The Rural Voice - September 2024

The

Rural Voice September 2024

THE MAGAZINE OF AGRICULTURAL LIFE ... $3.50 PM 40037593

MISSING GIANTS Elm recovery projects looks to replace titan trees missing from the landscape

GOATS AND GRAPES A combination of goat socials and wine tastings leads to success at The Perth Farmhouse

BEST YIELD EVER Drone captures top harvest and amazing patterns during winter wheat harvest in Grey County

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Contents

18

The Rural Voice THE MAGAZINE OF AGRICULTURAL LIFE

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

22

Publisher: Deb Sholdice

26 Columns

Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Keith Roulston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Kate Procter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Jeffrey Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Mabel’s Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Gardening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Woodlots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Agrilaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Departments Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Ruralite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Business Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

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

SEPTEMBER 2024 • Cover Photo

Wheat harvest in Grey County Photo by Telfer Wegg

Editor: Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot rveditorlisa@northhuron.on.ca Contributing writers: Keith Roulston, Kate Procter, Jeffrey Carter, Gary Kenny, Rhea Hamilton Seeger, Donna Lacey, Melisa Luymes, Carolyn Crawford, Bonnie Sitter, Jeff Tribe

• Deadlines: Oct. Issue – Sept.10

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

18 Saving Elm Trees

Production co-ordinator & Telemarketing: Joan Caldwell

November Issue – October 8

University of Guelph’s Aboretum Elm Recovery Project has a grand plan for the return of the elms

22 Grapes, Goats, Good Times The Perth Farmhouse is Perth County’s first winery

26 A Life That’s Good Phil Main and Alley CampbellMain join up in life and work to create community podcast

30 Protein for Breakfast

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40037593 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. PO BOX 429, BLYTH ON N0M 1H0 email: info@northhuron.on.ca Subscriptions: $30 (12 issues) $55 (24 issues), includes HST Back copies $3.75 each.

Make cheques payable to: NORTH HURON PUBLISHING CO.

Chia, oats and eggs make for simple, tasty, healthy breakfasts

36 Dairy 4-H Show 4-H members vie for red ribbons at dairy invitational show

38 Harvest from the Sky Telfer Wegg captures the wheat harvest from three farms in Grey County

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

A division of North Huron Publishing Company Inc.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

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Feedback Letters to the Editor: The Rural Voice, P.O. Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 rveditorlisa@ northhuron.on.ca

Thoughtful and reflective writing is to The Rural Voice’s credit and distinction To the Editor: Kudos to The Rural Voice for a super July 2024 issue, one of the best yet in years of publication!

It was rich in diversity of articles such as One Health on the Ground, Emancipation Festival, Collective Farming and Hallahan’s Dairy Farm, then topped off by this year’s daytripping delight. How many would expect to find lavender grown, processes and distilled at Bayfield in Southern Huron.

Then, too, all your display advertisements carry colour. It’s a smart-looking publication!

The monthly columns by the regular contributors are also informative and stimulating, this issue’s essay on “Literature, history, perspective and truth” by Jeffrey Carter affords a remarkable survey and evaluation just as Professor Martin’s scenario on “The collapse of civilizations is possible” provides sobering and realistic consideration.

Such thoughtful and reflective writing sets The Rural Voice above what might be expected in agricultural journalism and is to its credit and distinction. ~ George Neville Iroquois Road, Ottawa

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“

People are surprised how good our wines are and that is due to Steve.. he is creative and artistic with wines.

”

~Casey Howanyk giving his high praise to vintner Steve Byfield who creates wines at The Perth Farmhouse. See page 22

Will Rogers, the Cowboy Sage

Actor and social commentator, Will Rogers died in a 1935 plane crash.These are some of his sayings: ● Never slap a man who’s chewing tobacco ● There are two theories to arguing with a woman.

Neither works. ● Never miss a good chance to shut up. ● Always drink upstream from the herd.

•

Saving Elms “In the grand scheme of things,

this program is still in its infancy.

We don’t know what else they are resistant to and what else they are susceptible to.” ~ Alison Morrison, Manager of Horticulture at The Arboretum at the University in Guelph, on a recovery project to save and prosper elm trees See page 18

September INSPIRATION

“I’ve got two brothers.

One’s older — the artist — and then my younger brother is an ecological economist — a farmer.”

•

~Josh O’Connor

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

● Remember it’s not what your club can do for you, it’s what you can do for your club. ● Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is a mystery.

Enter!

Perhaps this free range hen shouldn’t have entered the office of a friend of Bonnie Sitter’s but she seems pretty comfortable “pecking” the place out.

~ Photo by Bonnie Sitter

● Chinese proverb: Man who say it

•

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September 2024 5

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

One long line of local history You know how you see ants coming from all directions, then form a long line heading back to the nest?

That’s kind of what it looked like August 10 in the unlikely place of Belfast as hundreds (hundreds!) of antique tractors came from north, south, east and west to form an antique tractor parade heading into Lucknow.

I was camping at the time and wishy washy on whether I wanted to go but at the last minute, I piled into my brother’s truck with my camera to check it out. I’m glad I did. We parked at the Lucknow District Coop and were amazed as the tractors just kept coming and coming. What a show!

Kudos to organizers who apparently take the parade past seniors homes in Lucknow to bring back old memories for a generation who used these tractors. I am quite impressed with the community spirit and pride of farming heritage from farmers in both Huron and Bruce County who made this parade one long line of local history. ◊

6 The Rural Voice

Oliver driver Steven Scott (above) had his own cheering section as Mom Nolda Scott tailgated with his kids, Katie, Kinley and Rick Scott along with Tony Miltenburg to watch the antique tractor parade roll its way down Lucknow Line on August 10.

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September 2024 7

Keith Roulston Keith is former publisher of The Rural Voice.

He lives near Blyth, ON.

The way we were has improved

I was asked to preach the sermon at the church service at the Sunday morning session of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association Reunion (a long, convoluted story in itself) and it got me thinking about my long history as a regular attender at the show .

My wife and I bought The Blyth Standard, the newspaper then in Blyth, in 1971. That was back in the days when there was no craft show in the arena (in fact it was before the arena was replaced with a new building because the provincial government found most arenas didn’t meet building standards after the collapse of the Listowel arena took the lives of young hockey players).

In those days there were only a few campers among those who brought equipment to the show.

Camping later became so popular that the Association bought nearby farm land and paid to put in electrical wiring for hundreds of campers.

But the one thing that remained the same from those early days is the equipment on display. The show was begun by a group of veterans who dated back to the days when threshing gangs travelled from one farm to another, with huge steam engines to power the threshing machines. Steam engines were – and are 50 year later – the stars of the show.

But by the time I grew up on a farm north of Lucknow, threshing had changed. To get our crops harvested we exchanged work with our nearby neighbours who owned a threshing machine.

In those days, I recall, most of our crops were a few acres of wheat, oats and barley. Today the farmer who rents the land around us, along with thousands more acres, alternates corn one year with soybeans the next.

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Now and then they plant wheat.

There were few acres planted to corn when I was a kid because we didn’t have the equipment to handle it. There was some corn harvested to fill silos but, in our area at least, virtually no corn was harvested for grain, in those days before large, selfpropelled combines.

Where the Thresher Reunion sparks memories is with the huge displays of old tractors – well, old now but many of them were state-ofthe-art in the 1950s. The threshing machine that threshed our crop, was powered by a Case tractor. The neighbour across the road had a Massey-Harris 22. The neighbour to the east of us had an Allis-Chalmers and the nearby neighbour who I worked for as a teenager had two tractors – an Allis-Chalmers and a Ferguson. We had a MinneapolisMoline. Most of these companies have disappeared.

Something that’s become big at the Thresher Reunion over the years is the collection of classic cars. Most of our neighbours had used cars. Our neighbour across the road had an old Ford, at one point, where the door was held shut by a wire attached inside the car, On our farm, my grandmother, who stayed with us, was a practical nurse and had a relatively “new” car (meaning less than 10 years old) but we had a series of old cars which we bought cheap (all we could afford) and that sat in the orchard when we couldn’t repair them anymore. Ours was a gravel road (most were back then) and I recall travelling in a rear seat clouded with dust that entered through holes in the floor.

For someone young like my oldest granddaughter who recently got married to a beef farmer up in Grey County, it all seems so ancient. Few farmers these days are prosperous, but everyone has expectations of a better life (often supported by wives who work off the farm) than we had.

Still, it’s a shame that after so many decades of producing the food that makes urban Canadians well-fed (often to the point of being over-fed), farmers continue to struggle to live equally. Producing food is an honorable profession that deserves honorable compensation.◊

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September 2024 9

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

Lessons from Maggie Pollock

O

ne of the great things about living in Huron County is that there is never an opportunity to be bored. There is always so much going on – from all the amazing outdoor activities, to sports, festivals, rodeos, live theatre, and music. The list is endless. I was fortunate to be able to see two versions of the true story of Morris township resident Maggie Pollock – one at the Huron County Gaol with their “Behind the Bars” show, and the other at the Blyth Theatre, at the “Trials of Maggie Pollock”.

“Behind the Bars” is a show that runs at the Huron County Gaol in Goderich every summer on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. It gives you a chance to tour the jail where actors portray real people who were held, or worked, there. These people participated in the workings of an institution that served local residents as a place where residents went who had no other options.

The Gaol is a unique and interesting historical building, but the stories of the people who were associated with it are even more interesting. Operating from 18411972, the Gaol housed people we still talk about today, as well as many

people long forgotten.

One of the most surprising things I learned was that vagrancy – “the act of being poor or homeless” - was the most common reason people were committed to the Gaol. During the years that it operated, the Gaol had over 1,110 people stay for that reason, and of those, 372 were over the age of 60. In 1895, Huron county constructed the “House of Refuge” that took in some of these local people.

