Rural Voice
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CONTENTS
The
Rural Voice THE MAGAZINE OF AGRICULTURAL LIFE
17 36 25 SEPTEMBER 2016
Columns Lisa B. Pot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Keith Roulston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Kate Procter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Jeffrey Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Mabel’s Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Arnold Mathers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Woodlots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Agrilaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Departments Leading Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Business Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Newsletters National Farmers Union . . . . . . . .4 Perth County Federation . . . . . .76 Grey County Federation . . . . . . .77 Bruce County Federation . . . . . .78 Huron County Federation . . . . . .80
17 Baron of the Baler Jeremy Stoskopf sources dated Canadian balers, combines and forage harvesters for resurrection in Vietnam and South Africa.
25 The Tower of Bolero Lucy Miller isn’t skimpy with the scoops at the Holyrood General Store. Lucy and Allan have run the store and post office for 30 years.
29 Cattlemen Leaders Five years old now, the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders program offers valuable mentorship to young farmers.
36 Almost Ready in Wellington It’s a match with “something for everyone” say organizers of this year’s IPM 2016 to be held in Minto.
45 Gardening for Food Security Hundreds of rare, heirloom and native plants fill the teaching plots at the Bruce Botanical Food Gardens.
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.
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: Keith Roulston Editor: Lisa B. Pot rveditorlisa@northhuron.on.ca Contributing writers: Bonnie Gropp, Kate Procter, Jeffrey Carter, Rhea Hamilton Seeger, Arnold Mathers, Steve Bowers, Denny Scott, Mary Golem, Geoff Dale, Melisa Luymes, Andrew Campbell and Mark Nonkes 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
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Lisa B. Pot Lisa B. Pot is editor of the Rural Voice and dairy farms in Huron County.
On a journey to Langside “They say life is a highway and we all travel our own roads, some good, some bad, yet each is a blessing of its own.” ~ Jess “Chief” Brynjulson Navigation systems are brilliant, aren’t they? Type in an address and you can relax with music, a podcast or simply admire the scenery while the GPS maps your route and some British chick mispronounces almost every town you pass through. So it was as I drove to Holyrood to interview Lucy Miller on her experiences running the Holyrood General Store for 30 years. The store is famous for its ice cream and believe you me, I didn’t leave without licking down a cone of Bolero. While chatting with Lucy as she unsuccessfully swatted at flies with a half-broken flyswatter, an older gentleman came in. He was nattily clad in a dress shirt and pants, a silver watch on his wrist. His name was Don Bell and he came in to talk business....and buy a jug of vinegar. Bell, I learned, lives in Langside. “Langside,” I repeated. “And where is that?” I get a look. “Where are you from?” he counters. “I live on a farm outside of Auburn,” I answer. “And you don’t know where Langside is?!” he asks with a degree of incredulity. I search my mind, looking for lost files, points of references, childhood memories...nothing. I have to admit I don’t have a clue where Langside is. I want to blame it on my Ford’s navigation system but I get the feeling that won’t fly with Don. He looks a bit disgusted (or is he amused?) as he tells me that when I head home to Auburn, I need to take a 2 THE RURAL VOICE
left on Grey-Ox Avenue and check out Langside. He’s careful to assure me if I keep going, I’ll hit Whitechurch Street, which leads to Highway 86, which, surely I recognize. He looks skeptical. “No worries. I know my way home from there,” I assure him. I do have my navigation system as backup, after all. So I follow Don’s directions and turn left onto Grey-Ox Avenue. It’s a sideroad and this being a summer of drought, I accept that my white Ford will be covered with dust and I will see more browned corn and curled beans, which is stressful on any farmer’s heart. I turn up the radio. Turn off the navigation. Go forward with curiosity. And I discover it’s a good road. A road with “blessings of its own.” I meet a buggy pulled by a widerumped horse, rivulets of sweat adding salty moisture to the dusty air. It’s moving along at a brisk clip up a winding hill, striding toward the shade of aged maples gracing the ditches. On the left, a picturesque scene: a log house with two horses grazing beside a pond.
There! Way up on the hill! A sloperoofed cabin with a stack of firewood all ready to send smoke tendrils into a cool August night. What a view they must have sitting so high up on the hill and who can I call to beg them to let me stay? There are little ponds scattered here and there and when I stop at one to admire the lilypads, I see a moving black circle. What on earth? I peer closer and begin to see details. It’s a pod of baby catfish. Black bullheads maybe? They swim as one, their black bodies twisting and turning in a fascinating display of agility as the group moves in unison through the warm, brackish water. Further down, I come to a field of grapes. A little unkempt, a little wild but the vines are thriving, the leaves glowing lime green in the summer heat. Discoveries. Blessings. I continue until I reach Langside. It’s, um, a little barren. Four corners, a sign and more road. So that wasn’t the point of the journey. What was, then? This: That our ‘places’ can still surprise us. Forty years I’ve lived next
The hills, dells, fences, ponds and horse sighting on Grey-Ox Avenue makes this road the perfect Sunday drive destination en route to discovering the ice cream at the Holyrood General Store.
LISA B. POT door in Huron County and I’ve never travelled down this road. Explorers find their delights and I’m indebted to Mr. Bell for directing me to this avenue. If Anne of Green Gables were to travel it, she would surely scoff at Grey-Ox Avenue and call it “The Dell of Delight” or some “stuff and nonsense” as Marilla would say. That whole life is a highway thing? (And man, can’t you just hear Tom Cochrane’s voice in your head right now?) Well, doesn’t it just lead to that overused, but man-it’s-so-true quote that “Life is a journey, not a destination.” Truth is though, I think it’s both. I’ve tweaked that quote to read “Life is a journey AND a destination.” I read the Good Book to ensure one, and keep my eyes peeled for adventure to live fully the other. Not all of us can pull off an Eat, Pray, Love adventure such as Elizabeth Gilbert, who, subsidized by a $200,000 advance from her publisher, discovered how pasta, gelato and a Brazilian man can cure heartache and lead to self-love. No matter. Those of us who work and farm and parent and live within means find our own ways. Little adventures abound. Simple pleasures are plentiful. Every so often, we need to turn off the navigation systems and explore our places. If nothing else, Grey-Ox Avenue is my tip to anyone visiting Ontario’s West Coast. It’s the perfect Sunday afternoon drive road. (Yes, you can use your GPS to find it...I won’t judge.) Someone who used to live on the road suggested the stretch between Bruce County Rd. 1 and Highway 21 is less picturesque. But who knows what adventure may await driving that way? Whatever you do, make sure you stop in Holyrood and get some ice cream. Ask for a large. I dare you! (And if you know of a picturesque road in our rural county that’s worth the drive, e-mail locations to rveditorlisa@ northhuron.on.ca ...maybe we’ll put out a country road travel guide in our next issue, just in time for fall!) ◊
See you at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show September 13-15, Woodstock
SEPTEMBER 2016 3
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
Prison Farm Rally and Town Hall Meeting in Kingston About 250 people attended a rally and town hall meeting in Kingston, August 16, to support the restoration of the two prison farms within the city’s boundaries. Minister of Public Safety, Ralph Goodale, and several senior staff of Correctional Services Canada (CSC) attended the meeting to hear from the public about the feasibility of reestablishing the prison farm program at two federal institutions in Kingston. The former Conservative government closed Canada’s prison farm program in 2010, despite 18 months of campaigning by hundreds of people in the Kingston area. In June 2016, Minister Goodale announced CSC would conduct a feasibility study on the restoration of the prison farms in Kingston, including an online survey (closed August 2) and the town hall meeting in Kingston.
People speaking in favour of the restoration cited the rehabilitation and work training opportunities for inmates, as well as the importance of preserving the 1500 acres of farmland included in the two institutions. Local NFU members spoke about the need for experienced farm labour in this region and the value of farm work in developing skills such as teamwork, patience and problem-solving. “We are cautiously optimistic that the prison farms will be restored,” says Dianne Dowling, president of NFU Local 316 and a member of the Save Our Prison Farms committee. “Minister Goodale was very engaged in the meeting and heard people speak about the many benefits of the prison farm program – benefits for inmates, CSC staff, the community and NFU-O member Jeff Peters speaks in favour of reinstating the prison farms. Canadian society.”
NFU-O urges retention of Central Experimental Farm for agriculture NFU-O officials recently toured the Central Experimental Farm (CEF) and urged the National Capital Commission to consider the urgent need to save farmland and increase public agricultural research when formulating their report on the best site for the new Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital. “Farmland in Ontario is disappearing at an alarming rate, and while no one disputes the need for a new hospital, governments need to recognize that farmers rely on institutions like the Central Experimental Farm to perform crop and livestock research that will help pull us through droughts like the one recently experienced across Ontario,” said Emery Huszka, NFU-O President. The NFU-O is concerned that inroads made on the CEF by the hospital would just be the tip of the iceberg, since most organizations or developers don’t see the results of public agricultural research – all they see is an undeveloped piece of land in the middle of the city. “The Experimental Farm is a jewel in Ottawa’s landscape,” said Katie
Ward, NFU-O council member. “For those of us who live in the area, the perception can be that it’s just one more museum and greenspace in a city blessed with many museums and parks. But the Farm is key to the ability of Canadian farmers to feed Canadians eaters in the face of climate change and all the weather uncertainty we are starting to experience.” In 2015, the National Farmers Union published an update to their 2010 report entitled Losing Our Grip concerning the loss of farmland in Canada and noted, “Approximately 550,000 acres of Class 1, 2 and 3 farmland were consumed by urban and industrial development between 2000 and 2011.” “It’s all about connecting public agricultural research with the current needs of family farmers, so farmers can meet the needs of Canadian eaters,” Huszka said. “We want the NCC to ensure that every possible effort is made to preserve this scientifically significant research site for future generations of farmers and eaters.” Huszka encourages farmers, farm organizations and individuals to attend
the public consultations the NCC will be holding in the coming months, and to advocate for preserving the Experimental Farm for agricultural purposes.
Coming Events Renfrew Local 330 – Next meeting is Monday, Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m. at the Barr Line Community Centre. Local 316 Involved in Food Policy Council Event about Food Security – Save the date! The Food Policy Council for Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox-Addington is organizing Food Matters, an event about food security in KFL&A, to be held 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 22, at The Grace Centre, Sydenham (about 20 km north of Kingston). Local 316 is involved in organizing and sponsoring the event, and Ayla Fenton, NFU national youth president and a local farmer, will be one of the panelists. All are welcome to attend, including people from outside the KFL&A area. For more information, contact Dianne Dowling at 613546-0869 or dowling@kos.net.
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KEITH ROULSTON Keith Roulston is publisher of The Rural Voice. He lives near Blyth, ON.
Farmer innovators take risks that make all our lives better As someone who has spent a good part of his life out on a limb trying to do different things, I was struck by Mel Luymes column on innovation in agriculture in last month’s issue of The Rural Voice. If you missed it, Mel had visited several farmers who were taking cover crops one step further by planting their crops this past spring into living cover crops, sometimes less successfully than others. Since I’ve spent four decades writing stories about individuals who are trying, or have done, something unusual it’s obvious I find this kind of person fascinating. These are people where the excitement of doing something new and possibly better overcomes the urge to go along with the herd. For a farmer growing crops it’s especially brave to experiment with new things because your failures are out in the open for anyone who drives by the field to gawk at, and spread the word about. There’s something about human nature that makes the safe majority want to ridicule people who fail trying to do things differently. I remember some years ago when the neighbour of a farmer who was always trying new ways of doing things, came to our office to ask why we had done a story on yet another of this guy’s experiments. Those in the neighbourhood were embarrassed by this farm, she said. I suspect these innovators either have thick skins, a great sense of being able to laugh at themselves, or just don’t spend much time in coffee shops where they could be the brunt of digs about their failures. In my own case I know that the number of my failed business ventures or lessthan-smash-hit theatre productions
6 THE RURAL VOICE
may have given critics something to talk about but I never heard – I was too busy doing other interesting things to be anywhere I could hear the gossip. The funny thing is, of course, that if the innovators are successful, they will be copied by those who are less adventurous. Eventually their oncerisky innovation becomes common practice and we’ll forget when it was a controversial experiment. You’ll say I’m showing my age when I say that I can remember when it was daring for a farmer to grow soybeans in Huron County. Soybeans had been a crop for Essex and Kent but not as far north as Huron in the 1970s when the first brave souls planted them. Now, of course, thanks to these pioneers and breeding improvements, soybeans are not only one of the top crops in Huron but farther north as well. No-till farming was a concept that most farmers would have sworn would never work when some of the farmers who would eventually start the Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario, picked up the idea from some U.S. innovators and decided to try it – even though the equipment needed hadn’t been developed yet. Today no-till is everywhere and soil health has improved because of it. Using GPS, yield monitors and precision agriculture were once strange enough that we wrote stories about them. Today the equipment is on most combines and tractors. High-health pork production was once the crazy idea of a few pioneering breeders, as was separating farrowing, nursery and grower-finisher operations. On and on the innovations go. Over the years farmers have been incredibly inventive, which is why they’re a big part of the Rural Talks to Rural conference on rural creativity which is taking place in Blyth this month. So if you see a neighbour trying some crazy new idea, don’t get ready to joke about his or her failures with your friends and neighbours. Instead, be thankful that these brave individuals are trying out new techniques that may someday make your farm life easier or more productive.◊
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KATE PROCTER Kate Procter farms, hikes, canoes, and plays guitar in Huron County.
We live in an amazing time A few months ago, one of my coworkers commented on an editorial piece he had read in a farm publication. He told me that the basic idea of the piece was that everything in every way is getting worse and worse, and that he agreed. My initial thought was that the writer must have a very short memory and not have thought about history very deeply in order to come to such a conclusion. Eventually, I looked up the article and read it for myself. One of his complaints was about hospital wait times. Do we have to wait for medical procedures that were not even dreamt of 50 years ago? In many cases, yes. But not always. As you may have noticed from my previous columns, I am a woman. I have three children. This is largely thanks to modern medicine and the medical procedures that I did not have to wait for, because if it had been left up to my own biology, neither I nor my baby would have survived the first childbirth. That baby has grown into a strong, fit young man. He and I travelled to Boston a couple of years ago. One of the things that stands out in my mind from that trip is the very interesting old part of the city. The Freedom Trail was established in 1951 and is a painted two and a half mile trail on the street that guides you through the history of the city by foot at your own pace, or as part of a guided tour. Eventually we found ourselves in the Granary Burying Ground. The headstones were blackened with age, as the cemetery was established in 1660 and is the final resting place for over 8 THE RURAL VOICE
5,000 Bostonians. One of the most striking things about those headstones was the number of wives listed for many of the men. When we took the time to read, it quickly became apparent that many of those wives died young in childbirth and of the 17 or so, give or take, children born to a man, only a lucky few reached adulthood. The cemetery includes the Infants’ Tomb, where hundreds of children are buried. As I walked, I thought, it is a miracle of the human spirit that enough of us survived those brutal times to thrive and become the pulsing, vibrant society that we are today. If your mind ever takes you to a place where you feel angry about our modern hospitals, I challenge you walk in an old graveyard, take a breath, and get some perspective. The headstones tell the stories. We have made advances in so many areas – sanitation, understanding of disease, and how the body and mind works generally. We can alleviate chronic pain by replacing body parts – adding to the quality of life as well as its length, even if the wait times for these procedures are often long and difficult for those suffering. We have also advanced in the areas of mental
health and human intellectual development. People who used to be locked away in horrible institutions can now be helped and treated and live active, productive lives. In the past, many problems were hidden in closets and swept under rugs, which only made them worse. So while we may be living in an age of too much information, going back to a time when everything was so secretive is not the answer either. There are countless examples portrayed in books, films, and plays of how the good old days weren’t always good. Young people always take a hit when older people get all nostalgic about the good old days. I don’t know if there has ever been a generation that didn’t start out as maligned by the oldsters, railing about “kids these days”. And the education system often gets lumped in with this griping. Yes, I have friends who are teachers and I have heard the stories. And they are heartbreaking. But I know that our education system in years gone by was not without its flaws. I have read some of the rules laid out for teachers back in in the early 1900s. Every aspect of their lives was controlled by their employers – check out the “1915 Rules for Female Teachers”
Boston’s Granary Burying Ground where Kate Proctor was struck by the number of wives listed for many of the men. It serves as a reminder that modern medicine has saved many women and infants from death during childbirth and provides perspective that many things were worse in the “good old days.” Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
KATE PROCTOR document. Female teachers were not allowed to keep company with men, marry, dress in bright colours, dye their hair or travel beyond the city limits. They were also required to be home between the hours of eight pm and six am and even the length of their skirts and their undergarments were determined by the school board. (http://legacy.oise.utoronto.ca/researc h/edu20/moments/1915rules.html). An acquaintance, now in his 80s, proudly tells the story of how he and his fellow students decided to kill the teacher who they didn’t like and nearly succeeded. Children were often beaten at school if they didn’t learn fast enough, and then beaten again at home just to emphasize the point. Those one-room school houses were not always the Norman Rockwell image that we like to romanticize about. And there are many examples of kids today doing great things that we never would even have imagined, let alone accomplished. I could go on. But my main point is to remind all of us, myself included, that while it is easy to find negativity in this world and dwell on that, we live in an amazing time. Many of modern society’s problems today seem to be coming from that overly negative world view that people seem to like to focus on. I know, I know, griping has its place. If we never complained or got bugged about things, we would never make progress. However, when people focus on the negative, they get angry, and often they want to find someone to blame. Things just go downhill from there. Finding positive, creative solutions to things that are not so good is a more productive way for everyone to move forward. Are things today perfect? No. Humans are always striving to improve their own lot, and in so doing, sometimes the pendulum swings too far in the opposite direction. There are often unintended consequences. But while there are certainly examples of things that were better in the “good old days�, many things were worse – and we ignore that at our peril. ◊
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10 THE RURAL VOICE
An ode to peas Much food can be grown in a small patch of good earth. You need seed. Implements. Knowledge. Patience. Labour. You need that which is gifted, the good, the bad, all accepted with grace. It used to be every farmstead had a garden Now they’re rare in the countryside. There’s no time for farmers to nourish themselves, to become part of the dance, to reflect the light – not when you feed a gazillion others. Still, there are the rewards to a garden, things like fresh peas. Not field peas. Garden peas. Here they’re best planted early, when bright flowers carpet the forest floor, dark branches and blue above. A single line of seed, regularly spaced works but in a small space try a wide row. With emergence, a tenuous thing in heavy soil, you’re on your way. Remove the weeds. Thin as necessary. Watch the progress. Round about July they should ready. A half colander, unshelled, is enough for two or three. We shell them, steam them tender and put them in a simple white sauce – don’t skimp on the butter – with a bit of green onion, salt and pepper, and just as the sauce warms, a sprig of crushed lavender leaf. Cook gently until the sauce thickens. Serve on bread, well toasted. Give thanks. Some might say peas love lavender or it could be the other way round. More likely, they love each other, despite their differences. Peas on their own are fine, even the field variety, even if frozen or canned. They’re nutritious, certainly, and good for the ground, one way to give something back.
