The Rural Voice - May, 2020

May 2020

Rural Voice

The

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

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Contents The

Rural Voice THE MAGAZINE OF AGRICULTURAL LIFE

32

38

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

26 Columns Lisa B. Pot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Keith Roulston . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Kate Procter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Jeffrey Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Mabel’s Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Woodlots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Agrilaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Departments Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Ruralite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 News & Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Business Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . .71

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

44 MAY 2020 • Cover Photo Ann Marie Patkus, EVAH

By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot

• Deadlines: June – May 12 July Issue – June 16

20 COVID-19 Reaches Agriculture We won’t run out of food but getting it to store shelves is becoming a struggle

26 Dairy and its Carbon Footprint A new study examines profitability and carbon footprint

32 Feral Cat Program for Farmers East Village Animal Hospital offers trap, release and neuter program for barn cats

38 Sculpting with Metal Wildlife inspires Oxford artist Rich Baker to sculpt their likeness into metal works of art

Contributing writers: Keith Roulston, Kate Procter, Jeffrey Carter, Rhea Hamilton Seeger, Arnold Mathers, Donna Lacey, Melisa Luymes, Anne Mann, Nancy Fisher, Dorothy Henderson, Bonnie Sitter, Gary Kenny, Jeff Tribe, Bob Reid and Geoff Dale Mailed by: McLaren Press Graphics, Bracebridge, ON Sales representative: Shelley Kroes rvads@northhuron.on.ca Production co-ordinator & Telemarketing: Joan Caldwell Advertising & editorial production: Dianne Josling PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40037593 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 429 BLYTH ON N0M 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca Subscriptions: $20 (12 issues) $35 (24 issues), includes HST Back copies $2.75 each, U.S. rates, $65

41 Financing for Start Ups Experts advise how to get the funds to start your business

44 Spring Warblers Naturalist club helps birders discover birds and wildflowers

All manuscripts submitted for consideration should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs, although both are welcome. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Editorial content may be reproduced only by permission of the publisher.

The Rural Voice makes every effort to see that advertising copy is correct. However, should an error occur, please notify The Rural Voice office within 30 days of invoicing in order to obtain a billing adjustment.

NH

ORTH URON

PUBLISHING COMPANY INC.

A division of North Huron Publishing Company Inc.

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

The fight against deposit of nuclear waste continues The Editor, First of all I congratulate you, and your contributing writers, in creating an excellent quality magazine.

Secondly, I do appreciate that the onset of COVID-19 has caused widespread delays in all sectors, including the news media, in producing stories best related through personal interviews conducted in an environmental setting with imagery that can be described experientially.

For example, the above would pertain to carrying out an investigation which includes the orally-related concerns of farmers at their homesteads, who are fighting against the proposed high level deep geological repository (DGR) for radioactive waste. Interviews done in person produce more deeply insightful journalism as well as heartfelt storytelling for the readers.

A story about the fight against DGRs will become stronger through the coming weeks and months, as a story that ought to be of major concern to all people living throughout the region of midwestern Ontario and beyond. Meanwhile, a lot of local people are not even aware what is happening.

Unfortunately, proper news coverage about the risks and dangers of DGRs has been neglected for several years by most local journalists, the majority who tend to quote only personnel in the nuclear industry and related organizations, such as the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) – without even fact checking what is said.

2 The Rural Voice

Misinformation and industrial bias consequently prevails, from presentations using shockingly distorted facts at a Green Goderich event some weeks ago to the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture newsletter article published April 2020 in The Rural Voice on page 69.

What Mr. Underwood writes is misguided, yet still dangerous, because he demonstrates that he is not at all informed about how and why the proposed DGR differs from the existing storage of radioactive waste on the site of Bruce Power.

He therefore communicates a totally incorrect perspective to your readers.

Mr. Underwood writes: “...is holding it in containers on top of the earth less responsible, just because we did it that way first? It may get watched closer in a DGR with monitoring and new technology not that old technology out behind the barn.”

The facts are the following: The high level radioactive waste has been stored, safely, for approximately 40 years above ground at today’s Bruce Power site, because it is monitored 24/7.

In contrast, no DGR yet operates anywhere on the planet, the Finns coming close to opening a DGR, but still seeking an operations licence to do so.

Furthermore, the profoundly controversial Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) regulations for waste management, even criticized by the nuclear industry, have suggested in a draft version still being rewritten that monitoring would be occasional at best, and totally discontinued by institutional oversight within the next few hundred years..◊ – Dr. Sandy Greer, PhD Blyth, ON

Does BCFA endorse director’s viewpoints?

The Editor, I enjoy reading your magazine.

While taking some time to digest my lunch and feeling quite guilty in doing so on such a beautiful spring

day, I decided to finish reading the last segment of your April issue of The Rural Voice.

As I finished a well-written and sensible article titled “Our Planet’s Food Systems”, I turned to the submission “Jersey on the Wall”. The sunny atmosphere dimmed as I read it through and tried to instill some logic into a rather oblique point of view using the Tennille Townes lyrics it referenced. However distorted, the article had unmistakably endorsed the Deep Ground Repository (DGR) our municipality is being enticed into accepting.

The opening italics informs us that the article was that of an individual and not necessarily the opinion of the BCFA. Yet this was placed directly under the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture letterhead, aside the ‘Newsletter’ prefix and above the BCFA upcoming events. Not contradictory enough, the submission was endorsed using the position of BCFA director. If this isn’t the opinion of the OFA then this point of view should have been submitted by the individual in the form of a “Letter to the Editor” and not include the title “director”.

This comes on the heels of an OFA-BCFA meeting that our neighbours attended on behalf of South Bruce farmers to express the concerns we have of the future of agriculture in our area if a DGR is dug. This matter was belittled as one of the board members told the delegation “the only reason these farmers are concerned is because they are uneducated” and that they lacked adequate Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) education.

We took profuse exception to the indifference then, as we do now, with this article.

As farmers we believe that we should leave the earth in a better state than we found it and that it is not ethical to expose future generations to the perils we create today. We are also disconcerted at present, that the mere thought of food grown on the lands in the vicinity of a nuclear waste dump will invoke a stigma with our largely urban-based consumer. If this goes through it’s surmised many of the farmers in the surrounding area

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Feedback will be put out of business and their farms will eventually become worthless.

We suggest the OFA research some of the sciences we have, support and represent the farmers that they serve and not the NWMO mandate. We expect a retraction and have notified the directors that if the views of the OFA do not represent us, then we will ask to be reassigned to an organization that does.

Thanks in advance for publishing this and for all the great articles your magazine provides.◊ – Doug & Marie Kreller RR 2, Teeswater, ON

In unity there is strength The Editor, I would like to remind Lorne Underwood of the OFA /BCFA mission Statement/ motto “Farms and Food Forever”, “In unity there’s strength”.

The BCFA newsletter in April Rural Voice is not a place for personal opinion on DGR (aka Nuclear Waste Dump). You are a board member of BCFA/OFA which is an agricultural organization and should support farmers and agriculture, not nuclear industry.

We all should be ashamed of how we deal with plastic waste, sending shiploads to under-developed countries and dumping it in others backyards is criminal.

Should we not learn from our mistakes?

Nuclear waste is highly radioactive for tens of thousands of years, far beyond that of plastic’s decomposition rate. The nuclear industry needs to take responsibility of their waste, burying it in farmland in the flood-plains of the Teeswater River in one of Ontario’s major wetlands, the Otter Creek wetlands; risking contamination of drinking water supply for millions of people, as well as destroying many acres of productive farmland is criminal. The nuclear industry needs to use the billions of dollars allocated for this insidious DGR plan, for

research to find a way to neutralize or for further use of this nuclear waste, both are already possible.

I respect your opinion about DGR’s, but nuclear waste has no place in agriculture or food production.

Against DGR, in support of agriculture. ◊ – Yoka Scott Teeswater, ON

Ontario grid is carbon intensive The Editor, Robert Budd makes some good points in his letter about solar powered eggs (March 2020).

However, in minimizing the environmental value of solar power, Budd makes some claims that are not supported by the evidence. Ontario’s grid is not “the cleanest on the planet” and solar PV can make it cleaner.

According to Canada’s official greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, Ontario’s grid is more carbon intensive than grids in British Columbia, Manitoba, and Quebec.

These provinces rely almost entirely on hydroelectricity.

Budd’s compares the life cycle carbon footprint of solar PV to average emissions from Ontario’s grid. This is the wrong benchmark to compare against. A marginal emission factor approach is required to assess the carbon impacts of a project like the solar-powered egg farm. Marginal emission factors measure how the grid responds to changes in electricity demand. In Ontario, even though natural gas supplies, on average, seven per cent of total electricity, it accounts for about 30 per cent of marginal electricity generation.1 Solar PV is cleaner than marginal electricity in Ontario. The most recent guidance from The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) recommends using an annual marginal emission factor of 134 grams of CO2e per kWh.2 The life cycle carbon footprint of solar PV is lower; it has been estimated by

Feedback recognized sources such as the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory at 45 grams of CO2e per kWh and the IPCC at 41 grams of CO2e per kWh. Even adding the life cycle carbon footprint of lithium ion energy storage batteries (65 grams of CO2e per kWh)3 shows solar PV plus batteries is a low carbon solution in Ontario – it is cleaner than the marginal emission factor for Ontario’s grid.

I agree with Budd that any

significant use of a diesel generator is problematic and eliminates the low carbon benefits of solar. In Ontario, gridconnected solar is a cleaner option and can be financially attractive using Ontario’s net metering program. Future solar PV and batteries will be even cleaner. We need to be careful when making claims about clean electricity. This starts with using the most appropriate GHG accounting approach and tools. In this case, a

marginal emission factor approach is indicated.◊ – Duncan Noble, P.Eng. Killaloe, ON [1] Juan Sotes, “Why a ‘Marginal’ Source Is Central to Climate Change,” accessed April 3, 2020, https://taf.ca/why-a-marginal-source-is-central-toclimate-change/.

[2] Juan Sotes, “A Clearer View on Ontario’s Emissions,” accessed April 3, 2020, https://taf.ca/publications/a-clearer-view-on-ontariosemissions-2019/.

[3] Auke Hoekstra, “The Underestimated Potential of Battery Electric Vehicles to Reduce Emissions,” Joule 3, no. 6 (June 19, 2019): 1412–14, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2019.06.002.

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Ruralite

“

If fear is a wall, love is the

door. As ironic as this sounds, I’ve never felt more connected to people than I

”

have during this lockdown. This has been medicine for me.

~ Mel Luymes, on her experience isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic~

{

May Inspiration

We may think we are nurturing our garden but it is, of course, the garden that is nurturing us.

~Jenny Uglow

}

•

READERS We are so pleased The Rural Voice is able to keep publishing during this wild time. We have lots of stories in the works but photos are harder to capture while everyone is isolating. To encourage and celebrate our rural life, we are launching a FarmView section to share photos from readers who are photographing moments on their farms and rural locales. We hope to see lots of farm family faces, animalraising experiences, cropping and project photos from you as we plan our next issue. Please send to: rveditorlisa@northhuron.on.ca with a little summary of what is happening in your world! ~Editor Lisa

Groaners • How did the farmer find his wife? He tractor down.

• Farming isn’t for everyone. But hay, it’s in my jeans!

• A bicycle can’t stand alone. It’s just two tired.

•

Neil’s One-Liners (Wisdom from McGavin Files)

• Remember tough times

Pushing through the soil Eager to capture the light Hope for the future ~Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot

don’t last but tough people do.

•

May 2020 7

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

Choosing food sovereignty in this wild life Each morning, I wake to the sound of two loud and proud roosters announcing the morning light. They live with three banty hens, who flap up to their nesting boxes in the rear of the chicken tractor they live in to lay three little white eggs in the clean shavings.

These eggs feel precious. I never thought I’d see the day when I could not buy eggs in the grocery store.

Those bare shelves seem to shake the psyche. They make me uneasy.

Fearful. I know I’m asking myself if I have become too complacent in trusting supermarkets to supply all my food needs.

There are limits of milk and egg purchases in stores and meat plants closing which is causing backlogs in meat processing. COVID-19 is generally wreaking havoc on all industries including agriculture which is adding to the stress of catching the virus itself.

I tell myself not to panic ... there is enough food for everyone. There really is. This has been confirmed by leaders of the various commodity groups in the “COVID-19 in Agriculture” story you can read in this issue. Current gluts in the processing and distribution infrastructure will be resolved. There will be lots of milk, cheese, flour and, yes, even toilet paper again.

However, those empty shelves have many thinking about food sovereignty – the right of people to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through sustainable methods.

Part of food sovereignty is having the right to define our own food and agriculture systems whether that be large-scale crop, pork and beef 8 The Rural Voice

production or backyard chicken We are so thankful for the raising with a large garden besides. workers in essential services keeping I have six raised beds in which I our necessary systems productive. plant both vegetables and flowers.

Those of us who can work from Now they are going 100 per cent into home are experiencing restrictions on food production. They aren’t big our freedom while simultaneously enough to feed my large family for a discovering the liberty of more time, year but it brings me some peace of less rush, and shaking off the mind. It’s my job to feed these kids pressure of FOMO (Fear of Missing ... I need some sense of control over Out). Many are finding it suits them. that responsibility.

Proximity to family members has Knowing my interest in been rewarding. There has been time gardening, friends have called asking to walk and be outside and see that for advice on creating gardens, birds still sing and horses still roll in specifically, no-dig gardens. I offered the mud to scratch their backs. tips of procuring large sheets of Simple joys. Daffodils are gleaming cardboard from appliance stores to yellow while the first green tips of lay on the ground. This will kill the onions give us hope of a full, grass and weeds while rotting to productive garden. become part of the garden soil. Top If I think of what I plan to do with the cardboard with compost or soil if my wild life, I know this connection you have it. Top that with hay or to soil, place and people is very much straw as a mulch and voila ... instant what I want to do with my precious garden. That’s just one way. time. I’m thankful for large-scale Excellent videos on the process can producers who grow food for me – so be found online. thankful – but I also want to grow my Again, most of these quicklyown, in my own way, in my own crafted gardens are too small to backyard. sustain a family over the winter but The extroverts and the “movers in times of uncertainty, it busies our and shakers” will have different hands to quell the anxiety of not goals and I’d love to hear them! having control. It’s good for our Looking back into history wild minds and also good for our and reading how people bodies to first work in the soil, precious survived other pandemics, then eat the healthy crops that diseases, wars and catastrophes, comes out of it. People in town we can admire their grace and life can grow vegetables out of pots fortitude and emulate them. to supplement their diets.

We also have to lead by example Community gardens can be found in so that our children remember this most cities and perhaps more space time not with fear and regret, but as a should be dedicated to gardens, along period of momentous change. This is with rooftop gardens. our chance to switch from being the Newfound issues bring back oldgeneration that destroyed the planet, fashioned solutions during these wild to the one that saved it. Internally, times. Which makes me think of the may they see us as people who gave, quote by poet Mary Oliver which who loved and who were thankful for asks, “Tell me, what is it you plan to the gifts of land, space, animals, food do with your one wild and precious and each other. life?”

So I collect my three little eggs Never, in my time, has that been a every day. The kids and I bake and more pertinent question. Never make omelettes and tend to the before have we had enough time to animals. We do our schoolwork and fully ponder the answer. On a core our jobs from home desks and we level, I believe we all recognize this love the ones we are with. is a time to pause. It is almost, but We have no idea what is not quite, an existential crisis. It is a happening next but we know there chance to make better choices and will be a new normal. When it think more broadly about how the comes, I ask you, “What will you do world works. What systems should with your one wild and precious stay? What systems should change? life?” ◊

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10 The Rural Voice

I feel sorry for farmers whose profits are hard hit by the carbon tax.

Farming is a precarious way to make a living and anything that makes that more difficult is unwelcome.

The estimates vary widely on how heavy the burden is. The Grain Farmers of Ontario suggests the tax averaged about $400 a farm just for the propane and natural gas used to dry last fall’s soggy corn crop.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business surveyed its farmer and agri-business members in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan in February and they put their annual costs at $16,000 – and that was before the increase in the carbon tax on April 1. Ouch!

Still, the size of that bill illustrates how dependent we’ve become on carbon-based energy in rural Ontario.

That $400 estimated cost for drying corn at last year’s carbon tax of 3.1 cents per litre for propane works out to nearly 13,000 litres per farm.

The reality is that we’ve reengineered our entire rural way of life based on cheap energy (I know, I know, it doesn’t seem cheap when the bill arrives each month!).

We wouldn’t even grow the massive crops of corn we do in Ontario if it weren’t for drying corn using propane. In the days before corn driers, farmers grew as much corn as they could harvest by the cob and leave in a crib to dry. They certainly didn’t have the massive combines that speed the harvest today.

I’m old enough to remember the Wellington County observer of rural life H. Gordon Green, who once noted that while a modern farm had a huge output of energy in the form of food, it also required a huge input of purchased energy to produce that food. By comparison, he noted, when he was a lad growing up a century

ago, the only purchased energy that came onto the farm was a little oil for lamps and lanterns. Virtually all the energy the farm produced was a net gain from captured sunlight.

Few farmers would want to return to that era, of course. Green’s parents and neighbours were only too happy to replace the power of their own and their horses’ muscles with gasoline tractors. They were thrilled to have their houses and barns wired with electricity to produce not only light, but power for electric motors.

Tractors led to hydraulics which meant a solitary farmer could lift huge weights. The need for farmers to come together to accomplish tasks that couldn’t be done on their own became a thing of the past. Threshing became combining, and the combines got bigger allowing farmers to plant and harvest more ground.

It wasn’t only life on the farm that changed because of cheap energy. In the 1950s most families drove the cheapest car we could keep running.

With no faith in the dependability of our cars we shopped in the nearest town. Those towns had busy main streets with merchants selling everything from food to shoes to clothes to furniture and hardware.

By the 1980s, with more dependable cars and cheap gas, our priorities changed and we drove farther to get greater variety and cheaper prices. Main streets died.

With school buses, our kids went from walking to a neighbourhood school to busing to a central township school to a 10-15 mile ride to a regional school.

All of this was possible because the sun’s energy from a million years ago, stored deep in the earth, was burned for today’s comfort.

Unless you’re one of those diehards who thinks climate change is nothing but a plot by urban elites to keep the working class subservient, you’ll have recognized by now that something has to change.

We can’t return to pre-carbon muscle energy even if we wanted to.