“Insanity” was also considered a crime at this time. This label was applied to people who had mental health challenges as well as people with developmental disabilities who could not be cared for by their families. Some 480 such folk were included in the list of people who stayed here. While some may have eventually been transferred to the London Asylum, most remained for their sentence in Goderich.

The Gaol presents interesting statistics about the people who served sentences there. Of all prisoners, 17.5 per cent were vagrants, 14.9 per cent were sentenced for drunkenness, 11.5 per cent had assaulted someone, including rape, indecent assault, aggravated assault and assaults on constables or tax collectors, 8.5 per cent were convicted of theft, 7.6 per cent for insanity, and 0.5 per cent for using profane language in public, especially near places of worship.

People who received death sentences remained at the Gaol, while others with sentences longer than two years were transferred. There were three hangings there – William Mahone in 1861, Nicholas Melady Jr in 1869, and Edward Jardine in 1911.

At least 316 children were also

committed to stay at the Gaol for committing some crime – 27.5 per cent larceny (a form of theft), 25.9 per cent theft, 13 per cent assault, 8.9 per cent vagrancy. The remaining 24.7 per cent were there for crimes including arson, threats, truancy, violation of town bylaws, or attempts to escape.

Maggie Pollock was one of the most interesting people to be held in the Huron County Gaol. Maggie Pollock lived and farmed with her brother in Morris township, not far from where I live. She was arrested and tried for witchcraft just over one hundred years ago. While the Salem witch trials that occurred in the 1690s are most famous, people, usually women, were accused of practicing witchcraft throughout the centuries.

According to information on the Huron County Museum website, practicing witchcraft was forbidden even among native cultures. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy would condemn people to death who were accused of practicing witchcraft (https://www.huroncountymuseum.ca /double-double-toil-and-trouble-thetale-of-maggie-pollock-and-thehuron-county-witch-trial/).

Amazingly, the crime of “pretending to practice witchcraft” was only removed from the Criminal Code of Canada in 2018. Even going back to the 1700s, this was not really about actual dangers associated with witchcraft, but was more about preventing someone from taking advantage of naïve and desperate people. Two women in Ontario were charged under this law in 2018. Both the play and the museum’s coverage of this topic bring out the point that

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the charge was often used to prosecute women and sometimes men who were vulnerable, marginalized, or otherwise did not conform to the norms of society at the time.

In Pollock’s case, dubbed “the seeress of Blyth”, she claimed to “be possessed with a peculiar occult gift” (Huron County Museum).

Neighbours and people from across Canada and the U.S. came to her for help to solve mysteries in their lives.

She was tried in Huron County for

helping a farmer who asked her to find out who had stolen grain from his barn. Her information did help him find the missing grain and the thief was arrested, but so was Pollock for “telling fortunes, which was illegal under section 365 of the Canadian Criminal Code,” (Huron County Museum). Her case was appealed to Osgood Hall in Toronto in 1920.

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using her gifts and was a respected person in her community. Learning about her story and seeing her come to life through two different interpretations gave me lots to mull over. How do we respond to things we can’t explain? How do we behave towards people who don’t fit into social norms of the day? Perhaps most importantly, while physical aspects of life can change in unimaginable ways over the course of 100 years, human nature seems remarkably consistent. ◊

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September 2024 11

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

When temporary becomes permanent

I

n 1974, I began working on a tobacco farm a few miles east and north from Woodstock. When I drive along Highway 401 today, I think of the days in August and September I spent there among the deep sand fields.

My uncle talked about his own experience with the flue-cured tobacco harvest. In his day, the work was completed by labourers walking through the fields, bundling into canvas wraps the lower sand leaves first and, as the harvest progressed, moving their way upwards.

The leaves would be then sewn on sticks and hung in the tobacco kilns for drying. In the fall, following the harvest, the cured tobacco was graded and shipped to one of several processors operating in Ontario at the time to be made into cigarettes and other products.

By the 1970s, labour-saving technologies had been introduced.

Rather than walking through the fields, harvesters were provided with equipment to ride. In my first year, there were little, single-person, selfpropelled units equipped with a leading, guidance arm.

The following year, a five-man, self-propelled unit was used, harvesters seated in close proximity to each other. If you were lucky, there was a driver as well but typically the crew relied upon a guidance system similar to those used in single-person units.

At the end of the rows, the handpacked, canvas wrapped bales of tobacco would be loaded onto a flatbed truck – the ‘boat’ – driven by a fellow I knew as Fast Eddy who was perhaps not particularly fast but

12 The Rural Voice

at least steady. The harvesting crew lead was a rawboned young man from Gobles who evidently had an issue with the yellow hard hat I wore, hammering it with the flat of his hand a few times each day until I indicated this was not acceptable – tearing plants from the ground and threatening violence. The hammering decreased perceptibly but not completely, my adversary successfully judging the limit of my tolerance.

I was paid $28 a day the first year, $30 the next and $32 in year three.

There were ample dollars for frivolities, cases of beer, and other substances.

I worked alongside a number of migrant workers during this experience, domestic migrants who traveled from Quebec for the harvest and three young people from the British Isles, a soft spoken Irishman and a pair of somewhat annoying English twins who arrived through an experiential program.

A great deal has changed over the past 50 years. In the 1970s, there were far higher numbers of Canadians filling the farm jobs.

There were more farms, hence more farm-raised young people with a taste for hard work and some of the villagers were “no slackers” as well.

With enough weeks of employment – as little as eight at one time – Canadian workers became eligible for unemployment benefits. On top of that, the money earned on farms back then went a great deal farther than it does today.

In stark contrast, seasonal jobs on today’s farms are often filled by temporary migrant workers coming to Canada through several programs including the Seasonal Agricultural Program (SAWP) that was launched in the 1960s along with several other programs that have been introduced over the subsequent decades.

In Chatham-Kent, they arrive from the Caribbean, Mexico, several countries in Central and South America, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and so forth. Government policy has also shifted. While the SAWP allows workers to stay in Canada for up to eight months in any

given year, most of today’s temporary workers employed in lowwage occupations are here for consecutive years and many plan to stay despite the government policy of temporariness.

What the federal government has created though its confusing hodgepodge system of immigration programming is the means for people to come to Canada, outstay their employment tenure, and enter the underground economy. Some estimates put the number of “illegals” now living in Canada at more than 500,000.

The policy shift appears intentional, an “ends-justify-themeans” approach, an attempt to build a competitive advantage for Canada, mimicking the U.S. system of illegal immigration but with some semblance of governance attached.

Essentially created is a two-tier system of immigration, the upper tier targeting people with means for permanent residency, the lower targeting temporary workers (and to some extent refugees) for the type of jobs the majority of Canadians refuse to fill.

Successive governments are culpable, both Liberal and Conservative, for building an increasingly elitist society in Canada, pitting rural versus urban, failing to value food production, and creating a second if not third class of citizenry within our society, people who are necessary and yet expendable.

The SAWP program in Canada operates much as it did when introduced nearly 60 years ago, a compromise to global realities, but in many respects well-serving the interests of worker and employer alike. Dollars earned in Canada tend to go a long way in the workers’ home countries. Simple economics.

Canada’s approach to temporary migrant workers has evolved beyond the old SAWP program, however.

Several additional avenues to temporariness have been introduced to fill jobs in food processing, construction, hospitality, and many other low-wage occupations. Many have decided they are staying permanently, regardless of the

program rules that are in place, nor should not be forced to do otherwise.

In May this year, the report ACT NOW: Solutions for temporary and migrant labour in Canada from the Canadian Senate was released. I recently spoke to Senator Ratna Omidvar who chaired the effort.

Ratna said the report makes several recommendations, the most central being the establishment of a Migrant Worker Commission representing the interests of both employees and employers. From there, she hopes further recommendations in the report can be implemented, including a shift from temporary immigration to fill lowwage occupations to permanent residency.

I applaud the effort but I am concerned the recommendations, many of which I agree with, will be shelved and rather than taking concrete measures to address the issue of immigration, more band aids will be applied. ◊

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September 2024 13

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

“It’s coming up to September already,” said Cliff Murray the other morning, shaking his head as the guys sat down at Mabel’s Grill for their morning coffee. “Where did the summer go?”

“Yeh my wife’s already going through recipe books looking for things she can make for the fall fair,” said George Mackenzie. “It always makes for some good taste-testing while she’s trying things out.”

“I guess I’m not a good citizen,” sighed Dave Winston. “I could never get excited about showing off cattle or horses at the fair.”

“Good job you have pigs then, so you never have to worry about taking your pigs out of the barn to show them,” said George.

“So, what can I get you guys this morning?” asked Molly Whiteside as

she arrived to take their orders and bring them coffee on a busy morning at The Grill.

“Another few weeks of summer,” complained Cliff.

“Well, there’s often weeks yet of summer weather in September. I haven’t notice the leaves changing colour yet,” Molly chirped.

“Oh, she’s in one of her cheerful moods this morning,” said Dave.

“Sure, why not? We live in a peaceful country with plenty of food on the table,” Molly answered.

“And you get tips for providing the food we guys grow for you,” grumbled Cliff.

“Well I’d starve if I depended on tips from you three,” Molly shot back. “Now, what can I get you before you make me so depressed I slash my wrists?”

The guys ordered and Molly headed back to the kitchen.

“I guess we could always stretch summer by taking a vacation somewhere to the south,” George suggested in what was a downright cheerful offering coming from him.

“I came out of the barn last night

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14 The Rural Voice

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and as I headed back to the house it was downright quiet,” said Dave.