Here’s what SARE – Sustainable Agriculture and Research – has to say about the vegetable: High Nfixers, field peas produce abundant vining forage and contribute to shortterm soil conditioning. Succulent stems break down easily and are a quick source of available N. Field peas grow rapidly in the cool, moist weather they encounter as winter annuals in the South and in parts of Idaho, and as early-sown summer annuals in the Northeast, North Central and Northern Plains areas. The garden type, one might add, are also sweet and at the same time possess a certain earthiness. They really don’t need lavender at all. Lavender, certainly doesn’t need peas. Lavender, after all, is an aloof type of garden plant. The English claim it as their own. So do the French. In places like Crete it just grows, the year round, despite poor soils and the regular summer drought. According to the Wild Herbs of Crete from which distilled lavender can be purchased: the ancient Greeks, over 2000 years ago, called the plant Stoechas, because it first came from the Stoechas Greek islands that nowadays are called the Hyeres, islands off the French Coast near Toulon. The Stoechade believed it came to their isles from ancient Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization in the West. No one knows where the pea originates. It’s a mere working class vegetable, while lavender has far more mystique, not a vegetable at all, some say, but a plant with a higher calling. Fresh garden peas cannot be had this time of year, not in this garden, anyway. Better to speak of the garden leeks, that are now increasing in girth and, with a hard frost, will be ready for the table. Leeks love taters, it’s been said. Not that a leek on its own doesn’t have merit or a potato, for that matter. Together though, they’re something special. For Paula.◊
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“Thank goodness the Olympics are finally over and there’ll be something else to watch on television,� said Dave Winston when the guys gathered at Mabel’s Grill. “What would you rather watch?� asked Molly Whiteside as she poured their first round of coffee, “the latest ravings of Donald Trump?� “Well it’s for sure my kids wouldn’t be sitting in front of a television watching Donald Trump when they should be doing their chores,� said Dave. “Hey, the Olympics only come around every four years so I guess you could cut them some slack for a few days,� said Molly. “Yeah but my son sits there for an hour watching these grown men jumping these tiny bikes over this
race course and then he goes out to the garage and digs out this little bike he hasn’t ridden since he was 10 and starts trying to do tricks on it. Next thing you know he’ll break an arm and he won’t be able to do anything but watch television.� “My daughter has been on the trampoline ever since she saw that Rosie MacLennan win the gold medal,� said Molly. “Good grief,� said George McKenzie, “how are you supposed to get your kids to grow up if they watch people on television becoming famous for playing kids games?� “Exactly!� said Dave. “When I told my son he was wasting his time on that bicycle, he pointed to this guy who’s 26 and making a living riding those tiny bikes.� “Doesn’t look like such an easy way to make a living to me,� said Cliff Murray. “Whatdya mean? They’re playing games!� said George. “Yeah, but look at the pressure they’re under. The whole country watching to decide if they’re a hero or a dud. A stadium full of people
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and millions around the world watching on TV when they lose a medal by a hundredth of a second. I mean I wouldn’t want people watching when I’m combining beans with some judge saying ‘sorry, you missed that three-foot strip of one row in that 50-acre field so that’s a deduction of .3’.� “Humph, with this year’s soybean prices that would be a deduction of about .3 cents,� said George. “I mean how about you Dave,� asked Cliff, “how’d you like it if you were needling and processing one of your little pigs and somebody was timing you and said you didn’t measure up because it took you three one-hundreds of a second longer than some other pig producer down the road?� “I’m not going to let anybody into my barn to watch me processing pigs,� said Dave. “Yeah, and you’re never going to get a sponsorship contract from some veterinarian drug company because you’re famous for needling pigs,� said George, “All I’m saying is I’m glad I’m a farmer doing things that are a little more clear cut,� said Cliff. “Huh! What’s clear cut anymore?� wondered Molly. “I mean, you kind of figure things are pretty clear cut who’s a man and who’s a woman but I was helping my daughter set up her Facebook account and now they give you 50 choices for your gender status.� “Fifty?� said Dave. “Obviously I have a limited imagination. Even taking in these people who decide they’ve always been the wrong gender and want to change, I can only come up with three.� “I read some people say gender is actually on a spectrum and they’ve come up with 71 identities,� said Cliff. “How come you’re reading up on that?� asked George. “You got something to tell us, Cliff?� Dave shook his head. “Seventyone genders! I think I’ll buy my wife some flowers on the way home. I want to keep her happy. The last thing I want is to be in the market again trying to sort through 71 genders.�◊
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VIEWPOINT
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Andrew is a dairy farmer, speaker and advocate of agriculture via Fresh Air Media and Twitter
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Like many, the Olympics in August were a great time to cheer on Canadian athletes as they competed in Rio for a chance to stand on the podium. But as I watched the coverage, I couldn’t help but cheer on someone else that came across the television screen a number of times. Jill Harvie, an Alberta beef rancher from Harvie Ranching, was front and centre through McDonald’s ‘Not Without Canadian Beef’ campaign during the Olympics. If you haven’t seen the ad, you’ll be able to find it on YouTube under McDonald’s Canada. I think this is a testament to the care that livestock farmers have towards their animals. It starts with a school bus of kids
rolling up to the ranch. They get off and Jill takes them for a tour, answering questions like, “What do cows need to live?” Jill’s answer is a simple one saying that, “Cattle need food, water and people to take good care of them.” It is a relatively new idea for a lot of us in agriculture; to work with large companies and corporations to promote their brand at the same time as improving ours. But Jill knows it is an important one. “Large corporations have much more reach than our industry,” she says when I ask if she thinks our industry needs to work with big companies like this. “For example, a video produced by industry for the consumer audience will likely reach a few thousand hits on average. However, the McDonalds online video is near a hundred thousand in a week and a broader audience by featuring the commercial during primetime at the Rio Olympics.” She’s right. The group of consumers that we want to go after to talk about all the positives of Canadian agriculture is tough to reach when you go at it alone. The other piece to this ad that works so well, is how Jill doesn’t fit the profile of what a consumer would think of
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Jill Harvie, an Alberta beef rancher, tours school children on her ranch for a McDonalds ‘Not Without Canadian Beef’ campaign that aired during the 2017 Summer olympics in Rio.
VIEWPOINT when they think of an average farmer. She says she hears it all the time. “Whether it be at the doctor’s office or on a flight going somewhere, I am always blown away at people’s reactions when they ask me about my profession. They say ‘You’re kidding, you don’t look like a farmer?’ and I respond telling them that the vast majority of my friends are farmers and ranchers across this country and are just like me! They are normal folks, who adore family, nature, animals and building strong communities.” One concern I had was how a company like McDonalds would be to work with when they arrived, and whether or not it was worth it. Jill only has good things to say about her experience. “They were great to work with and spent a considerable amount of time at the ranch leading up to the visit from the English and French youngsters. (Jill is bilingual and hosted two separate groups of kids for two separate ads.) McDonalds wanted to know who we are, what we do and honestly did not leave a stone unturned on this 2,000 acre ranch.” Advocacy for the industry isn’t just about sharing a picture on Facebook or making up a YouTube video. It can be so much more than that. The fact that Jill and her family were willing hosts for an advertising campaign of this scale shows some of the impact we can have when we collaborate with others up and down the value chain. And if it wasn’t for Jill, would folks tuning into the Olympics be able to get a look at what beef farming can be, and who today’s face of beef farming is? One of the last questions asked in the ad by one of the kids is, “What do you love about your job?” Jill’s answer suits a lot of us. She loves feeding her neighbours, community and Canadians. It’s a job not only to love, but one that we all can continue to be proud to show off.◊ Viewpoint: A rotating column featuring Andrew Campbell, Mel Luymes and Mark Nonkes; fresh voices celebrating agriculture and rural life, locally and internationally.
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Day 1 - September 1
Day 2 - September 8
Mount Forest
Day 1 - September 9
Day 2 - September 16
Orangeville
Day 1 - September 14
Day 2 - September 21
Listowel
Day 1 - September 27
Day 2 - October 5
St. Mary’s
Day 1 - October 4
Day 2 - October 11
Elmvale
Day 1 - October 5
Day 1 - October 12
Elmwood
Day 1 - October 24
Day 1 - October 31
Elora
Day 1 - November 16
Day 1 - November 23
Alliston
Day 1 - November 18
Day 1 - November 25
Mount Forest
Day 1 - December 6
Day 1 - December 13
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Day 2 - September 19
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Day 1 - September 23
Day 2 - October 4
Clinton
Day 1 - October 6
Day 2 - October 13
Markdale
Day 1 - October 7
Day 2 - October 14
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Day 2 - October 24
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Day 1 - November 8
Day 2 - November 15
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Day 1 - November 10
Day 2 - November 17
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Day 1 - December 1
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Biosecurity & Food Safety Check website for workshop schedules
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16 THE RURAL VOICE
Day 12 - October 26
Story and Photos by Jeff Tribe
Baler Baron seizes opportuntiies
Jeremy Stoskopf is a sixth-generation Perth County agri-businessman keeping his dream alive of farming a property purchased by his great-great-great grandfather Michael Stoskopf (left, in the vintage photo along with wife Sophia) in 1852 from The Canada Company. The classic stone house in the background was constructed in 1859 and in 2005, was named by The Rural Voice as the best looking Century farm in Perth County. It’s a bit more cluttered with machines these days.
Jeremy Stoskopf sources and ships second-hand farm equipment across the world so he can stay farming himself
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aster of the Massey. Baron of the baler. Seizer of opportunity. Taker of risks.There are many ways to quantify Jeremy Stoskopf’s entrepreneurial exercise of sourcing dated Canadian balers, combines and forage harvesters for resurrection in less-agriculturally-developed locations including Viet Nam and South Africa. But the most accurate might simply be ‘realist,’ a person who recognized another income stream was required to make his rural dream a reality. “If I want to survive on a farm, I have to do something else off-farm,” said the 35-year-old Perth County agri-businessman, whose great-great-great-grandfather Michael purchased the 100-acre property at 3623 Road 145, Mitchell, from The Canada Company in 1852. Stoskopf’s introduction to turning one person’s trash into another’s treasure came as a teenager when he tore down a Ralco stable cleaner, cut it in two with a Skilsaw and sold it to an area scrap metal dealer. “One-hundred-and-fifty dollars for the first half and $150 for the second,” he recalled. “At the age of 14, that was good money.” Stoskopf continued on a neighbouring property owned by an older bachelor who agree he could clean up his yard in exchange for work. Stoskopf expanded from there by towing in scrap, any and SEPTEMBER 2016 17
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everything, including $20 cars and old tractors. He grossed in excess of $10,000 that summer. He added a dump trailer purchased for $1,600 at an auction the following spring and J & R Metal Collection (R denoting a former partner) was born. “That’s where it began.� To be clear, Stoskopf simply wished to carry on a sixth-generation tradition of farming through his father Gerald’s (deceased, his mother Ann lives nearby, his two sisters are employed in the sales and hospitality industries) mixed farming operation. “That’s all I wanted to do.� But apart from scrap metal generated-income, the virtual necessity of unrelated financial streams was brought home by the BSE crisis of 2003 on Stoskopf’s 100-head beef herd. “That put me right to my knees,� he said. “I learned you can’t have everything in one basket, so I spread myself out.� toskopf recalls a cover article in a 2005 issue of The Rural Voice recognizing his property as the best-looking Century Farm in Perth County. “You sure wouldn’t know it now,� says the unmarried Stoskopf, surveying a crowded yard in which the contents illustrate the varied nature of his business interests. “Of course (he’s single),� he laughed. “You think I could keep a woman around here?� Stoskopf has 400 pigs and a few cattle at another property, operating the home farm along with additional acreage and area custom work. Stoskopf also owns dump trucks engaged this summer with the GrandLinq light rail transit project, an excavating and demolition business. J & R Metal Collection employs four. His business model is predicated on not being afraid of hard work, finding a niche that not everyone wishes to do and a philosophy that ‘if you want it bad enough, you’ll get it.’ “That’s what I always say.� The most unique facet of his overall effort – recycling/resurrecting agricultural machinery – is an offshoot of that philosophy and directly related to Stoskopf’s outgoing and engaging personality.
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He lives both physically and psychologically off the beaten path, loading his Honda Shadow 600 cc bike in the back of a pickup for a combined tour of Manitoba; being told he was ‘the wrong colour’ to visit ‘a good local bar’ after asking for directions at a gas station in the Bronx; or heading into town at 10 p.m. off a resort at Los Cabos, Mexico, very much against the recommendations of 20-year-old travel companions. “They were like, that’s unsafe,” said Stoskopf who returned at 6 a.m. from a three-level, open-roofed establishment packed with 3,000 revelers. “They came the next night,” laughed a man who loves getting off the beaten path on the trip that is life. “And that’s how I meet these weird characters.” ‘Alex’, the North American name for an Afghani national Stoskopf first met in search of catalytic convertors at an auction in the United States in 2008 may not meet the descriptor, but certainly qualifies as a character. His introduction to the scrap metal business came as a child in the wake of the Russian military battles with insurgents. “At night when they were gone, they would go out with bags and pick up the brass shell casings,” said Stoskopf, shaking his head. “Unreal!” Three months after their initial meeting, Moustafa inquired if Stoskopf would be interested in sourcing Toyota Corollas for export to Afghanistan. Deciding to give it a test drive, so to speak, he picked up a ‘beater’, drove it to Toronto and promptly tripled his money. “I thought that was so easy.” Corolla demand developed during Russian occupation, driven by the exclusion of North American options and Toyota’s perceived superiority over Russian counterparts. It spiked following the American-led invasion and a flood of reconstruction money. Stoskopf would eventually deliver around 400 Corollas to Toronto, loading one on his flatbed tow truck and towing a second behind. The highest demand was for model years 1992-98, four doors with air bags and AC, in white, which apparently showed dirt less than other colours. Condition was varied, to say the
least, with some picked up from wrecking yards, flipped, rolled over and smashed. “They’d still take them.” Stoskopf was paid in cash, “all American cash,” which Alex claimed arrived in Afghanistan in shrinkwrapped container loads theoretically destined for reconstruction. “It was all brand new dollars, brand new,” Stoskopf added, along with the suspicion ‘big shots’ had lined their pockets in a country known for corruption. The Afghani market represented a high-demand two-year window which closed abruptly following the United States’ exit. “As soon as the Americans said they were pulling out, it died instantly.” He also sourced 10 Ford 150 pickup trucks destined for Libya, and around 25 Belarus tractors for Viet Nam, a throw-back to that country’s Russian connection and the result of one-time government money for agriculture. “That was a short-lived market,” said Stoskopf. “Sometimes markets are here today, gone tomorrow. “A war can break out and the money’s gone in an instant.” oreign business parameters can be fraught with ‘challenges’ beyond market or currency fluctuations. Anecdotally, Stoskopf has heard of a businessman travelling to Iraq to confront a contemporary who owed him tens of thousands of dollars. His response was to point to a nearby man holding an AK-47 and state he could pay him $250 ‘to shoot you in the head, and I’d pay him before I’ll pay you.’ “I’m going to stay here,” laughed Stoskopf, who believes you do have to take a risk in this kind of business, but prefers financial over physical. His most stable and long-term export relationship has been farm equipment shipped to a port in South Africa. This came about via an internet contact forged initially in 2008 with a man living in England whose low-key appearance and behaviour belied the magnitude and wide-ranging nature of his international business deals, many of which begin at Stoskopf’s level. “He’s got guys in the States the same as me – little guys in the middle
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Top: Kyle Boersen (left) and Jeremy Stoskopf (right) work on a New Holland 707 one-row forage harvester at the latter’s Perth County property. Although Massey Ferguson 124 and 224 balers represent the bulk of his business, Stoskopf also sources lesser amounts of other farm equipment. Middle: Jeremy Stoskopf prepares his New Holland CR 9060 combine for wheat harvest at his sixthgeneration Perth County property. As well as working his home farm, Stoskopf provides a custom work option.
SEPTEMBER 2016 19
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of nowhere.� Some markets are more lucrative than others (the Corollas in particular), but given both his background and the ‘ploughshare’ nature of agricultural products, farm equipment deals are Stoskopf’s favourite. “I’d far, far rather ship farm equipment.� The concept of selling Canadian machinery to developing nations is not new, says Stoskopf, with tractors sent to South America in the 1970s reportedly netting as much as $10,000 per transaction. “I don’t know if that’s true,� he said in an almost reverent tone. Contemporary profit margins on balers, combines and occasionally, equipment including wheel rakes, post-hole diggers and one-row forage harvesters are far more modest, says Stoskopf. Does he make that much per transaction? “Heavens no, I wish!� he laughs, quickly enough to be convincing. He equates the process of sourcing and shipping farm machinery to “just another job�, no worse than going to a barn everyday to milk cows. He has sourced around 35 combines, with John Deere 4435s built in Germany the preferred model. But it is small, square-bale balers which have proven Stoskopf’s most lasting product, totaling an estimated 680 over the years. “It’s getting way up there now.� assey Ferguson 124 and 224 balers are preferred. Canada is a prime source, says Stoskopf, because that is where they were made. He finds the majority through auctions both personally and with ‘scouts’ who receive a finder’s fee, in farm publications, online options including Kijiji and good old fashioned networking. “Sometimes it’s such a small world.� Some are ‘out to lunch’ on what they think equipment is worth, but Stoskopf says he pays a ‘fair price’ although in doing so, he has inadvertently driven up the value of vintage small, square-bale balers in Ontario by creating and sustaining demand. “If you had a Massey baler and
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sold it in the past 10 years, this is probably where it went.” Most come from Ontario but Stoskopf is not averse to going further afield, flying to New Brunswick to purchase a pair of combines. Condition is again varied. Stoskopf notes balers described by their owners as ‘in working condition’ are often severely rusted and seized up, mentioning one combine experiencing an unfortunate fire during delivery. “They still took it, cab and everything burned right off.” Stoskopf believes lower standards of acceptability relate both to necessity and labour costs. “They said a man over there is paid like two dollars a day.” His British contact visited his farm to illustrate how to pack balers in 40-by-8-by-9 shipping containers, identifying names scraped off prior to shipping, and some disassembly required to maximize container space. Stoskopf cut up one selfpropelled forage harvester with a torch to fit it into the container. “They welded it all back together, I guess.” Eight balers are packed into each container, which Stoskopf says comes from a facility in Brampton near the 407. They are sealed and an identifying number attached. “They go from there to Vancouver and get loaded on a ship.” By comparison, combines are trucked to a port in New York and begin a two-month voyage along the Eastern seaboard and through the Panama Canal to South Africa. Beyond receiving a decent buck for equipment potentially destined for scrap, most famers find the idea of their former equipment taking a lengthy journey before being reborn on an African veldt intriguing. “They all think it’s fascinating,” said Stoskopf, who would love to see something he’s shipped operational at destination. “I think that would be so cool.” His is a cash-driven business, both in terms of paying for, and being paid for equipment. However, Stoskopf receives money transfers from his British-based counterpart, the international nature of which has
resulted in a visit from the RCMP. “It’s red-flagged right now,” he said. “Which is a good thing.” The worldwide nature of sales adds to market instability. Recently, Stoskopf went to sell an excavator online. “A guy from Cameroon (in Africa) wanted to buy it.” His British contact has proven loyal in an evolving marketplace, but given the finite nature of the baler and farm machinery market, Stoskopf figures the opportunity will come to an end some day. “Scrap is still the main thing, the heartbeat,” he explained. “This is just a sideline.”
There are days Stoskopf thinks it would be best to get a lunch box and ‘9-to-5’er’, but that doesn’t take into account the challenge and enjoyment he finds in an unique and varied entrepreneurial and life approach which has brought far more satisfaction than frustration. Looking forward, he has no bucket list, given the fact he completed his years ago. “They say the sky’s the limit, but honestly I have no idea where this is going,” he concluded with a laugh. “It’s like burning a candle, she’ll eventually burn out, but until then, drive on.” ◊
Master of the Massey? Baron of balers? Jeremy Stoskopf has sourced roughly 680 small square-bale balers for collection and shipping to a second life South Africa. Sourcing and sending second-hand farm equipment is just one line for the sixth generation Perth County agri-businessman.
SEPTEMBER 2016 21
Field of gold attracts birds, bees and traffic Bright, beautiful and scarily distracting! Story and Photos by Lisa B. Pot
22 THE RURAL VOICE
Paul Elder of Elder Acres Ltd., and Elder Enterprises Ltd, on Airport Line near Hensall says he’s just thankful there haven’t been any motor accidents with all the cars stopping on the road so drivers and passengers can photograph themselves against the 15-acre field of sunflowers he grows to produce bird seed under his own label, “Flockin Good Birdseed”. (Photo submitted)
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here’s no measure to indicate how much traffic increased on Airport Line outside of Hensall this summer but once Paul Elder’s 15-acre field of sunflowers started blooming, it’s safe to say it attracted a lot of attention. “I’m just thankful there wasn’t an accident out there,” says Elder, owner and operator of the cash crop farm Elder Acres Ltd., as well as a Polaris dealership at the same location. Pictures of the field started cropping up all over Facebook as passers-by would pose for pictures not unlike the one above
of Elder himself. One wedding couple asked if they could use the field for their wedding portraits. Most people simply stopped. Trespassed. Then took their shot. Elder said the field was a like a beacon in full bloom, as the sunflower heads faced east toward the road. Sunflower heads turn to follow the sun when they are small but once they get heavy with seed, they remain in the same direction. It’s the second year Elder has grown oil sunflower seeds as a little side-venture to the farm’s existing cash crop operation of wheat, corn
and soybeans. “We were actually asked by a neighbour who was having a family wedding if we could grow a purple flower in that field,” recalls Elder. “We didn’t know about that but we had thought of growing sunflowers before so decided to try it.” They planted six acres that year and had a healthy harvest of 16001700 kilograms of seed per acre. The seeds are sold in bags of 25 kilograms offering 15 percent protein and 28 percent fat to help birds thrive over the winter. They are sold for
$18 per bag at the dealership but Elder hopes to supply garden centres and bird seed stores as he pursues contracts among his contacts. Elder grows oil sunflower seeds which are ideal for many species of birds because the shells are paper thin. Unlike traditional sunflower seeds, which have a hard, striped shell, oil sunflowers shells are easy to separate from the seed. The seeds are smaller and would be tedious for humans to eat, but birds flock to eat them in feeders. Growing sunflowers has been a
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learning experience for Elder who had to make a few modifications to his combine head to harvest the seeds. He has them custom-cleaned before bagging. He shows a video he took from the combine cab of the dancing sunflower heads at harvest and it’s clear he’s as pleased with his sunflower field as passers-by. Another 10-20 acres will be planted next year as part of the farm’s crop rotation...hopefully on another field adjacent to the road. ◊
Host & Loca on
Schaus Land & Ca le Co.’s Ken Schaus & Richard Ahrens w/ Brian Hall 142-166 Sideroad 15, Walkerton Site 1: Harry Biermans, Interseeding Cover Concession 10 between sideroad 5 & 10, Aug. 30th Crops into Corn & Site 2: Peter Kotze , 9-11am Plan ng into Green Concession 6 between Bruce 11 & sideroad 5, Cover Crops Lockerby Strip Till Aug. 18th Management & 10am-1pm Drones w/ beef lunch
for Best Bruce County Plowing Match w/ Jim Boak Sept. 2nd Equipment Management Bruce rd. 15 & sideroad 10, Tiverton 10am-12pm Prac ces Harrison Burgsma &Regan Millian Sept. 12th Cover Crops & Berms Lanesville Line between Glens Hill Rd. & 9-11am Dungannon Rd., Dungannon Parrish & Heimbecker Sept. 19th Cover Crop Termination Amberley Loca on 9-11am Trials 86585B Bluewater Hwy Goderich Week of Cover Crop Demo Trials Sprucedale Agromart & Thomas Lennox Sept. 26th Concession rd. 14 E of Carlsruhe Support for this project was provided through the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association from the GLASI Education and Outreach Component funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
Prompted by a neighbour’s wedding, Paul Elder, a farmer and Polaris dealership owner near Hensall, grew a field of sunflowers and created a side-line business called ‘Flockin’ Good Birdseed’.