In 1920 there were 1.8 billion people to be fed in the world. Today, we have 8 billion. The challenge is in finding non-carbon ways to farm that will still provide the volume of cheap food we need to feed a world population with so many mouths.◊

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May 2020 11

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

It’s easy to let fear take hold As I sit here mid-April 2020, reflecting on how our world has changed in the month since I wrote my last column, many thoughts crowd my mind. In fact, merely concentrating has become difficult and my mind feels more squirrel-like than normal.

I am one of a group of people who has the luxury to isolate, keep working, keep eating and live a fortunate existence during this time of global crisis. As farmers, we are essential – but even in that – I am so far, fortunate. We don’t have barns full of livestock that may not be able to be slaughtered, with no space to

keep the backed up animals, and we aren’t dependent on seasonal foreign crews who may or may not be able to come into the country.

Usually during the spring, I am more socially isolated than normal as my tasks largely involve being inside large pieces of machinery by myself.

But for as much as we think we were fairly isolated, not being able to pick up parts easily, or sit down for planning meetings, or even get together with family on a rainy day reminds me of how much things are different this year. My attention span is also much shorter. Making big decisions seems tougher when you don’t know how to get groceries anymore. I have tried to improve my book of Standard Operating Procedures for office tasks in case someone needs to step in and keep the bills paid.

Underlying it all is fear. Fear as I read about the effects of this disease and the thoughts of slowly suffocating alone. Fear for my own parents, aunts and uncles, as well as all seniors – who are in a more vulnerable category than me. Fear for

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my children – all young adults now and part of a vital, and essential, work force. Fear for the people we work with every day, as well as friends, family, and indeed, everyone spread near and far. And yes, fear for myself.

We tell ourselves that the death rate is low, and console ourselves with the idea that we are strong and healthy and we will be okay. Then comes the email from a friend whose daughter works in a hospital in Detroit – begging us to stay home and be safe because she has seen first hand what is coming. And then learning of the temporary hospitals that are being set up within our own communities. It is easy to let the fear take hold and run away with our imaginations as we scan the headlines and chat over the phone with friends and neighbours.

In spite of the terrifying numbers being reported globally and stories of seniors’ residences being abandoned by overwhelmed staff – there are still the odd comments here and there from folk who wonder if the virus is even real. “I don’t even know of anyone who has died,” they may comment. Those are perhaps the scariest of all – because they can be unknowingly spreading the virus with careless actions. Once spread, it can’t be called back.

Just after Christmas, I finally found the time to read a book about occupied France during WWII. While the book itself was fiction, it was based on true events and I went on to read some of those first-hand accounts of what life was like during that time. When fear starts to take hold – I think of the courage and sacrifice everyday people made $375,000

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Kate Procter during that time.

One of the books was a translation of the journal of a woman who had been part of the resistance movement and ended up spending most of four years in various Nazi prisons.

“Resistance”, by Agnes Humbert, was originally published in French in 1946, then translated into English.

One thing that struck me about her writing was that she never gave up and she never lost her spirit of resistance, which helped her survive and go on to help others.

Another classic that has served as inspiration for millions of readers, Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor E. Frankl, reminds us that no matter what happens – we always have the ability to choose how we react to external circumstances. This book has been included in a list of the 10 most influential books in the United States.

As I conclude writing this column, I see that Ontario today has reported 438 new cases of COVID-19 and has extended the state of emergency to May 12. Schools will not be opening on May 4, as earlier announced, and Prime Minister Trudeau reminded us all to “stay the course”. “The reality is, it is going to be weeks still. We recognize that it is going to be important to get our economy going and that we will have to do it in phases. We will have to remain vigilant until such a point as a vaccine against COVID-19 is found,” he said.

This unprecedented event, COVID-19, has given us all a time to reflect. To think about life – what is important, what we were doing that maybe we shouldn’t have been doing, and what we maybe could be doing more of. Perhaps, when we come out of it we may be changed.

We may be less wasteful – of time, of resources, of money, of relationships – and not take the people we love for granted. We may reuse the things we carelessly threw away before. We may stop spending time with people and activities that are not important. We may be able to see the precious that we were too busy to see before.

I have updated my will, but I have also started my garden. ◊

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May 2020 13

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

measure.

“If they’re worried about their food security, my suggestion would be that they had started their gardening experience five years ago,” she says.

“I cannot disagree, Pinkie, but perhaps if you were to support this new interest in gardens, offering tours of your backyard, it would help.”

It’s early in the season. A handful of asparagus has emerged, as has the While cutting onions and greens rhubarb and garlic, both early crops. I on the cutting board, Pinkie is shown also recognized the chives but have a photo of the Carter farm from the to ask Pinkie what the pale green early ’50s. “I know the date from the plants which look a bit like spinach tractor, the first our family acquired, are. Sorrel, I’m told. a Ford 8N. It’s in the field southwest “As you may realize, my friend, of the barn making the rounds with a that garlic was planted last fall,” hay mower, one that horses pulled at Pinkie says, warming up to the one time from the looks of exercise. “I’ve been it.” saving the cloves The image Pinkie now from my plants for closely examines shows a 30 years. You put series of small fields with them in as late as the farmstead in the you can before foreground. There are freeze up, when the clothes on two lines soil can still be capturing a brisk west worked up. wind, a rambling house “I also have some sided with fake red brick, of those walking a large bank barn, various onions you’ve been sheds and outbuildings writing about far too and an extensive garden often. The underand orchard covering a ground part is edible good two acres. and the tops as well.

“You don’t see gardens Of course, there are like that much anymore,” my herbs, things like Pinkie comments. oregano, savory, Early greens from the garden kickstart the fine dining for “Pinkie” “They’re still about, parsley and thyme can and the Carter clan. on some of the Mennonite be grown, dried and farms but few as large as consumed the year round. that. Times have changed.” crocuses appear but, in my “I like potatoes, too, especially Pinkie takes a closer look. I point experience, there’s often still snow grown in a garden.

Better than from out some of the finer details – the on the ground then. Then he talked the store though they’re a lot of long row of asparagus, raspberry about the staking up green beans work. Now, let’s take a look at the canes and other small fruits, apple started inside that were too ‘leggy’ strawberries. The patch is enormous trees and the thin lines indicating and that didn’t seem quite right and I have high hopes and the black where an assortment of vegetables either.” raspberries over there have never planted in rows is evident.

“I’d take anything you hear on the failed me.

“They had lots to eat,” Pinkie radio about gardening and farming, “Leeks do well, here – you need comments. television too for that matter, with a to understand each garden has its “And some to sell, too, I imagine. large dollop of skepticism, Pinkie. strengths.

And did I mention, Never hungry on a farm, not back What advice would you give to wantcompost.

I think not. No garden can then. Cannot necessarily say the to-be gardeners?” last without a bit of compost. You same today.”

Pinkie has been growing much of cannot just take all the time. You Pinkie looks a wee bit puzzled and her own food for years, along with a have to give something back.” ◊ so I elaborate. few flowering plants for good

Gardening for the Apocalypse

14 The Rural Voice

“Farms today often have just one enterprise and sometimes two or three. Round these parts it’s often the cash cropping of corn and soybeans with wheat thrown in on occasion.

Then there’s things like sugar beets, processing tomatoes or seed corn in the mix; everything on a large scale.

When farmers get hungry, they go the grocery store or, if they have no money, the food bank.”

“I heard on the radio the other day, that people in the city are getting back into gardening due to this COVID thing. They’ve had a run on seed,” Pinkie says. “But the person they had on, some fellow with an urban gardening group, didn’t seem to know what he was talking about.

He said something about planting things like peas when the first

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

“Mabel says hi,” said Cliff Murray as he set a paper coffee cup on the rear tire of Dave Winston’s tractor and took two steps back.

“How’s she doing?” asked George Mackenzie as he retrieved the coffee Cliff had left on the hood of his pickup that he’d pulled into Dave’s front field.

“She’s hanging in there, but she’s doing about a tenth the business from take-out that she was doing before she had to stop serving full meals.”

“And who knew the bacon she served with breakfast or the ham and sausages with her pancakes, when you put it together with all pork that other restaurants cooked, could cut demand for pork,” said Dave as he climbed down from his cab.

“Or that the fact coffee shops aren’t using all those little coffee

creamers could mean dairy farmers had to dump milk,” said Cliff.

“I’ve seen some wild markets in my time but nothing like this,” said George. “One week they’ve got shortages of stuff and the next week they can’t sell it.”

“Like flour and sugar,” said Dave.

“Now that they’ve got to stay home, people are discovering that their kitchen is meant for more than heating frozen pizza. They’re making cakes and cookies and the mills can’t make flour and sugar fast enough.”

“Yeah, whenever this is over, I figure there’s going to be good money in owning a gym,” said Cliff.

“There are going to be a lot of pounds of home baking to wear off.”

“Well, at least we can still go to work,” said Dave. Nodding toward his liquid manure tank on the back of his tractor he added, “I figure there’s no problem with social distancing when you’re hauling a few thousand gallons of liquid pig manure.”

“You must be a popular fellow when you’re spreading all this manure,” said George.

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spreading. Say, George, you better take an extra step back there. The guy knows he can’t get anybody to stop me from spreading manure so just to be a pain, he might try to report us for standing too close.”

“Can we talk about something else?” Cliff wondered. “I’m sick of talking about this virus.”

“Yeah, conversations have gotten awfully dull lately,” said George.

“Sure but what’s left to talk about?” asked Dave. “I mean normally we’d have the hockey playoffs on about now, and basketball and the Blue Jays. Just when you need things like that to get your mind off the gloomy stuff you haven’t even got that to talk about.”

“You can’t even go out and watch a movie or something,” said George.

“One thing I’ve noticed is that people are going to drive-in movies again,” said Cliff. “You can stay in your car and be a safe distance from everybody else.”

“I haven’t been to a drive-in since I was about eight,” said Dave. “They even closed most of the drive-ins around here.”

“My parents used to take the whole family out for drive-in movies in the summer,” remembered Cliff.

“Huh! I’m older than you guys,” said George. “I seem to remember a few families that got started at drivein theatres.”

“Yours George?” Dave wondered.

“I’ll never tell,” George said with a smirk.

“Well that would be the ultimate violation of social distancing rules, wouldn’t it?” laughed Cliff.

“It’s going to interesting to see if we end up with a baby boom out of all this staying home with nothing better to do,” said George. “In times past, if they had a big blackout, say, the maternity wards would be busy nine months later, but maybe birth control has changed all that.”

“Not sure if birth control or bingewatching Netflix will make a bigger difference,” said Cliff.

“Yeah well,” said Dave as he finished his coffee, “unless I get this manure spread and scrub up real well, I’ll be lucky if my wife lets me within six feet of her, let alone close enough to matter about that other stuff.”◊

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May 2020 17

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

We’re all in this together What on earth is happening?!

I guess I could have seen this coming, but we’d made jokes about COVID-19 in January when it was somewhere else and now that it is here, things got serious fast. After the initial shock and sadness in March, I’ve got into a routine at home and avoided the news. For farmers, working from home with family, feeling isolated and aggressive handwashing is just par for the course. Some days feel normal and then I go to town for some groceries and the weight of

18 The Rural Voice

the situation sets in again.

My calendar was full of meetings all over the province and now suddenly, I’ve got weeks of time, glorious time! I’ve been catching up on projects and catching up with friends on the phone, tutoring my nieces through video chats, watching movies and making meals. Is it terrible to be grateful at a time like this?

Goodness, I’m making a global pandemic sound like a luxurious staycation. I get that it’s not. There is serious stress that comes from isolation and uncertainty. Anger comes from being helpless, from losing control over our time and movement. And there is also a drastic disruption in the economy of time, while some are stuck with nothing to do and others are working doubletime or working from home while trying to take care of their children.

We’re waiting for this to pass. But I don’t think it will be over … ever.

And I write that in a reflective and hopeful tone, not a hysterical one.

Something is shifting, and for the

better I think, as we recognize and rely on the essential services. And as we see how profoundly connected we are in the world; physically, economically and socially, we really need each other.

I love the sign at Buehler’s garage in Alma: “We may have all come on different ships but we’re in the same boat now.” Do you feel it too? From a safe distance, strangers are smiling back at me in the grocery store. It’s like we’re finally aware of each other’s presence now that we have to stand a hockey stick length apart.

For me, the uncertainty is the hardest. I don’t know what or who to trust or what things will be like in three months, or next year. But, really, life has been uncertain all along – just now the tension is right there at the surface. And we’re all living a collective anxiety about the world, but being scared won’t help the situation.

Fear is a wall that keeps us separate from each other. It is easy to be scared but staying with the fear makes us small and self-absorbed. It makes us hoard toilet paper and share fake news. But getting past fear starts with acknowledging it is there and giving it some space to be.

And if fear is a wall, love is the door. And there is a wave of love, connection, compassion and contribution happening all over the world right now. If you don’t believe me, check out www.karunavirus.org.

Karuna is the Sanskrit word for compassion and this website will restore your faith in humanity.

People are reaching out to elderly neighbours, Canadians are forming ‘Caremongering’ groups on Facebook and doctors are going to the front lines. Technology and creativity allow us to stay connected as we keep apart.

As ironic as this sounds, I’ve never felt more connected to people than I have during lockdown. This has been medicine for me. I was sick in a deeper sense. I was busy and burning out, disconnected and depressed.

Maybe we’ve been collectively sick as a society, and this is bitter medicine for all of us. Buckley’s, times a million. Things will change

Mel Luymes from this pandemic; it is terrifying but … thank goodness. We needed it.

They say after several weeks of lockdown in the epicenter of Wuhan, China, the smog cleared, and people could see the blue sky again. They opened their windows to let fresh spring air inside and could hear the birds singing; they joined with their neighbours singing from their balconies.

This is a time to wake up and to push through the fear, to be patient and to forgive, to dig deeper and find courage and generosity. This is a time to heal in a deeper sense, a time to take care of ourselves and to take care of others.

I’d love to use this time to connect with The Rural Voice readers – my email is mel@headlands.ca and my number is 519-820-2358. Reach out – I’d love to hear from you.

Seriously, we need to laugh and connect, now more than ever. As Red Green so aptly said, “Remember, I’m pulling for you. We’re all in this together.” ◊

Connect with Mel Luymes and with other Rural Voice readers!

Two online/call-in opportunities to meet & discuss

• Wednesday, May 6 @ 7 p.m.

Keeping positive in a pandemic • Monday, May 11 @ 7 p.m.

Working with family

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COVID-19

From processing issues to closing farm services, the agriculture industry struggles to adapt

There is enough food ... getting it to consumers is the issue • By Lisa B. Pot •

I

n normal times, farmers wishing to have their cattle and pigs butchered at Green’s Meat Market in Wingham could book a month in advance. Now, in times of COVID-19 change, they can expect to wait three months or more.

“We knew our main customers would still come, but we did not expect this kind of demand,” says Shelby Green, daughter of the owner of the meat processing plant which also sells meat at their on-site store. Customer traffic has also swelled as consumers, not finding what they need at grocery stores, have been purchasing ground beef and beef patties until the shelves are bare.

There isn’t a meat shortage as Green’s is able to access local cattle and pigs to butcher. The increased demand has meant longer days for the staff. This might increase as news of three meat processing plants closing in Alberta comes out. Cargill’s High River plant, along with the JBS plant in Brooks and the Harmony Beef plant in Balzac, Alberta have all comfirmed cases of COVID-19 and represent approximately three-quarters of beef suppliers in Canada.

However, during interviews for this story, commodity leaders said it is imperative to stress there isn’t a food shortage. Consumers should not panic.

“We will catch up. It’s very important when talking about all the issues that we do not scare the consumer. It’s really not a matter of food shortage, it’s just getting our infrastructures in place between primary producers and the consumer,” said Henry Wydeven of Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

Processing and packaging plants just haven’t been able to retool fast enough to meet the sudden, massive change COVID-19 brought to the food landscape. Almost all industries, including the agricultural industry, are reeling as the COVID-19 crisis continues to alter the economic landscape.

20 The Rural Voice

With seed companies selling 10 times the number of seeds, grocery stores limiting the number of customers, flour and yeast disappearing off the shelves, dairy farmers having to dump milk, pig farmers keeping pigs on farms longer, everyone, including farmers, is trying to figure what will happen next.

Culturally, it has been interesting chatting with farmers and realizing that work still goes on. Cows have to be milked. Eggs picked. Animals fed. Work continues to feed the nation; work that is often done in isolation. Social distancing and staying home hasn’t been such a culture shock for the agriculture industry. In one way, farmers are ideally situated to ride out a deadly virus. However, they also rely on staff and farm services in a long production chain to raise animals and grow crops.

Recognizing that the virus is changing protocols and situations daily, it’s hard to stay timely with stories about the novel coronavirus and its effect on the agriculture industry. However, The Rural Voice searched out what is happening among dairy, beef, hog, chicken, egg producers as well as the businesses that serve farmers, to give you a snapshot of COVID-19 as of our deadline (the beginning of April) so that consumers and farmers across industries understand where we are at ... and what might come next.

Ontario Hog Farmers

“I

came to this job from outside of agriculture and what I have seen of this industry, how it is coming together to get through this, has blown me away,” says Stacey Ash, Manager of Communications and Consumer Marketing for Ontario Pork. “Farmers have been writing the workers at plants to show their appreciation for what employees have been doing to get to work everyday

during this crisis.”

The thankfulness follows fears there might be a severe disruption to the processing chain after a major processor, Olymel in Quebec closed on March 29 when there was a COVID-19 outbreak in their plant.

The plant has since reopened.

Weston, a small processing plant in southwestern Ontario also closed due to staffing challenges.

There will be a backlog of pigs getting processed in Quebec along with the Ontario pigs that get shipped there.

However, Ash says there are is no indication there will be any shortage of pork for consumers. “You might not see the same variety of product but there won’t be an issue with supply,” she said.

Tara Terpstra of the Brussels area, who is a member of the Ontario Pork Board, said Ontario is investigating every opportunity to deal with the setbacks in pork processing. “Plants are running Saturday shifts to eliminate backlogs,” she said. These measures will only be successful if employees are able to work extra shifts, which could be difficult due to health and childcare concerns.

Pork farmers excel in the area of biosecurity due to risk of swine diseases which has extended to COVID-19 safety. They are being advised to stagger shifts, change lunch shifts, and to use extra disinfectant in common use areas.

“They should also have extra staff so that if someone gets sick, they have back up,” advised Ash. Also, they are doing their best to keep pigs on the farm until they can ship them by doing such things as changing feed rations from growth feed to maintenance feed.

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he milk dumping situation has confused consumers and dairy farmers alike. Denise Angst, Secretary for the Huron County Dairy Producers Committee says the simple reason it’s happening is because of a lack of processing availability for fluid milk.