“No tractors going. No cars on the road. I heard this jet going over, way up high and I thought there are 200 or 300 people up there and they’re almost invisible to me down here. I wonder what they’re thinking about us?’”

“They’re probably looking down on us, like city people normally do,” said Cliff.

“You definitely didn’t sleep well last night did you?” asked Dave.

“You’re usually the cheerful one.”

“If they see my cattle, they’re probably saying there’s another farmer who pollutes the air, while they’re travelling someplace they don’t need to go burning jet fuel!” grumbled George.

“Good grief, now I’ve got two of you in a grumpy mood!” sighed Dave.

“Well people travel so much these days that I saw something on television the other day that nearly 1,000 people a year try to climb Mount Everest,” said Cliff. “There are actually skeletons up there of people who die trying and can’t be rescued. I remember my father talking about Ed Hillary being the first person to make it up to the top in 1953. Now we’ve got a thousand people a year climbing.”

“We barely had that many people flying, period, back in 1953,” said George. “Airports were tiny by comparison to today. Yet it’s us farmers and our cows who get blamed for climate change, not all the people who are taking jets to places they don’t need to go!”

“I thought you didn’t believe in global warming,” Dave said.

“Well I’m just saying!” George exploded as Molly arrived with her arms full of plates.

“Still in a good mood, I see,” she said as she gave them their food.

“Mabel’s on top of her game this morning so I hope good food picks up your spirits.

“I doubt it, they just fell off Mount Everest,” Dave joked.

“Huh?” wondered a bewildered Molly.

“Never mind, they’ll soon get over the September blahs,” said Dave. ◊

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September 2024 15

Sandra McComb Sandy has enjoyed a lifetime of farming adventures in Perth County

The little-known similarity between tobacco and cucumbers “Tillsonburg, Tillsonburg ………

My back still aches when I hear that word.”

Those are, of course, the famous words in the song bearing the same title, sung by that great Canadian, Stompin’ Tom Connors, describing his tobacco-picking experience near Tillsonburg, Ontario. I can relate to

his pain, because there is an odd time when I see a jar of Bick’s pickles on the grocery shelf that I get a bit of a twinge myself.

When picking cucumbers in my garden the other day, memories of my past close-up-and-personal relationship with this green vegetable, came to mind.

As a 13-year-old, I had decided it was time to graduate from my pony to a larger animal and I had a quarter horse in my sights. Around this time my older sister was looking ahead to teacher’s vollege and wanted her own set of wheels, while our youngest sister, at the tender age of nine, had no immediate materialistic aspirations.

Family discussion revolved around the issue of our wants, and a plan was formulated around the supper table. Bicks had a grading station in Dublin at the time and word was out that they were looking for growers to supply them with cucumbers for processing. After hearing about the prospect of the

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16 The Rural Voice

good money that could be made picking cucumbers, and with Mom and Dad’s promise to help, we three girls were all in. A contract with Bicks was signed with a flourish and the fun was about to begin.

The four-acre field east of our farm buildings became “Cucumber Acres”. The first year we only planted a quarter of the field, but even an acre of cucumbers still represents an awful lot of gas. And work, and sore backs.

That spring the seeds that we carefully planted, weeded and cared for flourished, and weeks later picking began. We had a choice of picking the whole area in a day, which would give us the next day off – or picking only half of it every day, which gave us no days off. We tried it both ways and the job was no more pleasurable one way or the other.

Several back-bending weeks later we put our first year behind us with a resolution to never do that again. To encourage us, our Dad, being the creative inventor that he was, announced that if we would do it another year he would build us a cucumber picker to make the job easier. We then reconsidered and agreed we’d give it another go, hardly able to contain our excitement thinking about a machine that would actually do the picking for us.

However, our joy was short-lived when Dad explained that his invention would only be a machine that would allow us to lie down when picking, thereby only saving our backs. The labour would still be all ours. This was our earliest example of that simple truth: “If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is”.

The machine had room for three people to lay on it, and not being a stomach-sleeper to begin with, being a stomach-cucumber-picker held little excitement for me. However, it was definitely a back-saver, and as it straddled the cucumber rows the plants would pass by inches below, cucumbers would be picked and then tossed into the large basket positioned ahead of you.

Our youngest sister usually got the boring job of driving. Actually, even without a driver, whoever laid

in the centre position could very easily steer and pick at the same time, as the motor had been geared down, and it crept along very s-l-ow-l-y. (Think of a snail with arthritis). After riding with your face in the cucumber plants for a few hours it was actually a nice change to get off the machine and pick the old way, even with the sore back included.

With our work ethic firmly established, and tons of cucumbers harvested, my sister was able to buy her car – a used silver Chevy that Dad promptly painted dark blue at her request. My horse also became a reality – a six-month-old chestnut quarter horse filly, (no painting required), that I named Cherokee and proceeded to train.

I never knew how many cucumbers I had to pick, or the backpain I had to endure to get Cherokee, but she was most definitely worth it all, and unlike Stompin’ Tom, my back didn’t ache when I called her name. ◊

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Trees

Trying to revive the majestic elm tree The Elm Recovery Project is having luck with carefully selected resistant stock to Dutch Elm disease • By Jeff Tribe •

T

he Arboretum’s Elm Recovery Project (ERP) is striving to return a foundational Ontario species from trees which merely survive, to majestic 200year-old icons which fully thrive.

“These are giants in our landscape we are missing,” said Alison Morrison, Manager of Horticulture, The Arboretum,

Red Seal trained horticulturalist Sarah Farquharson shows off some of the elm seedlings inside The Arboretum greenhouse in Guelph.

18 The Rural Voice

University of Guelph.

Historically, white (or American) elm trees were a woodland species also embraced in urban settings for height and a visually-pleasing hourglass shape. Valuable as a heat source, those who have cut and hand-split elm will also recognize a true hard wood with a twisty grain.

Ontario elms sharply declined in separate waves of Dutch Elm Disease (DED), a fungal infection carried on the backs of native elm bark beetles and European elm bark beetles.

Holland may get a bad rap in the disease’s nomenclature, says Morrison, clarifying that the country wasn’t host to “patient zero”, rather a nation which first identified the disease.

Elm trees’ response to DED is to try and isolate its impact. A tree blocks off infected limbs, says Morrison, hoping to compartmentalize and limit damage which spreads from limb to limb through an extended period as long as a decade or two.

“Over time the tree shuts itself down.”

The first wave of DED hit Ontario in the 1940s, says Morrison, a second in the 1960s and ’70s.

Countermeasures were put in place including a ban on transporting potentially-infected elm. Panicked response also included creating “firebreaks” which removed many elms and was ultimately unsuccessful with the added destruction of a wide swath of potentially-valuable genetics.

The ERP was initiated 26 years ago in 1998 by Arboretum Interpretive Horticulturalist Henry Kock whose concern for the species’ decline also recognized there were mature survivors.

“But they were too segmented for a viable selfsustaining population,” said Morrison.

The roadmap to creating long-term elm viability included treating trees combined with a breeding program based on disease-resistant genetics. It is hoped that eventually, offspring from carefullyselected resistant stock can be replanted throughout the province. Apart from their own presence, their pollen may reinforce resistance and survivability of existing surrounding trees and encourage accelerated recovery.

Ironically, ash trees replaced diseased and dying elms, only to be devastated in turn by the emerald ash borer. The emerald borer can breed in saplings as thin in width as a pencil, challenging recovery.

Elms are self-sustaining to a degree, given they

breed at around 12 years of age and up, and can survive 35 to 50 years with DED. The ERP seeks a return to full, 200-year-old maturity “to whatever degree is practical,” says Morrison.

Arboretum staff received 900 responses to a well-publicized callout for survivors, visited 600 sites, with around 300 trees eventually being selected. Consciously, the selection process was not simplified to “A+” trees, rather a range of survivors ranked as low as ‘“D”, in order to retain broader genetic diversity. A+ trees may be highlyresistant to DED explains Morrison, however they might also have been weak in resistance to another disease or condition which could arise.

Keeping a range including a “C-” for example, may prove valuable in carrying a broader gene pool forward.

“In the grand scheme of things, this program is still in its infancy,” Morrison explained. “We don’t know what else they’re resistant to and what else they’re susceptible to.”

Cuttings were taken off the selected survivors, an approach maintaining greater consistency of genetics in offspring as opposed to seed-based propagation. The cuttings were grafted onto local elm rootstock.

Eighty of the original 300 trees in the initial ERP orchard survive in a cross-pollinating location near The Arboretum’s Hilton Centre. A second plantation, several hundred metres further to the north, currently has around 40 of a planned 80 individuals, established on a more generously-spaced grid.

“It has worked,” says Morrison, citing benefits including a living, disease-tolerant archive which would not have existed, as well as extensive research around that 26-year exercise.

The ERP may be one of the higher-profile programs overseen through The Arboretum, however it’s far from the lone initiative. The 400acre site boasts the largest collection of native Ontario woody plants, and is home to some form of conservation support for over 30 rare or endangered species, including for

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September 2024 19

example, the red mulberry recovery project.

Challenges will continue to arise, be that DED, oak wilt or the presence of the woolly adelgid, an East Asian invasive insect whose lack of natural predators threatens the eastern and Carolina hemlock.

In response, research leading to solutions can be crucial for not only affected plant and insect life, but impact on humans, says Morrison. “It’s a constant negotiation between nature and ourselves.”

“Our survival is intricately aligned with the survival of nature, period,” added Arboretum Director Justine Richardson. “Health, wellbeing, clean air, clean water is essential.”

An ERP borne out of one individual’s observations, converted to action, has grown to involve a team of dedicated researchers, volunteers and landowners. The team is currently identifying forward-thinking strategic planning.