FREE admission, co ee & donuts! For informa on on how to register, contact Tori Waugh
Phone: (519) 367-3040 ext.249 E- mail: t.waugh@svca.on.ca Or check out our website! www.svca.on.ca SEPTEMBER 2016 23
Get Ready For Some Great Fall Reading
BERNARDIN COMPLETE BOOK OF HOME PRESERVING Preserve the fruits and vegetables of your own garden (and save money, too). 400 delicious and creative recipes for jams, jellies and other spreads, salsa, relish, chutney, ketchup, pickles and more. $27.95
THE POINT: A Lake Huron Story John Weber, author of Letters Home, has created an actionpacked novel of beach fires and brawls, love and heartache as young Mike Seagrave tries to save the family legacy, Seagrave Point, from developers. $18.00
CIDER Steps for pressing, processing and storing cider as well as fermenting hard cider. Recommendations for best varieties to use. $22.95
RAL READING ROO RUBOOKS M ON RURAL THEMES
TRAIL RIDING: Train, Prepare, Pack Up and Hit the Trail Here’s a complete manual for all you need to know before riding off into the great outdoors – from training your horse for things like crossing rivers or encountering traffic to choosing equipment. $29.95
CLUELESS IN THE KITCHEN: A Cookbook for Teens Help your teenager prepare for life on their own with this guide to “alien territory” with tips on kitchen essentials, sanitation, shopping and dozens of simple, tasty, tempting recipes. $14.95
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BERNARDIN COMPLETE BOOK OF HOME PRESERVING CIDER EVEN COWS GO TO HEAVEN ROOT CELLARING THE POINT: A LAKE HURON STORY TRAIL RIDING CLUELESS IN THE KITCHEN OUR LAND OF MILK AND HONEY SHIPPING & HANDLING RATES $6.00 for the first book 60¢ for each additional item to a maximum of $20.00
24 THE RURAL VOICE
ROOT CELLARING Natural Cold Storage for Fruits and Vegetables Save money and help the environment by learning how to store your fruits and vegetables the natural way. Learn about simple tips for in-garden storage or more elaborate cellars and how to make them work. $18.95
EVEN COWS GO TO HEAVEN Linda Knox tells the often funny story of her father Melville Knox who was born near Stratford, trained at Ontario Veterinary College, and practiced veterinary medicine in Grey County for many years. $14.95
$27.95 $22.95 $14.95 $18.95 $18.00 $29.95 $14.95 $30.00
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OUR LAND OF MILK AND HONEY The hard work and bravery of Dutch families who came to Canada after World War II is a story worth telling. B.B. Carmen Johnson recalls the 1948 journey of her family, the de Haans, to Huron and their experience since. $30.00
Send cheque or money order for full amount to: Books: The Rural Voice, P.O. Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 519-523-4311 MAIL BOOKS TO: Name:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ______________________ Code
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Thirty years serving ice cream ‘Large’ takes on new heights at the Holyrood General Store By Lisa B. Pot
Lucy Miller serves up a large of Bolero, the most popular flavour of ice cream served at the Holyrood General Store owned by Lucy and her husband Allan. The couple recently celebrated 30 years of serving ice cream and goods at their country store, also home of the Holyrood Post Office.
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he first lesson I get is on how to pronounce Holyrood. “People here say ‘holly’rood but it really should be pronounced Holyrood because
there is only one ‘L’,” says Lucy Miller, who owns the long-running Holyrood General Store famous for its ice cream. Lucy is a fixture here. She and Allan live in the back rooms behind the store and haven’t really left in the 30 years they’ve owned the establishment.
“The longest we were away was a Friday to Sunday for our daughter’s wedding,” admits Lucy, who is past retirement age but not past celebrating the community spirit she enjoys managing the “Miller Mall”. She’s managing the interview today as Allan was off to Kitchener to purchase supplies for the store. It’s unfortunate that Allan isn’t here – a sentiment echoed by Don Bell when he comes in to discuss some “financial matters” which I’m asked to politely not hear. Bell promises to return when Allan comes back and the interview continues. The couple recently commemorated their 30th anniversary running the store,which, truly, has an astonishing array of goods. There is sweet corn on the counter next to tomatoes, SEPTEMBER 2016 25
across from flashflights and close to fresh coffee ready to drink. Fresh loaves of bread are found below the camouflage hunting jackets close to the cookies and candies and further down...yep, those are rubber boots. Go straight and you’ll see the lines in the floor where the trap door opens to storage in the basement. Turn right and you reach the post office. Turn left and you’ll find cleaners and bulk bags of flour. I’m sure and certain there’s a system because the ice cream is listed in order of favourite flavours in rows corresponding with the freezer it’s located in. But to a newcomer, the array of goods is overwhelming. I notice that most people come in and ask for what they need. One lady needs a box of pickling salt because she’s making cucumbers. Another fella needs a jug of vinegar. They state their needs and Lucy knows exactly where it is. She places it on the small space left on the counter,
has a friendly chat, exchanges funds, and off they go. It’s early morning so the ice cream crowd hasn’t showed up. I can’t even imagine how full the store will be then. Since the start of summer, they have emptied 1,512 tubs of ice cream. One Sunday during the hot spell, Lucy and staff scooped 603 cones, just shy of their record of 757 cones on Victoria Day last year. In total, they emptied 1,834 tubs of ice cream last year. You can get four sizes of ice cream here from kid size to large. A large here, though, is not like a large at other places. I order one to get a picture and there is NO WAY anyone could eat that before it melted. The ice cream towers over the cone. “I love the look on new customer’s faces when they order a large,” admits Lucy, with a mischievous look on her face. They’ll ask me how on earth they
are supposed to eat that and I tell them: “One lick at a time.” Bolero is the top-selling ice cream at the Holyrood General Store followed by Moose Tracks and then Black Cherry. Most of the ice cream is Chapman’s but the Bolero and a few others come from Tracey’s Ice Cream. hile ice cream sales certainly help keep the store afloat, Lucy admits she prefers it when it’s not so busy. “It’s more interesting if you can talk to somebody and see where they are from,” she says. Lucy is surprised when people come in and recognize her, given that she doesn’t have many opportunities to leave the store. The radio station ‘101.7 The One’ recently posted a picture of her and the store on Facebook. This summer, a European tourist came into the store and said she recognized Lucy’s
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Customer Don Bell (right) came to the Holyrood General Store for a chat and some vinegar. Lucy and Allan (not pictured) Miller have owned the store and accompanying post office for 30 years and except for their daughter’s wedding, haven’t ever really left. The couple loves the social aspect of running a general store and continue to beat their record of ice cream cones served each season.
26 THE RURAL VOICE
Lucy and Allan Miller were into mixed farming before they bought the Holyrood General Store, a fixture on the four corners since 1904. The Millers took it over in 1986. ~ Photo courtesy of the Lucknow Sentinel
face from the picture on Facebook. “That Facebook is mindboggling...to think my picture is halfway around the world. I didn’t know what to think of that.” While ice cream is the store’s claim to fame, the store used to also have brisk business with the Mennonite community. Lucy explains when the Mennonites moved into the area, they asked her to stock bulk items and sales were good. However, as the community became established, the Mennonites supplied their own needs and sales have dropped although the local ones still shop at the store. “They do really want the post office to stay open,” said Lucy. So does she. The post office may or may not be the oldest post office still in use as it was established in 1856 at its current location. The building was a hotel before that. “People say it’s the oldest but I know other post offices were started around that time so I don’t know for sure,” says Lucy. Being post master is a job Lucy very much enjoys. She particularly enjoys using the ‘cancelling hammer’ to cancel the stamp on each envelope that comes through the office. It’s a vintage tool now, but quite serviceable.
In fact, she used to have collectors mail letters specially to the store so the stamps could be cancelled using the original cancellation hammer. One collector from Germany used to send $100 worth of stamps to be marked until one time, the stamps were not returned to his address. Lucy was able to track the envelopes through Canada but then they just disappeared. She has a lingering worry that the collector thinks she stole them, which of course she didn’t. She has the tracking records to prove it. But he never sent her stamps again. Has owning the Holyrood General Store been a dream come true for Lucy and Allan? Not exactly. “We farmed for years first,” recounts Lucy. “We tried most things – dairy, pigs, beef cattle, chickens and fowl – but we got put out of farming when the interest rates were so high and we weren’t moving forward.” They decided to sell the farm and started a little store in nearby Langside. When the Holyrood General ‘Store’ came up for sale, only the post office was still running. The store-side had ceased operation.
“I thought with the post office coming with it, that would provide a regular pay cheque,” recalls Lucy. Since the freezers and till and shelving were still in the store, they soon built it up again and 30 years later, are still running both enterprises. Both Lucy and Allan are past retirement age and the subject of selling the store has come up. “But what would we do?” asks Lucy. “They tell me you find things to do and you are just as busy as before you retire. Others say to travel but I’ve never been much of a traveller,” she says, pondering what she might do and admitting she doesn’t really have any interests outside the store. Truth is, she really enjoys working in the store. “We meet so many interesting people. There’s a real social aspect to running the store,” she explains. And who would provide beachgoers and weekend drivers that famous ice cream if Lucy and Allan did retire? It’s a question without an answer and Lucy is just fine with that. ◊
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28 THE RURAL VOICE
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Graduates of Cattlemen’s Young Leader’s program thankful for skills learned and confidence gained
Up-and-comers in the beef industry Story by Amanda Brodhagen
Jason Hurst, 29, (above) of Guelph who raises cattle in Durham, Grey County is a semi-finalist for the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders programs and is still waiting to hear if he made the cut. The competitive program that pairs young beef farmers with mentors to grow their marketing, business and leadership skills sees applicants applying sometimes two or three times before getting in.
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he inaugural Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC) held in Calgary, Alberta on August 9 to 11 was a coming together of all those involved in the beef industry, including those right here at home. In conjunction to CBIC, the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) program celebrated its five-year anniversary – a prestigious national mentorship program designed for those between the ages of 18 to 35 keen on being leaders in the beef industry. The program garners over 60 applications a year from across Canada, and from that pool of candidates, typically the top 26 are picked to participate in round-table
discussions about industry issues, instead of a traditional interview. From there, the top 16 are chosen to receive the mentorship, and a budget of about $2,000. Having gone through the program myself, and graduating in 2014, I can attest that it is a stiff competition, as you are up against some of the brightest young minds from across the country. Since the launch of the program across Canada in 2011, there have been 83 graduates and some have been from Ontario, seven to be exact. And the encouraging part is that some of the participants are those hailing from southwestern Ontario. Here are a few of their stories.
Katie Wood County: Wellington County Mentor: Reynold Bergen Year: 2012 CYL Graduate If you saw her work title, you might be surprised to learn her age. Katie Wood now works at the University of Guelph, in the Department of Animal Biosciences. She is the Assistant Professor in Ruminant Nutrition. Her primary focus is on beef cattle nutrition, but she also does some sheep and dairy work as well. When she applied to the CYL Program, her aim was to get to know more about the industry across the country. At the time, as a prospective SEPTEMBER 2016 29
Katie Wood
Jaclyn Horenberg
Brendan Zettler
researcher, she in particular wanted to learn more about how research was managed from an industry point of view, and how to better streamline research and extension work to improve the industry. “The CYL program has taught me more about the beef industry than I could have learned from anywhere else,” she said. “From meeting with producers, to sitting in research priority meetings, to being at the industry round table meeting with the who’s-who of the industry, I was able to be exposed to aspects of the industry that I would never had the chance to see if it were not for the CYL program.” As a newly minted faculty member at the University of Guelph, she considers the CYL experience to have helped her better understand the research needs of the producers, which has enabled her to pass on her expanded understanding of the beef industry to her students. When asked to comment on the five-year anniversary of the program, she says, “The past five years certainly has seen some great future leaders joining the CYL program from Ontario. I commend the efforts of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, and namely Jill Harvey for making the program such a resounding success.” Jaclyn Horenberg County: Perth County Year: 2014 CYL Graduate
Mentor: Darryl Gibb At 26 years old, Jaclyn Horenberg already has an impressive career. Since graduating with an Animal Science degree from the University of Guelph in 2012, she has found herself employed at Cargill Animal Nutrition as a Beef Nutritional Consultant. She and her husband live in the country outside of St. Marys, Ontario, but are not currently farming – though Jaclyn did grow up on a cow – calf operation. “I am thankful that my job allows me the opportunity to be on-farm helping producers maximize the performance and profitability of their beef operations,” says Horenberg. “I am always looking for new opportunities to learn and further my involvement in the beef industry, and I thought the CYL program seemed like a fantastic opportunity,” she adds. She recalls how her involvement in 4-H growing up helped her see the value in growing oneself through professional development opportunities by putting yourself out there to try new things and meet new people. “Being a young woman in the beef industry, I felt like I could really benefit from having a mentor and expanding my professional network,” she noted. She went on to explain how the program helped fuel her passion for the beef industry and motivated her to want to do more. “I not only gained a wealth of nutritional
knowledge from my mentor, but I also learned a lot of positive habits to be successful in the industry,” making reference to how being around like-minded individuals was a refreshing experience. Since graduating from the program, she has expanded her professional network, which has since led to numerous speaking engagements, enhancing her credibility in the industry. “I have had the opportunity to attend many conferences which have built on my industry and technical nutritional knowledge,” she reports. The beef industry has been described by some as ‘segmented’, not only through location from east to west but by sector too. Horenberg maintains that the CYL program is helping build a more synergistic industry by bringing future leaders of tomorrow from various locations across Canada. Brendan Zettler County: Huron Year: 2014 CYL Graduate Mentor: Mike Edwards Brendan Zettler, 31, can now say that he is a graduate of the CYL program, and he has a certificate to prove it. He shares the insight that he has gained from his mentorship while showing me the 120-head feedlot and 300 ewes at his parent’s farm near Teeswater, Ontario. He also owns about 35 stockers of his own, in addition to cash cropping with his brother and sister. His mentorship focused on two
30 THE RURAL VOICE
areas: managing risk and direct marketing. On the direct marketing side of things, he says that he always sold to family and friends, but then become more serious about enhancing the Zettler Family Farm’s brand. “I would send my mentor material and then he would critique it,” explaining how he now has a website and a Facebook page. “We advertise locally, it’s not like we are trying to take over the world,” he said with a chuckle. While he admits that he did not really know what he was getting himself into at the beginning, he is glad for the experience. Thanks to the program, he has gained more respect among fellow producers. “The CYL experience has opened doors for me both literally and figuratively,” he says, noting how more seasoned farmers in the area have encouraged him to pick up the phone if he has any questions, and he has also landed himself a spot on the Bruce County Beef Producers board.
competitive program sees applicants applying sometimes two or three times before getting in. Hailing from the area, Hurst who was vying for one of the 16 spots, said that after attending both the selection event and the conference, he feels confident that the industry is in good hands. When he arrived and started meeting his fellow competitors, he thought to himself, “holy crap! Everyone has a lot of experience, or comes from large operations.” He reckoned that he was competing against some of the brightest people in the beef industry. But perhaps what excited him the most was how optimistic he thought people were about the beef industry. “People were excited in a down market, and that’s rare,” he said, adding how the demographic at the conference was equally encouraging with the number of young people present. graduate from the University of Guelph with a degree in Animal Science, he first started working in the crop input business, then slowly started moving into the feed side of the business
A
working for Purina as an Account Manager serving the areas of Middlesex and Oxford Counties and South Huron. He now resides in Guelph, but he grew up near Elora, Ontario, and now has cows at his parent’s farm in Durham, Ontario (Grey County), and he owns shares in some cattle in Saskatchewan and Alberta. His family’s cattle herd has fluctuated over the years, but currently they have about 50 Gelbvieh cows at the farm in Durham. They downsized in 2009, because of the financial lows in the beef industry, but did not want to get out of the business completely. “It’s tough to get a foothold and get a name out there with some of the larger breeds like Angus,” explaining his reasoning behind going with the Gelbvieh breed. If selected for the mentorship, he hopes that it will help fast track his career by putting him in contact with the right people. “I think CYL will help me get outside my bubble, throw me into a different culture and way of doing things,” making reference to getting outside of Ontario to learn more. ◊
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32 THE RURAL VOICE
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FARM FRESH FOOD CLASSIFIEDS HURON COUNTY --------------------------------------------------Masse Everbearing Strawberries available mid June - October. Other seasonal vegetables available: sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, beans, zucchini, squash, pumpkins. Masse Fruit & Vegetable Farm, c/o Mike & Dianne Masse, 35291 Zurich Hensall Rd. Phone 519-236-7907. Picked Fresh Daily! ----------------------------------------------------Shepherd’s Fold. Freezer lamb - whole or half, cut and packaged to your specifications. Limited supply of individual cuts. 100% pure wool blankets and sheepskins. Belgrave 519-887-9948. ----------------------------------------------------Local Organics Health Food & Wellness Centre - Local organic meat, dairy, grocery, gluten free products, and supplements. Organic yearround weekly produce box program. www.localorganicsc4th.ca 220 Main St. S., SEAFORTH. 519-600-5683. --------------------------------------------------Zehr’s Country Market. Local Pork and beef. Homestyle baking. In season fruits and vegetables. Maple syrup, honey and preserves. Open Monday - Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 75073 Bluewater Hwy. 21, Bayfield. 519-565-5566. --------------------------------------------------Hillsview Farms organically grown chemical-free produce since 1996. Road Side Stands 3 convenient locations; Seaforth - Main Street Tuesdays and Thursdays, Clinton - beside Tim Hortons Wednesdays and Fridays, Goderich Sears Store lot Wednesdays and Fridays and at the Goderich Farmers’ Market Saturday mornings on the Square. From Lucknow 519-529-3653. ----------------------------------------------------BRUCE COUNTY --------------------------------------------------Arranhill Garlic Farm, Table Garlic, Scapes & Shallots plus Garlic Seed for fall planting.110-12 Conc. East, Allenford. 519-934-2119 Email: acowan@bmts.com. ----------------------------------------------------Back Eddie’s. Fair Trade Organic Coffee Roastery, Café & Eatery serving and selling locally sourced products. Organic grains, flours, beans, nuts, fruits, personal care products and much more. www.backeddies.com. 660 Queen St., Paisley. 519-353-4787. ----------------------------------------------------Johnson Creek Ranch. Texas Longhorns, nature-lean beef, excellent source of Vitamin B12, organically-raised, no drugs, no hormones. 519-396-8583. emja@brucetelecom.com -----------------------------------------------------
BRUCE COUNTY --------------------------------------------------Kinloss Produce. Farm store selling maple syrup, honey, preserves, flowers and a variety of homegrown fruits, vegetables. In fall, decorative squash, pumpkins and mums available. Open 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Closed Tuesdays and Sundays. 1404 Grey Ox Ave., Lucknow. -------------------------------------------------GREY/WELLINGTON COUNTY ----------------------------------------------------Steckle’s Produce & Flowers. Fresh homegrown fruits and vegetables, local honey, maple syrup, preserves and Feiges gourmet dressings. Planters and hanging baskets, fall mums, frozen chicken and Black Angus beef. See our website for availability guide. www.steckles.ca. Open Mon. - Sat. 9-7. 5857 Hwy. 89 Harriston. 519-338-5381. -------------------------------------------------The Market Shoppe. Fresh Ontario produce and meats, local maple syrup and honey products, jams and preserves, soup from scratch and gluten-free products. Café with made-to-order sandwiches. Open Monday to Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 7 Toronto St., Markdale. 519-986-4144. ----------------------------------------------------LAMBlicious - Local Lamb Your Way. Free Range Ontario Local Lamb. Visit our website: www.lamblicious.ca. All cuts of lamb available and lamb appetizers, GMO Free: Pork + Pheasant + Pheasant and Duck Eggs! Organic vegetables + Organic Chicken, Organic coffee, GMO Free Hemp Seeds! 519-379-8876. ----------------------------------------------------Jewels Under The Kilt Ontario Maple Roasted Nuts. We are a new fruit and nut orchard in Fergus Ontario. We have developed a roasting process using the last tapping of a maple tree to preserve the nut during roasting. We can take fresh fruit like apples, pumpkin, pears and peaches and roast them right on to the nuts. 519-362-1585. 6325 Fifth Line Fergus, Ontario N1M 2W5 www.Jewelsunderthekilt.com ----------------------------------------------------Drumlin Farm Fresh Organic Produce. Certified by Ecocert Canada. Open Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon. 226343-9618 www.drumlinfarm.ca ----------------------------------------------------PERTH COUNTY ----------------------------------------------------Honey from the hills and fields of Perth and Waterloo. Come and sample, taste the difference in the seasons. Call Bauman Apiaries, Millbank. 519-5954885. -----------------------------------------------------
PERTH COUNTY ----------------------------------------------------Neubrand Country Produce. Homegrown produce - 15 varieties of tomatoes, 12 varieties of potatoes, sweet corn, dry beans, carrots, beets, black currants, lettuce, squash and many more. Homemade preserves, baking orders, chicken,turkey and eggs. 6584 Line 49, Monkton. 519-347-2766 (veggiepielady@hsfx.ca). ----------------------------------------------------Apple Valley Farms Cider Mill. Wholesale and retail sales. Custom pressing and apple butter cooking, also cider and applesauce. Place your order for fall. Laverne and Christina Bauman. 519-595-3398. ----------------------------------------------------Dave's Diner (established yr 2000). Recently moved to Sebringville, 188 Huron Rd. (beside Esso gas station). Family Restaurant with fresh, real food. Not processed. BEST BREAKFAST around! Bacon, eggs, burgers, wraps, etc. Licensed. Open 7 days a week at 8 am, Thursday and Friday for dinner. Dave’s Diner in Sebringville. 519-393-8726. ----------------------------------------------------The Best Little Pork Shoppe. Open year ’round. Whole Hog: Sausage, bacon, ribs, smoked chops. Local chicken, beef, condiments. In-store bakery, gift shop and more! 2146 Hwy. 7 & 8 East, Shakespeare. 519-625-8194 www.porkshoppe.com ----------------------------------------------------August’s Harvest Inc. Gadshill, ON Garlic seed, from Ontario’s only foundation Garlic Clean Seed Program Purple Stripe, Rocambole, Porcelain & more! Frozen Saskatoon Berries. Call 877-272-1742. By appointment only. ----------------------------------------------------Millbank Cheese and Cold Storage Inc. Visit this unique cheese outlet and taste a variety of Canada’s best cheddars and specialty cheeses. We specialize in large orders - available for parties and other special occasions. 72 Church St., Millbank. 519-595-8787 millbankcheese@cyg.net ----------------------------------------------------MIDDLESEX COUNTY ----------------------------------------------------Carey’s Produce. Open all year 7 days a week, Monday to Friday 9:00 to 6:00, Saturday 9:00 to 5:00 and Sunday 1:00 to 5:00. Fresh local produce available in season. Address 35739 Richmond St. North, RR # 2 Lucan ON. Call 519-228-6838 or cell 519-280-2923. Also on Facebook at Carey's produce and flowers. -------------------------------------------------SEPTEMBER 2016 33
DISCOVER MINTO. AT IPM WELLINGTON 2016!