May 2020 21

Dairy producers themselves are worried that food banks are getting enough milk.

“So far we have donated two deliveries of milk products to the Huron County Food Distribution Centre. Our hope is to be able to keep delivering milk to them every two weeks,” states Angst.

On a more provincial scale, Dairy Farmers of Ontario director, Henry Wydeven, says COVID-19 brought a change that happened too fast and nobody was set up for that dramatic a change.

“COVID-19 changed everything in three to four days and our sector just can’t change in three or four days,” explains Wydeven.

“The service sector (restaurants) packages in a different way than retail does,” says Wydeven. “The fluid market was going at full capacity but they got slowed down with containers and with labels. They (processors) did the best they could to get as much out as they could just as we provided them with all milk they could process.”

Then things got bogged down in distribution which could not keep up with the increased demand at the retail store. Same as what happened with flour, eggs and toilet paper.

As the dairy industry tries to meet the change in demand, it has asked its producers to slow down production.

Milk was dumped, something Wydeven doesn’t ever remember seeing at this level. While many complained it should go to the food banks, it’s not possible to just dip into milk coolers and bring it to a centre. There is a whole line of processing, packaging and distribution infrastructure between those two points.

“Nobody is to blame,” says Wydeven. “We are not upset with retailers, distributors or processors.

They just could not handle what happened, period. In fact, they have worked diligently to try and alleviate this problem.” That is why there are still restrictions in stores. “The stores are using a “please share” approach because they have not been able to get an inventory built up because of the unprecedented demand at the retail level.”

Looking ahead, the safety of milk 22 The Rural Voice

truck drivers, processing plant employees and all workers in between is of paramount importance.

There have been no closures of major milk processing plants but if workers in a plant do get sick, that will change everything again.

Ontario Egg Producers

A

s with dairy, consumers have been limited to purchasing one or two cartons of eggs at their local grocery stores. This has to do with logistics, not supply confirms Bill Mitchell, a spokesperson for Egg Farmers of Ontario.

“There has never been a shortage of eggs. We manage that supply very closely and it works well,” says Mitchell. “This is a shopping pattern issue in the retail chain.”

He explained that while everyone was buying toilet paper, there was also a run of eggs during the time when people were stockpiling in their fears of what the pandemic might mean. Instead of buying two cartons, people were buying four or five, which meant the shelves were bare for people shopping later in the day.

To ensure everyone was able to buy eggs, stores put limits on the volume people could buy.

As buying patterns change and retail stores change their orders, this problem should be resolved.

In terms of the egg industry as a whole, and the closure of restaurants, it is facing an issue of what to do with the “breakers”, eggs that are processed into liquid or powder forms for the restaurant trade.

Breakers make up about 30 per cent of the egg market in Ontario, and demand has decreased by about 50 per cent.

So far, processors have been able to powder more eggs and the industry is exploring more options to freeze eggs.

Furthermore, the Egg Farmers of Ontario have increased their donations to food banks from 11,000 eggs every month to 20,000 eggs for the month of April. “Basically, we called them and asked how many

they could handle in their system,” says Mitchell.

The increased focus on food systems has been an interesting byproduct in this COVID-19 crisis, says Mitchell. “It takes a lot of people to make it happen,” he says. He commends the commitment of workers from hatcheries right to the store clerks handling egg cartons behind plexiglass shields. “There is a lot of logistical work going on to make sure consumers get their eggs. I think it’s remarkable,” he says.

Ontario Beef Producers

C

OVID-19 is hitting the struggling beef industry hard.

Three beef processing plants in Alberta have closed down due to confirmed cases of COVID-19 along with hundreds in the U.S. The Cargill plant in High River is one of the two primary beef suppliers for McDonald’s Canada.

To help ease the backlog, Beef Farmers of Ontario is asking all beef and dairy producers to hold back their cull cows.

Cull prices have dipped dramatically. The whole industry is suffering from low prices and requires significant risk management help, say beef leaders.

Consumer wise, demand for ground beef is rising while the call for expensive steak-type cuts has been decreasing. This shift in consumer behaviour will hopefully lead to increased retail beef sales but that, like the markets, is uncertain.

Chicken Farmers of Ontario

I

n response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ontario chicken industry is reducing allotments to chicken farmers by about 15 per cent in order to meet changes to market demand. Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) issued a statement on April 7 outlining the situation and market changes.

“We are working with our farmermembers and our chicken industry partners to implement flexible and temporary changes and adjustments to ensure we support the Ontario chicken market,” said Ed Benjamins, Chair of CFO in the statement.

“These are difficult times, and we are making responsible leadership decisions. Our top priority is to support the health and safety of our farmer-members, our industry partners, and the Ontario chicken supply chain.”

The State of Emergency declared by the Government of Ontario ended in-person dining in restaurants and resulted in the closure of many food service establishments. The same is true for much of Canada. Restaurants Canada estimates that nearly one in 10 restaurants have permanently closed and 53 per cent of restaurants are temporarily closed. Drive through and take-out options remain, but volumes have declined dramatically.

Estimates are that the demand for chicken through the food service channel has temporarily declined by approximately two-thirds.

The retail channel continues to operate and the initial response by consumers was panic buying of chicken, which led to a surge in demand. The retail pattern is now shifting and the centre of stores with non-perishable foods is seeing a greater demand than foods such as meat protein.

Currently, the demand for chicken at retail appears to be lower than prepandemic levels, stated the press release. “While the situation is considered temporary, there are some concerns of excess supply of chicken.”

Chicken farmers received more bad news when the Maple Leaf Foods poultry processing plant in Brampton closed after three workers tested positive for COVID-19. With 13,000 workers at risk, Maple Leaf President Michael McCain issued a statement saying “our first priority is to keep our people safe so the decision was made to shut down the facility pending a full risk assessment.”

No date for reopening has been announced yet.

Farm Services

“T

he fertilizer and agronomy service has not changed much because it’s an isolated service anyway,” says Rob Gordon, controller for the Huron Bay Co-op which has over 10 locations in southwestern Ontario.

The crop season is just beginning and sales staff are no longer on the

road but are dealing with customers via phone and e-mail. Deliveries of seed and sprays are still being made.

“They still go to the farm and keep their distance. We pretty much know where to leave the skids of seeds so they unload and stay away,” said Gordon.

Spraying and fertilizer spreading has always been done by individuals.

So from an agronomy standpoint, it is business as usual.

What has changed are store operations. All retail locations have been closed to the public.

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and commodity markets are more volatile than normal with a declining trend. There is a great deal of financial pressure across the industry that is in addition to everyone’s concern for family and friends. It is a trying time for everyone.”

“I will say, however, that this situation has brought the importance of farmers and our food supply to the forefront. We will see innovation across the value stream to meet the changing demands of the consumer.”

self-isolate for 14 days. If they do get sick, they must continue isolation.

On April 13, the Government of Canada announced it would allocate $50 million to help farmers, fish harvesters, and all food production and processing employers to help pay for transportation, accommodation and food supply costs when providing for temporary workers during the isolation period.

Lenders

Fruits & Vegetables

F

armers who grow fruits and vegetables rely on temporary foreign workers to plant, grow and harvest their crops. Fearing further collapse of the Canadian economy and recognizing the need to grow food locally, Patty Hajdu, the Minister of Health, announced temporary foreign workers would be exempt from the Quarantine Act. However, the workers will be closely monitored. They will have to undergo mandatory health checks prior to boarding and an assessment upon arrival in Canada. Anyone with symptoms will not be permitted to travel.

Once in Canada, and symptomfree, they can travel by private vehicle to housing where they must

C

OVID-19 adds another level of risk which adds stress to farmers and can impact farm profitability. Farm Credit Canada regularly posts articles on issues such as risk management, government programs, and business plans to help farmers deal with financial stress.

As to loan repayments, FCC has announced a COVID-19 support program which includes access to an additional line of credit up to $500,000. Details can be found on the FCC website.

Agricorp extended the application for coverage under the risk management program (RMP) until June 30, 2020 to give farmers more time to assess their program coverage needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. ◊

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Transactions are done over the phone and pickups made outside with payment done on account or by credit card. All meetings have been cancelled and communication is done by conference calls.

When judging how COVID-19 is affecting the agricultural industry, Gordon says “regardless of economic conditions in the world, farmers fight through situations the best they can.

Seems to me the highs never get too high or the lows too low.”

He does hope farmers will be able to explain to consumers why there are issues with food supply. Such as cheese. “Like those plants that shred cheese into huge totes for pizza chains. Well, I can’t quite handle a tote of shredded cheese, can you?” he asks. Processing plants just can’t retool fast enough to shift production to where it needs to be right now.

Meanwhile, at Hensall Co-op, services are also full steam ahead says CEO Brad Chandler.

“We have been deemed essential in both Ontario and Manitoba because we are critical to the food supply chain. We are processing human grade edible beans in Hensall and Mitchell, Ontario. We are delivering animal feed, feed ingredients and fuel throughout our trading area in Southwestern Ontario.

Our grain elevators and crop services outlets including our fertilizer blenders also continue to operate.

The pandemic struck just as the 2020 planting season was beginning and we continue to supply seed and fertilizer to our farm customers,” states Chandler.

In terms of changes, the most obvious ones have been to meet physical distancing requirements.

“For example, we are asking our customers to call ahead for pick up which allows our staff to reduce contact points. We have also moved some office staff to off-site offices and changed processing shifts so that our employees aren’t working as closely together.”

Reflecting on the impact of COVID-19 on the agricultural industry, Chandler says “This is a challenging time across the entire agricultural industry. “On the crop side, farmers are faced with making decisions on planting when financial

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May 2020 25

Dairy

Cows do produce a lot of methane but improving feed efficiency can also reduce methane output

Dairy farms can be profitable while reducing their carbon footprint

Dr. Claudia Wagner-Riddle (far, left) of the school of Environmental Science at the University of Guelph along with Dr. Tom Wright from OMAFRA have collaborated on a study which revealed that reducing the carbon footprint of milk production can be achieved while simultaneously improving the profitability of dairy farms.

Dr. Wagner-Riddle

F

Dr. Tom Wright

or many dairy producers, the thought association when asked about carbon footprints could likely be a negative one. Recently the industry has been under pressure to reduce their carbon footprint – a goal which to some could seem either costly, labour intensive, or both.

However, research out of the University of Guelph has a more optimistic perspective to bring to light. Susantha Jayasundara, a research associate from the University of Guelph who studies the environmental impact of livestock systems, has found a positive relationship between Ontario dairy farm profitability and their carbon footprints.

“Our broad question when we started this research was ‘Do farms that have higher profits pollute more?’” he describes of his research study, which he completed with the support from Dr. Claudia Wagner-Riddle of the School of Environmental Science at the University of Guelph.

“We wanted to see if there was a trade-off between

26 The Rural Voice

• By Linaya Pot • profitability and environmental impact in terms of a carbon footprint,” Dr. Wagner-Riddle contributed.

Their study, which was published in the Journal of Cleaner Production in 2019, found that reduction in the carbon footprint of milk production can be achieved while simultaneously improving the profitability of dairy farms.

“This shows that we don’t have to pick between the two” says Dr. Wagner-Riddle, “It doesn’t have to be a win-lose.”

A carbon footprint is the sum of all the greenhouse gasses being released into the environment from an individual, a corporation, or in this case – the production cycle of milk. Greenhouse gasses are responsible for trapping heat in the earth’s atmosphere, contributing to climate change and the increasing global temperature. A carbon footprint is usually expressed as the total tonnage of carbon and carbon equivalents being released into the atmosphere per year.

To ensure they were capturing all the sources of greenhouse gasses that are created during milk production, Jayasundara used the standard life cycle assessment approach for his economic analysis. “A standard life-cycle assessment means that we can see all the steps involved in the production of milk, including both the outside resources being brought into farms - such as fuel, fertilizers and feed purchased by the farmers – and then inside the farm as well, including crop production, animal management and manure storage� he listed. “This brings together all the upstream and downstream factors needed to produce milk, all the way up to the farm gate.�

The emissions from these factors can be mostly attributed to four main sources: methane and nitrous oxide from manure management, nitrous oxide from cropping and land use, carbon dioxide from fossil fuel-based energy – and the methane created directly by the cattle themselves.

As Dr. Wagner-Riddle points out, that unlike poultry or swine products, milk has a unique emission source. “For dairy – and beef as well – the animals themselves are a large source of methane,� she says.

Dairy cows are ruminants, meaning their stomach system is composed of four compartments. The rumen, the largest of these four compartments, host millions and millions of microorganisms that play a large role in breaking down and fermenting the fibre ingested by the cow. The fermentation of this fibre releases gasses with the cow’s rumen, mostly in the form of methane and carbon dioxide. To prevent bloating of the stomach, the cow periodically releases the gasses by belching them up. This process is called eructation, and it allows the cow to release up to 250 gallons of rumen gasses per day. This creates a substantial source of emissions – in fact, Jayasundara’s study found that it is responsible for over 43 per cent of the Ontario dairy farm’s carbon footprint.

Unfortunately for dairy producers, methane is a particularly potent greenhouse gas. Methane can trap over 70 times more heat in the

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ANIMAL HEALTH

atmosphere over a 20 year period than carbon dioxide. This methane production contributes to the agriculture industry’s emissions, which as a whole is responsible for over eight per cent of Canada’s total GHG emissions.

This substantial contribution to the national GHG was one of the incentives for the creation of Dairy Farmers of Canada’s national proAction program. One of the pillars of this program is to lessen the environmental impact of Canadian dairies, citing a goal of working alongside producers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to milk production. As a note of positivity, it also states that emissions from dairy farms have already substantially decreased since the 1990s.

This claim is reiterated by Dr. Wagner-Riddle. “We looked at census data from 1991 to 2011, and the data showed that there was a lot of improvement in greenhouse gas emissions over that time period. And then this study showed that overall, a lot of producers are quite efficient already.”

However, Dr. Tom Wright from OMAFRA, another collaborator from the study, cautioned that relying on the industry’s historical improvements would not be enough to endear the industry to the public.

“The industry is quick to point out thatits carbon footprint is much better than what it was 30 years ago, but this doesn’t resonate well with consumers because everything is better than what it was in the past.

Cars are more efficient, cows are more efficient – all industries are better than what they were,” he cautions. “The public wants to know what have you done for them lately.”

Wagner-Riddle agreed with this last sentiment. “There is still an obvious room for improvement – especially in the less profitable farms.”

Jayasundara’s study found that across the 142 Ontario dairy farms used in the study, the carbon footprint of milk varied by about 4fold – a much higher range of variation than what was previously estimated. This means that while there are some very efficient farms, there are also some with high

emissions relative to their milk production.

Wright thinks that the results from this study could really highlight the fact that this is an opportunity for these producers. “Since the link between profitability and carbon footprint is so strong – this is a chance to do something that is good for the producer that is also good in the eyes of the consumer.”

Dr. Wagner-Riddle also commented on this strong link. “I didn’t expect it to be such a clear correlation” she said of the relationship between CF and profitability. “Often in the GHG research space, theoretically, we know that efficiency gains leads to reduced emissions. But we saw this very clear result with real, on-farm data.”

Due to this strong link, farmers that are simply trying to improve profitability can indirectly improve their carbon footprint. “By looking at, and trying to improve their bottom line, they can also improve on their

environmental impact,” says Dr. Wagner-Riddle says of Ontario dairies. In fact, their study suggests that in the absence of explicit GHG reduction policies, the main incentive for reducing emissions could result from the economic pressure on farmers to increase their profitability per cow.

However, if dairy farmers are trying to send a message to consumers about improved carbon footprints – the intentions must be clear. “Carbon mitigation also needs to be a direct strategy, not just a side benefit” emphasizes Dr. WagnerRiddle. “We are looking for farmers to be engaged in the fight for the environment.”

Thankfully there are many ways to do this, says Jayasundara. His study lists a number of management factors that they found were correlated with the carbon footprint of milk and farm profitability: calving interval, replacement rate, milk yield, feed use intensity, land occupation, and stocking rate.

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They also found that the farms with lower carbon footprins had several defining characteristics.

Average age at first calving and average calving interval were lower in low-emitting farms. Secondly, these farms had higher feed efficiency with a reduced reliance on purchased feed sources. Instead, the farms used more home-grown forages, specifically corn silage.

“Overall, we found that if a farm could improve feed efficiency, this is what led to decreased GHG emission per unit of milk. The farm can achieve this through a various number of crop, livestock and manure management techniques,” says Jayasundara. What he wanted to emphasize was that it wasn’t just one factor contributing to the lower CF. “There is no ‘number one’ thing to do – it’s essential to work on all these factors that work together to decrease the carbon footprint.”

What Jayasundara and Dr. Wagner-Riddle suggest is that each farm should try to determine their current base line level of emissions –

which is important to be able to monitor and assess the farm’s sustainability performance from year to year.

To help determine a base line, Dr. Wright suggests that producers visit the https://dairyfarmsplus.ca/ website, which has on online module to measure a farm’s environmental footprint and compare it to the provincial and national averages. The same website has resources and fact sheets to help improve feed efficiency and manure emissions, which are based directly on research from Dr. Wagner-Riddle.

Producers may be heartened to know they aren’t alone in this fight.

Many agriculture universities have ongoing research trials with a goal to reduce emissions on dairy farms.

One such example is the Efficient Dairy Genome Project, an ongoing trial occurring at the University of Guelph’s Elora Research Station.

The main goal of this project is to combine genomics with methane and feed efficiency measurements to identify genetic markers that can be

used to develop new breeding goals, explains Dr. Dave Seymour, a recent PhD graduate who worked on the study. The introduction of these traits into the Canadian dairy breeding program would allow selection of cattle with improved feed efficiency and lower methane emissions.

“So in theory, if we can combine short-term progress through management techniques, with longterm genetic progress, we can improve the carbon footprint of milk,” he says.

In the end, it will be researchers and producers both working together to reduce emissions of Canadian dairies. Luckily, Canadian producers are adept at changing and improving, says Dr. Wagner-Riddle.

“The industry as a whole is always constantly improving. We always try to produce more with less resources – so the overall impact on the environment is less.”

Other collaborators on the study include: David Worden, Alfons Weersink, Andrew Vander Zaag and Robert Gordon. ◊

May 2020 31

Vet Care

Trap. Neuter. Release. Catch Mice.

The East Village Animal Hospital supports low-income clients with veterinary care while also offering a trap, neuter and release program for barn cats • By Lisa B. Pot •

W

Laurie Ristmae, Executive Director of the East Village Animal Hospital in Kitchener, picks up a cage with a barn cat that was spayed for a rural client. The program makes sure wild barn cats don’t procreate but can still perform their function of rodent control on farms across Ontario.