“With enough time and commitment, it works,” Morrison concluded. “I don’t think it’s easy and it’s not quick - but that time and energy is well spent.”

BUTTERNUT RECOVERY A cooperative program including the Forest Gene Conservation Association (FGCA) and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is striving to aid the butternut tree’s recovery from butternut canker.

A “masting” tree environmentally valuable for the edible nuts and habitat it provides, the relatively short-lived species has been seriously affected by the fungal disease. The UTRCA’s efforts to support butternut recovery began in 1992, subsequently dovetailing into a program relatable in some aspects to the ERP. The FGCA has sourced a total of 175 parent trees, says that organization’s Director of Species Conservation Heather Zurbigg, but is always open to more canker-tolerant butternuts. The FGCA is especially interested in resistant trees from among others which have been seriously affected, indicating that despite a high prevalence of canker, they have demonstrated the ability to survive.

Licensed arborists were contracted to collect scions from canker-resistant trees which were grafted onto root stock. The UTRCA’s first grafted combinations were planted in 2015 in a managed, protected orchard or archive near Woodstock.

FGCA is involved in six archives, says Zurbigg, two each in southwestern, central and eastern Ontario.

“We’re getting there,” said Rob Davies, Forestry and Restoration Supervisor with the UTRCA, noting 1,200 seeds were collected 20 The Rural Voice

Top: Alison Morrison, Manager of Horticulture, The Arboretum, University of Guelph, holds an identification tag on one of 80 surviving elms in the Elm Recovery Project’s original orchard. Over 300 trees were selected as genetic sources from 600 unique sites for the project.

Above: The white or American elm was devastated by successive waves of Dutch Elm Disease, which slowly killed a majority of the mature, 200‐year‐ old trees in the province. The Elm Recovery Project is taking genetics from disease‐resistant survivors to aid the species’ return to mature growth.

last year. The resultant seedlings will be planted in UTRCA reforestation projects and monitored to see if resistance has been successfully passed on.

Landowners with either tolerant trees or the space to plant and

monitor program offspring are invited to email nina@fgca.net for more information.

There is no guarantee, but Davies says American experience, which he considers in advance of ours in Canada, has proven the effort can be

successful.

“At least we’re doing something to get this species back in the landscape.” ◊

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Above: Butternut trees, selected for resistance to butternut canker, growing in the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) ’ “archive” near Woodstock.

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Viticulture

Perth’s first winery features grapes and goats Goats and grapes replace a hayfield to increase farm profitability and create a tourist destination in Perth • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot Stephen (left) and Casey Howanyk stand with their vintner, Steve Byfield, who is transforming grapes into wine at The Perth Farmhouse, Perth County’s first winery. ~Photo supplied

T

he first goal was to find a “better place” to raise their family. Once living on the nine-acre property on Wilmot Easthope Rd. in Perth East, Stephen and Casey Howanyk kept looking at the barn, the five-acre hayfield and their goats and wondered…what else could we do?

They were already running sold-out “goat socials” where people could book a 60-minute experience playing in the pasture with the goats, having a picnic by the pond with baked goods and touring the barn.

That field, though. Selling hay was making money but what could generate more cash flow? Goats. Good times.

Grapes! The couple already knew about the new wine region taking off in Huron County concentrating on coldclimate grapes. Could it work in Perth too?

“We got our soil tested and it turns out we had really good, loam soil,” explains Casey. They began visiting wineries for research and planted their first grape varieties in 2022. They focused on four varieties – Vidal, FrontenacBlanc, Marquette and Petit Pearl – which are known for their cold hardiness.

To become a winery, a farm must have at least five acres of grapes so a year later, the other four acres went in. That first acre produced grapes ready to be made into wine this year and the other four will come into production in the fall of 2025.

They are now Perth County’s first winery! At the 22 The Rural Voice

winery, which is open on weekends only, guests can sample wines and ciders, snack on grazing boxes and, of course, visit the goats. The grazing boxes are made by neighbour Lindsay Higgins of Lynn River Farm (formerly featured in The Rural Voice).

The couple hired Steve Byfield, a known winemaker who also makes the wines at 2nd Street Light in Clinton and Cornerfield near Bayfield. “He is the only black

Casey Howanyk enjoy the marketing and customer relations end of the business ... and the goats!

winemaker in Canada,” says Casey.

He also operates his own wine cellar, called Nyaria which is derived from the Southern African Shona dialect meaning Humility.

“He is fantastic and humble,” says Casey. “People are surprised our wines are as good as they are and that is all due to Steve…he is creative and artistic with wines.” The couple made wines with purchased grapes until their own grapes were ready.

Rather than focusing on the “terroir” of their wines, Casey likes to talk about the “vibe” on the farm.

“Our slogan is Grapes, Goats and Good Times” and we want to create an experience where memories are made and people have a great time on the farm.”

It’s been quite a journey for Casey and Stephen as they both maintain full-time jobs and are raising two young children. He is the facilities manager for an amusement company and she is a teacher. Their children are aged four and two.

“It is busy,” sighs Casey. But, she loves the customer connection and service, the social media output and designing the on-farm store. Her husband is the “master business operator” as described by Casey and does the day-to-day operations, renovations of the barn, rezoning the property and applying for permits.

The business is thriving. Casey anticipates once the start-up loans are paid off in three years, The Perth Farmhouse will be able to support the family. Whether the pair will retire from their jobs is undecided but one of their main goals is to create a home and legacy for their children.

In the meantime, there is work to be done! Renovations are ongoing in the barn. The grapes need training, pruning and weeding. They used to do it by hand but this year hired a crew from Niagara to do the pruning.

Casey also appreciates the support from neighbours and friends. “At first our neighbours thought we were crazy but now they are helpful and supportive. It is a great community.”

She also remembers, fondly, the task of planting the first acre. “We did it with friends and family on a weekend and that is such a great memory.”

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24 The Rural Voice

Their goals as the grapes mature is to harvest three tonnes of grapes per acre which will require some antibird strategies such as netting, squawkers or scarecrows. It’s also a watch on the weather, as an early frost can affect the quality of the crop.

Casey's advice for others thinking of going into a niche farming business is to spend time building up a community of contacts and support from knowledgeable people willing to share their wisdom.

“Farmer Paul (a neighbour) is our hero. He has helped us deliver goats and baled our hay when the baler broke,” says Casey.

It takes years of work, including all the paperwork. The reward, now, is the people. “I can’t believe people come here to drink our wine and play with the goats,” she says shaking her head with wonderment.

Their hard work is paying off and it seems like the grape and goat combination really does create good times. ◊

Casey Howanyk (above) enjoys manning the store at The Perth Farmhouse winery and is active along with husband Steve in managing the cold‐climate grape vines (above and left). The farm started by offering “goat socials” which sold out and encouraged the couple to establish a winery to create a business and tourist destination near New Hamburg in Perth County.

September 2023 25

Community

Podcast celebrates “65 before 65” • By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot

Boomer and Millie, better known as Phil and Ally, are creating A Life That’s Good Phil Main and Ally Campbell‐Main have joined forces in life and work with their podcast, A Life That’s Good.

P

hil Main, long-time radio host and musician, loves to connect with people in his community and now he's doing it as a podcaster.

Since teaming up with Ally Campbell-Main in life and work, the pair are telling the stories of artists, business owners, farmers and interesting people on their podcast “A Life That’s Good”.

Called Boomer and Millie to acknowledge the different perspectives their generational gap creates, the pair made an excellent team as they achieved their goal of “65 before 65” interviews of local characters as part of Phil Main’s goal to mark his birthday milestone.

But now that it’s done, Phil and Ally realize they want to keep going.

“I want my guests to feel how good life is, how good their families are, how good their community is and how lucky we are to live here,” says Phil, who describes himself as someone who feels deeply. His empathetic nature, combined with oft-voiced love of Huron County and a genuine curiosity about people seems to draw intimate conversations out of his guests, some of whom have brought him and Ally to tears.

He recalls interviewing Mark Duckworth, a doctor and recording artist with roots in Huron County whose father passed away a few years back. “I put his songs on and I was listening when suddenly tears dropped down my cheek because I realized he is singing about his dad.”

Agriculture is a huge part of Huron County so the pair also interview farmers and agriculture leaders on their podcast.

Glen and Vanda McNeil were interviewed in the studio 26 The Rural Voice

in Wingham to talk about modern dairy farming and his role as warden of Huron County. “It was a lovely interview made extra special because their nephew, Neil, was my best friend when I was a kid and I spent a lot of time on their farm,” remembers Phil. Ally’s understanding of dairy farming changed from an old-fasioned vision of farmers milking from stools to technologically savvy farmers being able to monitor the patterns and health of their cattle via a smartphone.

The pair also travelled to Meeting Place Organic Farm to chat with the McQuail family and learn about the Eat Local Huron movement.

“The fact that we can get local food online, delivered to our door, is insane!” exclaims Ally, excited about all the opportunities she is learning about via the podcast.

A favorite interview for Phil was chatting to his former highschool teacher, John Smallwood, at Goderich District Collegiate Institute. “He helped me become the best version of myself,” says Phil.

When Smallwood assigned his class a project asking students to analyze three books from a Canadian author, he suspected Phil would struggle with the task. Knowing music was a passion for Phil, Smallwood took the initiative to visit the Main family at their home where he put on a record. “I remember this acoustic guitar and a voice singing about a little seahorse,” says Phil. Smallwood encouraged Phil to look deeper in the lyrics and as he listened, Phil realized the artist Bruce Cockburn was talking about his unborn child.