We aren’t at the IPM Show...
WELLINGTON COUNTY
Stop in and visit us though!
International Plowing Match & Rural Expo
— SEPTEMBER 20-24, 2016 • MINTO, ON — IPM WELLINGTON 2016 STOPS ALONG THE WAY
Harriston-Minto Fall Fair Keep Calm & Plow On MAPLE - From Sap to Syrup
September 16th, 17th & 18th
Quilts, Fabrics & Much More
Sportsplex 550 Belsyde, Fergus
Second Anniversary Sale % Sept. 12-17 off
www.fergusfallfair.ca Truck & Tractor Pulls, Canadian Cowgirl Rodeo, Cattle, Horses, Sheep & Dog Shows Ag. Awareness Tent, Hall Displays, Car Show, Tent Entertainment
Our 180thth Fair
20
3855 Bruce Rd. 4, 5 kms. N. of Teeswater 519-392-6046
September 16, 17 & 18, 2016 • Demolition Derby • Beef Show • Horse Show • Midway • Parade • Antique Car Show • Remote Car Show • Mutt Show • Music • Auctions and more!!!
www.harristonmintofair.ca See you at the Fair!
D O O R S OP E N
Wellington North
Saturday September 17, 2016
10am - 4 pm
Doors Open Wellington North opens their doors to intriguing & charming cultural and heritage sites and businesses, some not typically open to the public. Explore our robust past and present first hand
Fall Mums are here!
South Bruce
Seasonal produce still available. Pumpkins and squash will be ready soon.
In our Farm-store: • All Beef Hamburgers • Honey Garlic Pepperettes • Free Range Chicken (drums, thighs, boneless/skinless breasts)
CIDER WINE TOURS TASTINGS
~ Feiges Gourmet Dressings ~ • German Caesar • Honey Mustard Poppyseed • Oil & Vinegar • Raspberry Vinaigrette • Artichoke Spread F R E E
A D M I S S I O N
DoorsOpenOntario.on.ca #DOWellingtonNorth
Sponsor
34 THE RURAL VOICE
Open May ’til Thanksgiving 6 days a week 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ~ Closed Sundays 5857 Hwy. 89, Harriston
519-338-5381 • www.steckles.ca
Open: Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 11-4 3 km north of Mildmay Hwy 9
519-507-1723
Fresh & Local. Buy in BULK & Save!
Pinecorner Tree Farm Inc.
Village Creations
When you visit us you will find an eclectic mix of handmade, new and ‘preloved’ items as well as a wonderful selection of beautiful yarns and accessories, quilts and tops and so much more. Please join us for our Open House on November 5, 2016 519-799-5881 ~ Carol Dyck 500 Mill St., Neustadt, ON
Largest selection of trees in the area • Shade • Evergreens • Windbreaks • Black Cedars • Fruit Trees • Hedging Cedars Fall Colour Trees • Sugar • Autumn Fantasy • Autumn Blaze Maples available
IPM SPECIAL - 25% off these 3 maples potted September Sale ~ 50% off fruit trees, shrubs & ornamentals STD’s Armour Stone & Mulch
Come visit the farm and look around ~ a great place to shop! 7016 Wellington Rd. 109, Moorefield, Ont (13 km west of Arthur - 5 km east of Teviotdale)
519-638-2734 Jack & Diana Vos
www.pinecorner.ca
Henry Kornelsen, Beekeeper Lynn Philp, Sales Harriston, Ontario 519-338-2442 info@cedarwoodhoney.com www.cedarwoodhoney.com
Cedarwood Honey Pure Raw Honey LIQUID HONEY CREAMED HONEY COMB HONEY POLLINATING SERVICES BEESWAX
Karen & Henry Mengers Cert. Alpaca Fibre Classer Huacaya Alpacas Farm Store
033201 Grey Rd. 28 RR 1 Hanover, ON 519-364-4921 Breeding Stock & Fibre Animals
SEPTEMBER 2016 35
IPM WELLINGTON 2016 STOPS ALONG THE WAY
Hours: Monday to Saturday 8 am to 7 pm ~ 7992 Hwy. 89, Conn (13 kms east of Mount Forest) 519-323-4174 • 519-323-9590
“A city will emerge from the grass and it will be wonderful.”
It’s a place that offers “something for everybody” says Ron Faulkner, chair of the Wellington County International Plowing Match and Rural Expo to be held September 20-24 near Harriston
A place to plow, explore and socialize By Lisa B. Pot
T
hey say it takes a village to raise a child and Ron Faulkner, chair of the Wellington County International Plowing Match and Rural Expo committee would add it takes a community to birth a plowing match. “Nothing brings people together than a project where it takes the effort of a whole community to make it a success,” says Faulkner, a former commissioned officer with the Ontario Provincial Police who has 36 THE RURAL VOICE
been going to plowing matches all his life and expects this one to exceed expectations. “We feel this match has something to offer those from all walks of life,” he says. “It’s a place where they can learn about what they need and see what they enjoy.” Topping the list of entertainment options is the world-renowned musical ride by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on the Tuesday and Thursday of the September 20-24 match held inside the town of Minto near Harriston. The ride is a
choreographed number featuring 32 horse and rider teams which weave together in intricate patterns showcasing disciplined horsemanship. Adding an interactive element, visitors can meet the horses and riders around the show times. Horses are also featured in the Knights of Valour jousting competitions which are new to this year’s plowing match. Perennial favourites such as the RAM Rodeo, the plowing fields, the antique show, Auctioneer’s Challenge and all the exhibitors in the tented city are
A place to plow, explore and socialize they say they are “blown away” by the commitment of the The day Earl and Anne Schneider sit down in the volunteers and the County of Wellington. shade in their hayfield to discuss hosting the Wellington “Hats off to everyone involved,” says Earl. “The County IPM it’s hot. Brutally hot. The soil is bone dry and committees have been doing an excellent job. It sure takes dusty and the only moisture to be felt is the sweat on our a lot of time and effort on their part.” skin. As for themselves, they consider it an honour to be able It’s not surprising that conversation turns to crops to host the event on their farm. “I think it will be really and weather, as Earl and Anne farm a large-scale cash special to hear the kids say, ‘ya, my parents hosted the crop operation and the canola, which really shouldn’t be event.’” ripe yet, was ready for harvest this second week of The couple have four children and the three living August. The couple is used to watching the weather not closest to the match are all volunteering at the event. only for their farm operation, but also for the week of the It’s all part of what gives Earl and Anne joy – family, IPM. friends and community connections. Hosting the “I really hope visitors remember this plowing match as having the greatest weather ever,” says Earl, recounting Wellington County IPM has just been a continuation of those connections, enhancing existing ones and adding years past when he and Anne either froze (New Liskeard) were soaked (Mitchell) or muddied (Seaforth). The couple new ones. “Come and enjoy,” invites Anne. “The plowing match are long-time plowing match enthusiasts. They go every is all on one farm this year so you won’t have to travel far year! Often taking a trailer and camping for the week. to have a good time.” ◊ “We really hope there will be a few good parties,” admits Anne, who loves the social aspects of the plowing match. They have good friends they regularly camp with at the event and says sometimes, couples don’t even make it into the match! This year Earl and Anne will certainly be around as Earl is the proclaimed Mayor of Tented City as the host of the event. The pair haven’t been directly involved in the planning of the event but are eager to be “good hosts” and are keen to enjoy the event. It’s always a good week after a busy season cropping. Earl and Anne grow wheat, canola, corn and soybeans. Anne is also co-owner with her brothers of C&M Seeds after being actively involved in the family business, Palmerston Grain – A Division of As Mayor of Tented City, Earl Schneider and wife, Anne, will have a role to play welcoming and socializing with visitors at the Internationl Plowing Match and Rural Southwest Ag, which they Expo being held on their Harriston-area cash crop farm. It’s a role both enjoy, as sold in recent years. As they watch their field they have become regular campers at many IPM’s over the past years. This year is no exception because they don’t want to miss the party! transform before their eyes, SEPTEMBER 2016 37
SHARING YOUR LOVE OF THE LAND.
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38 THE RURAL VOICE
anticipated yearly features. Each year, the host county adds its own ambience and flare and Wellington is no different. ellington has a dynamic food industry coupled with an international auto industry and is home to the City of Guelph which is considered an international centre for agriculture. In Guelph and the surrounding county, there are more than 90 agri-food companies employing over 6,500 people. Those who work the land can attest to ideal soil conditions in much of the county which lends itself to the growth of a wide variety of crops. This information, and the unique attributes of the county can be viewed on a living, growing Wellington county map by visitors who travel the 175 foot long and 30 foot high zipline near the County Showcase tent. “We have shrunk the county of Wellington into one tent and divided it into the seven municipalities which will each show off their attractions,” explains Callise Foerter, the director of marketing for the Wellington IPM. For instance, Drayton is know for its theatre so it will focus on drama in their portion of the tent. “There’s such a wide range of things to see! From pig butchering to Tour of the Taps, where its possible to sample craft beers,” adds Foerter. Specifically, activities planned during the five-day event at the County Showcase Tent include: • Explore Wellington County departments and member municipalities throughout the showcase, September 20-24 • Wellington Entertainment Stage, September 20-24 daily • Artisan Demonstration Stage, September 20-24 daily • Wellington Farmers’ Market, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm daily • Ziplining, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm daily • Member Municipality Features, experiences presented by each Municipality • Made in Wellington, displays of Wellington County products • Tour the Taps of Wellington, local drink and food sampling 11:00 am 5:00 pm daily • Taste Real VIP Dinner, September 20
W
2016 INTERNATIONAL PLOWING MATCH & RURAL EXPO
2016 WELLINGTON COUNTY International Plowing Match & Rural Expo John credit: Photo arrie McQu
• Careers in Agriculture Career Fair, September 21 from 10:00am 3:00pm • Future Farmers Night, September 21 from 5:00pm - 9:30pm • Patriotic Wellington, September 24 On a practical level, the plowing match showcases plowing skills. Plowmen of all ages, from 10 to 80, compete to create a deep, straight furrow using either horses or tractors. Winners are honoured at an awards banquet. If the plowing and tented city exhibits inspire an interest in agriculture, the event also offers an Agricultural Career Fair for students to learn about all the job possibilities opening up in agriculture. Building on the success of former IPMs, the Farming for the Future tent has been expanded for the 2016 match. Speakers in the ‘Tailgate Talks’ line-up will offer professional and practical advice on topics ranging from agri-tourism to new crops and innovative farming ideas. An environmentally correct model farm can be found in this tent as well. Faulkner admits hosting an IPM is incredibly time-consuming and potentially disruptive from a traffic perspective but says the spinoff for the county is an estimated $27 million in food, clothing, machinery and business sales. Bill White, CEO for the Town of Minto agrees. “The plowing match is huge economic boom for the town of Minto and the County of Wellington,” he says. “A city will emerge from the grass and we will have a wonderful event.” Faulkner agrees, and he’s not pleased when he hears comments suggesting the IPM has turned into a flea market. “I’ve attended the last four events and I have seen for myself that the IPM is a place that offers something for everybody,” he says. “Whether you travel through the Quality Homes or model RVs, or see the latest farm equipment, this is the place to go to get ideas.” Not only that, but it’s an ideal opportunity to explore Wellington County. “This is a premier place to raise a family and we think the IPM provides a tremendous opportunity to showcase the flavour of Wellington and also, the history of the IPM.” ◊
September 20-24, 2016
Town of Minto (Harriston), Ontario Enjoy a fresh taste of farming and celebrate agriculture and rural living at the 2016 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo. Tented City offers over 500 vendors and exhibitors with something for the whole family! Explore agriculture,
food and rural living, as well as antique and historical exhibits. Enjoy a variety of fabulous local talent and entertainment – on various stages throughout the Match. Performances by the RCMP Musical Ride are sure to be a highlight.
You can’t see it all in one day!
Call 1.800.661.7569 for more info!
www.plowingmatch.org SEPTEMBER 2016 39
Join Us At The
2016 International Plowing Match & Rural Expo!
Please come visit us at the 2016 IPM and Rural Expo in Minto and check out the Germania Family Farm Tent!
Stop by HDC’s Tent to Learn More About Our Products & Services! See you in Walton for IPM 2017!
Hensall District Co-operative, Inc. Bringing added-value to your farm since 1937.
www.germaniamutual.com
!
www.hdc.on.ca
Forage | Cover Crops | Organics | Pasture | Corn 519.338.3840 forage@speareseeds.ca
!
Tillage RadishÂŽ Cover Crops That Pay Over 12 years of university R&D Corn yields up average 12 bu/ac 3 YEARS RUNNING Soybean yields up 8 bu/ac Winter Wheat yields up to 5-7 bu/ac increase
99 John Street North | Harriston, ON | N0G 1Z0 www.speareseeds.ca
+ , " - . /
Listowel • Elmira • Mildmay
Stop by our booth at the IPM for Case IH toys and clothing
6
NEW HYBRIDS
De Dell Seeds is proud to announce the introduction of 6 NEW HYBRIDS for 2017! To celebrate this accomplishment we are offering a discount on these 6 NEW HYBRIDS. Purchase any of the 6 NEW HYBRIDS before October 6th, 2016, and receive 6% OFF the retail price of these hybrid, over and above our other discounts!
HYBRID
HEAT UNITS
DAYS
DL 800
2325
77
DL 2016
2500
85
DL 3217
2825
94
DL 4555
2950
98
DL 7250
3300
111
Dynamite
2825
96
This is a limited time offer and only until supplies last.
www.stoltzsales.com DL 800
DL 2016
DL 3217
DL 4555
DL 7250
Dynamite
Visit
% & ' ( ) * +
!! "
# $ !!
!"#$ $ % & %' ( ) % * 40 THE RURAL VOICE
HAUGHOLM BOOKS & A.J. HAUGH EQUIPMENT At the International Plowing Match, September 20-24, Town of Minto (Harriston), ON “Canada’s First Steiner Dealer� Specializing in new and older tractor parts, books, manuals & decals for farm tractors and stationery engines. Pick up our free catalogue. HAUGHOLM BOOKS AND A.J. HAUGH EQUIPMENT One mile east of Brucefield at 40372 Mill Rd.
519-522-0248 Fax 519-522-0138
De Dell Seeds
The Leaders in Non-GMO Technology De Dell Seeds
2479 Main Street • PO Box 129 Lambeth Station • London, Ontario • N6P 1P9 P: 519-203-CORN (2676) • F: 519-203-6626 • info@dedellseeds.com • www.dedellseeds.com This promotion is valid until October 6th, 2016 and only on the 6 new hybrids. Until supplies last.
SEPTEMBER 2016 41
IPM Wellington Exhibitors!
See us at IPM Wellington 2016!
September 20-24, Wellington County, Minto, Ontario
Join Us At The
2016 International Plowing Match & Rural Expo!
Please come visit us at the 2016 IPM and Rural Expo in Minto and check out the Germania Family Farm Tent!
Stop by HDC’s Tent to Learn More About Our Products & Services! See you in Walton for IPM 2017!
Hensall District Co-operative, Inc. Bringing added-value to your farm since 1937.
www.germaniamutual.com
!
www.hdc.on.ca
Forage | Cover Crops | Organics | Pasture | Corn 519.338.3840 forage@speareseeds.ca
!
Tillage RadishÂŽ Cover Crops That Pay Over 12 years of university R&D Corn yields up average 12 bu/ac 3 YEARS RUNNING Soybean yields up 8 bu/ac Winter Wheat yields up to 5-7 bu/ac increase
99 John Street North | Harriston, ON | N0G 1Z0 www.speareseeds.ca
+ , " - . /
Listowel • Elmira • Mildmay
Stop by our booth at the IPM for Case IH toys and clothing
6
NEW HYBRIDS
De Dell Seeds is proud to announce the introduction of 6 NEW HYBRIDS for 2017! To celebrate this accomplishment we are offering a discount on these 6 NEW HYBRIDS. Purchase any of the 6 NEW HYBRIDS before October 6th, 2016, and receive 6% OFF the retail price of these hybrid, over and above our other discounts!
HYBRID
HEAT UNITS
DAYS
DL 800
2325
77
DL 2016
2500
85
DL 3217
2825
94
DL 4555
2950
98
DL 7250
3300
111
Dynamite
2825
96
This is a limited time offer and only until supplies last.
www.stoltzsales.com DL 800
DL 2016
DL 3217
DL 4555
DL 7250
Dynamite
Visit
% & ' ( ) * +
!! "
# $ !!
!"#$ $ % & %' ( ) % * 40 THE RURAL VOICE
HAUGHOLM BOOKS & A.J. HAUGH EQUIPMENT At the International Plowing Match, September 20-24, Town of Minto (Harriston), ON “Canada’s First Steiner Dealer� Specializing in new and older tractor parts, books, manuals & decals for farm tractors and stationery engines. Pick up our free catalogue. HAUGHOLM BOOKS AND A.J. HAUGH EQUIPMENT One mile east of Brucefield at 40372 Mill Rd.
519-522-0248 Fax 519-522-0138
De Dell Seeds
The Leaders in Non-GMO Technology De Dell Seeds
2479 Main Street • PO Box 129 Lambeth Station • London, Ontario • N6P 1P9 P: 519-203-CORN (2676) • F: 519-203-6626 • info@dedellseeds.com • www.dedellseeds.com This promotion is valid until October 6th, 2016 and only on the 6 new hybrids. Until supplies last.
SEPTEMBER 2016 41
IPM Wellington Exhibitors!
See us at IPM Wellington 2016!
September 20-24, Wellington County, Minto, Ontario
See us at IPM Wellington 2016!
Find us on Mutual Avenue Avenue v and Third Street
We’ll We’ll see you you at the IPM! Like you, we count down the th da d ys to t tthe th IPM IPM. It’s It’ a chance h for us to meet and greet the people who make our 40 mutual insurance companies so great. We live and work alongside you. We know the area, the risks and what you need to be protected. At the Mutuals, our policyholders, our neighbours, come first. mutual insurance company company today, Call a local mutual today, or visit iomutuals.com to learn more. www.ontariomutuals.com www w.ontar . mutual insurance difference! Come by by our tent and discover discover the mutual difference! ce!
Proud to be a Presenting Partner of the 2016 International Plowing Match Home, Auto, Commercial and F Farm arm Insurance 42 THE RURAL VOICE
We’re the “Home of the Yardstick!”
Huron busy planning 100th IPM Story by Lisa B. Pot
Tractor parade will kickstart IPM 2017 after IPM 2016 in Wellington County Energy runs high as planners of the IPM 2017 look forward to launching after the Wellington match. Souvenirs such as the custom-made benches (above, left ) and shirts, hats etc. are already available. They’ve been visiting other matches for inspiration and (above, right) an “unsuspecting” volunteer is visited by the Huron County boys: Brian McGavin, Paul Dodds, Matt Townsend (actually quilting) and Jeff McGavin.
I
f someone is planning to run from Harriston in Wellington County to Brussels in Huron County to sort of ‘pass the baton’ from one plowing match to another, you have to suspect there’s a bit of energy being generated. As Wellington County prepares to showcase the agricultural assets of their county, Huron is looking on for inspiration and ideas for their own International Plowing match and Rural Expo next year. “It’s a little wild here,” admits Lynne Godkin, secretary of the IPM 2017 Board of Directors. “When you have a whole bunch of McGavins involved, things are a little different from the get-go,” laughs Godkin. The McGavin family has a long tradition in competitive plowing and community involvement and are key players in organizing the Huron County IPM. Godkin’s family also has a history
with Lynne being a former Huron County Queen of the Furrow before going on to win the title of Ontario Queen of the Furrow. Her brother plows and her father is a plowing judge. Godkin is also the marathon runner planning to make the long run from Wellington to Huron on the Sunday after the Wellington match to keep energy flowing from one match to the next. She won’t be alone. The plan is to form a tractor parade of 100 tractors from Wellington to Brussels as a “kickstart for Huron.” It is, after all, being touted as the 100th International Plowing Match. Jacquie Bishop is chairing the board of directors for the match. With the match just one year away, they are ready to kick off the year. “We welcome everyone to attend the closing ceremonies of IPM 2016 to help us unveil the poster that will market our event for the upcoming
year. And then participate on Sunday in the first ever IPM Cross County Convoy from one match site to the next connecting the two communities that have been granted the honour of hosting this notable event. We invite tractors of all years and models to lead the way from Wellington to Huron County where we will have additional floats, participants join in closer to Brussels to signify that there are great events planned for Walton in 2017. A wonderful Huron Harvest Supper will be hosted by the Brussels Agricultural Society with a variety concert to follow to give a taste of entertainment that will be highlighted at IPM 2017.” Volunteer applications are flooding in. “People really want the Huron match to be a success and are not afraid to get their hands dirty. It’s been awesome,” says Godkin. Joe Ryan, speaking for his father Jack Ryan whose farm is the site of the tented city, is also amazed at the SEPTEMBER 2016 43
volunteer support. “It’s what makes Huron County special...the volunteers,” says Joe. Both Jack and Joe feel it is a great honour to be one of several landowners offering up their farm to host the event. “My dad farmed on the same road for over 70 years and the family has been farming in the Walton-area for 160 years so its a great honour to host the match,” says Joe Ryan. They were recently photographed as part of Huron County’s promotional strategy to showcase the stories of Huron County farmers and their families. “Every piece of print and media and posters will feature farm families. We feel they are what makes Huron great – our people – and we want to say come and meet our families at the 2017 IPM,” says Emily Morrison, the marketing coordinator of the 2017 IPM. ouvenirs are already available for sale and souvenir benches, a popular item at the last few plowing matches, are already being built for people to buy ahead of time. Students from Huron highschools are making the 250 benches which will be strategically placed around the plowing match in shady areas for people to rest and catch their breath. “It’s a way for people to get involved and have a keepsake of the match,” explains Godkin. The Huron match will focus on the four ‘H’s’: Heritage, Huron, Hockey and Hundred (100th match, 150th anniversary of Canada). “We’ll be working very closely with the Ontario Plowmen’s Association because this is their 100th match,” explains Godkin. “It’s their celebration and we want to follow their lead.” As to what is already being planned, farmers and rural residents are making plans for the home beautification process; 4-H has been given a whole tent to showcase what it offers at the local and provincial level including its Go for the Gold competition; quilt blocks are available for the quilt show, and partnerships are being established with such events as the Threshers Reunion to encourage tourists to come to both celebrations of rural life.◊
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44 THE RURAL VOICE
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The Bruce Botanical Food Gardens teache, feed and inspire
Lynne Taylor, Executive Director of the Bruce Botanical Food Gardens in Ripley, poses with her “Pick of the Year” rare world heritage plant – Achocha Lady’s Slipper – the last food of the Incas. Food security is an important issue to Lynne and was the impetus for creating this commmuity-focussed garden.