32 The Rural Voice

hen a stray cat showed up on a farm outside of London, the landowners took him to the East Village Animal Hospital (EVAH) to get “her” spayed, knowing they offered a feral cat program.

That cat turned out to be a “he”, was renamed McConaughey because he was so handsome, and is now the cover cat in this issue of The Rural Voice as he lounges with his new owner, Ann Marie Patkus, manager of the EVAH in Kitchener.

“That family was worried about keeping him at the farm because they had a large dog that wasn’t cat friendly,” remembers Patkus. “So they kept sending me videos and I knew he was mine. Now he’s a little diva. Even one drop of rain and he’s inside.”

Patkus loves McConaughey and the situation is representative of the kind of work that goes on at EVAH in Kitchener, one of two hospitals started by Dr. Martha Harding, a woman described as “incredibly compassionate and caring who felt a very deep sense of responsibility as a vet to provide accessible vet care to those in need,” says Laurie Ristmae, Kitchener EVAH’s Executive Director.

Though located in the city, EVAH provides a valuable service to the farming community via its Trap, Neuter and Release Program (which is currently suspended during the COVID-19 crisis).

The hospital remains open. Farmers with feral or barn cats can trap said cats, bring them to the clinic in the morning for spay, neutering and vaccinations.

The ears of the barn cats are notched, a symbol of their outdoor/barn cat status. Owners are charged $50 for males and $60 for females, plus tax. There is an additional charge for treatment of parasites.

The clinic offers the service at a loss but Ristmae said it serves a real purpose.

“When you sterilize and vaccinate a cat, it is not only good for that animal, but for the entire environment,” says Ristmae. “It reduces unwanted behaviours such as spraying and fighting and popping out unwanted kittens. Then you have a healthier colony in the barn that can serve their purpose keeping the rodent population down.”

If farm families end up with a litter of barn kittens, EVAH will take them. “We have good

connections for rehoming. We get them all fixed and then find them new homes,” says Ristmae.

People drive in from all over Ontario to take advantage of the service, which is significantly cheaper than what a veterinarian can charge. Veterinarians in private practice need to charge a fee to stay in business. The only reason EVAH can offer the service at these rates is because it is a non-profit organization. “When we originally opened the clinic, a local family, the Webers, and a rescue organization called Animal Outreach funded it.

Now we rely on volume and two years in, the clinic is sustainable because it is a non-profit,” explains Ristmae.

The clinic also offers an indoor pet cat and dog program, but only for low-income families. New clients are screened for their income levels so no one takes advantage of the service.

The clinic performed a total of 8,700 spays and neuters between the two clinics last year. That includes cats and dogs. The clinic actually performs more surgeries on dogs via their partnership with groups like the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) which serves indigenous communities.

Not so coincidentally, Ristmae founded the ARF after adopting a dog from a friend who had worked with Two Nations in Alberta. “When I realized how incredible this huge beast of a dog was, I started volunteering with that group in Alberta.” Seeing the great need in those communities, ARF Ontario was formed and works with over 10 First Nation communities.

It’s clear Ristmae, like Patkus, has a great love for animals. In fact, it’s evident in the whole clinic as I get a tour of the facilities. Though not large, the clinic is bursting with staff and volunteers.

In one corner, Fiona, a student who had just been accepted into a veterinary technician program, sits with a cat that is just coming out of anesthesia. She will check for pupil response and measure the cat’s temperature while comforting the animal.

“She is our eyes on that cat. We

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34 The Rural Voice

are high volume so we need high quality care. Animals are constantly monitored in our care,” explains Ristmae. Other volunteers include the “cleaning ninjas” and people who organize admissions and/or greet clients coming into the clinic.

During the interview, one of the veterinarians, a Dr. Barb, is filling in paperwork but can’t help but interject as we talk about the staff and volunteers.

“We work here for the people,” says Dr. Barb. “You have to have a strong leader and we have Laurie at the helm and it naturally attracts other people that have the same goals.” Dr. Barb is paid but it sounds like it might not equal her other veterinary job. However, part of working here is about celebrating life. “I just recently went through cancer treatment and working here is about giving back. It’s fun and it feels good to give back,” she says.

Patkus agrees. “This is a very supportive environment but I also feel very strongly about helping rescue groups and helping people who are lower income,” she says.

“It’s a busy clinic but we are there to help the client when they have to say goodbye to their pet. We feel with them.”

Many families who live in a lower income bracket haven’t been able to access veterinarian care for their pets before. “These clients have a fear of judgment but we are a judgment-free zone. We are here to help,” says Ristmae.

The next goal for EVAH is to be registered as a charity. It will be a process but Ristmae says for those who work at the clinic, it means the clinic would live on despite who runs it. “It would bring peace of mind to all of us who have created this entity that we could gift it forwards so that it would always be governed as a charity.”

Ristmae explains that working at the clinic is, for her, a sense of calling.

“Since a very young age, I have been drawn to animals and it was devastating for me to see any kind of suffering,” says Ristmae. “I finally got to an age where I could do something about it, one animal at time.”

That one at a time philosophy has turned into thousands of animals a year.

EVAH Kitchener is located right in the city, on Weber Street.

The location is strategic. Since most of the clients are low-income, they need to get to the office via a bus route.

For more information, check out their website at https://evah. ca/kitchener.html or call 519-8942323 for the Kitchener EVAH. London EVAH is 519-455-3824. ◊

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Both dogs and cats are treated at the East Village Animal Hospital in Kitchener which provides pet care for low income families. Above, Fiona, volunteers to measure the temperature of a cat coming out of surgery while handsome McConaughey cuddles with owner Ann Marie Patkus, a manager with EVAH.

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May 2020 35

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May 2020 37

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36 The Rural Voice

May 2020 37

Artistry

Wildlife releases creativity Metal is a blank canvas for Oxford County artist Rich Baker who is currently working on a metal rooster for a client in Switzerland • By Bob Reid •

I

When he first opened his welding shop, Harrington artist Rich Baker made a pig trough for a neighbour but his artistic leanings took over and he chose to become a metal sculptor, focusing on capturing wildlife in metal, though the odd farm animal, such as the rooster (above) does catch his fancy. ~Photo by Bob Reid

38 The Rural Voice

n the right hands, the same sheet of metal used to make a trough for feeding pigs can be used to sculpt a bald eagle or a rooster.

Rich Baker has created both in his small wooden framed workshop on the home property shared with wife Jenn in the Oxford County hamlet of Harrington.

“To me a bare sheet of metal is like a blank canvas,” said Baker, a clear indication of where his true interests lie.

When he moved to the property 10 years ago and opened a welding shop, his first job was to make a pig trough for a neighbour. It was the first and last job his welding shop took on for repairing or fabricating farm equipment.

He decided immediately that he wanted to make a living sculpting with metal, founding Rich Baker Distinctive Sculpture Metalworks.

It was not too surprising that the business took on more of an artistic bent. Baker’s first career was as a musician, travelling across the continent performing and writing country music.

The main part of his income at that time came from writing music for other performing artists with several of his songs topping the country charts in Canada.

“The music industry is a hard one to survive in because more people want to see you fail than succeed,” recalled Baker of that tumultuous period in his life.

He disconnected himself completely from the music industry and joined the United Steel Workers and began welding metal door frames. He later applied to the Canadian military but before that was

processed he was able to secure a wolves that inspired one of his Baker has been involved with welding job working for General recently completed works. wildlife rescue much closer to home Electric.

“It has taken months to complete,” involving bald eagles and owls. As a While that provided an said Baker of the wolf head profile. result he was given the honour of opportunity for developing metal While it is difficult to attach an releasing a red-tailed hawk and a working skills, the repetition andhourly rate to his work he estimated snowy owl rehabilitated by confinement in a fully enclosed the piece would be offered online – Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge near building eventually became the main marketing venue used – for Jarvis, Ontario. The organization is overwhelming. $3,000. He also sells his work at the staffed by volunteers who are young “I couldn’t take being closed in,” Art In The Park outdoor summer offenders, youth at risk or adult said Baker who is an avid hiker and displays in Stratford. offenders. close observer of nature. The desire Baker is currently working on a That experience inspired Baker to for being closer to nature resulted in kangaroo sculpture which will be create an “anatomically correct” the move to Harrington which auctioned online to raise money for a metal owl that currently sits in his happens to border the Wildwood wildlife rescue foundation in shop. He has read and researched Conservation Area.

Australia called Wildlife, articles on owls to replicate exactly While he needed to make a living Information, Rescue and Education how many feathers a mature owl has. with his metal working skills he (WIRE.) It is estimated that one Many of the sculptures Baker immediately determined it wouldn’t billion animals have been affected or creates are related to his contact with be patching grain elevators or wagon destroyed in wildlife fires there. wildlife. He described his first tongues. Instead he began encounter with a timber wolf in making stick figures by Northern Ontario as “breath welding together antique nails. taking.”

There was demand for the Two packs of wolves, figures that provided an attracted by all the deer in the income but that work too nearby conservation park, can became repetitious. This be heard howling from his pointed Baker toward taking on doorstep. the more complex and Bald eagles are also complicated sculptures of plentiful in the area. wildlife that now occupy his Two of Baker’s sculptures time and talents. now perch on municipal signs He works with thin metal welcoming visitors to sheets from 16 to 22 gauge Harrington – a bald eagle at from which he cuts individual one end of the main street pieces using metal shears. entrance and a heron at the These are pounded into the other. desired shape with a variety of Baker’s work sculpting farm ball-peen hammers. animals has not been as Larger pieces are pounded extensive. He did keep a small into shape on a 500-pound flock of chickens for a short section of maple tree. period but found it too Baker did take a blacksmith emotionally draining when – as course, working with a forge, chickens are prone to do – one but he found it took too much died. time to shape the metal pieces Still, he was able to use that he wanted. He prefers cutting experience for creating a metal and shaping the cold metal by rooster for a customer in hand or using a plasma cutter.

Switzerland, enjoying the Currently eight of his opportunity to create a life-size wildlife sculptures are featured sculpture. at the Algonquin Park Art For some reason he Center, along with other admitted to struggling when notable artists such as Robert trying to sculpt horses in metal Bateman. and moose as well. Fortunately Metal is Rich Baker’ medium and he uses it to It was while on a hike wildlife stirs something inside sculpt wildlife. Eight of his sculptures are featured through Algonquin Park in the that releases his creativity. at the Alonquin Park Art Centre. He is currently fall two years ago with another “If art speaks to you, you working on a Kangaroo to raise money for an artist that Baker came in figure out a way to create,” Australian wildlife rescue centre. contact with the pack of red said Baker. ◊ May 2020 39

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Advice • Lisa B. Pot •

Financing for Start-Ups and Growth An expert panel advised entrepreneurs to make an excellent business plan and seek wise advice when starting up

R

estaurants and retail operations create more fear than excitement for traditional and creative lenders but the emergence of small farm entrepreneurs is exciting says Paul Nichol, General Manager of Community Futures Huron.

“For a lifetime, it has been about ‘bigger is better’ in agriculture but we are starting to get a lot of pickup on small farm operations,” says Nichol. “These are the direct-tomarket folks or the ones who make small runs of processed beverages.

This has become an emerging sector that excites me.”

Nichol was one of six experts on the “Financing for Startups and Growth” panel held March 4 at Cowbell in Blyth. It was organized

by Huron County Economic Development (HCED) to spur those with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Sharing Nichol’s excitement for new business was Patrick Donnelly, a business coach with HCED who spoke on small business services and grant programs. John Kiser of Libro Credit Union discussed what traditional lenders expect and are willing to expend for start-ups. Kirk Irving said the Business Development Bank of Canada is the only bank dedicated to entrepreneurs.

Lawyer Quinn Ross of The Ross Firm Professional Corporation provided technical and strategic support while John Marshall of John D. Marshall & Associates shared his experience from working over 25 years in mergers and acquisitions.

Little could the panelists or the County know that COVID-19 was right around the corner while encouraging entrepreneurial action.

While times of isolation do not bode well for new businesses, there is never a wrong time to work on an idea “with legs” said moderator Alex

Paul Nichol Community Futures Huron

Patrick Donnelly, Huron County Economic Development

Ripley, a development officer with HCED. Entrepreneurs can start with a visit to see Donnelly at HCED who, as a business coach, will ask direct questions. “Being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone,” said Donnelly.

“It takes a specific set of skills, attitude and philosophies.”

Entrepreneurs need passion, excellent people skills and the ability to not take “no” for an answer.

The next task is to prepare a business plan and search out what grants and financing is available.

Huron County’s Starter Company Plus program offers $5,000 to entrepreneurs looking to start, expand or purchase an existing business. To qualify, applicants must have a business plan and a two-year cash flow projection.

Nichol said start-up loans are a fairly typical loan for Community Futures Huron. “We will take on new entrepreneurs and new business startups that are risky,” he said.

“Without a track record it can be hard to get money from traditional sources but we are not afraid of startups at all.” The difference is that Community Futures is not so much focused on collateral as they are on an excellent business plan.

“A good business plan is the number one thing we look at it in terms of the viability of a business,” said Nichol. “The second is character loans.” Nichol said it’s a combination of having a good business plan and believing in the individual that will prompt board members to release loans of up to $300,000 to entrepreneurs.

Kiser, a Libro lender, stated that banks are more conservative in their approach to lending money. They are less likely to invest in risky ventures but as a credit union, Libro is very focused on local communities. “We know the communities we work in and while we don’t take higher risks than banks, we ... are more likely to be receptive to certain applications,” May 2020 41

Advice said Kiser. Libro is open to looking at home ownership as equity, or fulltime employment as backup for a part-time startup. “If those are not options, we can help you with dayto-day banking and then refer you to Community Futures or the Business Development Bank of Canada.

That was Irving’s cue to promote the Business Development Bank of Canada’s (BDC) website, which, said Irving, has “fantastically curated content” on how to start a business.

“There is a template on how to create a great business plan as well as articles and tips on putting a proposal together and approaching a banker for a loan,” said Irving. The way BDC works is if you have a great plan, and are willing to invest half the capital, they will lend the other half.

Whether you should be a sole owner or a corporation is the subject lawyers like Ross can weigh in on.

“The lawyer’s job is to try and get you what you need on the most favourable terms with as little security as possible,” said Ross. He doesn’t mind when entrepreneurs seek advice and says he often does it at no cost, knowing they will return in goodwill.

Good advice is the key to a successful business and Marshall’s advice to the crowd was to surround themselves with the best. “Legal, business and human resources are landmine issues...surround yourself with great people and do it religiously,” he said. “The most successful businesses spend the money to hire the right professionals to sit around their table.”

Also, when looking for funds, sometimes it’s wise to look to your employees. “We would tell the employees we wanted to keep to leverage their houses to have a stake in the company. In this way, we kept the employees we wanted and they had a vested interest in the company.”

Moderator Ripley then asked the experts if a business wanted to rise to the next level and purchase equipment or hire more employees, how would investors and banks respond?

Kiser from Libro said with a 42 The Rural Voice

three-year project cash-flow and enough security, loans like that can be approved. Equipment is a tool that does a job for you and can help you either earn revenue or reduce expenses. With a forecast on advantages of equipment, Libro would take the piece of equipment as security and offer term financing over the useful life of the machine.

Nichol said what’s important when looking to expand is to “keep your hand on the tiller.” Many times

business owners rely on their accountant but he says you cannot assume your bookkeeper will tell you all you need to do. Keeping your hand in the business is key to success.

As a lawyer, Ross said when a business owner wants to expand, he helps them investigate if they have reached critical mass or if they need to revamp their systems. Then it’s time to ask questions. Do they need debt financing or equity financing?

John Kiser Libro Credit Union

Kirk Irving, Business Development Bank of Canada

Quinn Ross The Ross Firm Corporation

John Marshall John D. Marshall & Associates

Are the structures that are in place as lean as possible? Is it time to seek private equity to invest in the business? “This results in owning less but provides the capital to invest in the next great step,” explained Ross.

Having served as a lawyer for many companies, Ross can share insight into the strategies other businesses have used to succeed.

When it comes to loans themselves, remember that equity can be used for a down payment, While banks do require down payments, the BDC can finance 100 per cent of a company start up or expansion if the cash flow makes sense. Alternately, entrepreneurs can establish a “lease to own” option so that a certain amount from the lease payment goes toward down payment of the property.

The environment must always be a consideration. Environmental assessments are often mandatory for banks and even non-traditional lenders. Doing an assessment can be viewed as a protection device, suggested Nichol, for it’s through these assessments that you learn if a property requires expensive restoration plans or not.

Other advice the panel had to offer included: • Marshall: “Do not skimp on HR. It’s the mistake of a lifetime. We learned from experience that what you need to focus on is professional relationships and your relationship with your lender.”

• Ross: “Make the time to investigate your business to the most granular level. Then iterate and improve every process in your business. This takes discipline but it is absolutely the key to success.”

• Irving: “We once had a business owner who wanted to buy a building that came up (for sale) next door.

While at his business, he showed us a woodworking machine and all the fantastic things they were working on. He had pictures on his phone but no website to show people the capabilities of his little shop. Instead of buying the building, we had a discussion with him about how to grow his business. If you lack skills in a certain area, such as marketing,

then bring in the expertise.”

• Kiser: “Make that business plan.

It is critical. And make sure you have three to five years worth of cash flow. By realistic, I mean make it conservative. You want to be sure it is going to work.”

• Nichol: “If you are selfemployed, look after yourself. And if you are an employer, look after your staff. You and your employees are far more scarce in the marketplace than financing is.” ◊

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May 2020 43

Photos by Bonnie Sitter

On the lookout for spring warblers The Stratford Naturalist Club has experienced members willing to help new members identify native and migratory birds, as well as spring wildflowers

T

Tours with the Stratford Naturalist Club take people through woodlots to discover native spring flowers such as the Showy Ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Slipper (top) as well as Hepatica and the white Trout Lily, otherwise known as Dogtooth violet.

44 The Rural Voice

he Stratford Naturalist Club began in 1966 and its members organize a program of walks for not only their members but the public. Members also participate in scientific research by observing and recording bird species for projects such as the Christmas Bird Count, the Breeding Bird Atlas and the Chimney Swift Watch.

Membership in the club is very affordable at $30 for an individual or $40 for a family. Students are encouraged to join for $10. Excursions to Long Point, Point Pelee, Springwater Conservation Area etc. are offered throughout the year.

There are several exciting natural areas to explore in the Stratford area. Both the Avon and Thames Rivers offer opportunities to enjoy bird watching in all seasons.