Smallwood told Phil that Cockburn was every bit as great of a Canadian writer and poet as any author he could

pick from so he allowed Phil to listen to the records instead of reading for his project. “Well, I got one of the best marks because he was the kind of teacher who was invested in his students, and I wasn't the only one.”

That podcast episode was so moving, the story was picked up by the CBC. The joys of rural and small town life are a recurring theme in the Boomer and Millie podcasts. Phil interviewed Huron’s hockey great, Justin Peters and asked him if he could go backwards in time, where would he go? “He told me he would go back to the street he grew up on to play street hockey with his friends because that was one of the best parts of his life,” says Phil. “Can you believe that? Not what you’d expect from a hockey dude but he was all about family and love for his community.”

Other episodes include stories from the Bayfield Lavender Farm, The “65 before 65” series began on March 23, 2023 and concluded on June 17, 2024. During that time, Phil and Ally visited two dozen towns and villages, supported more than 60 local organizations and interviewed over 100 individuals. It’s been quite a ride, says Ally.

“I'm sure Phil is having a much easier time with the interviews than I am (because of a lifetime in radio),” says the millennial photographer, Ally, who works in health care. “But I love the community we are creating and now people know us which helps them to lower their guard a bit. We now have random people approach us on the street and ask if we’ll do a family story on them.”

Phil is equally loving the community and connective aspect of the podcast. “With podcasts, as someone sits in your studio, you can just have a heart-to-heart conversation. You may not know them that well, but you both end up with some tears or shared laughter or finding out something really remarkable about them. There's a really special thing that happens in those moments.” Phil says he just feels so blessed that people let him in the door and are willing to share their life with him.

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Phil Main and Ally Campbell‐Main take selfies with all the guests on their “A Life That’s Good” podcast including Katrina McQuail of Meeting Place Organic Farm (below, middle) and Gemma James‐Smith of Bayfield Lavender Farm (left, middle).

What’s more challenging is scheduling the time to create the podcast. Phil says creating podcasts is far more involved than conducting an interview for 30 minutes to an hour. “It can take eight or 10 or 12 hours to go through it, edit it and mix it plus do the writing and the posting and all of that stuff … it's time intensive.”

This summer, Boomer and Millie took a short break to consider how they can continue the podcast moving forward. Buoyed by the things they are learning, the joy of working together, the community they are creating and the energy of being involved in this popular medium, Phil and Ally are hoping to become full-time podcasters.

They imagine working with communities as podcast subcontractors, or offering “limited series” runs such as the monthly podcast they are creating for the town of Seaforth in preparation for its 150th anniversary celebrations next year.

Podcasts continue to increase in popularity and Phil says the largest percentage of listeners of their podcast tend to be “boomers”. “We believe that (especially after the isolation of the COVID years) these folks listen to our show seeking to build new connections or deepen ones that already exist with friends and neighbours,” he says.

Plus, doing a podcast is fun, laughs Ally.

A Life That’s Good, the podcast, is connective, heartwarming and emotional with a twist of boomer and millennial curiosity. ◊

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Recipes by Carolyn Crawford

No skipping breakfast — you need the protein!

F

or children attending school today, a healthy breaking up any clumps that may have formed. Stir again breakfast in any form is essential to function at full after another 15 minutes have passed then put in the capacity for learning. This month’s column focuses refrigerator overnight. on getting the full, fresh start we need to perform our best.

You can eat chia pudding plain or with fruit, nuts, Breakfast is still the most important meal of the day, to granola, jam, yogurt. During strawberry season I made a help us achieve top form in our academics and work day. concoction of berries, granola, and some leftover whipping There have been a lot of changes in the way of having cream. I sprinkled it with chopped pecans. It was delicious! breakfast before “pumping neurons” at school. When I was This will work with any fruit. I cannot wait to try it with growing up, having leftover pizza from the night before peaches. If you have never had chia before, start off with was a shocking thing to start my day with. We usually had one tablespoon per day. The high fibre may catch you off cereal either hot or cold, or eggs cooked any style, or toast guard. Drink lots of water too. with its various toppings. My Mum would often have 5 Minute Mason Jar French Toast canned salmon (with vinegar and salt and pepper in it) on ~Source: Breakfast for Dinner Blog by Maresa in her toast or an English muffin. Today, there are so many Vancouver, B.C. https://www.breakfastfordinner. choices available that are not included in the traditional net/mason-jar-french-toast/ breakfast or, at the very least, they are a new twist on our This is another simple recipe that kids would like to add old favourites. their favourite things to.

Ultimately our main goal should be making sure we Ingredients: have some form of protein in our breakfast. Protein will ¼ cup milk give our bodies strength and energy to last the whole day.

1 egg Protein will also give our brains a boost to think clearly 1 tsp cinnamon throughout the day.

1 piece of bread, cut into small cubes Chia Pudding Maple syrup A simple-to-prepare, non non-traditional breakfast is a Directions: chia pudding. Chia is especially high in protein, fibre, and In a jam sized Mason jar, add milk, egg, and cinnamon. omega-3 fatty acids. How is that for a healthy trio?! It (I would add plumped raisins or craisins or other fruit e.g. originates from pre-Colombian Mesoamerica era (prior to peach or apple to this too) Spanish exploration in the 1400s) where Maya to Aztec Screw on the lid and shake to combine ingredients. cultures used it for sustenance. It was largely overlooked as Unscrew the lid and add bread cubes. Press cubes into a food source by settlers until the late 20th century. In the liquid to ensure all bread cubes are submerged. Screw on 1980s it regained popularity as the “Chia Pet”. It was the lid again and shake. Remove lid and microwave jar at reintroduced by an American agriculture engineer, Wayne Coates, as a viable food crop in the 1990s because of its incredible nutrients, portability, and ease of preparation.

There are various sources and adaptations for the main chia pudding recipe and several combinations using fruits, flavourings, and substitutions all over the internet. So, you can pretty much make up your own melange of flavours. It is also easy for kids to make their own blends.

Ingredients: ½ cup milk (dairy or non dairy) (you can also use yogurt for some of the milk) ½ tsp vanilla extract or other flavouring (almond, grated citrus rind, cinnamon) 1½ tsp sweetener of any kind (maple syrup, molasses, honey, monk fruit sweetener etc.)

2 tbsp chia seeds Directions: Mix milk, flavouring, and sweetener together in a lidded container (Mason jars are ideal for this). Stir in chia seeds, blending until all the seeds are soaking in the liquid. Chia seeds are packed with nutrients and are an excellent ingredient to Let sit for about 15 minutes and stir again, make a simple, tasty breakfast pudding.

30 The Rural Voice

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30 second intervals for 1-2 minutes.

(Trust me on the 30 second interval thing — you don’t want an explosion in your microwave. And by interval, I mean microwave for 30 secs, wait for 10 secs, microwave 30 secs, wait for 10 secs, etc. for up to two minutes. It may take more or less time depending on your microwave but keep to the intervals). Remove from the microwave when cooked and let cool for a minute or two.

Drizzle with maple syrup and dive in with your spoon!

Overnight Oats You can use a Mason jar or large mug for this or your microwaveable cereal bowl with an airtight lid. (I have a small Corelle soup mug that has a lid with a vent.) You can store your mixture in the refrigerator overnight and have it ready to microwave in the morning. Again, the combinations are endless. Let your creativity loose!

Ingredients: ½ cup oats 2 teaspoons ground flax or ground chia (optional) ½ cup milk (dairy or non dairy) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp maple syrup or flakes or honey 1 tsp cinnamon 2/3 cup fruit 1 tbsp pecans, or another kind of nut Directions: The night before: Put oats and flax/chia in the bottom of your container and pour milk and vanilla over top. Add cinnamon and maple syrup/honey. Stir to blend.

Refrigerate until morning. In the morning, enjoy it cold with fruit on top or microwave 2-3 minutes (30 seconds or a minute at a time) or until warmed through. Top with chopped nuts. Time will depend on your microwave.

If you like it a little less thick, you can add more milk. I saw one online article saying that you can have rolled oats soaking in equal amounts of warm filtered water and 1½ tbsp of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice on your countertop the night before to properly break down the phytic acid in the oats for easier digestion.

See article here: https://mylongevitykitchen.com/thetruth-about-overnight-oats/ Sausage & Egg Muffins I have made mini quiches in pastry-lined tart shells and full-sized quiches many times. They can be frozen for about a month and served as needed. I have also seen various combinations using bacon and hamthe latter being used as a liner in the muffin tin. The creators (Myra and Laurier) of this recipe hail from Cape Breton Island and share their experiences on their blog, Delicious on a Dime. https://deliciousonadime .com/sausage-egg-breakfast-muffins/ You could easily adapt this recipe by adding finely chopped vegetables such as red/sweet onions, mushrooms, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and finely shredded carrot. Changing up the spices/herbs would be a nice alternative.

Ingredients: 1 pkg breakfast sausage (you could substitute ground pork, seasoned or sausage patties) 9 eggs, extra large 1 cup cheddar (or other) cheese, shredded 1 tbsp green onions chopped fine 1 tbsp dried parsley Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Take breakfast sausage out of the casings and add the sausage to a preheated frying pan. Cook well. Drain grease and set sausage on a paper towel.

Grease a 12-muffin tin (so the egg won’t stick) and divide the cooked sausage into the cups. Grate cheese and divide it between the cups.

In a large bowl with pouring spout, whisk eggs. Add chopped green onions and parsley. (Add any other vegetables here.) Pour the egg mixture into the muffin cups.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 17 minutes or until eggs are set. When cooled, you can place these in a Ziplock bag and freeze until needed. For optimum freshness, no longer than a month.