Paying it forward in the garden
F
ood security in Ontario? Do not most of us see that as a non-issue? We eat well and appreciate being citizens of a country with an enviable standard-of-living, do we not? Canadians are certainly not pressured by the problems of war-torn or economically challenged third-world countries. With levels of food insecurity rising instead of falling, Lynne Taylor would like us to delve a little deeper into the issue. “Food Security” is commonly understood as having ready access to affordable, healthy, nutritious, safe
and culturally accepted food at all times to sustain an active life-style. Lynne observes: “Being surrounded by farmland, it is hard to believe that in Grey-Bruce 15 percent of households live in a food insecure household – including households within this very farmland.” According to Lynne, “we are all just one step away!” Food insecurity is often caused by lack of income which can come at a moment’s notice due to sudden unemployment, severe illness, accident or death in the family, an unexpected legal issue or a
natural disaster. Lack of food education is also a risk of food insecurity and it can cross all boundaries. Lynne emphasizes that when she talks about food security she is not just a textbook preacher. She has experienced difficult times and she knows what it means to have to leave one’s pride behind to seek help. Following the concept of ‘paying it forward’, in which the recipient of a favour does a favour for others, creating a network of good will, Lynne in 2010 initiated an ongoing SEPTEMBER 2016 45
Lynne Taylor hopes people will use the space at the Bruce Botanical Food Gardens in Ripley to reconnect with food – literally – as she encourages folks to “bend over and actually feel this plant!”
project. In 2012 this labour of love and inspiration, with the belief of its board of directors and toil of many others became the Bruce Botanical Food Gardens in Ripley. Lynne Taylor is its Executive Director. The Gardens have been called an undiscovered jewel in our rural landscape – so come on out and discover! In her mission statement Lynne states that through tourism, education, hands-on experience and cultural activity she wishes to address the issues of food insecurity, sustainable agriculture and the issues faced by the small family farm. Opened in the summer of 2013, the Gardens showcases hundreds of varieties of rare, endangered, heirloom and world food plants displayed in a beautiful rustic setting. It’s a feast for the eyes and the senses. It is an experience that is the first of its kind in Canada.Visitors will learn about ancient plants, some from around the world, some from seed arks so rare that they are in danger of becoming extinct. My visit to the Bruce Botanical Food Gardens happened to be on the hottest day of a hot dry season just before the rains came in mid-August, 46 THE RURAL VOICE
yet the gardens were still surprisingly vibrant and thriving with a multitude of edible plants. The nurturing and dedication that goes into these Gardens is well apparent. Lynne emphasizes that she hopes people will use the space to reconnect with food – literally – as she encourages folks to “bend over and actually feel this plant!” I was shown a plant that I could not identify even though we eat its fruit regularly: it turned out to be chick peas and Lynne brought my attention to the cool moist feel of the seed pod, even though it was a sweltering hot day. Reconnecting with food? Pleased to meet you and thanks for the introduction, Lynne! met many other surprising varieties of lettuce and okra and eggplant and squash, herbs and berries, edible flowers and even loofa (the natural sponge). The increasingly well-known super-food sea buckthorn or sand-thorn, a dense medium shrub with very thorny branches and a profusion of vibrant orange berries, rich in Vitamin C and omega fatty acids, takes a prominent position at the entrance of the gardens. We snacked on some of these berries and they certainly gave
I
a refreshing lift to our parched throats. Lynne’s “pick of the year” is Achocha Lady’s Slipper (Cyclanthera pedata). Why? It is disease-free, pestfree, drought tolerant and a prolific producer. Immature fruits taste like cucumber while the mature fruits taste like, and are used like, bell peppers, stuffed or sautéed. Achocha was the Incas’ last food. That alone deserves our awe and wonder… The Bruce Botanical Food Gardens strive to teach the important relationship with food our society has lost and the impact it has had on us. She reflects on her concern that there is not enough “field to fork” food produced anymore. People have really lost the connection and as a society we have been conditioned to consumerism. Who can deny that cosmetic appearance and uniformity count big-time in the supermarket but what about taste, flavour, quality? And where is the genetic diversity? This is where the unique experience of the Botanical Food Gardens comes in. At the entrance is a sign inviting visitors to this “Living Marketplace”, an open-air market that lets you stroll down the aisles for fresh, off-the-plant produce. Lynne
explains that, unlike a food bank where you’ve self-identified as being in need (which is very humbling), here it was a policy of “Pay as You Are Able” through a donation slot at the gatehouse. This approach has levelled the field. Those who can pay, do. Those who can pay only a little, do. And those who cannot pay are still able to take home fresh, nutritious, healthy food for dinner. Some only look and learn without taking food and drop off a donation. Donations from visitors cover seed and plant costs for the coming season, Lynne says. She also stresses that “we are not a market garden and are not in competition with those that make a living selling produce but maybe we can fill a void”. he educational aspect of the gardens is done inspiringly well. Sections of the geometric gardens are laid out in “Bodies of Health”: an Immunity garden, a Digestive garden, a Coronary garden and so on. Plants that promote the well-being of those organs are labelled. Cooking classes are offered at the Community Centre. Groups from 4-H and Horticultural Societies, women’s groups and church groups have taken the opportunity to come and learn as well as individuals from Community Living who benefit from meaningful work in this peaceful place. A recent initiative is for 50 students from the Landscape Design Program at Fanshawe College to do a seven-week project on horticultural design, plant research, succession and companion planting. To Lynne it is all about bringing young minds and hands back to the intricacies of food production. “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to garden and the whole neighbourhood gets tomatoes.” In addition, the Bruce Botanical Food Gardens recycle just about anything. As their home web page states: “There aren’t many places you can go where the fencing, benches and even the front gates are made out of reclaimed bed springs.” This you have to see to believe! Volunteers are encouraged to join the team for jobs such as working in the garden, harvesting, planning special events and doing plant research. One volunteer who has
contributed greatly happened to be there at my visit. Rick Orr, a local son, heard about the gardens and finds the ideas amazing. Many of the physically challenging tasks have been accomplished by him. Although no one would deny it is hard toil, Rick feels a sense of accomplishment: “If you love what you do, it’s not work.” The sparkle in his eye says it all. ruce Botanical Food Gardens is a non-profit corporation with support from Ontario Trillium Foundation, The Society of Energy Professionals, the Township of Huron-Kinloss, Ontario Power Generation, Bruce Power, Penetangore Regional Economic Development Corporation, National Farmers Union in Ontario and others. They are certainly supporting important work! A flagship fund-raising project is the Ripley Apple, in which volunteers selected three wild apple trees from hundreds of trees along the local rail trail that were heavy producers of fruit with good shape, colour, size, texture, taste and natural disease resistance. The three apple varieties were taste-tested by 324 people at Ripley’s 150th Fall Fair and the winning tree reproduced by scion wood cuttings and grafting to root stock. The Ripley Apple is now a highlight at the gardens with a limited number of trees on order for sale. The next “seed of thought” that Lynne Taylor would like to sow is the future Forage Forest, a crescentshaped edible windbreak with nut trees and flowering fruits bordering the Food Gardens. The spearhead plant, an American Sycamore Tree, which will clean polluted water, has already been planted. Stay tuned… In the autumn the community is treated to a Harvest Dinner helped out with foods from the “overflow garden”, this year on September 15. Can one imagine the aromas, the taste, the diversity of such a meal, embedded within a community for which it is a win/win enterprise? Come, eat, be thankful – and then pay it forward. Bruce Botanical Food Gardens are open from June 1 to October 1 daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with someone on site Thursday through Sunday. ◊
B
T
Top: Lynne Taylor displays the developing young pods on her prized Achoca Lady’s Slipper, fruits that can be cooked and eaten like cucumber and bell peppers. Bottom: A delicious-looking closeup of the super-food Sea Buckthorn, which greets visitors at the Entrance of the Bruce Botanical Food Gardens.
SEPTEMBER 2016 47
RECIPES
Tasty delights from Colborne B&B By Bonnie Gropp We all know when life gives you lemons, the right thing to do is make lemonade. Or perhaps cook up something delicious for overnight guests. Several years ago, Suzanne Anderson of Goderich was a busy wife, mom and career woman, working in finance. Her husband John was employed at Volvo. When it was suddenly announced that the plant would be closed, the couple needed to begin reevaluating their future. Retirement was still a ways away, so there was no notion of sitting back and relaxing at the beach just yet. With Goderich being a tourist destination, the idea of opening a bed and breakfast began to take shape. Though neither of them knew anything about the hospitality industry, they both loved people and entertaining, so it seemed a good fit. Minds set, they purchased an existing bed and breakfast in 2011 and quickly made it their own. Today, Colborne B&B is on the map, with bookings for the tastefullyappointed rooms in the stately Victorian running year round. Since the breakfast part of the B&B experience is just as important as the accommodation, Suzanne said she likes to find recipes that are not your “typical everyday meal.” “I want my guests to have a culinary experience when staying at the Colborne B&B.” She also likes dishes that can be prepared the evening before or that require a short prep time to make mornings easier. Serving local, fresh ingredients is also important. “I actually had my accountant ask if I really do grocery shopping every day. The answer is yes, as I do pride myself on using fresh ingredients.” Suzanne, who, along with her daughters Alecia and Ashley, was recently photographed for the upcoming Inspiring Women of Huron County calendar, generously offered to share a few of her favourite dishes. 48 THE RURAL VOICE
Such a lovely way to start the day — with Raspberry Thumbprint Scones. AUNT CHARLENE’S BANANA MUFFINS 3/4 cup (180 mL) white sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup (125 mL) oil 1 cup (250 mL) mashed bananas 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla 1 1/2 cup (375 mL) flour 1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda dash of salt Mix sugar, egg, oil, bananas and vanilla together. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just moist. Spoon into muffins tins. Sprinkle with a mixture of white sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350°F (180° C) for 15-20 minutes SUNFLOWER WHEAT BREAD 1 1/3 cups (280 mL) warm water 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) honey 1 1/2 cup (375 mL) whole wheat flour 1 1/2 cup (375 mL) bread flour 1/2 cup (125 mL) sunflower seeds 2 tsp (10 mL) active dry yeast “This bread is made in a bread maker and you put ingredients as listed in order,” explains Suzanne. She recommends the grain setting if it’s an option.
STARBUCKS COPYCAT RASPBERRY THUMBPRINT SCONES 3 1/2 cups (325 mL) organic flour 2 tbsp (30 mL) baking powder 1/2 cup (125 mL) plus 2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar 1 1/3 cup (315 mL) half and half cream 1 jar organic raspberry fruit spread or raspberry jam sugar for sprinkling Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a baking mat over a large cookie sheet. Sift the dry ingredients together. Add sugar. Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. You can also rub it in with your fingers but grating gives a more tender crumb. Mix in the butter well. Add the cream and knead very gently just until dough holds together. Pat out and cut into rounds. I use a can with the ends cut off for this is the perfect size for a generously sized scone. Allow to stand for 15 minutes. If the kitchen is hot place in the refrigerator during this time. Press centres down gently with a spoon to make a depressed area to hold the jam. Sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake for 10 minutes.
RECIPES Remove from oven, press the centres back down a little and add the raspberry. Bake for 5 more minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving warm. Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired.
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PAIN PERDUE Topping: 1 cup (250 mL) berries, frozen or fresh 1/2 cup (125 mL) maple syrup In a small pot on medium, gently heat berries to break them down, stirring continuously. Add in maple syrup when about half of the berry juice has evaporated. Set aside. French Toast: 1 day old baguette 1 cup (250 mL) milk 4 eggs 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar 3 tbsp (45 mL) cinnamon 1 tbsp (15 mL) clarified butter or oil 1/2 cup (125 mL) whipped cream (optional) Slice baguette diagonally into 1-inch (2 1/2 cm) thick slices. In a bowl, whisk together milk, eggs and vanilla. Combine sugar and cinnamon on a flat surface. In a large frying pan on medium, heat the butter or oil. Gently soak 2-4 bread slices (depending on how many fit in the pan) in egg-milk mixture until bread is heavy. Fry soaked bread on each side for 2-3 minutes until golden. Remove bread and coat both sides with the cinnamon mixture. Repeat for the remaining slices. To serve reheat topping, then spoon over toast. Serve with whipped cream on the side if desired.â—Š
The deadline for the October issue of The Rural Voice is September 14, 2016
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Rural Woman A Country Guide for the Rural Homesteader
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Rural Woman
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GARDENING Rhea HamiltonSeeger and her husband live near Auburn. She is a skilled cook and gardener.
Fall is the ideal time to rearrange gardens and add new plants After that hot and dry summer my new plants are so happy to be in the ground. I made some purchases in July and decided that it might be more prudent to group the pots and keep them watered rather than plant them and run around the garden watering. While it seemed like a good idea at the time I think I should have planted them and done the dance of hauling the hose and pails around the garden. I may have shortchanged their growth but I am hopeful they will catch up. We have eleven white spruce to plant along the bush line but cannot get there due to the corn crop. So I repotted them from half gallon pots up to gallon pots and left them sitting quite content along the garden’s edge. They have not suffered with the drought, they have been fertilized and they are quite happy growing away. The hostas are another matter. While they seem happy and have not suffered as others in the garden have, they are anxious to get planted out. One of the benefits of holding back on planting potted plants is that you can move them around and make sure they are going to work in that particular spot. Klaus must think I am mad as I move pots from here to there, stand back and admire, or not, then walk away. I go back later and note my impression on colour and size. It really is a great idea. We are going to tear apart a section of the terrace garden this fall. The ground cover is creeping into 52 THE RURAL VOICE
other areas and smothering everything else. Since we spend time entertaining on the back patio I think that garden should reflect a bit of care and a touch of design. So this fall the ground cover will be pulled, the spring bulbs replanted deeper, cut barn stone lugged up to replace a rotten beam and a selection of hostas planted. I have some new ones in pots and some earmarked from the other garden to be moved. One of the benefits of a dry season I find is that I hate to do any gardening. I clean up corners and make plans for when it is easier to work the soil. There is time to take a moment, to pause and reflect on what works in your garden and what turns you off. Projects start to percolate.
Hemlocks are slow growers but can reach heights of 100 feet when grown in the dappled shade and moist woodland conditions they prefer.
Fall is a good time to get to work. I sometimes think maybe it would be better to wait until spring, easier on the plants. But we all know how busy spring can be and if the plan is there, then let’s get on with it. Spring will bring its own share of new things to plant and move around. So another project for this fall came about as I was tiptoeing
through the garden by the composter. It hit me that a bit of flagstone would look better than the dirt impression I was creating. It is quite shady there and a shrub would hide the composter. If you have a chance to peruse the garden centres this fall do take some time to look at the shrubs. They are often overlooked and offer some wonderful ‘bones’ or backdrop in your garden. I chose a Clethre alnifolia Ruby Spice, or Summersweet Ruby Spice for the shady path I am creating. The selling factor was it likes heavy shade and wet areas. Yes I know I lack the wet area but I do have the heavy shade by the compost and I think it is close enough to the goldfish pond that I can easily throw a pail of water on it during the summer months. While I am not normally a fan of white flowers, (something about shoveling too much snow during the winter) I must admit that by the time August rolls around the sight of white blossoms sparkling in the shade looks so startling and perfect. This Summersweet is supposed to be covered in red tipped wee blossoms that resemble bottlebrushes, but they are snow white and that is a delightful surprise. The two-foot high shrub looks perfect and will hide the black composter in style. It grows from three feet to eight feet wide (that is if it is happy) and four to six feet tall. Rated Zone 3, it will survive our winters quite well. The other shrub that is new to the garden is actually a hemlock tree. The one I purchased is about two feet tall and just a ball of soft fine flat needles. Now those of you who know this will grow to 70 or 100 feet must be stunned at my recommendation of this plant. Hemlocks are forest trees, preferring dappled shade and moist woodland conditions. We have had one growing beside a walkway for years and it is now just coming to three feet tall. Very slow indeed. Hemlocks can take as much as 30 years to gain their mature height. While I have been watering and nurturing it in its pot, it is destined to
Lisa Thompson
GARDENING go in a shady area where it can grow to its full mature height without hampering any other trees or garden features. I have a soft spot for these trees. They are so soft, feathery, and we can see them from our backyard, towering in the bush. Our log home was built from these giants and it seems only right that we try to return some to the environment. They provide great homes for warblers and I don’t think we will have to worry about bears and moose foraging on their seeds and new growth. Although one never knows! You could plant this in the back of a garden in a shady spot and know that it won’t be too tall for you. Maybe the next gardener! We often ignore the fall days in our garden, happy with the fading colours and ready to look to indoor activities. Working in the garden at rearranging plants and setting up new areas for spring will put you ahead of the game in the spring. Hard to believe I am writing about fall but that is just how fast time flies.◊
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The Cosy Nook Textured and Dyed Wools for Rug Hooking & Wool Applique. Linen, rug warp, monks cloth, red dot, binding and other rug hooking supplies & classes. Please phone before coming 519-799-5725 or e-mail cosynook@wightman.ca Neustadt, ON
Supplies for spinning and felting including rovings, rolags, batts and hand dyed fibers Lessons and workshops available
(705) 944-4021 fullinwoolens@nexicom.net website: fullinwoolens.com Contact Festival for information regarding Texture and Resist Felting Workshop at fleecefestival.com Look for Fullin-Woolens
SEPTEMBER 2016 53
• FARM • HOME • AUTO • • BUSINESS • LIFE • COMMERCIAL • RECREATION • DISABILITY • Well informed and qualified local personnel Your Neighbours...Working For You
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2013 Ford FX4 crew cab, 4x4, 62,000 km............................$32,500 2012 Chev Xpress 145,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14,500 2012 Dodge Ram Longhorn Laramie crew cab, 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan 102,000 km . . . .$10,500 4x4, 210,350 km ................................................................................$27,700 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan 178,000 km . . . . . .$8,995 2012 Dodge Ram SLT crew cab, 4x4, 52,000 km ........................$26,995 2007 Toyota Sienna 205,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,995 2012 Ford F150 crew cab, 4x4, 178,000 km ..............................$22,995 2012 Ford F150 super cab, 4x4, 177,000 km ..............................$22,500 2012 GMC Sierra crew cab, 4WD, 127,000 km ..................$22,500 2013 Chrysler 200 55,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,995 2011 Ford F150 crew cab, 2WD, 146,000 km ....................$19,995 2012 Chev Malibu LS 153,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9,700 2010 Ford XLT crew cab, 4x4, 127,000 km..........................$19,995 2011 Chev Cruise LT 10,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,500 2009 Ford F150 ext. cab, 4x4, 218,000 km ........................$13,500 2011 Ford Fusion SEL 174,000 km . . . . . . . . . .$10,800 2009 Chev Colorado reg. cab, 209,000 km ..........................$6,995 2008 Chev Mailbu LT 116,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8,395 2008 Ford F150 crew cab, 212,000 km ..........................................$11,500 2007 Toyota Camry 219,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,995 2008 Honda Ridge Line 4x4, 263,000 km................................$10,500 2004 Subaru Outback AWD, 248,000 km . . . . . . .$4,495 1992 Chev Silverado ext. cab, 223,000 km ..................................$14,500 1999 Mazda Miata 170,000 km................................$8,995
CARS
SUVS 2016 Ford Explorer AWD, 28,000 km ................................$42,995 2014 Chev Equinox AWD, 104,000 km ..............................$16,500 2013 Ford Edge SEL AWD, 101,000 km............................$24,995 2013 Ford Edge LTD FWD, 60,000 km..............................$26,995 2013 Ford Escape SE AWD, 65,000 km............................$19,995 2011 Dodge Journey Crew, 125,000 km ..............................$9,995 2010 Chev Equinox LT 118,000 km ..................................$12,800 2006 Jeep Liberty Ltd AWD, 189,000 km............................$6,995
1974 Fiat Convertible 118,000 km .........................$8,995 1971 Chev Impala 77,000 miles ...............................$2,995
AS IS SPECIALS 2008 Dodge Caliber 177,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,000 2006 Chev Equinox 170,000 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,200 2002 Chev S10 crew cab, 4x4, 200,000 km . . . . . . .$1,800 2001 Chev Silverado ext. cab, 290,000 km . . . . . .$1,600
Financing and Extended Warranty Available On All Units Plus 13% Tax ~ UCDA - Buy With Confidence
www.bushellsauto.ca 54 THE RURAL VOICE
Food for Thought Memories are made by eating what you grow, what’s in season, and what you can afford
By Arnold Mathers
I
grew up on a farm just a few miles out of town and we ate what we grew. We had our home-raised beef, pork, chicken and whatever the garden produced. Our grocery bill was pretty minimal because our spare cash was even more minimal. We ate what was in season, no Mexican strawberries in February or South African apples in December. The exception was the Florida orange in the toe of my stocking for Christmas morning. But, that didn’t count because Santa brought it. The difference between us farm raised kids and our town relatives was most obvious at breakfast. We had oatmeal porridge and they had cereal out of a box. I never knew that breakfast came in a box until I was old enough to know that it wasn’t
really Santa who put the orange in my sock. Our breakfast was pretty much the same every morning, oatmeal porridge and a slice of toast with homemade jam or honey. Nothing store bought except bread which was about twenty-five cents a loaf and we only bought that because Mother didn’t like baking bread. Mother was a wonderful cook, her butter tarts were to die for, but she didn’t make bread. For variety, once a week, we would have Cream of Wheat, which I think was still pretty much porridge, but it only tasted good when covered with maple syrup. Dad’s favorite breakfast was steak and potatoes. Once in a while, when we splurged and had a steak supper (not dinner, we were farm folks) Mother always cooked a bit extra to
save for breakfast the next morning. She would reheat the steak and mashed potatoes in the frying pan and we had a breakfast fit for a king, or at least a prince. Farmers needed a lot of fuel to make it through a fivehour morning of hard work with no Tim Horton’s coffee break. As a young pre-shaver, my favorite breakfast was fruit bread. That’s what Mother usually served as lunch to guests who came over to play cards. I always checked the next morning to see if there were any leftovers. I knew which guests would eat it all and which ones would be polite enough to leave a slice or two. We always looked forward to eating foods as they came into season. Rhubarb was the earliest, just plain rhubarb or rhubarb crisp or rhubarb pie, it didn’t matter. Next, SEPTEMBER 2016 55
would be fresh peas. Dad had those seeds in the ground before the last snowfall and they’d come into season before some of the old farmers had hung up their longjohns for the summer. An early spring feed of fresh peas will flush out the winter blues and everything else too. I’m not sure that Bird’s Eye frozen peas have the same taste or the same diuretic effect. We had a row or two of berry plants in our garden and the first of the crop would be green and hard but, after salivating a year for a strawberry, we just couldn’t wait for them to ripen. When Mother sent me out to pick some strawberries for supper, I would have more than my share as picker’s pay. Fresh corn on the cob was such a treat. We had to either eat corn that wasn’t quite mature or wait until after the coons had had their fill and then we would have the mature juicy cobs that survived to adulthood. There is nothing like a ripe cob of corn boiled to perfection and rolled in butter. I only hope that God lets my teeth last until they trail me to the Old Folks Rest Home so that I can enjoy eating corn off the cob.