The T.J. Dolan Natural Area at the edge of Stratford is a local favourite place to bird watch and enjoy the spring wildflowers. North of Stratford is the Ellice Swamp and to the west in the Mitchell are the West Perth Wetlands, originally created in partnership with Ducks Unlimited.

The area has become a magnet for birders from across Ontario. To the south near St. Marys is Wildwood Conservation Area managed by the Upper Thames Conservation Authority.

The Stratford Field Naturalists participate in the stewardship of the McTavish Tract. In April, club members show they care about the environment with their annual roadside cleanup between Stratford and Sebringville.

The end of April until mid-June is a time of extra special beauty in the deciduous woodlands in a large portion of Southwestern Ontario.

Late April and the month of May are ideal times to be looking for wildflowers and spring warblers. Trips to the shore of Lake Huron are spent looking for shore birds while drives down country roads afford sights of bobolinks. River excursions on kayaks and canoes are also part of the fun.

The Stratford Naturalist Club has experienced and talented members who are passionate about all things in nature. They are willing to help others identify spring flowers, fungi, ferns, trees and species of birds as they follow the warblerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s migration through Southern Ontario. They have keen eyes and ears, often hearing the song before they spot the bird. Without leaves on the trees, they get their binoculars focused and find the tiny warblers that are singing their hearts out. Once the leaves appear, bird watching becomes more difficult.

There may be a few lingering Tundra Swans yet.

They usually arrive in March. Listen for them as they fly

over and check for them at Hullett Wildlife Area and Greenway, Long Point and Aylmer. You can often see them in flooded fields among the corn stubble as they stop to rest and feed before heading to the Canadian Arctic and Alaska. The mass migration takes three to four weeks in Southern Ontario.

When looking for birds and

wildflowers, a wildflower identification guide and a field guide to birds is a good investment.

Binoculars and a camera are also worth buying if you are serious about studying nature. It’s an activity you can keep doing all your life, in any part of the world. Birding is the fastest-growing outdoor activity in America. ◊

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The Stratford Naturalist Club plans canoe and kayak outings, such as this one at Pinery Park (top, left) while trail walking is a preferred method to explore the woods as they unfurl spring flowers. Bird watching is a popular and growing hobby for naturalists. Club leaders can often identify birds by their sounds, allowing new members (and the public) to search for the singer via their camera lens and binoculars (above).

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May 2020 45

Recipes by Anne Mann

Family Fun Day in the kitchen

I

planned to write about pizza in the summer when there were fresh tomatoes and vegetables for toppings but a lot of people are home now and less likely to go out to pick up a pizza so this is a perfect time to have your own pizza day. You will need to plan ahead to include yeast, cheese, tomatoes or sauce and your favourite toppings in your weekly trip to the store. We are fortunate to have greenhouse cherry tomatoes and peppers grown locally and your own green onions may even be ready to use from the garden.

There are three main components to pizza; crust, sauce and toppings so I will separate it into these components.

What are your favourite pizza combos? I choose what I have from these best-loved toppings; • mozzarella over all and extra feta or parmesan cheese to finish it off • some bacon (cooked ahead), pepperette or other cured sausage or ham • sweet peppers, arugula or spinach, olives (black or green), mushrooms • fresh herbs and always onions, maybe two types and some chives to brighten the top.

When I want to impress I will caramelize the onions with the mushrooms and peppers before dressing the pizza.

The base can be as simple as a frozen premade crust or dough or an English muffin for an individual kid style lunch but I challenge you to try one of the homemade alternatives below.

The truly great pizzas take the tomato sauce to another level so whichever crust you use try making the sauce below with some roasted tomatoes, peppers and onions. I think you will agree it is worth the effort.

Roasted Tomato Pizza Sauce I started pureeing my frozen “flavour packs” (roasted tomato and pepper mixtures), as I described in September 2017 Rural Voice , for pizza sauce a couple of years ago and it was very simple and really boosted

46 The Rural Voice

The truly great pizzas take sauce to a new level so while experimenting with gluten or cauliflower crusts, also try making sauce with roasted tomatoes, peppers and onions. Homemade pizzas are a Mann family (above) favourite! the flavour of the pizza. I know most people do not have this in their freezer so I thought I would see if you could make something similar during the winter with a package of greenhouse cherry tomatoes and peppers and I was really pleased with the results.

Ingredients: 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, locally sourced 1 sweet coloured pepper ½ medium onion 1 clove garlic Olive oil

Salt and pepper ½ tsp oregano ½ tsp basil Directions: Drizzle olive oil over whole tomatoes, chopped peppers, onions and garlic on a baking pan.

Toss together with salt, pepper, oregano and basil and bake at 400 °F for 30 minutes.

Mash together or puree. I got about 1 ½ cups of sauce which is probably enough for 3 pizzas.

Cauliflower Pizza I have been wanting to try the

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May 2020 47

Rural Living

cauliflower crust that is made without flour for some time and this article got me going. I liked it a lot, did not think it too much work and would make it again especially when cauliflower is in season. I don’t think I have ever eaten one third of a cauliflower in one sitting before!

Ingredients: 1 medium head cauliflower 1 egg 1/8 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 cup grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese 1/2 tsp basil 1/2 tsp oregano Directions: Wash cauliflower and separate into florets and chop coarsely before placing in food processor in 2 batches. Pulse several times until about the texture of rice and transfer to parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 375°F for 15 - 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and place in a cloth lined colander and cool 5 minutes. Squeeze the liquid out of the cauliflower as hard as you can until no more liquid is coming out.

Mix drained cauliflower with salt, pepper, cheese and herbs.

Drizzle some oil on the cleaned parchment and sprinkle with corn meal then press cauliflower dough onto pan into a rough circle about 12 -15 inches.

Bake 20 minutes at 425 - 450°F then carefully flip over and bake another five minutes.

Cover with sauce, cheese and your favourite toppings then bake until cheese starts to brown.

Pizza Dough While I was on the cauliflower kick I thought I would ask my son, Nick, to make the wheat pizza from my cookbook, using cauliflower for the liquid in that dough and he thought it worked out really well so for those fortunate enough to have pizza with wheat flour I hope you try this with or without the cauliflower!

Ingredients: 1/2 cup warm water 1/2 cup grated raw cauliflower with 1 Tbsp milk or 1/4 cup milk 2 tsp instant yeast 2 tsp honey 1 tsp salt

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1 egg 1 tsp olive oil 2 - 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, half whole wheat if desired Directions: Mix water, cauliflower, milk, yeast, honey, salt, egg, olive oil and 1 1/4 cups flour with electric mixer for 5 minutes OR if you are making the dough by hand use a wooden spoon to add flour until the mixture forms a dough then let it sit for several minutes.

Continue kneading with electric mixer if you have a dough attachment, slowly adding remaining flour OR knead by hand for 5 -10 minutes, adding any remaining flour and a little more if needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place in an oiled bowl, turning to grease the top, cover and let rise in a warm place, until doubled in size, about an hour.

Divide in half and round each piece of dough into a ball.

Let sit for five minutes before trying to roll out ball.

Rub two, 12 inch pizza pans with oil and sprinkle with corn meal.

Roll dough as far as it will stretch then let it relax a few minutes before continuing to roll to desired thickness. I keep switching back and forth between the two crusts and use lots of flour on the counter. It will make the dough roll much more evenly.

Place the dough on the prepared pan when it is rolled to the right size.

Brush with olive oil and spread tomato sauce, pizza sauce or pesto and cover with shredded mozzarella or other cheese and toppings of your choice.

Let the crusts with toppings rise for about half an hour.

Bake at 425°F - 450°F for 12 - 15 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling.

Makes 2 - 12 inch pizzas Gluten-free Pizza Crust If they ever find a cure for Celiac disease one of my first outings will be to a restaurant with a good woodfired pizza, but for now I keep trying to find a gluten-free alternative that gives you most of the qualities you want in pizza. As in all bread formulations gluten-free alternatives

Recipes lack the elasticity that wheat flour gives to trap air and maintain structure so I think the thinner crust is better suited to GF pizza and I have adapted my method to skip the proofing stage. Instead, I like to develop the sourdough-like flavour by making the dough in the morning then just spreading and baking at dinner time.

With pizza there is the additional challenge of keeping the toppings from soaking into the GF crust and making it soggy. To minimize this tendency it is essential to completely bake the gluten-free crust before topping. The bottom gets so nice and crisp so I have been turning the crust when it is almost done and I think this does improve the end product (although I have broken the crust at times doing that - the toppings glue it back together).

Inspired by the delicious cauliflower crust at Boston Pizza, I have replaced the liquid in my latest adaptation with pureed cauliflower and I think it works well and hopefully adds a few nutrients.

Initially I topped the finished crust with grated cheese to keep the toppings from soaking but we liked it better with the cheese right in the crust. It does need to be tested a few more times but, alas, the article was due..... so you will have to let me know how it works for you.

Ingredients: 3/4 cup cauliflower puree, room temperature 1 tsp white sugar 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 egg 1 1/4 cup GF bread flour 1/2 tsp xanthan gum 1 tsp instant yeast 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp corn meal 1/4 cup grated mozzarella or your choice of cheese corn meal to sprinkle on pan Directions: In the morning or earlier in the day combine cauliflower puree, sugar, olive oil and egg.

Sift flour, xanthan gum, salt and yeast together into liquid ingredients.

Stir in corn meal and grated cheese and mix until combined.

Beat for two minutes until dough

is sticky and smooth.

Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with oiled plastic wrap then let sit at room temperature for two or more hours. I make it in the morning or at lunch to use for supper.

Oil a 12” pizza pan and sprinkle with corn meal and spoon dough evenly around the pan.

Oil a piece of plastic wrap and place over dough then use your hands to press the dough together to cover

the entire pan.

Remove plastic and dock with a fork all over then pre-bake crust in 400 F oven for 12 minutes until bottom begins to brown.

Turn and bake another 12 - 15 minutes until done.

Cover with a good tomato sauce and grated mozzarella and your favourite toppings and bake for 15 minutes at 400 F until cheese is melted and browning. ◊

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May 2020 49

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

roses. Once I see those lovely, bright yellow flowers, I am busy with my nippers in the garden. Once peonies bloom it is time to plant heat-loving fruits and veggies like melons. I saw a great list on Facebook offering more advice on timing linked to the bloom time of perennials. When you see certain well-known perennials blooming in the garden it indicates certain temperature benchmarks have been reached and is a good indicator that it is warm enough to plant certain vegetables. But I neglected to copy it and I have found it is no simple task to go back to find Not writing about COVID-19 is something in that ‘rabbit hole’. like ignoring an elephant in your Peas, lettuce, beets, carrots and garden. Those of us who have the Swiss chard can be planted before the luxury of being able to be in our last frost. I find that beets and carrots gardens certainly appreciate the tend to take their time until it gets distraction and the time to do some warmer and in some cases will start chores often left to fall! Cleaning up to rot. So waiting just a few days corners, doing some pruning, longer to let the soil warm up a bit scraping planters and doors in prep more can make all the difference. If for painting, and so on. you are ambitious you can cover the Growers and suppliers of garden garden plot with a clear plastic sheet products plan their spring season the which heats better than black, to previous fall and are ready to go into warm the soil. full swing starting the first of May. In Most of your favourite local fact some growers start sooner with growers will be having the customary plants intended for Easter sales. I am selection of tomatoes, cabbage, leeks trying to imagine all the hydrangea etc. in six packs or individual pots and Easter lilies on the shelves as and you will probably have to call in well as those sweet pots of pansies. your order and then do curbside In April I took advantage of Art’s pickup. It works for Landscaping in Goderich groceries and building who offered to deliver pots supplies! Who knew ‘tap’ of purchased pansies in Goderich. I ordered for both on the debit machine my daughter and step-mom. would be a lifesaver.

The pots of cheerful pansies Smaller growers may or appeared on their front step may not take cash. Best to and brought a smile to their check first. faces.

As of press time the I suspect that by the time Farmer’s Market in you read this there is the Goderich is cancelled until possibility we may still be the end of June. But some confined to our homes. growers like Firmly Whatever the Rooted are able to circumstances, gardeners distribute some of their have already picked up on produce through local the need for food and seed small grocery stores. companies have If you are missing experienced unprecedented touring your favourite seed sales. In some cases garden centre looking for a sales were temporarily The need to isolate in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic certain perennial this may halted for new orders by has many people turning to gardening. It’s a good time of be a good time to assess mid-April due to volume. year to split large perennials such as overgrown hostas your own garden and But it is a temporary glitch (above) as well as plant cool weather crops such as peas, create more plants by and Ontario Seed Company lettuce and carrots. dividing them. Perennials

There will be enough seeds for everyone

50 The Rural Voice

assured their customers they have enough seed for everyone’s needs.

In times of community stress, growing your own food makes sense and directs your attention to something more hopeful. If you are fortunate to have a wee patch of yard you can try your hand at a number of basic items like peas, lettuces, beets and beans. Even an oversized pot for tomatoes or herbs will do the trick.

The best advice is to follow the instructions on your pack of seeds.

Don’t over-fertilize and mind your watering. Too much is as bad as too little. I know it sounds complicated if you have not tended a plant before but use your instincts and trust your eyes. Seed companies offer great advice on all the seeds they sell either on their website or in their catalogues so you get the results to your table.

Best advice is to grow what you like and don’t over do it the first season. Peas, beets and lettuce can be planted before the last frost but if you don’t like to eat them….

There is always the old question of when to plant what. Simple observation of what is going on in your garden, or your neighbour’s, will offer some clues to timing of planting vegetables. I always refer to forsythia as my guide when pruning

Gardening don’t mean you plant them and leave them alone forever. You know it is time to divide and rejuvenate some perennials when there is a drop in robust growth or the centres are dying out. Hostas and Siberian Iris are perfect examples and you can lift them, cut them into wedges and replant in several spots, with the addition of compost in the new spot.

Even perennial chrysanthemums need a bit of cutting and lifting every spring to keep them strong. They like to be planted in the spring, not the fall, which is why those lovely pots of mums we buy in the fall never seem to make it through the winter.

Plants that bloom later in the summer like phlox can also be moved in the early spring. I have finally moved a great clump of Helianthus multiflorus ‘Loddon Gold’, into three spots. It will be so much happier especially with the addition of compost to the new home.

So enjoy the garden, enjoy the days ahead, and stay healthy and safe. ◊

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May 2019 51

Legal Advice • Lisa B. Pot •

Encourage farm kids to become lawyers If we don’t get people who know about agriculture writing policies and making legal decisions for farmers, then land and animal laws will be outbalanced by activists, says lawyer

M

ore and more people are writing policy and making decisions about agriculture that have no farming background.

Farm parents should be urging their farm kids to be in those positions of influence, believes Kurtis Andrews.

Andrews is a Farm and Animal Welfare Lawyer based in Eastern Ontario. He spoke to dairy farmers about animal rights activists and Bill 156 at Grey Bruce Farmers Week Dairy Day back in January.

He explained there are typically three areas of focus for animal rights activists: 1. Farm Invasions: “It used to be activists would come onto the farm with cameras at night. Now they have discovered they can get away with this kind of stuff and are doing it in broad daylight when farmers are away. They also used to be organized by well-known groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) but now they are loosely organized via social media.

They band together via Facebook or Twitter and then they slip through everyone’s fingers again.”

2. Farm Job: “Typically operated by more sophisticated organizations, the group will get someone to apply for a job at a farm. Once they are employed, they start filming with a camera disguised as a button on their jacket. They might film for months.

Then they have it edited into a narrative which gets released on YouTube and social media.

Sometimes the media picks it up although the media seems to be getting tired of it. However, for the individual farms that get targeted, it can be very devastating when their names are out there. They may get harassed and get hate mail.”

52 The Rural Voice

Speaking via Skype at Dairy Day during Grey Bruce Farmers Week held in January, Farm and Animal Welfare Lawyer Kurtis Andrews of Eastern Ontario says farmers should be keeping a log book of every animal welfare case on their farms to use as protection against trickster employees.

3.

Harassment towards Livestock Transporters: “Groups will stop the trucks on the road and swarm them while filming it all to show themselves as caring people giving the pigs water. They don’t seem to care that they are holding the truck up and stressing the animals in the process. Drivers don’t want to get out of the truck and are worried about driving someone over because they cannot see everybody. It causes a lot of stress.”

All of the above are illegal so why aren’t the police controlling every situation?

“This question brings us to the challenging concept that police and prosecutors grapple with,” said Andrews. “The police’s priority is to keep the peace, which is a loose and subjective term.” Some officers

choose not to arrest activists because it can lead to violence.

Andrews said it’s important to consider the definition of “peace”. Is it to feel calm? Feel safe? Lack of stress? How, then, does the trucker feel? Does he feel calm, safe or stress-free?

Andrews suggests that police should be looking at it from the trucker’s point of view. Some do.

Some don’t.

On the farm level, farmers have traditionally been welcoming. Not all farmers though. Andrews said mink farmers have been grappling with activists for a long time, to the point that some mink farms are surrounded by fencing with locked gates and security cameras. It’s what all livestock farmers could face.

This is why Andrews is a fan of

Legal Advice Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It hits all the points,â&#x20AC;? says Andrews.

He said the act works as a communication tool from government to police. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It says this is an important issue and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so important, we created a law to address it.â&#x20AC;?

The bill also does a great job of defining what an animal protection zone is, even if it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t signed. More importantly, says Andrews, it has a section that declares if a person gets hired onto a farm under false pretences, that is an offence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It deals with people getting hired for trickery.â&#x20AC;?

Moreover, there is a limitation period. In existing legislation, the limitation period is six months. So what happens, says Andrew, is the fake labourer waits six months before posting the material. The new bill proposes a limitation period of two years and the clock does not start ticking until the evidence is made known.

Next steps will be to make this a federal issue versus a provincial one.

Also, Andrews believes there needs to be an additional component to deal with bullying on social media. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Online intimidation is harassment and I think it should be a criminal offence to target anyone with bullying on social media based on what they do for a living,â&#x20AC;? said Andrews. He encouraged dairy farmers at the meeting to pressure their MPPs to add this to the Bill 156 legislation.

Laws have to be enforced for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;dog that never bitesâ&#x20AC;? or they are not really worth much, said Andrews.

Activists know they can get away with unlawful behaviour because they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have fear of being prosecuted. This needs to change, said Andrews.

