

Paul is a Past-President of Huron County Federation of Agriculture and was previously the Regional Director for Huron County at the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

There is an option to join virtually.

Contact the HCFA office for details.

Save the date!

Huron County Federation of Agriculture

ANNUAL/REGIONAL MEETING October 27, 2022

Holmesville Community Centre

Room for Rent The Huron County Federation of Agriculture has a board room available for rent – $40 (HST included) Call the HCFA office at 519-482-9642 to check availability and to book your meetings

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

Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/huronfedofag and Facebook at Huron County Federation of Agriculture

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

64 The Rural Voice

Supplying the agricultural industry needs since 1977!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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

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

Spring Has Sprung!

Specializing in Rural Living & Local Authors

THE GARDENER’S BUG BOOK Advice on how to control backyard pests the earth-safe way.

Understand the life cycle of pests.

Identify the pests that plague your common plants. Formulas provided for organic pest controls. List of good bugs you want. $18.95

GROWING AND USING HERBS SUCCESSFULLY Betty Jacobs helps you get the best results with 64 herbs. Tips on how to start herbs indoors and out, how to avoid buying costly perennial plants, how to harvest and store, and how to market them so you can make a profit. $18.95

GROWING UNDER COVER Options for extending the growing season by using protective covers to create controlled spaces for vegetables to thrive. Plant earlier, harvest later, keep pests at bay, and protect crops from sudden weather changes. $33.95

HATCHING AND BROODING YOUR OWN CHICKS Hatching your own chicks is almost a lost art but it’s a fascinating and fruitful practice. This book offers more than 200 pages of instructions on hatching chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and guinea fowl. $37.95

Storey’s Guide to RAISING DAIRY GOATS A new edition of the best-selling classic with information for the small herd owner on dairy goat breeds, care, feeding, breeding, caring for newborns, and recipes for turning milk into cheese, ice cream, and more. $24.95

THE GARDENER’S BUG BOOK GROWING & USING HERBS SUCCESSFULLY STOREY’S GUIDE TO RAISING DAIRY GOATS THE GARDENER’S GUIDE TO PLANT DISEASES GROWING UNDER COVER HATCHING & BROODING YOUR OWN CHICKS BUILDING RAISED BEDS ECO DESIGN OUTSIDE - GREEN OUTSIDE THE HOUSE

THE GARDENER’S GUIDE TO PLANT DISEASES Barbara Pleasant provides tips for easy identification of over 50 common garden diseases and shows techniques for prevention and control. 180 pages of information and illustrations. $22.95

BUILDING RAISED BEDS: Easy, Accessible Garden Space for Vegetables and Flowers Whether you make your beds with boards, cinder-blocks or just heaped-up soil, expert gardener Fern Marshall Bradley will help you choose the best site, build and plant a garden. $13.95 Total

Qty.

Check out huroncitizen.ca for more books

Enjoy these Reads

The Rural Reading Room

$18.95 $18.95 $24.95 $22.95 $33.95 $37.95 $13.95 $19.95

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

ECO DESIGN OUTSIDE – Green Outside the House Dozens of tips to make your home more environmentally friendly from collecting and storing rain water to biomass heating to harnessing the sun to heat water, and light and cool your house. $19.95

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

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

         

House & Barn Painting Pressure Washing Asphalt Coatings Sand & Air Blasting Roofs & Walls Elevator Legs Lightning Rod Systems Heavy Duty Seamless Eavestroughing Fully Insured Free Estimates

Liquid Rubber Sealant Uses:  Roof Maintenance & Restorations  Foundations  Bins We’re also certified applicators of Liquid Rubber

Liquid Rubber Features:    

Towson Bailie 519-878-1273 Office 519-268-8500

Waterproof Adheres to almost any surface Resists Cracking & Chipping Flexible in all weather

www.barnpainting.ca DORCHESTER

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Call 519-523-4311 to pay by credit card or mail a cheque made payable to: North Huron Publishing Inc. to Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0

Contact your local Shur-Gain dealer for more information HENSALL CO-OP

DAUPHIN FEED & SUPPLY

MCBRAYNE FEEDS & NEEDS LTD.

Londesboro

Dungannon 519-529-7951 / 800-665-5675 Walton 519-887-6023

Dresden 519-683-4439

519-523-9606 / 800-265-9000 Zurich

Princeton 519-458-4770

519-236-7155 / 800-565-7155 Ripley 519-395-5955 / 855-895-5955 Ailsa Craig

TROUW NUTRITION CANADA INC. Tavistock 519-655-2033

519-232-4449

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

SINDEN FEED & SEED

ELGIN FEED LTD. Aylmer 226-289-2403

HATHAWAY CUSTOM FEED

THORNDALE FARM SUPPLIES

Melbourne 519-289-1333

Thorndale 519-461-1490

NORWICH FEEDS LTD. Burford 519-449-2664 Norwich 519-863-3905

NIEUWLAND FEED & SUPPLY LTD. Listowel 519-291-4660 / 800-265-3229 Drayton 519-638-3008 / 800-263-9818 Elora 519-846-5354 / 800-265-5354