56 THE RURAL VOICE
“When I was a preschooler, I saw her (my mother) dispatch a chicken. Not too long after, I misbehaved in church and she told me if I did that again she would wring my neck. I knew she was quite capable and it certainly put a damper on my shenanigans.” The last of our garden fruits to come into season were our tomatoes, and, yes, they are a fruit. Big red, juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes are the best. None of that grown-in-the-air hydroponic stuff. It doesn’t get much better than a slice of beef-steak tomato with lots of salt and pepper on a slice of fresh bread for a bedtime snack. Whatever happened to real food? Now everything is Lo-fat (they don’t even spell it right) or gluten free or
low sodium or reduced sugar. No wonder so many people are getting ill. We never worried about fat or gluten or sugar when I was a kid. If it was on the table, you ate it. We always had a choice at our house, either eat it or do without. And now, we are worried about GMO food. I’m personally a lot more worried about what kind of manure they grow mushrooms in or who handled the lettuce somewhere in California. Do farm workers have to wash their hands before returning to work? Our beef was processed at a local on-the-farm butcher shop. We usually shared a beef with Dad’s brother and his family. We had our own pork. Today, folks walk along the freezer section of the supermarket and choose their favorite cut of beef. We had no choice! When you get a half of beef, you got some of every cut. This week we have rump roast, next week we have brisket. It’s all grade A. Our meat was either cured, salted or canned until freezers became available. We rented a frozen-food locker in town for several years until we could afford the luxury of a freezer at home. Our chickens were processed (which is a fancy word for killed) at home. Mother was pretty good at wringing the neck of our next dinner. When I was a preschooler, I saw her dispatch a chicken. Not too long after, I misbehaved in church and she told me if I did that again she would wring my neck. I knew she was quite capable and it certainly put a damper on my shenanigans. A few months ago, we went to a restaurant with some good friends. The special was a beef bourguignon. I’m not sure what part of the animal it was and I even had to look up how to spell it. I think that it was a fancy name for an ordinary cut of meat that might have been too tough if it hadn’t been soaked in wine for a few hours. It might have been lo-fat or gluten free or non-GMO but it wasn’t as good as a home-cooked pot roast that simmered in onions all afternoon. By the way, the restaurant meal, including tax and tip, cost more than my first car. Admittedly, my first car was a 1949 Dodge that had been around the world and back and wouldn’t start on a rainy morning, but the point is that the meal was
overpriced. Even the tip was more than a tank of gas used to cost. I still like fresh peas in the spring and locally grown strawberries in season. I like my hunk of cow barbecued medium-rare with no sauce and will order it that way as long as my teeth work. I prefer not to try some of the newer foods like edamame (new name for unripened soya beans in a pod) or tofu. If I don’t know what it is and where it came from, it gives me gas. I will admit that I do like pâté even after I found out that it was duck or goose liver. One thing I have noticed is that if the name of the food has an accent, it will probably cost a lot more. By the way, the accent makes the last letter sound like an “a” so it is pâté. Maybe we should start putting an accent on porke. It could up the price a dollar a pound. hen we go to a restaurant and I have steak, I order more than I need so that I can take a little nostalgia home for breakfast the next morning. My doctor says that I should not eat a piece of steak bigger than a deck of cards. I think that he may have gone to medical school in Las Vegas. However, he has my best health in mind because my visits help pay for his Mercedes. So, I order a nineounce filet mignon because I only need six ounces and I also like the sound of a French steak, whether it has an accent or not. The three ounces I have left over becomes a great next-day breakfast, pan fried with an egg. I use only omega 3 eggs so I am certain that my doctor would approve. I still like oatmeal porridge. I’ve tried all kinds of cereal out of a box. Some are so highly sugared that you need a diabetic pill to get back in balance, some are touted as high in fiber to act as a gentle laxative. Try a good feed of fresh-picked peas instead. Forget the sugar fix and high fiber because most are so tasteless that one might as well throw out the cereal and eat the box. Today it is much harder to enjoy the fruits and veggies as they come into season because they are available all year. We don’t garden any more but we sure enjoy the fresh produce from the roadside stands or the local farmers’ markets.◊
W
Suppor ng our rural tradi ons and communi es.
John Nater, MP Proud to Serve the Farm families of Perth Perth— —Wellington johnnater.ca 866-303-1400
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SEPTEMBER 2016 57
LEADING EDGE
Demand on the rise for Ontario grown quinoa
How it Works
A geothermal system consists of a heat pump, a ground loop, and a flow centre to connect the indoor and outdoor components. The geothermal system uses the constant temperature of the ground to heat and cool your home. In the winter, your WaterFurnace geothermal system extracts the heat and in the summer, it rejects it.
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www.cliffsplumbing.com Phone: 519-528-3913 • Toll Free: 800-449-2543 • Fax: 519-528-3125 cliff@cliffsplumbing.com
58 THE RURAL VOICE
By Kelly Daynard It’s been a whirlwind few years for Jamie Draves of Rockwood. Six years ago, the president and chief executive officer of Katan Kitchens began researching ways to successfully grow quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) in Ontario. Since then, production is increasing, demand continues to exceed supply, and his efforts achieved a new level of fame after a successful appearance on CBC’s The Dragons’ Den, a reality show that gives Canadian entrepreneurs the chance to pitch ideas to a panel of venture capitalists. Draves’ history with quinoa started a decade ago when serious health issues forced him to examine his eating habits. His consultations with a customized team of health care professionals led to a diet high in quinoa-based meals. And, while the crop is traditionally grown in South America and imported into Canada, there are issues in quality and consistency of supply, so he began researching to see whether the crop could successfully be grown in Ontario. And it can. In 2016, he’ll have 36 farmers from Saskatchewan to Quebec (with the majority in Ontario) growing 500 acres of the crop. That’s more than double the farmers and five times the acreage from two years ago. By next year, he anticipates that the acreage will increase another three to five times in size. The crop is currently processed at a rented facility with plans for a permanent plant in the next two years. His appearance on Dragons’ Den in 2015 almost didn’t happen. One of the show’s producers had seen the company at a tradeshow and reached out about an appearance on the show. Draves’ initial answer was a firm no, because he didn’t think they were ready.
ON THE LEADING EDGE But the show was persistent and slotted Draves in for an appearance regardless of his concerns. He polled his staff and some trusted advisors and they came up with a list of conditions related to business targets that would have to be met before a pitch could be considered. In the final days before the show (with a draft email ready to decline the invitation), the last condition became a reality so Draves was off to the CBC studios in Toronto to make a successful deal with Dragon Vikram Vij. The match with the chef, cookbook author and television personality has been a great one. “Vikram’s such a strong supporter and believer in what we’re doing,” Draves said enthusiastically. Draves’ goal, from day one, was to “grow the highest quality, highest nutritional value quinoa in the world.” Six years in, he’s achieved that target. The current variety they’re growing is called Quinta Quinoa – it’s a super food high in protein, fibre and zinc, as well as an excellent source of iron and magnesium. Nutritional tests on the variety have demonstrated it’s also higher in all of these nutrients than its imported competitors, is ideal for gluten-free diets, and grows well in Canadian climates. Draves and his team are testing 60 new naturally crossed varieties this year and expect to have the best of them in production by the 2018 growing season. He’s also interested in talking to farmers who would like to grow for them. “Most farmers are coming back year upon year and asking to increase their acreages,” Draves noted. Draves has received support from Growing Forward 2, a federalprovincial-territorial initiative, and from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ New Directions Research Program. ◊ ~Source: AgInnovation Ontario, a project of the Agri-Technology Commercialization Centre (ATCC). The ATCC is funded by Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincialterritorial initiative.
Jamie Draves of Katan Kitchens in Rockwood stands with a field of quinoa which he says is in demand in Ontario. He and his team are testing 60 varieties of quinoa and plan to have to have the best of them in production by the 2018 growing season.
Whe en outside outs ,
Be Bite Bite Wise Wise Ticks can cause Lyme disease
Mosquitoes can cause West Nile virus
The risk of getting sick from a bug bite is low. But why take chances? Protect yourself lf and oth hers: other
USE bug repellants approved by Health Canada.. Wear W ear e long-sleeved tops and pants. Light colours are best. Limit time outdoors during dawn and dusk. Check your body for ticks. Check your pets as well.
Huron County Health h Unit huronhealthunit. althunit. h ca
SEPTEMBER 2016 59
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How to be in six places at once Automobile, Residential, Farm & Commercial Properties
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WHO ARE YOUR ANIMALS MEETING? Ontario is seeing more cases of rabies in wild animals. Wild animals can infect your animals with rabies, a disease fatal to both humans and animals.
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60 THE RURAL VOICE
Protect your dogs and cats: - Watch your animals - don’t let them roam free. - Vaccinate your dogs and cats against rabies. - Check your animals for bruises and wounds.
For more information, visit huronhealthunit.ca/rabies
Av ail ab le* wi th
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Soft red winter wheats from SeCan that fit your farm – no matter where you farm in Ontario. Contact your local SeCan seed retailer.
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SEPTEMBER 2016 61
GRAIN MARKETS Scott Krakar is Grain Merchandiser with LAC, Inc., Hyde Park, 519-4739333.
Drought hit right at the crucial R1 growth stage When corn enters its reproductive period it is called the R1 growth stage. At this stage the silks emerge and pollen shed occurs. Upon landing on the silk, the pollen grain takes about 24 hours to move down the silk and fertilize the ovule to produce a kernel. Generally it is reported that silking and pollination take up to about three days to be complete. It is at this growth stage (R1) that corn has its greatest water requirement. When silking, corn uses about one third of an inch of equivalent rainfall
per day. Moisture stress at this stage can reduce yield potential eight per cent per day. How were the growing conditions when much of Ontario’s crop entered the R1 growth stage? For many areas we were extremely dry and excessively hot. This year’s summer growing season has been difficult in Ontario. Drought conditions have persisted and the summer heat has been long-lasting and harsh. Consequently many crops have been negatively impacted in a severe way. Some areas of the province have seen some timely rains while others haven’t had anything until recently. There has been extreme variability in rainfall and therefore we will see extreme variability in yields. Drought and stress conditions during the R1 stage is stated to be the most yield-reducing timeframe in the corn plant’s development and corn cannot recover from poor pollination and seed set. The repercussion of the drought is obvious. Ontario will certainly have reduced average yields for both corn and soybeans.
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62 THE RURAL VOICE
There are many reports of complete crop failures and crop insurance claims. In some regions producers have been cutting corn and soy fields and wrapping them for forage. Other regions have growers talking about the dramatic shift from crops that had great potential earlier in the season to corn crops that are now fired and brown to the top. Tip back in ears of corn is prevalent and in some areas with light soil there are even barren cobs. Fortunately for others there are reports of some good crops, albeit far from last year’s production. The question before us now is how much below trend line will yields be? At this time it is an unknown. At this stage however, it is becoming more certain that the better yielding areas will not be able to make up for the poorest crops in maintaining the provincial average yield. After all, it would take fantastic crops in some regions to make up for areas that will not produce any yield. With today’s current supply and demand expectations Ontario needs to produce about 155 bushels per acre to satisfy our own needs. This demand can, of course, change. Because industrial use is constant the residual corn buyer is the feed market. The feed market has opportunity to source and use alternatives to corn in times of scarcity. The feed market has a large wheat supply locally to buffer some of its corn demand. There are areas of the province that will see corn yields less than their wheat yields. It is well known that Ontario produced record wheat yields this year. With about one million acres of wheat harvested with record bushels per acre, many analysts were concerned about the marketability of Ontario’s bountiful harvest into an oversupplied wheat market. Suppose Ontario produces an average of 145 bushels per acre corn crop this season? On two-million acres our local region will be deficit about 20 million bushels of corn (about 500,000 metric tonnes). If Ontario sees such production the short fall will be made up by imports
GRAIN MARKETS and by wheat feeding. From this discussion there comes two main takeaway points. First is that Ontario’s export terminals will not be busy loading corn this upcoming harvest season unless yields surprise to the upside; domestic users will be keen bidders as they hold grain at home. The second is that Ontario’s old crop wheat basis will not trade at the great discount that was expected even a month ago. Unfortunately the supply tightness will not necessarily translate into great pricing opportunities for Ontario growers. The U.S. crop will be too large. Currently it is estimated to be record making. In its most recent estimate the USDA is estimating the U.S. corn crop to be 15.15 billion bushels. This estimate is based upon the assumption that yields, too, will be record high, currently estimated to be 175.1 bushels per acre. There is much speculation that this estimate will be the highest yield guess in regards to this crop. The U.S. crop has been exposed to extreme heat this season and concern is developing that the crop may not have pollinated well enough to produce this record yield.◊
MITCHELL
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6506 Wellington Rd. 123, Palmerston, ON N0G 2P0
The deadline for the October issue of The Rural Voice is September 14, 2016
HELP WANTED on a
TIP OF THE MONTH Increase your profits by using milk replacer
Grain and Livestock Farm Part-time or full-time available AZ licence would be an asset. Contact:
swe@tcc.on.ca or Scott Cantelon 519-524-0103 SEPTEMBER 2016 63
Drainage Solutions Quality Service & Experience Backhoe/Excavating Licensed Soil Erosion Contractor Septic Solutions
Parker & Parker Limited 73595 Goshen Line, R.R. #2 Zurich, Ontario N0M 2T0 Call (519) 236-7390
Call CT for Hydro Vac Excavation, Flushing & Camera Inspection 519-236-7401 64 THE RURAL VOICE
HAROLD FROST 519-482-7176 Cell: 519-440-9347
Box 1455 Clinton, ON N0M 1L0
NAGAGAMI
FORESTRY SERVICE
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WOODLOTS Steve Bowers is a forester, forest owner and member of the HuronPerth Chapter of the Ontario Woodlot Association.
Serving South Bruce, Huron, Perth, Lambton & North Middlesex Counties
Growers of quality Native Tree Seedlings since 1950
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Grants • Tree Planting Spring Tree Orders • Fall Tree Orders Our staff are here to help you with tree planting and stewardship. This includes planting plans, site o est management plans, wildlife preparation, for habitat improvement, and erosion control. Grants may cover up to 100 per cent of cost of reforestation projects. Phone Ian or Kate at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 or email i j e a n @ a b c a . o n . c a to find out about grants and tree planting.
BERNIE McGLYNN LUMBER LTD. BUYER OF: • HARDWOOD • BUSHLOTS Wholesaler * Hardwood Lumber BERNIE McGLYNN (519) 357-6621
SAWMILL P.O. Box 39, R.R. #5, Mildmay, Ont. N0G 2J0 (519) 367-5789
Canoe party discovers beauty of Algonquin Park When I studied forestry in university, fourth-year students participated in winter field trips to various locations in northern Ontario in the interest of gaining practical experience. Thanks to some “outside the box” thinking by a couple of friends, rather than visiting a pulp and paper mill or boreal logging camp like the rest of our classmates, the three of us piled into an old Jeep Wagoneer in January of 1976 and headed for visits to Algonquin Park logging operations headquartered in Huntsville and Kiosk as well as the Milne Pine operation out of Temagami. Being typical of most youth I didn’t appreciate the significance of this opportunity at the time. All the tours were great and in each location, part of the trip included travel to a remote site to visit their logging operation; however, in Temagami we travelled by plane. Since I was mostly focussed on the adventure of taking off and landing on frozen lakes in a plane equipped with skis (as well as nearly frozen feet due to inadequate footwear) I didn’t realize until much later that we were viewing some of the last logging of virgin, old-growth pine in Ontario. Temagami is definitely a special area and known worldwide for its natural beauty, remnant wilderness and outdoor recreational opportunities. I was happy to be able to visit the area once again this year for a canoe trip in July. Our first day saw us arriving at Mowat Landing west of New SEPTEMBER 2016 65
Green Lumber Kiln Dried Lumber Coloured Mulch Sawdust Firewood
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PUT DOWN SOME ROOTS! MVCA Tree Planting Services Large Stock Service - offers larger trees for stream buffers, windbreaks, reforestation and road side plantings. A variety of native hardwood (6-7 ft. bare root) and coniferous trees (2 ft. balled and burlapped) available. Applicants are responsible for picking up their order from the MVCA. Deadline is Oct. 31, 2016. Seedling Service - provides a variety of seedling trees to landowners doing their own planting. A minimum 50 tree order is required. Applicants are responsible for picking up their order from the MVCA. Deadline is Oct. 31, 2016. Reforestation Service - MVCA staff provide assistance to landowners reforesting larger tracts of land through machine or hand planting. Staff will assist in species selection, creating a planting plan, and conducting site and survival inspections.
GRANTS AVAILABLE for some planting projects! Call for details. Maitland Valley Conservation Authority [e] trees@mvca.on.ca [w] www.mvca.on.ca [t] 519-335-3557
66 THE RURAL VOICE
WOODLOTS Liskeard in the early afternoon, then paddling about 20 km down the Montreal River to our initial camping site at the start of our first portage. The longest portage of our trip was waiting at the start of the second day. Depending on which map we referred to, it varied between 2,200 and 2,800 metres. Of course each portage was travelled three times as we carried one load across, then went back for a second. Most portages in the Temagami area are somewhat rugged, but thankfully this one wasn’t quite as challenging as the shorter, but aptly named “Sharp Rock” or “Napoleon Mountain” portages we would encounter later on the trip. An abandoned logging truck partway across provided an opportunity to stop and explore, as well as a reminder of the logging history of the area. While the pine forests in the Ottawa and Algonquin areas were exploited early in the 1800s and throughout the 19th century, much of the Temagami area forests remained relatively untouched due to limited access. Also, in 1901
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WOODLOTS the government established the Temagami Forest Reserve to preserve the area for future logging. It was likely the 1930s or later before much significant logging took place in the area. For the rest of our second day we paddled the length of Anima Nipissing Lake. On day three after a short paddle on some small lakes and a couple of portages we crossed the infamous Red Squirrel Road as we arrived at Red Squirrel Lake. In the 1970s and early 1980s several proposals for development of the area had met with increasing opposition from various interest groups. In 1989 there was a blockade of the road in an attempt to prevent its further construction, which would have provided logging access to some of the last remnant old growth pine and opened additional wilderness areas to vehicles. There were many arrests of
protesters, including soon to be Premier Bob Rae. In the end the protesters were successful, protecting a significant area of old growth forest in the Wakimika Triangle, increasing profile of the area and initiating change in provincial planning processes. After camping at the north end of Lake Temagami, we crossed Diamond Lake (enjoying the chance to view some interesting pictographs on rock cliffs) and then into Lady Evelyn Lake. Two long days’ paddle across a windy and rough Lady Evelyn Lake ended with a final, short portage around the Mattawapika Dam near our starting point, after travelling about 120 km including roughly seven km of portages. All in all, a great trip in a wonderful area with an interesting history. Hopefully we can return another year. ◊
% 20 Off Complete Chimney Pkgs. 6", 7" and 8" in stock Sale ends December 3, 2016 A canoe trip to the Temagami area was nostalgic for Steve Bowers (centre, with paddle) who visited the area while studying forestry in university. He and his fellow canoers (left to right) Gavin Bowers,Craig Laing and Warren Knight, say the forests are relatively untouched to preserve the trees for future logging. At right, pictographs were seen on the rocks while canoeing Diamond Lake.