For right now, there are proactive measures farmers can take. Andrews offers this advice: â&#x20AC;˘ When hiring somebody, make sure you do your reference checks. â&#x20AC;˘ Require all employees to sign a piece of paper on your animal welfare protocol. â&#x20AC;˘ Every livestock operation should have a book or binder that keeps

track of every animal welfare issue of any kind. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It does not have to be complicated or in great detail. A summary will do.â&#x20AC;? This includes staff involvement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I tell you, I have two cases involving undercover people and at one farm, they have a log book. The other farm, while still having good policies, did not have the same record keeping.â&#x20AC;? The one with the log book is able to prove the false employees claims are false. The other farm is going to trial, stated Andrews. â&#x2014;&#x160;

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News • By Don Crosby •

Travel bans will affect crop farmers The crop industry relies on as many as 30,000 foreign workers to help plant and harvest fruits and vegetables

T

he agricultural industry is likely to be seriously affected this year by the Coronavirus, said Brian Gilroy, an apple producer near Meaford, as travel bans could restrict the number of seasonal workers and foreign workers.

“Without them a lot of operations will not produce crops this year,” he said.

When Gilroy spoke with workers in Jamaica only eight Jamaicans had been diagnosed with Covid-19.

“We’re very optimistic they are going to be given priority to fly.

We’ve spoken with the airlines, we’ve spoken with the supply countries but as you know things are evolving daily,” said Gilroy during a presentation at the annual Grey Bruce Politician’s Forum held March 14 in Elmwood.

As many as 30,000 seasonal agricultural workers and temporary foreign workers come into Ontario to help with growing of fruits, vegetables and other crops each year through the seasonal worker programme. For every seasonal worker there are two round-the-year jobs created for Ontarians.

“My guess is maybe a bit more

than one third will come in for fall harvest. I would think that things would be under control by then.

You’ve heard that they have been able to replicate the virus here in Ontario; so that’s a very positive step,” Gilroy said.

As far as the spring and summer help it is too soon to predict and very uncertain.

Gilroy said he spoke with the head of the programme that administers the foreign worker programme. The workers for his region were due to come by April 2. But he doubted they would be here by then and he’s not sure when they will arrive.

“It’s a wait and see,” said.

Even the numbers at the annual meeting held March 14 in Elmwood

by Bruce County and Grey County Federations of Agriculture were drastically reduced. Attendance numbered 43 participants which is about half the usual number. Two of the presenters did not attend.

Hugh Simpson, president of the Grey County Federation of Agriculture, said despite the low turnout he was satisfied and understood that some people had concerns about public health while

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others were responding to public perception.

“Some people stayed away because of concerns about public health, others might say now is not the time to be seen in a public forum; we knew that and we respect that,” Simpson said. “We’re glad we have an opportunity to run the meeting respecting people’s perspective and choosing not to come, that’s okay,” he added.

Simpson said it’s an important event and highly rated by the politicians. It’s the opportunity in a group forum to hear from commodity groups and the agricultural community. “I think they find it a healthy education session too,” Simpson said.

For Grey-Bruce federal MP Alex Ruff, this was his first time attending the forum.

“This is an excellent event, I think we should be doing this more often.

We don’t get enough opportunities to get all three levels of government together,” Ruff said. “We should be doing it in other sectors, but agriculture is our primary economic engine for our respective counties, so I’m a big supporter of the idea.”

He said the only way to get firsthand knowledge is to talk to the experts Bruce-Grey MPP Bill Walker said it’s always a great forum. “It allows the producers, people who are closest to the ground to share their responses, what’s happening in their issues, good and bad. It’s a great day for me; it’s a one-day forum to get really sustained feedback, lots of good feedback on Bill 136 and 156 (the new Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act) which are very important to the agriculture community,” said Walker.◊

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

Quantitative easing could help stabilize economy To say that the COVID-19 pandemic response has dramatically altered day-to-day life, would be no overstatement. We have all been experiencing situations that have not previously existed in this generation.

In essence all non-essential travel has come to a complete standstill.

Schools are closed and many businesses are shut down – including essentially all restaurants (except takeout) and basically all forms of non-home entertainment. People are heeding the call to stay house-bound to prevent the further spread of the disease, including limiting family visits and worship services through Easter, as we remained under quarantine principle guidelines.

Of those who can work from home, many are doing so. Of those who cannot work from home, they are out of work and are facing real challenges that cannot be understated. Many businesses are closed, and perhaps many permanently if the sentiment remains grim. So what does this all mean as we trickle down to Ontario’s farm country? It means some agricultural commodities will see (at least) shortterm demand destruction.

Of all ag commodities, corn is likely to take the biggest drop in demand. Ethanol plants are facing some major issues today. With limitations on travel and because people are staying home, gasoline demand has collapsed and we are seeing a similarly dramatic decline in ethanol demand. A good example to show the decline in ethanol production is the reduction in corn grind at Valero, a major U.S. energy company which owns 14 ethanol plants. Valero has shutdown eight of its plants completely, while the other

six plants have gone into reduced production. There are many examples of ethanol producers taking steps such as these, and yet ethanol inventories continue to grow. U.S. ethanol stocks have grown to over a 57-day supply to over 27.1 million barrels – up from 23.2 million barrels one year ago. As far as corn grind goes, ethanol processors used 68 million bushels of corn in a one week period, versus just shy of 100 million bushels in the same week the previous year. What is anticipated to be the net effect on corn demand?

This drop in ethanol usage is currently estimated to be a reduction in corn demand of about 375 million bushels or about 9.5 million tonnes in the U.S. alone.

“Quantitative easing is commonly referred to as “printing money”, and it is a powerful way of stabilizing the financial system in times of uncertainty.”

It’s not only ethanol plants that have seen inhibited operations. Many livestock processors have shutdown operations due to COVID-19 outbreaks within plant staff. These closures in turn, have created a backup of market-ready animals on farms. In the U.S. over 100 meat processing plants have been closed.

Recently Smithfield Foods, the largest pork processing company in the U.S., announced that it would be closing its processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This plant represents about five per cent of U.S. pork production and its closure put 3,700 employees out of work.

Smithfield’s CEO indicated the consequences of such plant closures.

“It is impossible to keep grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running. These facility closures will also have severe, perhaps disastrous, repercussions for many in the supply chain, first and foremost our nation’s livestock farmers.”

Closer to home we have seen Maple Leaf closing a poultry plant and in Quebec, Olymel closed their 28,000 head per week hog plant, for a minimum of two weeks.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there.

Milk producers are also being told to dump production as distribution and processing within the dairy industry also found difficulty in maintaining normal supply chains.

In response to these and other effects of the virus mitigations, the U.S. government announced a plan to spend up to $15.5 billion in aid to assist the nation’s food supply chain.

It is reported that direct payments would be made to farmers and ranchers, along with other support measures. No such announcement has been made in Canada.

So what else is being done about the crisis? There seems to be a great desire from all countries to stand in to support their economies aggressively. This support will come in many ways. One way will include most countries adding to their national debts. Another will include many countries’ central banks providing quantitative easing (QE) within their economies. Quantitative easing is commonly referred to as “printing money”, and it is a powerful and effective way of stabilizing the financial system in times of uncertainty. A country’s central bank is considered the “lender of last resort”, which is empowered to loan money when the private markets will not, due to economic shocks. The U.S. Federal reserve has stated that they will expand the M2 money supply and continue to do “whatever is necessary”. It is important to note that central banks manage this M2 money supply on an ongoing basis and this QE is not a new event. The concern voiced is that this addition to the money supply will cause inflation going forward.

The answer to this objection is: currently inflation is not a problem.

As the economy normalizes and inflation begins to show up, the U.S. Federal reserve can begin to remove its QE, contracting the money supply and stabilizing prices. The U.S. federal reserve has the mandate to both manage inflation and to provide sufficient liquidity in the financial markets. If this system is managed effectively within G7 countries, some analysts suggest caution to those who think the economy cannot reasonably rebound. ◊ May 2020 55

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

not seem like a huge problem until you factor in that many trees do not produce good seed crops annually.

Luckily, the seed stock of many tree species has been genetically prepared

to over winter, in a dormant state, prior to sprouting. Keeping the seeds in a dormant state using cool temperatures can allow some seeds to be stored for years without

Anything can happen during tree planting season As I have had the great pleasure of working with some very seasoned tree planting project planners, I have learned that anything can happen during tree planting season. To understand how this season can be so unpredictable it helps to be aware of the many moving parts.

Planning for tree planting really begins at least three years before any planting sites have been identified.

The tree nurseries and project planners speculate on how many trees of each variety are going to be purchased prior to the seeds going into the ground. Once the potential demand is calculated, the nursery beds are planted with the majority of seedling stock growing for three years.

So, how do the nurseries get their seeds? In Ontario, we have certified seed collectors that will either collect seeds by contract demand or as their seed sources provide. Seed collection is quite a science that requires monitoring up to two years prior to the seeds developing. Seed collectors must be able to positively identify their host tree species and forecast the timing and abundance of the seed crop. As the seeds that I am referring to are to be used for reforestation or afforestation projects, it is important that the trees be native stock genetically prepared to grow within a forest. For this reason, it is not advisable for seed collectors to collect from individual park or a landscape specimen. Like many crops, there can be unexpectedly low or high yields. Trees can abort their seed, insects can destroy seed, pollination can fail, and often we never know why there was a low yield. A bad crop in one year may 56 The Rural Voice

Planning for tree planting is a process that starts years in advance and involves use of specialized equipment and labour from offshore and migrant workers who, due to COVID-19, may not be able to help this year. Like other businesses and organizations, conservation authorities are unsure when or if they can safely plant trees at approved sites this spring.

Woodlots jeopardizing the viability of the seed or quality of the tree.

There are different methods of planting the seeds. The method in which the seeds are planted is determined by the tree species and desired crop type. Some seeds will go to greenhouses to grow for a year before they get planted outside.

Other seeds may be placed by hand, individually set in the beds to ensure that the growing point would be facing up and that spacing will be optimal.

As seeds sprout and seedlings begin to stand up tall, there is lots of work to be done within the nursery beds; watering, fertilizing, weed control, stock forecasting, transplanting, along with insect and disease monitoring and control.

Planting and maintaining nursery beds is a very labour-intensive job.

During most of the growing season days, staff are standing bent over the beds to tend to the crop. Given the physical nature of the job, it is difficult to find Ontario residents that desire this type of work. Many offshore or migrant workers are very willing to carry out these roles. In fact, like many of the food crop producers, some of the nurseries have had the same staff return to Ontario for more than 20 years.

For me tree planting season has always been planned to last from mid-April to the end of May. This is the optimal time for a reforestation/ afforestation project to get in the ground in my area. While this may seem like an abundance of time (after all, who can’t plant a tree in a month and a half) it is not. We have seen seasons of low numbers of 20,000 to high numbers of over 200,000. Each one of these seasons has been a race against the weather.

The start of the tree planting season is determined by the time that the nurseries can get the seedlings out of the beds. This timing is often much later than most would think as the dense planting of the pines, spruces, and cedars creates a frost holding canopy.

Like most cropping activities, tree planting needs to be done in areas that are not too wet but have enough moisture in the ground for success.

Our very short planting season usually sees a range of conditions from rain to snow and temperatures of zero to over 20 degrees.

As most farmers are aware, equipment doesn’t break when you aren’t using it. Our tree planters and tractors store quite well in the shed.

They are gone over, checked, and greased prior to leaving for the field work. Yet we have breakdowns. In fairness to our equipment, I should point out that much of the land that we drag or bang our planter through is land that has been determined to not be suitable for farming, it’s rough.

Now, lets add in the COVID-19 situation. In the realm of “anything can happen during tree planting”, I didn’t see this one coming. Some nurseries have been left struggling to get this year’s crop out of the ground and the new crop into the ground without their well-trained and skill ed offshore/migrant workers.

Tree-planting agencies, like ours, are struggling to determine if

planting will be permitted this year.

If the nursery can harvest the crop, will we be permitted to plant? What happens to the stock that we have agreed to purchase? Seedlings must fit size and quality specifications – for most species this means that stock cannot be left to grow another year.

After three years of tending and growing, the crop may need to be destroyed if workers cannot harvest the trees or planting agencies can’t plant.

As the years have taught me, and many people have told me, there are cycles, and to be successful at establishing a crop you must be able to roll with it, you must adapt to meet the challenges. Really, up to this point my biggest headache was trying to figure out how to plant areas that had an abundance of snakes without freaking completely out. I don’t like snakes, I try to be understanding to their place in the environment, but that is a whole different subject. I hope everyone has had or is having a successful plant. ◊

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

Limitation Periods: You can’t sit on your hands forever (maybe not even two years) A person who claims another has done them wrong loses their right to sue for damages if they wait too long to commence a court action.

While one might hold a grudge forever, the law, for a number of reasons, will not permit a claimant to sit on his or her claim indefinitely.

Certainty and finality are key

considerations behind this rule, as explained by the Ontario Law Reform Commission in its 1969 Report on Limitation of Actions: Lawsuits should be brought within a reasonable time. This is the policy behind limitation statutes. ... Underlying the policy is a recognition that it is not fair that an individual should be subject indefinitely to the threat of being sued over a particular matter ...

Furthermore, evidentiary problems are likely to arise as time passes. Witnesses become forgetful or die: documents may be lost or destroyed. Certainly, it is desirable that, at some point, there should be an end to the possibility of litigation in any dispute.

In Ontario, most (but not all) claims are subject to a two-year limitation period pursuant to the Limitations Act, 2002. That statute provides that “a proceeding shall not be commenced in respect of a claim after the second anniversary of the day on which the claim was discovered.” A claim is discovered, to paraphrase the Act, when the Green Lumber Kiln Dried Lumber Coloured Mulch Sawdust Firewood

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

58 The Rural Voice

claimant first knows or ought reasonably to know that he or she has suffered a loss caused by another and that a legal proceeding would be the appropriate means to seek to remedy the loss. The Limitations Act, 2002 also prescribes a 15-year “ultimate limitation period” that bars any action where a claim arose more than 15 years prior to the commencement of the action even if the claimant did not and could not reasonably have discovered the claim within the limitation period. A notable exception to this rule applies in respect of claims for previously undiscovered environmental contamination.

The fact that a limitation period may have expired for a claim does not prevent a plaintiff from commencing a legal proceeding in the first place; courts do not vet claims in advance to determine whether they out of time. Limitation periods are raised as defences to lawsuits. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently heard a motion by a tile drainage installer seeking the dismissal of a claim against it related to flooding on a farm (allegedly caused by the installer’s drainage work on an adjacent farm property) on the basis that the claim had been commenced outside of the two-year limitation period. In dismissing the motion and allowing the claim to proceed, the Court found that initial steps taken by the claimants to fix the flooding problem had delayed the running of the limitation period because those steps made a court proceeding “premature and inappropriate”, at least for a time.

The claimants purchased their farm in 2012 and experienced no flooding and no issues with their own tile drainage system until the spring of 2015, when about 15 acres of their farm flooded. They had noticed some excavation work being performed on their neighbours’ farm in the fall of 2014 and formed the view that the flooding on their property was caused by a significant amount of water coming from the neighbours’ farm. In late-2015, the claimants learned that the defendant tile drainage installer had performed the excavation work observed on the

Agrilaw neighbours’ farm in 2014, and that the excavation work had involved outletting the neighbours’ drainage into the claimants’ drainage system.

For limitation period purposes, the Court found that the claimants knew by the end of 2015 that they had suffered a loss and that the loss was the result of flooding caused (allegedly, that is) by the work conducted by the tile drainage installer in 2014. However, the claimants did not commence their action until August, 2018, more than two years after they had “discovered” their claim.

In spite of the apparent expiry of the limitation period, the Court did not dismiss the claimants’ action against the tile drainage installer because of steps taken in good faith by the claimants in 2015 and 2016 to correct the flooding problem. In 2015, the claimants replaced tile drains on their property that had been damaged by the influx of water from the neighbours’ farm, but the flooding occurred again the following year. In May, 2016, the claimants consulted with the municipal drainage superintendent and then filed a petition for a municipal drain. In July, 2018, the engineering firm engaged by the municipality held an information meeting to review its proposal for the municipal drain, but the claimants were left uncertain by the meeting as to whether the drain would ever be constructed. The Court found that the claimants “did not know that a proceeding would be an appropriate means to seek a remedy” until the time of the July, 2018 meeting, at the earliest. The claimants “acted appropriately by not immediately starting litigation to allow the petition process under the Drainage Act to unfold, as its outcome could have led to the construction of a medicinal drain that would largely, if not entirely, have resolved their flooding problem.”

Notwithstanding this recent motion decision, there is very little flexibility in the application of limitation periods in Ontario.

Potential claimants need to pay very close attention to the limitation periods that may apply to their claims and should seek legal advice

as early as possible after becoming aware of a potential claim.◊ _____________________________ John D. Goudy’s law practice includes real property and environmental litigation, expropriation law, energy regulation, and regulatory offences.

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

Readers should consult a legal professional about their particular circumstances.

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May 2020 59

Financial Management Maggie VanCamp is the National Agriculture Practice Development Leader for BDO

Building the next generation’s know-how The Successor effect, identified years ago by economics professors in England, is the world-wide positive economic response to selection of a successor on family farms. Once a family selected a person to take over their farms, net profits increased.

Researchers said this was caused by the farm needing to increase income to carry another person’s wage.

Others chalk it up to the scurry of investment and expansion that often occurs when the new generation comes home. Look around your concession and you can likely see this happening.

However, if you dig a little deeper you may see this increase in net profit isn’t all about expansion, it’s about energy and bringing back to the farms new skills, particularly financial skills.

The younger generation tends to look at unproductive assets and risk differently. Unproductive or lowearning assets are an opportunity to increase cash flow that sometimes the older generation just doesn’t see.

There’s a young farmer from Atlantic Canada who cleaned out the bush when he came home. He sold all that unused equipment for nearly $300,000. (Yes, you read that right.)

Or maybe it’s a new way to market, or looking at leasing instead of owning or seeing any of the myriad of opportunities of farm assets.

When I was in my early 40s, I read a study that said once you turn 45, your risk tolerance starts decreasing. At the time, I thought it was “bunk”, until I turned 45 and found myself looking at investments differently and deciding not climbing 60 The Rural Voice

up on the roof to fix the loose tile.

The younger generations simply look at risk differently, and they’ve got a longer horizon to pay back debt.

Moreover, if the older generation completely holds on to the decisionmaking too long, the farm misses an opportunity. Allowing for the younger members of your farm teams some incremental asset management is a way to capture both ends of the risk-tolerance spectrum and this works well especially if the younger generation has some skin-in-thegame and are invested.

The younger generation also brings home new technology, ideas and solutions, challenging current processes. They also hopefully have a new, updated and expanded network of knowledge and business connections.