Scrambled Egg Tacos This is another quick breakfast in the morning if you have prepped everything the night before. You

could make the eggs and sausage/bacon the night before as well and reheat in the oven with the tortillas. You can, if you prefer, cook some or all the vegetables and reheat them for your taco. If you’re not a fan of spicy food especially first thing in the morning, opt out of the jalapenos and use ketchup or I like homemade chili sauce.

Ingredients: 1 pkg large soft tortillas-any flavour Scrambled eggs — allow 1-2 eggs per person — you can season with chili powder, garlic, or other seasonings to taste Sausages, sliced or peameal bacon, chopped, cooked 1 jar salsa (mild, medium, or hot) 1 red onion, chopped 1 tomato, chopped 1 sweet pepper — any colour, or some of each, thinly sliced or chopped 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced thin (do this in the morning or it will be brown) Jalapeno peppers, chopped fine (optional) Hot sauce (optional) 1 small pkg Tex-Mex/cheddar shredded cheese 1 small pkg spinach or lettuce greens, or a few leaves of romaine, shredded 1 small tub sour cream 2 chopped green onions/chives, as needed, for garnish Directions: Make an assembly line of the items from top to bottom as listed. If you want your cheese to melt, put it between the eggs and meat. There are so many variations! Make it fun and healthy for kids by having as many protein selections as possible. This is also great for having friends for a sleepover on the weekend.

I do not even have room for smoothies, egg burgers (remember at the Royal?), avocado toast, Lox with cream cheese, and something I discovered and have not had a chance to try yet: Sweet Potato Toast!

Google any one of these delights if you need more ideas. But most importantly, do not skip breakfast with its valuable protein. ◊ September 2024 31

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

Getting the grandchildren intrigued with insects in the garden

O

ur five-year old granddaughter found a very large spider in her bedroom and was looking for help to get rid of it.

We got a margarine tub and an old postcard and carefully eased the spider into the container and released it outside in the garden. Wee Lizzy has a keen eye and later we came across a moth and did the same routine. The real excitement came when she located a small wasp struggling in a spider web in the back corner of the toy room. There was a n important conversation about how to approach and release a wasp carefully for the safety of both insect and human.

All of this got me thinking about our push to encourage more pollinators in our gardens. We also have to teach little ones what to watch for and how to react.

Fortunately our small troop of grandchildren are all intrigued with insects and wildlife in general so conversations are relaxed and drama free.

We were all together one hot day in August and there was some slapping of wee, annoying bugs around their heads. It was not enough to drive us indoors but their presence led to a discussion about what to do about them. We encourage spider webs around the yard and deck, only gently sweeping those away from our chairs and doorways. We went on a 34 The Rural Voice

walk about to check on the spiders and were delighted with the number of insects that had been annoying us which were trapped in the intricate webs and being used as food for the spiders.

We looked below the webs for remains of insects and found a bit of debris. This conversation morphed into how hummingbirds used spider webs to line their little nests!

I am always delighted when I can uncover a resource to help with both plant and insect identification. Klaus and I attended the Ontario Horticulture annual general meeting in Guelph earlier this summer and met Victoria McPhail, who was presenting on Pollination Guelph. I was delighted to learn of volunteers who step up to the plate and work towards making our communities better places to live. This very active and strong group has a concise focus on protecting pollinators and their habitat. They oversee pollinator gardens in several parks. If you are in the Guelph area take a detour and see what is drawing insects to Eastview Pollinator Park and Riverside Park.

Their conference display included some wonderful handouts including: Spring Clean-up (Be Patient — number one point!), Creating A Pollinator Garden; Suggested Plants for a Rain Garden; Food Plants for Butterfly Caterpillars and more about trees and shrubs important to pollinators.

The sheet that caught my eye was Suggested Plants for Blooms Throughout the Seasons. I have been looking around my garden trying to pinpoint where I need more blooms for a full season of inviting plants and hopefully pollinators.

Which brings me back to the important job of identifying insects — especially when they start nibbling on our plants. This spring my two Pearly Everlasting plants had the tops nibbled off and a creature nestled in a light web. My hope was that it was an American Lady butterfly which feeds on these particular plants. Once they had eaten and finished their cycle, the plant

grew new leaves and, right now, looks great. You would never know I had doubts about their survival.

I was not around for the emergence of the butterflies, which was unfortunate. But this amazing relationship between insects and plants, which has evolved together over time, is what we need to respect, especially when considering the variety of plants in our garden.

Hybridized plants may look saucy in the garden but do they deliver the right pollen or nectar to the pollinators?

The first of two new books to the Seeger library is Pollinators of Native Plants — Attract, Observe and Identify Pollinators and Beneficial Insects with Native Plants (2014) by Heather Holm.

I read the acknowledgments and preface of my resource books to understand the dedication and observation skills of the authors.

Heather builds on Douglas Tallamys book, Bringing Nature Home, and Attracting Native Pollinators released by the Xerces Society, both of which confirmed and expanded what she was seeing in her garden and in her landscape designs. What caught my eye was her witnessing the same species returning to the same native plant every year.

A picture tells a thousand words and this particular book does that in a few different ways. Like Rick Gray and Shaun Booth’s book Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region, Holm outlines the native plants to seek out, flowering periods, habitat and all the necessary info as well as listing complementary plants.

Then comes the insect notes which outline the shape of the flower and how insects access the pollen and/or nectar. Some plants like Golden Alexanders (zizia aurea), attract both short and long-tongued bees. It is the small bees that actually pollinate but larger bees visit for the nectar.

Good photography is so important for all of us as we try to identify our guests in the garden. There are several shots of some insects but most photos are very clear and a

second photo is not necessary.

A second book, also by Heather Holm, is focussed on bees and aptly titled Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide (2017). It starts with a biology review of bees but goes on to cover the relationships between plants and bees. I don’t think I would be too far off to say we owe our existence to bees. These creatures form an amazing cornerstone to the environment and this book does the deep-dive to bring it to us. The simple rules/guides to help us identify bees from wasps and flies is one I am reviewing with the grandkids. Patience is rewarded with quiet observation of the varied insects and excitement when we find a new visitor we can identify in the garden.

We are already planning on more plants to add to encourage a greater variety of butterflies, wasps, and bees in our gardens. And the kids are excited to see what winged visitors will make the garden home. ◊

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By Bonnie Sitter

Dairy 4-H members vie for top showman

O

ver 150 competitors registered for the Lucknow 4H Dairy Invitational Show held August 5.

Participants were judged by Markus Hehli from Rimbey, Alberta.

Huron Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson gave the opening remarks and stressed the importance of 4-H and the part it played in her life journey.

The ringman was Brian Slaughter and Glen McNeil was the announcer.

Bonnie Sitter attended the day to capture photos of the 4-H members with their calves. ◊

Top left: 4‐H leader Heather Robinson of Listowel poses with Rook, the calf, and Julia Kocher in the canopy shelter prepared for the calves with fresh bedding provided by Franken Concrete.

Top right: Elgin Hennessey is a nine‐year‐old 4‐H member from Drayton who earned top showman in the PeeWee category at the Lucknow show. He shows a calf named Eclipse and is a member of the Perth County 4‐H Club.

Above: Participants line up for Judge Markus Hehli at the Lucknow 4‐H Dairy Invitational show.

36 The Rural Voice

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Story and Photos by Telfer Wegg

Drone captures successful wheat harvest

H

ere in southern Grey County, growing conditions for the winter wheat crop have been ideal. The farmers who graciously let me fly my drone over their fields all report a similar positive story — timely rain, no severe storms and perfect harvest weather resulted in a bumper crop.

Grant Pries cash crops 350 acres in Normanby Township.

This year his 77 acres of winter wheat averaged 113 bu./acre, his best yield ever.

With no livestock to provide manure, Grant is conscious

of the need to maintain soil organic matter. With this in mind, he includes 60 acres of hay in his cropping plan along with corn, soybeans and wheat. He feels wheat in the rotation is positive for the soil while also boosting the corn and soybean yield. This year he sold the straw out of his field unbaled for six cents/lb. When selling for four cents or lower, Grant believes straw has more value returned to the soil as organic matter.

Mark Fisher harvested 80 acres of wheat with his son Ryan bringing in a similar amount on his own newly established farm. Unlike Grant, Mark has a tworobot dairy barn on one of his farms so needs the straw for bedding and for mixing into his dairy ration. Similar to Grant, Mark reports record yields and no problems with DON, fusarium or moisture.

It’s the same for Jay Lennox and his father Kim who harvested an above-average yield with no fungus or disease challenges. With Kim raising Angus cattle and Jay looking after 700 ewes on adjacent farms, nearly all their combined acreage is needed for pasture and feed crops. Their 30 acres of wheat was immediately trucked, but they kept the straw. As with the other farms, this was soft red winter wheat, a classification making up over 90 per cent of Ontario’s wheat acreage.

Next comes the soybean and corn harvest. In this part of Ontario they are both looking terrific. Now we need Mother Nature to co-operate.◊

Telfer Wegg flew his drone over fields in Grey County to capture the patterns and production of an excellent wheat harvest in Gey County. At top, Kim Lennox harvested wheat with a 6620 John Deere Titan 2 with 18 foot header. Above, Grant Pries unloaded the 9570 John Deere combine into a truck that will transport the grain directly to Renwick’s elevator in Howick Township.

38 The Rural Voice

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George White Small Square Bale Hay Elevator, 28, ft., 110 motor... $1,450.

Allied 28 ft., Small Square Bale Elevator, 110 motor, tube style ...$975.

Haybine Rolls, fits NH 479, 488, 469, 102 in. long............pair $850.

Massey Harris Long Bar Hay Rake, on steel, works good, 4 bar....$875.

LDbagger, stored inside ...$1,450.