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RR 2 Durham ON N0G 1R0
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SEPTEMBER 2016 67
AGRILAW Paul G. Vogel, a partner in the London law firm of Cohen Highley LLP.
Communications Towers – what about co-location facilities? Communication tower leases generally permit the tenant to renew on notice to the landlord on the same terms and conditions with provision for increased rental. Can a communications company purporting to exercise its renewal option require the landlord to agree to a co-location license to another communications company? The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia has recently considered a case in which the communications tower lease did not include provision for a co-location license. However, in purporting to exercise its renewal option, the communication company tenant proposed additional rent for the co-location facilities and requested the landlord’s approval. The landlord refused approval but subsequently learned that the communications company tenant had nevertheless proceeded with the co-location license. The landlord applied to the court for a declaration that the lease had terminated and also for damages. In considering whether or not the communications tower lease had been effectively renewed, the court commented: “The crux of the dispute between the parties is whether the inclusion by [the communications company] of the additional rent to compensate for the co-location by [the co-location licensee] and others, was a counter-offer, the effect of which was that there was no renewal ‘on the same terms and conditions’ as called for in para. 3 of the subject lease.” In allowing the application and 68 THE RURAL VOICE
declaring that the lease had terminated, the court stated: “I conclude the lease was not renewed as contemplated by the terms of the original lease … I am satisfied that the May 17, 2012 letter was an offer to renew on new terms and conditions. As I have indicated, this letter contained the original renewal provisions but added two new conditions, one of which provided for rental amounts for the colocation by [the co-location licensee], and the other for rental amounts for any other carrier who would obtain co-location rights from [the communications company]. I am satisfied the subject lease was not renewed. Therefore, it terminated effective January 1, 2013.” On the basis of this conclusion, the court ordered the communications company to vacate the property with the landlord entitled to continued rental payments until the property was vacated. With respect to the landlord’s claim for damages as a result of the communications company having permitted co-location facilities, the court stated: “It is clear that what is granted to the tenant [the communications company] is the right to erect, maintain and operate a telecommunications tower and to enter upon the premises to install, operate and maintain the said equipment and/or tower. [The communication company’s] rights
of possession are clearly defined … there is no reference to any right to allow third parties to colocate on the property. I am satisfied that [the communications company] had no authority to allow [the co-location licensee] to co-locate. Accordingly, [the landlord] is entitled to damages.” The court then awarded to the landlord damages equivalent to the market value annual rental of the colocation facilities. Where communications tower leases do not grant the tenant the right to license co-location facilities to a third party, the communication company has no contractual rights to do so. In the absence of such provision, a purported exercise by the communication company of such rights may result in termination of the lease and render the communications company liable for damages.◊ ______________________________ Agrilaw is a syndicated column produced by the full service London law firm of Cohen Highley LLP. Paul G. Vogel, a partner in the firm, practices in the area of commercial litigation and environmental law. Agrilaw is intended to provide information to farm operators on topics of interest and importance. The opinions expressed are not intended as legal advice. Before acting on any information contained in this column, readers should obtain legal advice with respect to their own particular circumstances and geographical area.
Manufacturer of Precast Concrete Products Complete Infrastructure Supply • septic and holding tanks • sewer • watermain • concrete structures • hydrants and valves • hydro vaults • plow blades
www.porters.ca Lucknow (head office) 519-528-3537 Owen Sound 519-372-1636 Stratford 519-271-5554
Lucknow location also offers • septic pumping • ready mix • aggregate and decorative stone Division of J.A. Porter Holdings (Lucknow) Ltd.
“Small Company Service with large company capability”
• Drainage Tubing • Fittings • Culverts
PO Box 543 ~ 427 Canada Avenue, Huron Park, ON N0M 1Y0
O - 226-425-2111 C - 519-476-7106
www.bluewaterpipe.com tkime@bluewaterpipe.com
Come visit us at Booth #AB-53 at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show! Supplying Farms within 200 kms of Exeter, ON ~ Tried and accepted by numerous installers
BLUEVALE
269
$
Schmidt’s Power Equipment
95
MS 170
Displacement Power Output Weight
Gas Chain Saw
519-357-3877 schmidtspower@gmail.com
MSRP $279.95 WITH 16” BAR
30.1 cc 1.3 kW 3.9 kg (8.6 lb)*
CHESLEY /HANOVER 390 1st Ave. S. / 450 10th St.
Bruce Service Sales /APC 519-363-3811 / 519-364-6345
DUNDALK Highland Supply 519-923-2240 / 1-800-265-9154 www.highlandsupply.ca
FORDWICH Boyd’s Farm Supply Ltd. MS 180 C-BE
34995
$
MS 250
44995
$
WITH 16” BAR
31.8 cc / 1.5 kW / 4.2 kg (9.3 lb)*
MS 271
54995
$
WITH 16” BAR
45.4 cc / 2.3 kW / 4.6 kg (10.1 lb)*
MSRP $559.95 WITH 16” BAR
50.2 cc / 2.6 kW / 5.6 kg (12.3 lb)*
519-335-3539
FORMOSA Lloyd Kuntz Sales & Service 519-367-2913
GODERICH MS 311
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MSRP $659.95 WITH 16” BAR
59.0 cc / 3.1 kW / 6.4 kg (14.1 lb)*
MS 241 C-M
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MSRP $709.95 WITH 16” BAR
42.6 cc / 2.2 kW / 4.7 kg (10.4 lb)*
RECEIVE A FREE WOOD-PRO™ KIT with the purchase of any • Woodsman® Carrying Case eligible STIHL Chain Saw.** • OILOMATIC® Chain Loop • STIHL Hat AN $85 VALUE!
STIHLCanada
www.stihl.ca
Argyle Marine & Small Engines Inc. 3 kms. N. on Hwy. 21 519-524-5361
Feature prices are in effect until December 2, 2016 for all power tools at participating STIHL Dealers, while supplies last. *Powerhead only. **Don’t miss your chance to get the Wood-Pro™ Kit. Simply purchase any one of the following chain saws between now and December 2, 2016 and you will receive a STIHL Wood-Pro™ Kit FREE. This kit includes: a Woodsman® Carrying Case, STIHL hat and a replacement loop of OILOMATIC ® chain - an $85 value! Hat may not be exactly as shown. Offer valid until December 2, 2016, while supplies last. Eligible Models: MS 150 C-E, MS 170, MS 171, MS 180 C-BE, MS 181 C-BE, MS 193 C-E, MS 211, MS 231, MS 241 C-M, MS 250, MS 251, MS 251 C-BE, MS 271, MS 291 C-BE, MS 311 and MS 391.
MILVERTON Albrecht’s Chain Saw Service R.R. 1, Milverton (Line #67 Lane 4158) 519-595-2579
MITCHELL Wighty’s Repairs Inc. 519-348-0404
Visit your local STIHL Dealer for more information or www.stihl.ca!
MOUNT FOREST Robert’s Farm Equipment 519-323-2755
NEUSTADT The Windmill 519-799-5342
SEPTEMBER 2016 69
The Rural Voice
Business Centre To place your ad call...519-523-4311
B U S I N E S S
“Qualified Care For Your Complex Fuel Systems” • Diesel Fuel Pumps & Injectors • Turbo Chargers • Starters & Alternators 519-482-7971 or 1-800-320-0666 77242B London Rd. (Hwy #4 S.) CLINTON www.huronfuelinjection.com
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Scrap Cars/Trucks Scrap Metal and Machinery etc. New Government Inspected Scale. Competitive Prices • Bins Available • Used Auto Parts Available Road 111, RR 4 Stratford
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70 THE RURAL VOICE
$
Saturday 8am to 12pm APRIL TIL NOVEMBER
Looking to Buy or Sell Your Farm? Give me a Call! STEVEN NIXON
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Quality Workmanship Since 1948 * Farm Drainage * Excavator & Backhoe Service * Municipal Drainage * No Obligation Quotes
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R. Ian Robertson, LL.B. Barrister & Solicitor 081164 Grey Rd. 5 Tara, ON N0H 2N0
• FAMILY LAW
Tel: 519-934-3113 Fax: 519-934-2769 Email: rirlaw@bmts.com rirlaw.webs.com • CRIMINAL LAW
STEFFEN WELL DRILLING 519-531-0355 TEESWATER, ON • Agricultural & domestic water wells • Well Cleanouts • Pump Testing • Camera Inspection • Irrigation Wells • Dewatering Services
• CIVIL LITIGATION
PACKERS: WE BUILD RUBBER TIRE PACKER SPECIALISTS
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Order Now Also large fold-up steel drum packers, lawn & estate rollers, custom manufactured
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Also Supplying Other Building Accessories
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Wa n t e d to buy
OLD BARNS FOR SALVAGE CALL STEVE
519-523-4523 Galvanized Roofing For Sale SEPTEMBER 2016 71
B U S I N E S S C E N T R E
B U S I N E S S C E N T R E
WALSH BROS. WELDING
Custom Shearing Brake Forming Welding & Machine Shop
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! "
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INNIS NEW & USED TRACTOR PARTS LTD. Agricultural & Combines New & Used Parts Used Tractors & Machinery
1-877-274-6583 Phone: 519-291-4924 Fax: 519-291-1520 Fire No. 6142, Line 84, R.R. #2, Listowel, ON N4W 3G7 Wanted: Early and late model farm tractors, combines, crawlers and construction equipment, fuel injection pumps, starters and alternator repairs
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USED RAM CLEARANCE 2010 RAM 2500 Laramie Crew 4x4
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Hemi. 26,595 km #85112 $36,900
Hemi, 115,500 km #460624A $25,900
2014 Ram 3500 Laramie 4x4
2011 RAM 2500 SLT Crew 4x4
2014 RAM 1500 Outdoorsman 4x4
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Hemi, 43,848 km #460112A $34,995
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72 THE RURAL VOICE
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AUCTION -------------------------------------------------Elmira Produce Auction – Hay and Straw Sales every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. except December 21 and 28. Consignors and buyers welcome. Call Noah Gingrich, 519669-3884. 7400 Reid Woods Drive, Elmira. -------------------------------------------------CAMPSITES -------------------------------------------------Elliott Park, Main Street in Exeter. Suitable for tents/trailers, no hook-up service. First come, first serve. Donations collected. -------------------------------------------------CHESLEY LAKE CAMP. Find an ideal mix of accommodations, dining, activities and golf for your whole family at Chesley Lake Camp, 78 Camp Rd., RR #3, Allenford, ON. 519-934-2071 chesleylakecamp.ca Email: clc@gbtel.ca -------------------------------------------------CONSTRUCTION -------------------------------------------------ASB INC. AG BUILDER - Drivesheds, additions, renovations, dairy, equine, hog and poultry. Dependable. Experienced. Serving Southwestern Ontario. Free Estimates. 519-4243348. Cell 519-532-4760 john@ asbinc.ca www.ASBinc.ca -------------------------------------------------CUSTOM WORK -------------------------------------------------Janmaat Custom Bale Wrapping. In-line wrapping, any size round bale and any size square bale up to 6 1/2' long. No travel charge. Call Cody at 519-955-3384. -------------------------------------------------DAIRY -------------------------------------------------Screened bedding sand, delivered. Call 519-625-8242 or 519-274-1490. -------------------------------------------------FIREWOOD -------------------------------------------------Quality slabwood or bodywood now available for delivery to your yard. Please call for pricing. No Sunday calls. 519-656-2057. -------------------------------------------------FOR SALE -------------------------------------------------Allis Chalmers M2 combine – Long Shoe and Corn Head for sale. 519-291-4924. ---------------------------------------------------
FOR SALE --------------------------------------------------
LIVESTOCK BEDDING -------------------------------------------------MIRACLE FIBER Livestock Bedding. Also, coarse wood mulch for horse and cattle walkways, wet areas, around water troughs and bush lanes. 1-877-773-8004. Sittler Grinding. Rick Sittler. ---------------------------------------------------LIVESTOCK FOR SALE -------------------------------------------------Purebred ewe lambs and ram lambs born February/March 2016. British bloodlines. GenOvis performance-tested. M-V negative, healthy, closed flock. Florence Pullen, Clinton 519-233-7896. -------------------------------------------------Rabbit Depot open every other Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Breeding stock available. Rabbit meat for sale – whole rabbit, sausage and meat sticks. Call Glenn Voisin, RR 1, Formosa, 519-392-6612. --------------------------------------------------
1966 Allis Chalmers D21, excellent condition. Miles Martin 705-738-2645, the_allis_man@hotmail.com -------------------------------------------------Flynn’s Tractor Collectibles. For the largest selection of farm equipment manuals, literature and memorabilia in Canada, visit us at: www.flynns-tc.ca or call 519-9273581. -------------------------------------------------Of utmost importance is a safe chimney (which could save both lives and homes). Some homeowners thinking their chimney was safe, suddenly had a burning experience! For information by mail, regarding CHIMTEK chimneys and many comments from such chimney owners please contact us – Ebersol Masonry Chimney Supply, 4922 Line 67, RR 2, Milverton, ON N0K 1M0. To leave message only - 519-595-4919. ------------------------------------------------Softer water, pH brought into normal range, harmful bacteria nullified or reduced simply by installing a Vortex Water Revitalizer in the main water line. Reduces buildup in humidifiers, coffee percolators, tea kettles, etc. No maintenance! For information apply to Ebersol Chair Shop, 4922 Line 67, RR 2, Milverton, ON N0K 1M0, or to leave messages only - 519-595-4919. --------------------------------------------------
Discount Steel Seconds Steel Tubing Great for barn posts, stabling or other build-your-own projects
Custom Welding & Machine Shop John A.M. Martin 1467 Grey Ox Ave., Lucknow
Cozy Morning Woodstoves Cookstoves Heating Stoves • Pioneer Princess • Flame View Heaters • Pioneer Maid • Cunningham • Bakers Choice • Warm Time • Kitchen Queen • Aluminum Checkerplate & more Stove Boards NEW Savor Pro Stainless Porch Stoves 3 & 4 Door Chefmate Bake Ovens Andy & Sarah Miller ~ 284410 Daniel Rd., Mt. Elgin, ON N0J 1N0
Breeding Stock Available Miniature Horses and Donkeys. Kiko Goats and Kune Kune Pigs Easter Egger Chicks & Turkey Chicks HB Mini Acres • 519-334-3223
-------------------------------------------------LIVESTOCK WANTED -------------------------------------------------Buy small herds. Cull cattle. Clarence Poortinga, 519-887-9747. -------------------------------------------------SERVICES -------------------------------------------------Firearms licences and hunting training. Ongoing courses available. PAL RESTRICTED HUNTER ED. Turkey course exams. Call 519-8879622 or 519-492-2004. -------------------------------------------------Custom manure spreading with draghose system or tanker. Also custom hauling silage for longer distances. Call Andrew 519-356-9170. -------------------------------------------------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 -------------------------------------------------SEPTEMBER 2016 73
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SERVICES -------------------------------------------------INLINE FENCING – Custom farm fencing. Page wire and horse fencing 519-934-1555. --------------------------------------------------
SERVICES -------------------------------------------------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. -------------------------------------------------Langside Chainsaw & Small Engine Sales and Service – chainsaws and accessories, string trimmers, power cutters, small engines, v-belts, lawnmower sales and service, rental power tools. Isaac M. Martin, 378 Langside Street, RR 5, Lucknow, ON N0G 2H0. -------------------------------------------------Plastic Welding Repairs on water, fuel, gas, coolant and chemical tanks, hoods, fenders, bumpers, chainsaws, troughs, etc. Experience the Savings. Contact 519-372-6331 or 519-4771048, Dundalk, Ontario. -------------------------------------------------SOUTHWEST BOOKKEEPING, London. Now using AgExpert software from Farm Credit Canada. Offering 10% discount to OFA members on bookkeeping services. Income tax preparation including HST. Payroll and T4 preparation. Agristability applications and more. See our website: www.southwest bookkeeping.ca or 519-204-4441 (London). -------------------------------------------------TRAVEL -------------------------------------------------AGRICULTURAL TOURS 2016-2017 Australia/New Zealand - January 2017 South America - February 2017 Egypt Land/Nile Cruise - November 2016 Italy Villa Experience - October 2016 Costa Rica/Panama Cruise - February 2017 Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand - March 2017 Kenya/Tanzania - January 2017 India - March 2017 Scandinavia & Baltic Cruise - June 2017 Iceland - July 2017 Select Holidays ~ 1-800-661-4326 www.selectholidays.com -------------------------------------------------UPCOMING EVENTS -------------------------------------------------CIDERFEST – September 25, Van Egmond House, Egmondville, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Famous apple fritters, apple cider, meat pies, flea market, historical demos, ropemaking, rug braiding, local music entertainers. Gate donation. --------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING EVENTS -------------------------------------------------10th Annual Poker Run for Autism – Saturday, September 17, 9:30 a.m. Registration at Queen’s Bush Pub 451 10th St., Hanover. $25 includes meal, prizes and entertainment. 519364-6666. Email: queensbushpub@ yahoo.ca Website: www.queens bushpub.com -------------------------------------------------Gigantic Clearance Reduction Sale September 9 and 10 and September 16 and 17. Two locations this year: Auburn Co-op, (Cty. Rd. 25) Blyth Road, Auburn and Belgrave Co-op, 1 Queen St., Belgrave. Watch for signs. 519-526-7262 or 519-3572711. -------------------------------------------------Elmira Charity Quilt Auction and Country Market, located at Elmira Produce Auction (7400 Reid Woods Dr., Elmira), Saturday, October 29. General and silent auctions start at 9:00 a.m., new handmade wooden furniture at 11:00 a.m. and a quilt auction starting at noon. Lunch counter and giant bake table. Join us Friday, October 28, 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. to preview the quilts, enjoy a beef brisket dinner and a family-themed auction. Proceeds to Elmira District Community Living 519-669-3205. www.elmiraquiltauction.com ------------------------------------------------PRATIE OATEN - Annual Irish Festival returns to Grey Roots Museum & Archives on Sunday, September 25, noon - 5:00 p.m. Live music, food samples, demonstrations, Moreston Heritage Village, and more! Call 519-367-3690 or visit www.greyroots.com -------------------------------------------------Fall Colour Tour, Sunday, October 2, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Wawanosh Valley Conservation Area (38854 Nature Centre Rd., north of Blyth, west of County Rd. 4). An autumn tradition featuring wagon rides, guided walks, hot apple cider and children’s activities. Admission free. Donations accepted. For more information contact Erin Dolmage 519335-3557, edolmage@mvca.on.ca or visit: www.mvca.on.ca Sponsored by the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority. --------------------------------------------------
DONALD A ANDREW ACCOUNTING Accounting & Income Tax Services for FARMS, BUSINESSES & INDIVIDUALS 296 Ross St., Lucknow
Ph. 519-528-3019
HIGHLAND FENCE & SUPPLY INC. Joseph Kirwin
Shawn Kraft
519-475-4868 • 1-800-923-4488 info@highlandfence.ca • www.highlandfence.ca 804075 Rd. 80, Embro, ON N0J 1J0 SEAMLESS EAVESTROUGHING
Roofs & Walls Elevator Legs Air Blasting Pressure Washing Fully Insured Free Estimates
London 1-888-253-3756 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 Specializing in on Farm Pest Management Serving Southwestern ON, Golden Horseshoe, GTA Email: sgschris@ciaaccess.com
519-692-4232 www.sgspestmanagement.ca
EGGER FARMS CUSTOM BALING
• 3x3 Bales Automatic Acid Applications, Roto Cutter. Individual Bale Wrapping 6' bales
Call Fritz: 519-292-0138 74 THE RURAL VOICE
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UPCOMING EVENTS -------------------------------------------------Lucknow Fall Fair, September 16, 17, 18. Theme: Sew It, Grow It, Show It. Parade September 17, 11:00 a.m. NEW: Family Fun Zone for all ages. Outdoor games, kids’ entertainment, livestock shows and much more. YukYuks-On-Tour Comedy Show Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Weekend details at: www.lucknowagsociety.ca or 519-528-2284. -------------------------------------------------NEW ENTERTAINMENT SERIES VICTORIA JUBILEE HALL Beatlemania – The look, the sound and the excitement of the Beatles (September 17). Cadence – 4 men with 4 microphones bring wonderful vocals and charismatic stage presence (October 1). Luke McMaster and his Band – Soul Music from the past, the present and into the future, with Luke’s own brand of fun, romantic music (November 19). Everything Fitz – Natalie MacMaster calls these champion fiddlers and step dancers “standout musicians.” See them as they travel across Canada (February 26). No Sugar Tonight – A tribute to The Guess Who, Burton Cummings, and Bachman Turner Overdrive (April 29). Five shows for only $110! For other exciting events and more information visit: www.vjhall.on.ca Phone 519-881-2826 (Walkerton) for tickets. -------------------------------------------------TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES Festival Sale, November 3 and November 4, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; November 5, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Hanover Mennonite Church, 172 5th St., Hanover. Across from Travellers Inn. Handcrafted creations from around the world – many new items. Contact Marlene Baker, 519-799-5332 or Marg Berg 519-364-5897. Handicap accessible. -------------------------------------------------Dundalk Fall Fair and Canadian Open Square, Step Dancing and Clogging Competition, September 9 - 11 (fair), homecraft exhibits, agricultural and livestock shows, children’s amusements. September 10 dance competition, truck and antique tractor pull. September 11, community church service and demolition derby. 519-923-3051. Check website: www.dundalkfair.com for complete listing. --------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING EVENTS -------------------------------------------------Seaforth Fall Fair - September 15-18 at the Seaforth Agriplex. Antique tractors, slowest motorcycle races, 4-H livestock, mini and heavy horses, kids fun zone, penny sale, baby show, pet show, junior dance, BX93 Video Dance Party 19+, scales, tails, paws and claws, buy, sell and trade show and farmers’ market. 519-527-1321. www.seaforthagriculturalsociety.on.ca -------------------------------------------------Hillbilly Hootenany, Sunday, September 18, 6:00 p.m. Ham and scalloped potato dinner. Bluegrass Gospel music, clowns, puppets, face painting. A family night. Chesley Community Church. Adults: $15, children under 10: $5. 519-353-1229. -------------------------------------------------WANTED -------------------------------------------------Wanted to Rent or sharecrop good cash crop land. Short or long term. Paying top dollar. Contact Alma Villa Farms, Jonathan 519-233-7467, Jason 519-525-0509. -------------------------------------------------Wanted to Rent – Farmland – Long or short term, cash rent, share crop or let us describe our unique pricing system. Contact Paul at Hill & Hill Farms, 519-233-3218 or 519-525-3137 or email: paul.hillhill@tcc.on.ca -------------------------------------------------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 --------------------------------------------------
WANTED TO RENT LAND Willing to pay competitive prices. Call Matt or Tim Devereaux
CLASSIFIED WANTED -------------------------------------------------STANDING TIMBER. Quality workmanship guaranteed. B. Kropf Forestry Service Ltd., Shakespeare, 519-748-7422. -------------------------------------------------Cash cropland wanted to rent, good stewardship, competitive rates. Call Peter Heinrich, 519-523-4461. -------------------------------------------------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. -------------------------------------------------22x38 Dion Threshing Machine and International 6 or 7 ft. grain binder. Phone evenings, 905-983-9331. --------------------------------------------------
CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER 2-4 – Durham Fall Fair. Details at www.durhamfallfair.ca/ 9 – Grey County Federation of Agriculture Directors’ meeting, 8:00 p.m., Grey Ag Services. 16-18 – Chatsworth Fall Fair. Details at www.chatsworthfallfair.ca/ 21 – Perth County Federation of Agriculture Directors’ meeting, 8:00 p.m., Rostock Hall (Board Room), Rostock.