New approaches to farming can test the patience of the most loving parent. You want to do what?!

However, if harnessed and leveraged well, it’s an opportunity for your farm business to grow and be sustainable in an ever-changing world. Not that your farm needs to try everything but instead of reacting with a quick negative, it could be a great teaching moment for both generations. Crunch some numbers together, talk about the vision of the future of the farm. Collaborative decision-making isn’t easy for sole operators and younger generations do not understand pace so use a smaller project to learn how.

Richard Cressman, a farmer, seed dealer and farm family communication specialist, once told me for the older generation to trust the next generation, they need to be confident in the younger generation’s ability to manage financially first, understand the impact of change on the bottom line and have a formal plan for the future.

After all, the older generation has survived and thrived times of massive change that we could never have predicted when we started.

Please don’t rant about the 18 per cent interest – the younger generation do not want to hear it again. We learned the hard way how to track financial performance and watched

as other farmers succeeded ten-fold by understanding risk and working capital and others failed miserably because of bad timing.

The retiring generation often counted on expansion to be more profitable. Today, we know expansion only works well with strong financial background and management.

What might come across as arrogant or stuck in your own ways might really be about fear and worry for the next generation. Farming can be tough and the older generation simply wants their children to be successful and happy.

It’s important to understand the next generation is fearful too. Last year when I asked a group of agricultural students from Macdonald College what they feared most about taking over the farm, their answer was letting down their families.

So before starting to delve into succession planning, we need to build confidence by developing the financial skills of our next generation. Farm Family Coach, Elaine Froese, says that BOTH the older generation and younger generation need a living budget.

Write it down and understand what you need to live and how many expenses the farm is covering.

She also encourages the younger generation to figure out how much debt they could get from creditors and actually go and meet with their banker ahead of time. She tells a story of a young farmer in Saskatchewan who went to FCC and learned he could get a loan of $750,000. When Dad said he didn’t have enough off-farm investments to retire, the son responded that he could pay him $750,000. The Dad cried with relief.

Many agricultural colleges now incorporate a farm business plan right into the curriculum. What a great starting place for understanding the financial health of the farm and conversations about the future.

Look for opportunities to help the next generation build confidence through financial knowledge – it’s something that will help both generations as they navigate the farm succession journey. ◊

The

Rural Voice

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

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Broker WILFRED MCINTEE & CO. LIMITED

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

LT 12 SOUTH KINLOSS AVE LUCKNOW $699,000 MLS# 30796605 90.76 acre farm with a licensed gravel pit but also a great recreational farm, hiking trails, stream flowing through 40 plus acres of mixed bush, potential building site with zoning change, 15 acres of hay ground, could be approx 50 acres if the top soil was placed back on the gravel pit section, paved road, close to Lake Huron, short drive to Bruce Nuclear.

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May 2020 61

KRAEMER CONCRETE LTD. Two Locations to Serve You! 5595 Road 130 Brunner N0K 1C0

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

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519-523-4523 Galvanized Roofing For Sale

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

Newton, Ont. 519-595-4545

MANUFACTURING STEEL ROOFING SIDING & TRIMS

63 North St. Wingham

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

STEFFEN WELL DRILLING 519-531-0355 TEESWATER, ON

mike@steffenwelldrilling.ca

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

Also Supplying Other Building Accessories

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

• Bulk Bags • Tote Bags • Super Sacks

The deadline for the June issue of The Rural Voice is May 12, 2020

If we don’t have it in stock, we’ll custom make it for you! info@bagsupplies.ca Tel: 1-519-271-2040 62 The Rural Voice

www.bagsupplies.ca Fax: 1-519-271-2027

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

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

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

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

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

-------------------------------------------------FENCING -------------------------------------------------FENCIN’ AROUND Installation, Post Pounding and Fencing Supplies. h_laxton@hotmail.com 519-441-2191.

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

HIGHLAND FENCE & SUPPLY INC. Joseph Kirwin

519-475-4868 • 1-800-923-4488 info@highlandfence.ca • www.highlandfence.ca 804075 Rd. 80, Embro, ON N0J 1J0

-------------------------------------------------FIREWOOD -------------------------------------------------Debarked Hardwood Slabs – 16" cut $30 face cord, $10 cord deliveries or pickup in Auburn. huronfirewood.com Call 519-5243493.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Serving Southwestern Ontario for over 10 years!

-------------------------------------------------FOR SALE -------------------------------------------------Rebuilt water pumping windmills Beatty, Aermotor, etc., parts, repairs and sales. 519-357-3621.

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

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

Closed Sundays, 519-338-3920.

-------------------------------------------------Contractor Repairs Restores remodels and jacks up farm buildings, homes and cottages. Also roofing, siding, doors, windows, peers, foundation repairs, eavestroughing, beams, posts, fencing, decks, docks, horse stalls installed, replaced, repaired, storage and farm buildings built. Barns and silos demolished and removed. Brian McCurdy 519-9861781.

-------------------------------------------------4x5 round bales of wheat straw, stored inside, delivery available.

Cornfield Farms Ltd., 519-378-6824.

-------------------------------------------------• Tree Seedlings • Nursery Stock • Shade Trees • Native Species Order for Spring 2020 Now

888-226-6344

www.hrichardsonfarms.com

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

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

Whitechurch Welding - custom tubing gates - 1"x1" sq. tube and diamond gates in stock Receive 8% Discount when you mention this ad for April and May

Bodywood • Slabwood Quantity Discounts 519-441-2085 519-656-2057

CLASSIFIED

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

Grow Switchgrass for Feed or Bedding. Low potassium, high fibre feed for dry cows, high yield premium bedding, new higher yielding varieties. For seed contact Don Nott, text or phone 519-524-0193 dnott@tcc.on.ca -------------------------------------------------

Tell them you saw their ad in The Rural Voice May 2020 63

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

HAY/STRAW -------------------------------------------------DRY COW HAY – large squares low potassium grass, all types of hay and straw. Test results and delivery available. Call Neeb Agri-Products at 519-529-1141.

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

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

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

See website: www.cirrushillfarm.ca, email: info@cirrushillfarm.ca -------------------------------------------------Hypharm Genetics rabbits breeding stock now available in Ontario. Order your PS19 does and PS40 bucks. CuniON@tcc.on.ca -------------------------------------------------Gelbvieh Bulls – Reds and Blacks, 15 months old. Ready to work and fully guaranteed. Mike Klages 519363-6307.

-------------------------------------------------Dorsets – good selection of young purebred Dorset rams in time for fall breeding. Tall Oaks Farm 519-3642149.

-------------------------------------------------MULCH SALES -------------------------------------------------Morrissey Mulch & Storage, RR 1, Exeter, 70180 Airport Line, 519-872-8925 Bob; 519-872-0010 Rob. sawmill wood only; no demolition material used. Delivery available.

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

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

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

Heights of 8'-14' (1-pour). All jobs engineer specifications/inspections guaranteed. Best firm quote in Ontario. Mark Cronin, 519-348-9062.

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

PAL & HUNTER ED. Ongoing courses available.

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

-------------------------------------------------TRINAL CUSTOM FARMING – If you are looking for someone to do your disc-bining, big square baling or forage harvesting please call Ken Horst, cell: 519-292-1393 or Kervin 519-357-5557, RR 2, Teeswater.

-------------------------------------------------Custom Clover Seeding with GPS $2.50/acre or $3.00 for pasture. Call Kurt Beuerman. 519-525-0538 or 519-523-9234 (home).

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

Tell them you saw their ad in

133 South St., Goderich

S & C Clark TRANSPORT INC. PART-TIME MECHANIC FULL/PART-TIME AZ DRIVERS Owner & Operators

Runs between Canada & U.S. - Competitive Wages - Paid Picks & Drops - Benefits - Wait Time - 2 year experience preferred - Home most weekends 111 PINE STREET, WINGHAM • 519-357-3346

-------------------------------------------------IRON & STEEL -------------------------------------------------DISCOUNT STEEL: New second grade steel sales; 1" - 8" square tubing; 7/8" - 14" round tubing; Rectangle tubing, discount plate; New and Used I-Beams; Bar grating, rebar, angles; Custom cutting, welding, punching. Listowel. Phone Aden 519595-7775.

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

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

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

-------------------------------------------------LIVESTOCK FOR SALE -------------------------------------------------LIMOUSIN-quality breeding bulls and breeding females for sale.

Delivery included. Posthaven Limousin, John Post 519-766-7178. www.posthavenlimousin.com -------------------------------------------------Limousin Bulls – yearlings and 2 year olds, polled, some homozygous polled, thick, well muscled, semen tested. Smart Limousin, Meaford 519-372-7459. www.smartlimousin.ca -------------------------------------------------Suffolks – purebred yearling rams.

British bloodlines M-V negative closed flock. Taking orders for 2020 ewe lambs. Ready in July. 519-233-7896.

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

64 The Rural Voice

The Rural Voice

CLASSIFIED

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

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

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

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

Ph. 519-528-3019 All farm buildings & houses, seamless eavestroughing, liquid rubber coatings, waterproofing, metal, concrete, wood, foam and bin flooring sealing.

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

GRANT GNAY Chartered Professional Accountant Accounting & Tax Services

519-524-5113

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

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

519-692-4232 www.sgspestmanagement.ca

SEAMLESS EAVESTROUGHING

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

London 519-268-8500 -------------------------------------------------STANDING TIMBER -------------------------------------------------STANDING TIMBER - hardwood and softwoods. Quality workmanship guaranteed. B. Kropf Forestry Service Ltd., Bruce Kropf, RR 1, Shakespeare, ON, N0B 2P0. 519-748-7422.

-------------------------------------------------UPCOMING EVENTS -------------------------------------------------23rd Annual RV/Campout Jamboree May 21-24, 2020 at the Blyth Arena Complex and Campgrounds.

Brochure and registration form available by contacting The Barn Dance Historical Society, Box 68, Wingham, ON, N0G 2W0 or www.thebarndance.ca 519-530-8000 or email: barndance2013@gmail.com -------------------------------------------------McQuail’s Annual Meeting Place Organic Farm Open House revised for contact-free pickup. Pre-order (online, by phone or email) flower, herb, vegetable and heirloom tomato seedlings, freezer beef and pork, maple syrup, honey, and lamb skins.

Please check website for details and information. Select pickup times the week of May 10-16. See website and social media for virtual farm tour.

86016 Creek Line, east of Lucknow.

519-528-2493. www.meetingplace organicfarm.ca --------------------------------------------------

ED

ELL C N A C

Tell them you saw their ad in The Rural Voice

WANTED -------------------------------------------------Farmland to rent or share crop – no-till. Monthly, quarterly, semiannual, annual rent payment options.

Please call/email Joe: 519-525-0359 or joewhitely05@gmail.com -------------------------------------------------Actively seeking farmland to rent for corn, soybeans, wheat, hay, edible beans. Contact Narva Farms Limited: 519-366-2636 or 519-881-9384 or email: sandyfitzsimmons@hotmail.com -------------------------------------------------Farmland – Long or short term.

Cash rent, share crop. Contact Paul at Hill & Hill Farms, 519-2333218 or 519-525-3137 or email: paul.hillhill@tcc.on.ca -------------------------------------------------Scrap Cars Wanted – 20, 30, 40 yd. scrap metal bins available. We sell quality used auto parts. Wanted to buy – scrap cars, trucks, farm machinery, heavy equipment.

Kenilworth Auto Recyclers. 519-3231113.

-------------------------------------------------4x5 or 4x4 round bales of hay picked up. Call Riley Gorman 519321-1012.

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

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The Rural Voice 519-523-4311 May 2020 65

National Farmers Union – Ontario NEWSLETTER Strong Communities.

Sound Policies.

Sustainable Farms.

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

Training and retaining agricultural labour Bringing healthy food from farm to table requires almost 80,000 skilled primary agricultural workers across Ontario.

Even before the havoc caused in our food chains by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario farmers faced ongoing difficulties in attracting and retaining labour. According to the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC), 4,400 farm jobs in the province were left unfilled in 2017. The CAHRC estimates a deficit of as many as 47,300 farm workers in Ontario by 2029.

The National Farmers Union – Ontario (NFU-O) is investigating the causes of and solutions to farm labour conditions across the province, including challenges to training and retaining agricultural workers and new farmers. This project was approved through the Ontario Labour Market Partnership (OLMP) and funded through the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.

This NFU-O study offers a different perspective to the farm labour debate. To date, research on farm labour shortages has been tailored to large corporate agribusiness. There is little understanding among policy-makers or among Ontario consumers of the often-unique labour issues on small and mediumsized family farms. Similarly, among the solutions to agricultural labour shortages, little has been proposed to meet staffing demands while ensuring commitments to sustainable agriculture and fair labour practices.

The voices of Ontario’s family farmers deserve to be heard. Whether addressing the problems of maintaining a healthy and skilled workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic or advocating policy changes to increase the viability and attractiveness of agricultural careers, NFU-O farmers have far more than just food to bring to the table.

By centering the experiences and knowledge of its membership and other valued stakeholders, the NFU-O plans to shed light on the labour crisis on family farms and develop, through community input and engagement, progressive proposals and practical next steps for action by farmers, farm organizations, government agencies, and policy-makers.

As COVID-19 complicates the agricultural labour situation, this NFU-O study will illuminate these upheavals and work closely with the NFU-O membership to address these new challenges – from enhanced health and safety protocols and adjustments in farm product sales and

distribution, to recruiting, training, and retaining qualified staff while physical distancing measures are in place.

This project will include a mix of consultation, research, and stakeholder engagement. In April, the NFU-O released an on-line survey for all farm operators, no matter which farm organization they belong to.

Interviews with members and key stakeholders are underway and on-line focus groups are in the planning stages. Ongoing analysis will be published on a rolling basis and a final report with recommendations for high-priority actions and policy changes will be released by early 2021.

If you have any questions, or would like to know more about how you can contribute to this study, please contact Dave Thompson at david@nfuontario.ca.

The views expressed in this study are those of the NFU-O and do not necessarily reflect those of the province.

2020 NFU-O Farm Labour Survey Have farm labour shortages affected your ability to bring food to Ontario tables?

How is COVID-19 impacting your staffing needs in 2020?

Let's work together to find sustainable solutions to farm labour issues in Ontario.

NFU-O farm owners and operators, we want to hear from you!

Coming Events PLEASE NOTE: All in-person meetings have been cancelled including Local 316’s Annual Spring Fling. See the NFU-O’s weekly e-news for updates on local conference calls and on-line meetings.

Follow the link below to complete a short survey.

Fill it out for a chance to win a surprise prize!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/farmlabour If you have questions about the survey, please contact Dave Thompson at david@nfuontario.ca

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

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

Perth, Huron, Grey and Bruce County Pork Producers

NEWSLETTER

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

A note from a farmer to the Canadian consumer There is not one person in Canada today who isn’t feeling a sense of upheaval and fear, we are in an unprecedented time and anyone who claims to know what will happen next is doing nothing more than educated guessing.

You may have noticed bare shelves or limits on how many essentials you can buy. I understand that this is scary given we are used to full grocery stores. You may have also noticed that there are “experts” who haven’t gotten dirt under their fingernails espousing opinions on why. The real reason why has nothing to do with how a farmer sells their product or to whom it is sold.

Our food system is like an Ocean Freighter, efficient and powerful yet not nimble. #COVID19 is like a sea

full of icebergs, some danger we can see with more under the surface.

Farmers and their partners are doing their absolute best to try and navigate this tumultuous time but it is not easy to tear apart a freighter and make a fleet of speed boats to navigate perilous waters.

I want you to know every step of the food chain is working to do just that. So if you see a news story that points a finger at one sector or an expert that pretends to know what is going on, please brush it aside and think of the folks that are working to keep the shelves full. This is not a time for vendettas and longheld grudges. It is time for unprecedented levels of both cooperation and grace. Co-operation because as my old boss, the Hon. Jeff

Leal loved to say to us, “if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.” Grace because this is so very hard for every single Canadian.

We will not let you go hungry, it isn’t in our DNA. Canada boasts one of the safest and most affordable food supplies in the world and a global pandemic will not stop us from keeping you fed. All we can ask for is your patience as we figure out how to get around these icebergs. Thank you to every Canadian who has reached out to support folks in the food chain, from the fertilizer truck driver to the cashier at the grocery store and every step in between. We know you have our back and we will have yours, (and your stomach). ◊ – Sincerely, A Canadian Farmer

PERTH COUNTY PORK PRODUCERS PORK PRODUCTS • Smoked Pork Chops • Fresh Pork Chops • Stuffed Loin Chops • Smoked Sausage • Smoked Cheddar Sausage • Bacon Burgers • Teriyaki Pork Steaks AVAILABLE FROM:

Dave and Ruth Kloostra (Monkton) ............................................................................................................519-347-2619 Ted and Donna Keller (Mitchell) ..................................................................................................................519-348-9836 Jerry and Sandra DeGroot (Kinkora) ..........................................................................................................519-393-5237 Leis Feed (Milverton) ....................................................................................................................................519-595-2048

Have the Perth County Pork Producers BBQ at your next event or celebration!

Phone Jerry DeGroot 519-393-5237 for more information.

May 2020 67

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

Planting season never “business as usual” As farmers are heading into planting season, it is never “business as usual”, we are always adjusting and adapting to some variables – like weather or market conditions and making the best decisions we can.

This year we are also facing the uncertainty that comes with the COVID-19 world crisis.

While a casual observer may feel that the farmer is insulated, he/she and his/her family live on a farm in a rural area, but that view doesn’t consider the bigger picture of the coronavirus and its affects on farm businesses and farm families.

International markets are impacted by more restrictions on the flow of goods. Management of on-farm labour, whether domestic or foreign, requires new protocols, the closure of restaurants and the interruptions at processing plants all have impact and add to the uncertainty for planning.

In short, the complexity is greater now and the risks and costs have increased and it can be overwhelming.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the various commodity group organizations have developed very complete and current libraries of information and facts with links to help guide the farmer during this remarkable time; below you can find a few links to

resources: OFA: https://ofa.on.ca/informationand-resources-covid-19/ DFO: https://new.milk.org/ BFO: https://www.ontariobeef.com/ default/COVID19Updates.aspx OSF: https://www.ontariosheep.org/ COVID19 Ontario Pork: https://www.ontario pork.on.ca/Communications/COVID19 -Farm-Information CFO: https://www.ontariochicken.ca/ Farmer-Member-Resources/COVID19-Information/CFO-COVID-19-News OFVGA: https://www.ofvga.org/covid19.

Some will wish to access some special funding that is being announced and many will need some guidance and advice about how to qualify and apply.