Gehl Hammermill on wheels,S540 OPTO, Vicon 281 Disc Mower Conditioner, 9 ft., steel rolls, owner’s manual ............$4,800.

New Idea 404 Five Wheel Fingertooth Hay Rake, trail model .....$1,850.

New Idea 401 Five Bar Trail Hay Rake, front dolley wheel..$1,650.

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

International C28 3PH Sickle Mower, Pitman-type, 540 PTO.........$975.

DPTO spinner ......................$675.

B&L 3PH Fertilizer Spreader, S holdsO10L bags, Crimper for MacDon 9000, 7000 Swather, steel rolls, good shape......$1,450.

Champion Roller Mill, 110 or 220V, stored inside, new belts ......$1,250.

Fanning Mill Grain Cleaner, 110 motor, 24 in., extra screens ........$675.

New Holland 477 Haybine, 7 ft., 540 PTO, owner’s manual........$3,600.

Round Bale Spear, Worksaver, mounts on bucket, heavy built............... $375.

GW 28 ft. Skeleton Tube-type Small Square Bale Elevator.........$750.

John Deere Thrower, fits 336, 24 T, Model 30, hoses, pump, etc.........$1,450.

Turnco, Bearcat Packer Wheels, 2 in. shaft, 15 in. high..............ea. $30.

Landpride 6 ft. Finishing 3 Blade Mower, 540 PTO, used this season ........$1,450.

Ebersol 32 ft. Enclosed Hay Elevator on wheels, 110 motor ....$1,650.

Material Bucket, 50 in., curved back, weld on your brackets ..........$475.

MF 665 Swather, new Argis knife, new canvasses, 12 ft. ............$2,850.

Cockshutt 12 ft. Trail Cultivator, hyd.Dlift, used this season ...........$975.

SOL New Idea 325 Two Row Corn Picker, 24 in. husking bed...........$3,600.

MF 424 Seed Drill, 24 run, press wheels, double disc, works good.......$3,800.

MF 33 Seed Drill, 17 run, double disc, grain only, rope trip lift......$1,650.

John Deere C-7 Cultivator, 3PH, 10 ft., C shank, good shape........$950.

John Deere 145 Plow, 14 in., four furrow, used this season........$1,650.

John Deere 1000 Cultivator, 12 ft., low acres, trail model............$2,200.

International Trail Antique Cultivator, 7 ft., rope trip lift................$750.

LD MF 36 Swather, 10 ft., S GMO 4 cyl., crimper, used this season........$1,650.

New Holland Super 717 Harvester, hay head, good knives........$1,850.

McKee Corn Hog Corn Grinder, for silo filling, 3 PH, 540 PTO...$2,200.

John Deere Two Row Corn Silage Head, slip clutch .................$2,200.

Gehl 400 Silage Two Row Corn Head, chain drive....................$1,250.

MF 1859 Flex Head, used last season, quick attach with header wagon ........$3,800.

John Deere One Row Corn Silage Head, good condition ..........$1,250.

John Deere 1209 Haybine, 9 ft., used this season, rubber rolls...$2,200.

Speed King 746 Grain Auger, 46 ft., 7 in., new belts...................$2,200.

Westfield 36 ft. Grain Auger, 6 in. 220 motor, good shape.........$1,650.

Grainovator Grain Wagon, blower, with pipes, 540 PTO.............$2,600.

Wrecking NH, JD, New Idea haybines, MF rake, Duetz rakes .......Call For pictures go to agbuyersguide.farms.com Dan Seifried Equipment

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519-338-2688 September 2024 39

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

United States on track for a monster harvest this fall

T

here appears to be a growing realization that the inflationary period that we have been experiencing in the “post Covid” era is now over.

The aggressive hawkish action of the world’s major central banks of sharply raising interest rates has had the desired effect of slowing economic growth. Prices are no longer moving continually higher for most goods, and some products languish in sales and consequently prices have been declining.

Some market indexes have shown

that there are fears of a greater slowdown in the economy, with some expecting a recession. With inflation falling towards the target rate of inflation, expectations are for interest rate cuts in the U.S. to occur shortly, with more cuts to follow.

Some analysts think that the U.S. Federal Reserve is behind the curve in cutting rates, and that economic growth will suffer with unemployment rates on the rise. The U.S. Fed has been reluctant to lower rates however, as the U.S. economy has been more resilient to the higher rates and inflation has been slower to fade there, compared to other countries such as Canada which has already lowered rates twice from the peak of the cycle.

As central banks move to a more dovish stance, it is possible that commodity prices may begin a bottoming process. The grain markets have been pummelled by an abundance of bearish news and growers would be very keen to see this market, which has languished so severely, recover to levels where it is possible to have profitable sales. If

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grain prices are in the process of forming a bottom, does this mean that they should have a sharp recovery? Or is it more likely that they move in more of a sideways range for an extended period, not falling aggressively, but not really providing much strength either?

Today the market view is that the world has adequate grain supplies, most especially in the U.S., which is expected to be on track for a monster harvest this fall. On the other side of the ledger, world demand seems to be surfacing again. In order for prices to rally you need a willing buyer to step up and purchase volumes where they see value. So where is world production and demand at the present time?

The big discussion on the supply side is of course the U.S. production outlook. Crop ratings have been high all year long. There is essentially no big drought in any major cropping region of the world’s largest corn grower. Many private analysts have been forecasting yields to be outstanding this year in U.S., in fact, to be record high. Recently one private estimate is for 183.1 bushels per acre for corn and 53.1 bushels per acre for soys. This new estimate is higher than the most recent consensus guess of 182.2 for corn and 52.5 for soy. Big market players, commodity speculators, have been seeing these growing yield expectations and have been selling the market aggressively. They are now record short, indicating that they expect a big crop to get bigger, and prices to slide further. This position of the funds has been very consequential in lowering prices to where we are today.

The question that we now ask is, however, what does this massive short position lead us to expect into the future? Well first of all, we would expect their selling route to be over.

Breaking record position sizes isn’t easy to accomplish and when it does occur, a risk manager would be unlikely to take an even larger short position, as the risk to the fund could be likely greater than they would want to take. The fund's short position has also accomplished something that has been greatly

Markets needed by the physical market also, it has brought grain prices closer to world values.

U.S. corn prices are competitive in the world market now. In the month of June, U.S. exports were up 45 per cent year over year. Unfortunately for prices today, demand driven rallies are often slow to move higher, and when they do,it feels like they grind higher reluctantly. Demand rallies typically do not offer sharp spikes in price, such as you often see in weather markets. Therefore the current market grind is likely to continue in corn as we go forward.

There is an abundance of producerstored grain, both here and in the U.S., with a grower who is ready to sell on market bounces that come forward.

Soybeans have been weak as they search for demand also. The theme for bean prices has also been lower, and recently prices have dropped to levels not seen since February 2021.

China has been very slow to book U.S. beans for the new crop season.

Recently, China did purchase some Fall ship beans from the U.S., as the market had been hoping. The result of this purchase was a market that rallied on the news, expecting the long-awaited demand to come on strong. And while the market looked for growing demand, large demand has yet to occur, and as a result the market fell.

We have seen a similar reaction in wheat. Recently Egypt stated that they would be willing to receive offers for up to 3.8 million metric tons of wheat, looking to capitalize on lower prices, looking to bolster long-term storage stocks. The corresponding conditions Egypt put on this volume were too burdensome for anyone to sell, and as a result the market fizzled. ◊

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

Arboretums connect generations of tree lovers

T

his past July I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a tour with the Southern Ontario Section of the Institute of Forestry. These tours are amazing learning opportunities for all attendees as not only are they led by outstanding professionals, but there are many generations of professionals in attendance.

The meeting place for the tour was Baden Hills Regional Forest, in the Region of Waterloo, Township of Wilmot. As most people seem to do, I put the address on my phone and let Google Maps guide me. I had three surprises while heading to this destination. First, I did not pass a single gas station. Second, I did not pass a spot to grab a coffee. Third, I drove past a forest down a hill to a cornfield with a “Welcome to Baden Hills Regional Forest” sign. I pulled into the small gravel parking lot, got out of my vehicle, and my learning began.

Turns out that this parking lot was built as a collaboration between Waterloo and Wilmot. The Township of Wilmot does not own a significant number of forests, yet Wilmot residents enjoy hiking through forests. The Region of Waterloo does own quite a few forests but lacked safe parking for its Baden Hills Regional Forest. Wilmot created an accessible parking area and trail to reach the forest which allowed its residents to enjoy the regional forest safely. With the connecting trail, visitors experience meadows, and new and more mature tree planting before reaching the plantation and 42 The Rural Voice

hardwood forests. Once you reach the “hub” there is another trailhead sign with a map. This is where the accessible trail ends, but you could continue in a loop, which allows for approximately a one-kilometer venture. As the name suggests, it is all uphill from the parking lot to the hub and then even more so to reach the summit. If you venture here, please be prepared for some steep slopes on the trail that are ranked as moderate to difficult footpaths.

Baden Hills/Wilmot Trails are located on one of the four “kames” that are located just outside of the

Town of Baden. These glacial features are formed from glacial meltwaters and are irregularly shaped. Sand and gravel are typically found within a kame when the meltwater carried the materials from the glacier. The most interesting part of a kame, for me, is that the shape of the kames allows researchers to determine the glacial path.

Our next stop was the Township of Wilmot Arboretum. This arboretum’s first plantings took place in 1957/58 and it was opened to the public in 1964. Again, this was a great collaboration involving the Region of

The Baden Hills Regional Forest (top) and Township of Wilmot Arboretum (above) were part of the Southern Ontario Section of the Institute of Forestry tour.

Waterloo, Waterloo Soil and Crop Improvement Association, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. In 1994, the Region of Waterloo deeded the arboretum to the Township.