519-440-8498 or 519-440-6910
WANTED Large square bales of Hay and Straw Call Matt or Tim Devereaux
519-440-8498 or 519-440-6910
26 – Bruce County Federation of Agriculture Directors’ meeting, 8:00 p.m., Bruce County Administration Office, Walkerton. 26 – Huron County Federation of Agriculture Board meeting, 8:00 p.m., Vanastra Office, Walkerton.◊ SEPTEMBER 2016 75
Perth County Federation of Agriculture Email: perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com Website: www.perthcountyfarmers.ca Agnes Denham, Secretary: 519-229-8866 or 1-866-829-8866 Joanne Foster, President: j.foster@quadro.net
Ontario Young Farmers Forum November 20-21 The 2016 Ontario Young Farmers Forum (OYFF) will be held Sunday, November 20 and Monday, November 21 at the International Plaza Hotel in Toronto. The OYFF attracts some of the brightest and most innovative young farmers (aged 18-40) from across the province for a two-day forum in conjunction with the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture (OFA) annual meeting and convention. Again this year the Perth County Federation of Agriculture will be sponsoring attendees from Perth County. Contact the PCFA office at: perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com or call 1-866-829-8866 to put your name on the list for sponsorship.â—Š
Perth County Federation of Agriculture
DIRECTORS MEETING Wednesday, September 21 8:00 p.m. Rostock Hall (Board Room), Rostock
2ND ANNUAL PERTH COUNTY HARVEST GALA
Perth County Federation of Agriculture
Saturday, November 19
ANNUAL MEETING AND OFA REGIONAL MEETING Friday, October 14
Stratford Rotary Complex
Mitchell Golf Club, Mitchell
Guest Speaker: Ian Nokes, OFA Researcher Social: 6:00 p.m. Meal: 7:00 p.m. (cost $20)
Tickets now available Table of 8: $400 Individual Tickets: $60 For tickets contact a PCFA County Director or the PCFA office.
Plan on attending and celebrating Agriculture in Perth County.
To reserve a meal email: perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com or call 1-866-829-8866
Elections for County President and Vice-President Election of County Directors (four from each Township and 5 at large) Elections for 12 Delegates to OFA Convention (four from each region) Elections for 3 OFA Policy Advisory Committee Members (one from each Region)
Nomination for Perth County Federation of Agriculture
ANNUAL AGRICULTURAL RECOGNITION AWARD Nomination Deadline September 30, 2016 Presentation will be made at the Perth Harvest Gala in November
Nominees can be individuals, couples, businesses or organizations in Perth County Send Nominations to: PCFA, 5685 Perth Line 8, St. Marys, ON N4X 1C4 or email to perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com
I would like to nominate ....................................................................... for the PCFA Annual Agricultural Recognition Award for outstanding contribution to Agriculture and the community in Perth County because (attach sheet with reasons).
Perth County Federation of Agriculture offers $500 Ag Scholarships Did you graduate from high school in 2016? Are you Continuing your Education in the Agricultural or Ag-related Field? You are invited to apply for the Perth County Federation of Agriculture Continuing Education Scholarship. We are offering up to three – $500 scholarships to youth continuing their education in agriculture or an agriculturally-related field. You must have graduated from high school in 2016 and reside in Perth County. To request an application please contact PCFA at perthcountyfedofag@ gmail.com, call 519-229-8866 or download form from website www.perthcountyfarmers.ca/PCFA.htm Applications must be received by September 30, 2016 Presentations will be made at the Perth Harvest Gala in November
* The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Perth County by the PCFA.
76 THE RURAL VOICE
St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9 Grey County Federation 446 10th519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551 grey@ofa.on.ca Website: www.ofa.on.ca/grey of Agriculture * The Rural Voice is providedEmail: to OFA Members in Grey County by the GCFA
GCFA annual summer celebration of agriculture a success! Any opinions expressed herein may not necessarily reflect the views of the Grey County Federation of Agriculture.
The Grey County Federation of Agriculture’s (GCFA) annual summer celebration of Agriculture was held this past month. Every year the GCFA invites its membership to enjoy a few hours of social time to relax with local music, food and fun with neighbours in the County. In years past the event has included tours of farms where some unique operation or innovation was underway and this year the program included a number of partner groups who work closely with farmers to navigate the formidable responsibility for environmental stewardship. The event was themed Grey County’s Healthy Farms, Food, Soil and Water. Presenters from ALUS (alternative land use services) SVCA (Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority) CropLife, Farm and Food Care, Stoltz Equipment and the OFA brought information and conversation about how modern farming includes practices that enhance farm productivity and benefit the health of the environment. Cover Crops, Precision Agriculture, Biotech use in crop protection, productive use of marginal lands were all highlighted
along with programs that are available to farmers to support their implementation. It is becoming more common for those not directly engaged in farming to take an interest in how farmers are managing their farm operation. The farm stakeholder group has expanded to include non-farming neighbours, urban visitors and policy-makers whose experience on-farm is limited. This new audience has a great deal of influence and so the GCFA’s annual social event this year, had as its intent, to showcase to its own members as well as to the broader audience, just how much innovation supporting a sustainable farm model is underway in Grey County. Visitors enjoyed the music of local country music artist Cara Smith, local food supplied by Grey County Milk Producers, Grey Bruce Pork Producers, Premier Equipment, Chapman’s Ice Cream and Linwood Veterinary Services and prepared by Janet Pratt (County Line Diner, Elmwood) with the help of local students to serve food and the hospitality of Sinclair Auctions who supplied the venue for the day. Thank you from all of us at the
GCFA to all the presenters, the volunteers and contributors who do so much to bring these events to life and especially to all the guests who joined in to celebrate Healthy Farms in Grey County. See you again next year.◊ – Submitted by Hugh Simpson, GCFA Vice President
Cara Smith entertaining the crowd
Grey County Federation of Agriculture
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING September 9 ~ 8:00 p.m. Grey Ag Services, Markdale **Please note change of date***
ATTENTION OFA members in Grey and Bruce Don’t forget to vote for your OFA Zone 2 Representative. Elections close September 9
Local dignitaries in attendance at the Grey County Federation of Agriculture Summer Social. SEPTEMBER 2016 77
Email: bruce@ofa.on.ca website: www.ofa.on.ca/bruce
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 Walkerton Kinsmen Club - Farm Tour 2016 project
The Walkerton Kinsmen Club would like to welcome you to the Kinsmen Farm Tour being held October 1, 2016. After the success the Walkerton Kinsmen Club had with its Garage and Classic Car Tour in 2015, they decided to expand the focus on the great community we live in and emphasize on some of the great people and their businesses in our community. This year it was decided to show off some of the farms and farmers in the area. We have included Holmdale Farms, Ikendale Farms, Ellangowan Farms, Holm Potato Farms and Marle Creek Renewables. These families have put their heart and soul into their business and we invite you to come see and share their lives. The Walkerton Kinsmen Club and these family businesses have partnered together to raise monies towards the Walkerton soccer fields. The tour which will be a self drive tour for families to enjoy at their leisure would start at 10:00 a.m. and end by 4:00 p.m. and then finish off at the farm of Mike and Gail Dupuis for a locally-grown steak supper to starting 5:00 p.m. It is recommended that everyone start early as there is a lot to see, it would be physically impossible to see all five farms in one day to do them justice. The cost of the tour and supper is $50/person (Age of Majority) and the cost of the tour is only $20/person, kids are free. There will be a Live and Silent Auction with the supper. Tickets are available at Leslie Motors, Marlin Travel, and Grey-Bruce Interiors in Walkerton. Here is a listing of the farms: Holmdale Farms Limited Todd and Sarah Holm and family are fifth generation farmers milking 140 Holsteins in a new “robotic” compost barn producing two-million litres of milk annually. This new facility focuses on cow comfort and Bruce County Federation of Agriculture
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING September 26 ~ 8:00 p.m. Bruce County Administration Office, Walkerton
78 THE RURAL VOICE
health contributing to the natural herding instinct of our cows. Located at: 808 Conc. 6 E. RR 1, Elmwood, ON, N0G 1S0. Ikendale Farms Ikendale Farms was started in 1951 by Eugene and Helen Kuntz. Eugene’s nick name was “Ike” which is where the farm name originated from. They are a third-generation family-run milking operation, milking 330 Holstein cows three times daily in a 30stall rotary parlour. They calve out approximately 400 cows a year and pride themselves in producing a quality product, giving the animals the best comfort possible. Located at: 358 Concession 2 Greenock Township – five miles straight west of downtown Walkerton. Ellengowan Farms Ellengowan Farms is a beef feedlot/cash crop operation owned and operated by the Maus Family. Jairus and Becky and their family are fourth generation Ontario cattle farmers, marketing between 3,000 and 4,000 fat cattle each year, through the Ontario corn-fed beef program. Ellengowan Farms also operates a small elevator that is focused on receiving corn from friends and neighbours that is used primarily in the feedlot operation. Located at: 2404 Bruce Cty. Road #3, RR 1, Cargill, ON, N0G 1J0. Holm Potato Farms The Holm family has been farming in the Walkerton Area since 1874. In
2000 Duane Holm, a fifth generation Holm farmer, decided to expand and purchase a small, well established potato operation from Vic and Anne Lang. Today Duane and his wife Lesley and their children Wyatt and Rachel, operate Holm Potato Farms. They produce approximately 6,000 tonnes of seed and table potatoes that are planted and enjoyed from PEI to California. The family would like to invite you to see the operation and hope that you will become as thrilled about the potato as they are. Located at: 639 Bruce Rd. 19, RR 1, Elmwood, ON, N0G 1S0. Marl Creek Renewables Carl and Marcia Frook and family operate a beef feedlot and also an onfarm biogas facility called Marl Creek Renewables. The feedlot produces approximately 5,000 head of cattle per year with the bio-gas digester producing 750KW of electricity. They are proud to be a part of the Kinsmen Farm Tour and look forward to sharing their farming operation with you. Located at: 644 Sideroad # 20 just North of Concession 6 East, Brant Township.◊ – Submitted by Mike Dupuis
Remember to cast your vote for OFA Zone 2 Representative Deadline is September 9
Bruce County Federation of Agriculture recently celebrated its 75th Anniversary with an evening of local food and entertainment. The crowd enjoyed a locally sourced meal prepared by Harley’s Pub and Perk. It would not have been possible without the support of Schaus group of companies, Wally, Ken and their staff. Also the support of the Grey Bruce Pork Producers was greatly appreciated. We were honoured to have in attendance several of the past presidents of the organization (pictured above). There was music provided by the extremely talented Mark Willms. The highlight of the evening was the keynote address from Michael “Pinball” Clemons. He is a dynamic speaker and had the full attention of the crowd while he spoke and inspired those in attendance. With that inspiration BCFA looks forward to the next 75 years.
INDEX Arthur Chrysler ...............................72 Ausable Bayfield Conservation.......65 BDO..................................................7 Bar 5 Farms....................................28 Baseline Agri ..................................28 Berne McGlynn Lumber..................65 Bervie Farm Supply - Biomass .......44 Bervie Farm Supply ........................57 Bester Wood Products....................66 Bill Walker MPP..............................27 Bio-Ag...............................................3 Bluewater Pipe ...............................69 Blyth Farm Cheese.........................51 Blyth Festival ..................................12 Brussels Livestock..........................31 Bushell’s Auto Sales.......................54 Canada Cuba Farmer Tours.............6 Canada Outdoor Farm Show............9 Canadian Co-op Wool Growers......53 Cantelon Farms ..............................63 Clean Field Services.......................14 Cliff’s Plumbing & Heating ..............58 Cross Country Eavestrough ...........10 Diamond Steel Roofing...................10 Easy Lift Doors .................................5 Egger Farms...................................74 Elma Steel & Equipment.................38 Fawcett Tractor Supply...................70 Fill The Freezer ..............................32 Goderich Farmers’ Market..............50 Greenville Liquid Plant Food ..........11 Grey Bruce Construction ................15 Hamilton’s Machine Shop...............71 Hardi Dealers..................................11 Hawken Leslie & Sons....................31 Hensall District Co-op.....................79 Heritage Builders ............................20 Hill & Hill Farms ....Inside Front Cover Huron County Beautification...........51 Huron County Health Unit..........59,60 Huron Fuel Injection .......................70 Huron Tractor .................................38 Husky Farm Equipment ..................58 IPM Wellington Exhibitors..........40,41 IPM Quilt Huron ..............................50 IP Wellington Stops Along The Way ..34,35 Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural ......51 Innis New & Used Tractor Parts .....72 Invisible Fence Brand of GSWO.......3 Ivan M Martin..................................44 JA Porter Holdings..........................68 John Nater MP................................57 Jones Harold Enterprises ...............71 Kuepfer Firewood ...........................70 LAC...................................................7 Lands & Forests Consulting ...........66 Layton, Steve..................................71 Lisa Thompson MPP ......................53 MVCA .............................................66 MacKay Centre for Seniors ............51 Mapleview Agri ...............................63 Marquardt Drainage..........................7
Martin’s Nursery .............................50 May McConville-Omni Insurance....54 McCurdy Manufacturing .................62 McIntee Real Estate - Steve Nixon..71 McKague Trucking..........................70 Michael’s Stabling Developments...60 Mike Boven Carpentry ....................70 Mitchell Underground Services.......63 Morris Sachs Silo Construction ......66 Morrison Bros. Ltd ............................5 Nagagami Forestry .........................65 Ontario Mutual Insurance Assoc ....42 Ontario Plowmen’s Association ......39 Ontario Soil & Crop.........................16 Ontario Standardbred Adoption........5 Parker & Parker Limited .................64 Perth Auto Dismantlers...................70 Perth Communications ...................60 QuiltX..............................................49 R Ian Robertson, LL.B ....................71 Raynbow Signs...............................72 Re/Max Grey-Bruce Realty.............28 Reg Barnes Mortgage Specialist ......6 Ridgeway Metals ............................71 Rona Building Centre .....................18 Rosdale Farms .................................9 Roth Drainage ................................71 Rural Voice Books ..........................24 Salford Group Inc ..Inside Back Cover
Sauble Beach Motorsports .............15 Saugeen Valley Conservation ........23 Schmidt’s Farm Drainage ...............11 Schweiss Doors..............................56 SeCan.............................................61 Shakespeare Swine Seminar .........13 Shur-Gain.........................Back Cover Silver Creek Nursery ......................50 Snobelen Farms .............................62 Somerville Seedlings ......................65 Sparlings Propane ..........................66 Steffen Well Drilling ........................71 Stihl Promotion ...............................69 Stratford Agri Analysis ....................20 Stratford Sew & Save .....................49 Sweet Scents Lavender..................50 Treemendous Tree Sales ...............50 Triple P Consulting .........................18 Usborne & Hibbert ..........................60 Varna Grain...........Inside Front Cover WD Hopper & Sons ........................27 Walkerton Kinsmen Club ................38 Walsh Bros Welding .......................72 Welbeck Sawmill ............................67 Wild Things Plant Farm ..................50 Williams Drainage...........................14 Woodstock Fleece ..........................53 Yokassippi Auctions .........................5 Young Farms ..................................28
Thank You to Everyone for Stopping By HDC’s 2016 Annual Plot Day!
Hensall District Co-operative, Inc. Bringing added-value to your farm since 1937.
www.hdc.on.ca | Twitter: @HDCAgronomy | @HDCGrain SEPTEMBER 2016 79
HURON
42 First Avenue, Clinton, Ontario N0M 1L0 519-482-9642 or 1-800-511-1135 Website: www.hcfa.on.ca Email: ofahuron@tcc.on.ca
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
Changes to the Debt Retirement Charge (2016) The Debt Retirement Charge has been removed from residential hydro bills. Effective January 1, 2016, all electricity users with a residentialrate class account are exempt from the Debt Retirement Charge (DRC). If your service is under a Residential-Rate Class, the Debt Retirement Charge has been removed from your bill. However, if you have a farm and home on the same bill, you may be under a General Service class, and you need to apply to have the DRC removed from the home use portion of electricity. The Ontario Ministry of Finance has more information about the process at http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/ en/guides/drc/110.html. Most rural utilities have their own declaration form, usually searchable, under a Forms section, or Residential Service section. Here is a link to the Hydro One form: http://www.hydro one.com/MyHome/MyAccount/ UnderstandMyBill/Pages/DebtRetire mentCharge.aspx Users with a general service-rate class account that provides electricity to one or more “eligible residential
Send in your nominations for Agriculture Award The Huron County Federation of Agriculture is collecting nominations for the annual Huron County Agriculture Award in 2016. When sending in your nominations, please include the name, address and phone number of the nominee, plus a short description explaining your reasons for this nomination. Deadline for nominations is September 9. ◊
units” will also be eligible for a DRC exemption. The eligible exemption is up to 1,500 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month, multiplied by the number of eligible residential units included on the account. To claim this DRC exemption, users with a general service-rate class account must provide their electricity distributor with notice of the number of eligible residential units included in the account. The start of the exemption for these users depends on when the notice is received by the electricity distributor. The DRC will remain on all other electricity users' bills for electricity consumed before April 1, 2018. The DRC will not be payable on electricity consumed after March 31, 2018. For more information on these changes, please contact OFA at info@ofa.on.ca or 1-800-668-3276. The document Debt Retirement Charge can be found on the http://www.ofa.on.ca/ OFA website at http://www.ofa.on.ca/issues/ additional-information/debtretirement-charge. ◊ Huron County Federation of Agriculture
ANNUAL/REGIONAL MEETING October 21 ~ 7:00 p.m. Holmesville Community Centre Guest Speaker: Ray Baynton
At this meeting the Huron OFA Regional meeting will take place with the election of OFA Convention Delegates and the 2017 OFA Policy Advisory Council Representatives
* The Rural Voice is provided to all OFA Members in Huron County by the HCFA
Upcoming Events September 5 – Labour Day! September 9-11 – Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association 55th Reunion, Blyth. For details visit: www.blythsteamshow.on.ca September 14 –Elementary School Fair, Belgrave. September 15-17 – Seaforth Fair. Visit: www.seaforthagriculturalsociety.on.ca for details. September 16-18 – Lucknow Fall Fair. Visit: lucknowagsociety.ca/lucknow-fallfair for details. September 20-21 – Brussels Fall Fair. Visit: www.brusselsfallfair.ca for details. September 30-October 2 – Howick Turnberry Fall Fair. September 28-30 – Rural Talks to Rural Conference, Blyth. Visit: www.ruralcreativity.org Huron County Federation of Agriculture
BOARD MEETING Monday, September 26 8:00 p.m. Vanastra Office
HCFA OFFICE HOURS: The office is open on Mondays and alternate Fridays 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. We are also open other days by chance
Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/huronfedofag and Facebook at Huron County Federation of Agriculture
The Rural Voice is provided to all OFA members in Huron County by the Huron County Federation of Agriculture 80 THE RURAL VOICE
CONNECT EQUIPMENT CORPORATION MILDMAY 519-367-2648 STRATFORD 519-273-1740 www.connectequipment.com
BUILT FOR SOIL PRODUCTIVITY
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G.J.’S FARM EQUIPMENT 424996 Substation Rd., BURGESSVILLE 519-424-9374 www.gjsequipment.com
PATHFINDER MARTIN’S FARM SERVICE INC. 083152 Southgate Rd. #8, MOUNT FOREST 519-323-9042
SELF-STEERING FERTILIZER APPLICATOR ONE OR TWO PRODUCT, 6 OR 8 TON - High capacity, multi-product metering. ADJUSTABLE TRACK WIDTH - Match your row crop spacing between 120in. and 160in. HIGH RATE, HIGH SPEED - Meter seed or fertilizer up to 650 lbs/ac at 5.5 MPH.* UNIVERSAL COMPATIBILITY - Attach to planters, strip-till, or conventional tillage
equipment. *Optional High Rate Meter
J & H SALES & SERVICE 2228 Bruce Rd. 19, CHESLEY 519-363-3510 www.jhsales.com
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HYDE BROTHERS FARM EQUIPMENT
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ESM FARM EQUIPMENT LTD. 7293 Line 86, WALLENSTEIN 519-669-5176 www.esmfarmequipment.com