These sites are a wealth of one-stop information.

We also are wise to consider our physical and mental well-being; our health and the health of our family and our friends, it’s so key and often it’s easily taken for granted. Grey Bruce

COVID-19 UPDATE Events hosted by Grey County Federation of Agriculture will be postponed until further notice.

Message from your OFA Member Services Representative As it is obvious that things have been much different than what we are used to, it’s important for you to know that the OFA is still very much available to assist our members!

Our offices are closed which includes the Grey/Bruce local office in Hanover, but my phone is forwarded, and I am happy to assist from my home. Whether it’s a regular farm business question, something more specific to Covid-19 such as support programs or you just need to talk to someone please reach out and I will be happy to help.

The OFA has been very busy compiling information and advocating on your behalf. All updated Covid19-related information is posted on our website at: https://ofa.on.ca/covid-19/ and it’s updated regularly.

Many deadlines have been extended and events have been postponed or cancelled. One example of an extension is the Grower Pesticide Certificates that are expiring shortly, they will be extended to December 31, 2020 so farmers don’t have to deal with an expired card causing issues for this upcoming growing season. There are many resources available including how to cope with Covid-19 on the farm this spring.

During this unprecedented time it’s important to keep connected with family, friends and neighbours. It’s also important to share some of your farming practices and information in case the primary worker on your operation becomes ill.

Please stay safe, social distance and reach out for support if you feel you need it!◊ – Submitted by Joanne Hughes joanne.hughes@ofa.on.ca Cell: 1-226-230-2359. Office: 1-800-668-3276 ext. 320

Mental Health Association is available to help: https://greybruce.cmha.ca/ Farmers are known for resilience and strength in times of difficulty and it’s important to consider that real strength at this time includes following the protocols outlined by public health officials and checking to make sure we keep healthy, physically and mentally. https://www.publichealthgrey bruce.on.ca/COVID-19 Whether it’s financial, physical or mental health help, it’s the strong thing to do, seek out support.◊ – Submitted by Hugh Simpson, GCFA President

Reid family win “Farmer of the Year” award Congratulations to GCFA vicepresident Keith Reid and his family for winning the “Farmer of the Year” award at the 22nd Annual Meaford Chamber of Commerce Community Awards.

The “Farmer of the Year’ award is given to someone who exhibits the following characteristics: leadership, volunteerism, youth participation, community service and special achievements. It is with pleasure that Earth Power Tractors and Equipment and The Meaford Chamber of Commerce present the award to The Reid Family.

The Reid family has farmed in Ontario for over 150 years, including 100 years at the current home farm in the Municipality of Meaford. They currently raise sheep and crops and are active members of various agricultural committees and boards. They are involved in the Owen Sound Agricultural Society, 4-H, Chatsworth Agricultural Society, and the Sydenham School fall fair – to name just a few. They exemplify leadership, volunteerism, youth participation, and community involvement. ◊

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

68 The Rural Voice

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

446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551 * The Rural Voice is provided to OFA

Members in Bruce County by the BCFA NEWSLETTER Used nuclear fuel storage in Bruce County

Any opinion expressed is that of individual County Directors or Representatives and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture or Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

Nuclear power production is obviously not new to Bruce County.

The Bruce Power plant at Tiverton has been operating for 50 years producing about 30 per cent of Ontario’s electrical needs. Both the agricultural industry and the nuclear industry have been able to thrive together over this period.

That Bruce Power facility is presently in a refurbishment process to extend its production for another 40+ years. Bruce County and area has not only enjoyed the supply of efficient, carbon-free production of electricity from Bruce Power but also benefited from the tremendous direct and indirect employment opportunities and related housing, business and general economic growth.

As with most production facilities, including agriculture; the plant also produces some “waste product”. The major waste by-product is the used fuel bundles, these bundles contain uranium that powers the reactors.

Once removed from the reactors, they are initially cooled in large pools and then contained in large cement lined canisters in ground-level storage on the Bruce Power site. I have had the opportunity to tour this facility and it is certainly an impressive storage where you can literally walk beside the canisters. Although this is certainly safe storage; it will be thousands of years before these fuel bundles will be considered safe for human exposure so leaving them on the surface beside the lake isn’t a forever option.

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) was created in 2002 by the Federal Government to research and develop a safe, longterm storage plan for the used fuel

bundles. A significant group of highly qualified nuclear engineers, geologist and related expertise from across the world have designed and tested a robust system for nuclear waste storage. This proposed Deep Geological Depository (DGR) must meet a specific list of requirements – type of rock, minimal earthquake potential, and a long list of other specific requirements.

I have had the pleasure to serve on the Community Liaison Committee (CLC) for the past seven years to learn about and investigate the potential suitability of this project.

Almost every monthly meeting, all of which were open to the public, have included presentations from world class geologists, nuclear scientists and many more. There have also been several public open houses with similar speakers and exhibits. It has been an amazing learning experience.

Although these meetings were all open to the public, attendance has been very poor.

Recently, South Bruce became one of two communities remaining as a potential site. Since then, we’ve had a huge out cry of concern about the project! Of course, similar to the agricultural industry, you can go on the internet and find information to support what ever you wish to believe.

NWMO has obtained some land access rights and will start bore hole drilling this year on that potential site to confirm the quality of rock and whether its suitable for a DGR. The NWMO has said it will identify a final site three years from now (in 2023), in an informed and willing host community.

I encourage anyone who is interested and/or concerned about the potential DGR in South Bruce to attend upcoming open houses, information sessions and CLC meetings. There will be lots of learning opportunities. I also caution you on the creditability of some of

information that you may find on the internet or from some of the antinuclear groups that are now becoming active in our community.

Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, but please make sure you form that opinion based on verifiable facts. Do not base your decision on whether you are in favor or opposed to nuclear energy. That is not the issue. We have almost half of all the used nuclear fuel in Canada sitting on the surface, perfectly safe for now but it must be dealt with.

Doing nothing is not an option! Our generation, especially Bruce County, has certainly benefited from the production of nuclear power. I believe we have some responsibility to deal with the safe storage of the nuclear waste we have produced. The employment and economic opportunity of the DGR project is huge. It will create a huge employment opportunity and related economic growth for our children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Certainly, everyone is entitled to their opinion; but take some time to really look at the project and its potential. ◊ – Submitted by Les Nichols, Formosa Bruce County Federation of Agriculture

2020 MEETINGS May 25 – Directors’ Meeting June 22 – Directors’ Meeting August 24 – Directors’ Meeting September 28 – Directors’ Meeting November 9 – Directors’ Meeting

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.

May 2020 69

Perth County Federation of Agriculture Email: perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com Website: www.perthcountyfarmers.ca Sue Shafer, Office Administrator 519-229-6834 Tim Halliday, President: 519-291-3374

“Heads Up” during these trying times The Perth County Federation of Agriculture has continued discussions with local politicians, as well as MPP Randy Pettapiece and MP John Nater to bring forward our concerns and considerable challenges through the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the rise of social media and “instantaneous” news cycles in today’s world, it is not time sensitive to get into specific issues in this magazine forum. I do want to highlight two topics for this month’s issue: Six by Sixteen The Six by Sixteen initiative is a webpage with information designed to teach young people to plan and prepare six nutritious, locally-sourced meals by the time they are 16 years old. Six by Sixteen is the gateway to an extensive library of Canadian resources including how-to cooking videos, recipes and source guides for Ontario-grown food. The link to the webpage is: http://www.sixbysixteen.me Given that our kids are currently at home, this is a great way to get them involved in helping to prepare meals in a fun and interactive way.

Cooking Ontario foods that are nutritious and making healthy food choices are the goal of this program.

Mental Health These are stressful times for everyone in the community. Farmers are forging ahead to get our spring work completed amongst all the complexities of working in a COVID-19 world.

I would encourage everyone to take a little extra time when talking with neighbours and partners in the

agriculture community, to make sure everyone is fine, and as a stress reliever for yourself.

Pick up the phone and call your neighbour when it is not appropriate to go to their yard to discuss the planting progression.

From a safe “social distance,” take an extra few moments to talk to partners in the agriculture community when getting inputs and services this spring.

Family Services Perth-Huron has a new program for counselling and one-one support.

All clinicians are fully licensed and accredited to provide professional counselling services in Ontario under the Psychotherapy Act of Ontario.

In an effort to help, the Perth Community Futures Development Corporation, the Stratford Perth Community Foundation, the Stratford-Perth Centre for Business, and local businesses, Hyde Construction Ltd. & Orr Insurance & Investment, in partnership with the United Way Perth Huron have funded a program to offer Mental Wellness support at no cost to business owners in Perth County.

Any owners/entrepreneurs can reach out to: • info@stratfordperthbusiness.ca or call: 519-305-5055, x1006 • Call Family Services Perth-Huron directly: 519-273-1020, x108 The direct extension will be provided by Family Services PerthHuron to the entrepreneur – no

personal details need to be provided to the Business Advisory staff in order to access the program.

What measures are you taking to help minimize the spread of COVID19 on your farm? Many farmers have adopted new farm practices to ensure physical distancing; like video conferencing or sending high quality images of issues to their crop specialists, agronomists or nutritionists in order to limit inperson visits to the farm.

The Ontario Agri-Business Association (OABA) offers these suggestions for farmers to help the retail sector manage during these challenging times: • Reduce the number of trips, visits and contacts where possible.

• Maximize deliveries by considering what products could be delivered at the same time instead of separate shipments.

• Provide a detailed description of where deliveries should be placed.

And when deliveries arrive, do not meet with delivery staff – always maintain physical distancing.

– Submitted by Tim Halliday, PCFA President.

Perth Federation of Agriculture

HARVEST GALA Friday, November 20 Perth East Recreation Complex, Milverton

Perth County Federation of Agriculture

DIRECTORS’ MEETING Thursday, April 23 8:00 p.m. * The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Perth County by the PCFA.

70 The Rural Voice

Index A & V Kucyk Ltd ............................71 ATV & Side-by-Sides ................36,37 Bag Supplies Canada Ltd ..............62 Bayer Crop Science ..............Cover 3 BBQ Season promotion ............17,19 BDO ..............................................43 Bernie McGlynn/SB Flooring ........58 Bervie Supply............................34,51 Bester Wood Products ..................58 Bio-Ag ............................................53 Bluewater Pipe ..............................54 Blyth Brewing (Cowbell) ................45 Brennan Custom Poultry................19 Canadian Co-op Wool Growers ....10 Chalmers Fuels..............................30 Cliff’s Plumbing & Heating ............49 Crop Management ................5,6,9,11 Cross Country Eavestrough ..........45 Dean Dobson ................................61 Diamond Roof ................................10 DJ Henry Homes & Renos ............61 Donkers Agri ..................................27 Easy Lift Doors ..............................16 free-light ........................................48 Gerber’s Workwear ........................61 Gerrit’s Ag Service Ltd ..................27 Grey-Bruce Construction ..............33 GRK Products ................................34 Grober Nutrition ....................Cover 4 Harold Jones Enterprises ..............61 Hayter Excavating..........................53 Hill & Hill Farms....Inside Front Cover Hunter Steel ..........................Cover 4 Huron Hauling & Excavating ..........40 JA Porter Holdings Ltd ..................47 KMM Farm Drainage ....................12 Kraemer Concrete ........................62 Kuepfer Farm Drainage ................62 LAC................................................65 Lakeside Shelving & Racking ........35 Layton Steve..................................62 Legge Fitness........................Cover 7 Live Landscape..............................51 Maitland Market & Supply ..............51 Maitland Welding & Machining ......62 Mapleview Agri ..............................28 Marquardt Farm Drainage ............40 Martin Farm Wagons ....................21 McIntee Realtor - Steve Nixon ......61 Mike Boven Carpentry ..................61 Morris Sachs Silo Construction......53 MRC Wireless ................................18 Nature’s Wave Inc ........................59 North Huron Carpentry ....................4 Nuclear Waste Management ........33 Nuhn Forage ..................................30 Ridgeway Metal ............................62 Royal LePage - Steacy Den Haan 12 Rural Living ....................................47 Rural Voice Books ................Cover 6 Saugeen Valley Cons. Authority ....57

Schmidt’s Farm Drainage ................4 Schweiss Doors ............................71 Seifried Farm Equipment ..............40 Sew & Save Centre ......................48 Sharp’s Creek Forge......................35 Signature Crane ............................21 Spring Gardening ............................3 Steffen Well Drilling ......................62 Stihl Limited ..................................24 Superior Tirecraft ..........................59 SWO Diesel ..................................31 The Brew Shop ..............................59 Tree Planting & Maintenance ..13,15 Triple P Consulting ........................30

Trouw Nutrition ................Back Cover Truckers Toy ..................................23 Usborne & Hibbert Insurance ........43 Waddell Engineering......................30 WD Hopper & Sons ......................25 Whitechurch Welding ....................63 Williams Drainage ..........................23

Deadline for the June issue of The Rural Voice is May 12, 2020

A & V Kucyk Ltd. Open Pollinated Corn Victor & Anna Kucyk R.R. 3 6571 Line 34 (Hwy. 8) Mitchell, ON Canada N0K 1N0

Tel: 519-348-4541 Cell: 519-272-4493

May 2020 71

HURON

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

County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER

OFA is available to assist its members While the routines many of us are accustomed to are currently disrupted, please know that OFA is still very much available to assist our members!

Our offices are closed which includes the local office in Vanastra, but my phone is forwarded, and I am happy to assist from my home.

Whether it’s a regular farm business question, something more specific to COVID-19 such as support programs or you just need to talk to someone, please reach out and I will be happy to help.

OFA has been very busy compiling information and advocating on your behalf.

All updated COVID-19-related information is posted on our website at: https://ofa.on.ca/covid-19/ and it’s

updated regularly. Many deadlines have been extended and events have been postponed or cancelled.

There are many resources available including how to cope with COVID-19 on the farm this spring.

During this unprecedented time it’s important to keep connected with family, friends and neighbours.

It’s also important to share some of your farming practices and information in case the primary worker on your operation becomes ill.

Please stay safe, social distance and reach out for support if you feel you need it!◊ Margaret Vincent OFA Member Service Representative Margaret.vincent@ofa.on.ca phone: 1-800-511-1135 ext. 1

Information and Supports available in Huron County If you or someone you know is in distress and needs help, there are people and resources available that can help. If you’re in an urgent crisis, please visit your local emergency department or call 911 immediately.

If you or someone you know needs help you can begin by calling: 1-888-829-7484 Huron Perth Addiction and Mental Health Alliance.

Ontario Mental Health Line Call ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 Live information and referral specialists are standing by. Call 24/7 for information and referral. You can also use a chat online, email, and access additional resources from https://www.connexontario.ca.

Do More Ag Foundation https://www.domore.ag/resources Some of our local resources are: Huron Perth Helpline and Crisis Response Team 1-888-829-7484 hpha.ca

Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance Stratford General Hospital Crisis Line 1-888-829-7484

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

Upcoming Events May 10 – Happy Mother’s Day! May 18 – Victoria Day. Huron County Federation of Agriculture

BOARD MEETING The HCFA board has no meeting scheduled for May. The next meeting is June 22 at 8:00 p.m.

Further details to come regarding whether it is an in-person meeting or an alternative format.

OPP non-emergency line: 1-888-310-1122 —————————— Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources 1-800-667-1940

Food Bank accepting donations The Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre is currently accepting donations. Financial donations would be appreciated so that they can continue to purchase nutritious items for those who need it.

Donate through Canada Helps at www.huroncountyfoodbank.org/donate-now Phone: 519-913-2362

Alexandra Marine and General Hospital Crisis Line: 1-888-829-7484 AMGH COVID 19 Hotline: 1-519-524-8689 ext 5412

OFFICE UPDATE due to COVID-19

Huron Perth Centre for Children And Youth hpcentre.on.ca Huron: 519-482-3931

The HCFA office is now closed to the public until further notice.

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

Choices for Changes 1-877-218-0077 Choicesforchange.ca Canadian Mental Health Association – Huron Perth Branch 1888-875-2944 or 519-273-1391 cmhahuronperth.com Huron Women’s Shelter 1-800-265-5506

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

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

72 The Rural Voice

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Mathers sees the humour in the way we were. $24.95

SOMETHING I’VE BEEN MEANING TO TELL YOU Nobel prize winner Alice Munro shares the mysteries, dangers, joys and bewilderment in the lives of ordinary girls and women in this collection of thirteen rich stories. $20.00

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.

A Message From The Legge Family

Front row: Mary and Philip Legge. Back Row: Stephen, Lois, Elizabeth & Priscilla A lot has changed recently with concerns about viruses, so we wanted to share our thoughts on that matter. While quite a bit has changed in a negative way, we also see a number of positive changes taking place. For example, many people are putting more emphasis on prevention, and doing whatever they can to improve their immune/lymphatic function, and their overall level of health and fitness. This is the best long-term solution, because there will always be concerns about new viruses and mutated viruses.

Another positive is that we are seeing more families doing things together, whether it is exercising in their home gym, going for a walk or sharing in some outdoor activity, and interacting and communicating more with each other.

We would like to take this opportunity to offer something of value in this time of need. We believe we should not be overcome with fear, but instead be proactive and do positive things to improve our family’s level of well-being. One of our books, ‘Fitness and Health for the Whole Person’ is an excellent resource to help educate people in this area.

This book has been appreciated by hundreds of families, and is the result of over three decades of teaching and training, and working with thousands of clients. It condenses five life-changing programs with the key points distilled into one handy reference. Everything from fitness and health, to youthfulness and nutrition, and mental and emotional fitness are all covered. It retails for $29.99, but you can request a copy free of charge if you are interested.

Family Owned & Operated Since 1988!

202 Main St W Listowel • 105 Queen St W Fergus

LeggeFitness.com

1-800-695-7338

info@leggefitness.com

Contact your local Shur-Gain dealer for more information.

Hensall Co-op

Dauphin Feed & Supply

Londesboro

Dungannon

519-523-9606 800-265-9000

519-529-7951 800-665-5675

Zurich

Walton

519-236-7155 800-565-7155

519-887-6023

Drayton

Ripley

Yantzi Feed & Seed Ltd.

519-638-3008 800-263-9818

519-395-5955 855-895-5955

Tavistock

Elora

519-655-2033

Mitchell

Brunner

519-846-5354 800-265-5354

519-348-8752 800-669-3502

519-595-8251

Alisa Craig 519-232-4449

Nieuwland Feed & Supply Ltd. Listowel 519-291-5795 800-265-3229

The Hitching Post (2019) Ltd. St. Marys 519-284-2360