There were 37 different genera of trees planted – approximately 70 species – making over 350 trees planted on this site by the early 1970s. Some of these trees are now missing from the site, yet others are towering over visitors. A few species are struggling to survive in this site that is far outside of their native land.

One of our more interesting finds was the surviving blue ash among the Emerald Ash Borer killed white, red, green, European, and black ash trees.

This helped to prove the resistance of blue ash to Emerald Ash Borer attacks.

There is something special about being able to walk under these trees that were planted about 50 years ago.

It feels good knowing that someone put an effort into having these specimens available for us to enjoy and learn from. A few of the species that seem to have done the best are now on the invasive species list Norway maple for example. Others are species that we are now more commonly planting than in the past like tulip trees and sycamore.

An interesting note about this arboretum is that it doesn't have any trails around it. In fact, while the grass is nicely mowed, it doesn’t look like the property sees many visitors as there are no worn spots.

Like many areas in other communities, it seems as though the residents of New Hamburg don’t use the beautiful park space that is right on their doorstep. Could it be that the lack of a trail or facilities on the site, aside from the parking lot and a few picnic tables, makes this an unusable space? Would interpretive signage help visitors to appreciate some of the awesome tree species growing there? Would a trail draw more people out to see the trees? Or is it just that not everyone likes to just go and look at trees?

The closest mature arboretum to me is the one located at the Inglis

Falls Conservation Area, managed by the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority and the Inglis Falls Arboretum Alliance. This arboretum is located just outside of Owen Sound. In this arboretum they have

added more than just trees, there are specimen plants and shrubs as well.

There are other arboretums consisting of more recent plantings in my local area and I find it very exciting to watch their development.◊

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

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Long-time farmhand awarded damages and retirement allowance

E

mployees in Ontario can be formally dismissed or “terminated” from their jobs for just cause or without just cause.

If a dismissal is for cause, such as in the case of serious misconduct, habitual neglect of duty or incompetence, for instance, no prior notice is required.

Where an employee’s job is terminated without just cause, the employer must provide reasonable notice of termination to the employee. The length of the notice period will depend on factors such as the character of the employment, the length of the employee’s service, the age of the employee, the availability of similar jobs, etc. In some cases, working notice will be given and the employee will continue to work until the end of the notice period. In most cases, though, payment in lieu of notice (i.e. the payments that the employee would have received during the notice period) will be provided.

However, many terminations occur without the employer formally firing or dismissing the employee.

An employee can be constructively dismissed where the employer’s conduct amounts to a repudiation of the employment contract. For example, an employer might unilaterally change a significant term of an employee’s employment such as imposing a pay cut and by doing so, give the employee the right to treat the employment contract as terminated. If the boss says that the employee now needs to work extra hours for less pay, it may be that the employee can leave the job and then

seek compensation on the basis that the employee was constructively dismissed. The employment was effectively, but not formally, terminated by the employer.

Constructive dismissal was the finding in a recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in a case involving a long-time farmhand.

The claimant in the case had worked exclusively for one individual farmer (and the individual farmer’s companies) for over 40 years. For his entire adult working life, he was employed as a farm labourer and manager in a mixed cash crop and livestock operation. In January, 2019, the claimant was told that he was laid off but that the layoff would be temporary and would last only a few months. The claimant actually continued to assist the employer from time to time with work tasks where needed during the layoff, but was not paid by the employer after January, 2019.

In May, 2019, the employer met with the claimant and told him that he could come back to work at the farm on the condition that the claimant continue to collect Employment Insurance benefits with the balance of his salary (about $55,000 per year) paid in cash. Also, the employer confirmed that the claimant would no longer have the assistance of a student for heavylifting jobs, something that the claimant required because of a back injury suffered several years earlier when lifting a propane tank. In effect, the employer was asking the claimant to do the same job as before but on vastly different terms.

Justice G.D. Lemon did not hesitate to find that the claimant had been constructively dismissed by his employer when the employer: 1) told the claimant that there would be fundamental changes to his job duties, effective immediately; 2) required that the claimant agree to improper and illegal payment arrangements as compensation for the job; and, 3) having effectively terminated the claimant’s previous employment, failed to provide the claimant with any notice of the termination or payment in lieu of notice. Justice Lemon examined the

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relevant factors for determining the reasonable notice period and found that the claimant was entitled to 24 months of salary in lieu of working notice, amounting to just under $110,000.

The claimant also requested an order for payment of a retirement allowance from his former employer.

At the time of his layoff in January, 2019, the claimant’s annual salary was approximately $55,000, an amount that had remained more or less unchanged for the previous 25 years. Also, prior to 1996, the claimant had been provided by his employer with an on-farm residence.

After 1996, the residence was no longer provided such that the claimant’s overall compensation was significantly reduced. Nevertheless, the employer induced the claimant to continue to work for less money, even including overtime, on the basis of assurances and agreement that the employer would provide a retirement allowance to the claimant.

The claimant sought $250,000 for his retirement allowance. The employer had told the claimant that he would be well taken care of and would receive 8-10 per cent of nonvoting shares in one of the farm companies. The employer said that “the big money is at the end”, being a reference to a future sale of the company. The claimant learned in 2008 or 2009 that the company was sold for $2,200,000 and assumed that he would receive about $250,000.

For that reason, the claimant continued to work on the farm, his concerns about a lack of a retirement safety net having been addressed.

Justice Lemon awarded the full $250,000 retirement allowance, finding that the claimant worked long hours at a “reducing income” in reliance on the employer’s assurances. Justice Lemon also awarded the claimant $5,000 for unpaid wages (for the “layoff” period when the claimant continued to work without pay), $50,000 for aggravated damages (based in part on the manner of termination of employment which left the claimant with “the embarrassment of having been betrayed and cheated by the man he had trusted for many years”), and

$20,000 for punitive damages (for conduct overall that “drops to the level of being so malicious and outrageous that it is deserving of punishment on its own”). ______________________________ John D. Goudy’s law practice includes real property and environmental litigation, expropriation law, energy regulation, and regulatory offences. Agrilaw provides information of interest to the farming community, not legal advice. Readers should consult a legal professional about their particular circumstance.

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September 2024 47

People

F

• By Gary West •

Lexi Wilhelm wins big at EastGen Challenge

ifteen youth from Perth County took part in the EastGen Challenge-West July 8-9 in Woodstock.

Day 1 consisted of farm education while day 2 focussed on showmanship and confirmation in showing calves. The competition also

included a written quiz for 4-H dairy club members aged 14-21.

It was a big day for Lexi Wilhelm from Perth County, who took third place in senior showmanship, first place in senior heifer calf and had the Grand Champion Heifer with “Bobmur Alpha Nyla”.

Other Perth winners of the day were Courtney Pierce who placed second in the Junior heifer calf confirmation class, with “Athlone B Eye Pittsburgh”.

Jackson Kaufmann also placed first in Junior yearlings with his Jersey calf, “Paullor Victorious Maple”. ◊

Perth County’s EastGen Challenge team members were: (back row) Tys De Wit, Jackson Kaufman, Jacob Meadows, Luke Meadows and Willem de Wit. (Front row) Courtney Pearce, Hailey Peters, Natalie Robinson, Janessa Weber, Jade Dill, Claire McCorkindale, Meaghan Weitzel, Addison Hyatt. Missing is Lexi Wilhelm who was still in the ring when this picture was taken. ~Photo by Kirsten Dill

T

Top Jersey cow sells for $5,800 at Perth-Huron sale

he Perth-Huron Jersey Club has one of the longest running Jersey sales in the province. With an active Jersey membership, breeders in both counties have combined to continue as an established organization since 1934.

Recently the club held an on-line sale of quality Jersey cows and heifers and total proceeds came out just short of $100,000.

The sale average on cows was just short of $3,000, with an overall average on cows and heifers at $2,840.

There was a total of 35 animals consigned to the sale, with buyers bidding on-line, from all across the province.

The top seller came from Adam VerVoort of Sunset Ridge Farm (Sunset Ridge Action Mistletoe) and was purchased by Kory Dietz of Mitchell for $5800. The second high seller came from the Anderson and Peters-Athlone Farms of Tavistock (Braeview Moonlight Kamari) and was purchased by David Horst for $4,900. The third highest seller was Paullor Video Raspberry from Paullor Farms at Clinton and sold to Kory Dietz of Mitchell for $3,900.

Both Jersey Ontario President Heather Peters and Secretary-Manager Beverly Spriel, said the sale was one of 48 The Rural Voice

the best in years. Buyers choose Jerseys because of their disposition and high milk components, which are in demand. ◊

Riley is a show-winning calf from the same cow family that produced a top seller in the recent Perth-Huron “Show Me the Milk Sale” which came from the Paullor Jerseys near Clinton.

Katie Musselman named Junior Citizen of the Year

By Gary West ellesley’s Katie Musselman, has been named Wellesley Township’s “Junior Citizen Of The Year” for 2024.

As young as she is, Katie has an extremely impressive biography.

The teenager has always volunteered with many organizations to raise funds and provide meaningful opportunities for people of all ages in Wellesley Township communities and beyond.

Katie is a reliable and relentless person who has shown ambition, compassion, and creativity.

This year she was proud to join the Wellesley Agricultural Society and created the junior ambassador program after competing in the program herself.

She hopes to help young teens develop leadership skills and learn the value of volunteering and getting involved in the community.

Residents in the Wellesley area and at Waterloo-Oxford Secondary School, say she is a kind, caring, organized, and responsible selfdriven teen.

This summer she is balancing three part-time jobs at Herrle’s Country Farm market, near St.Agatha; Cookridge Dairy Farm near Wellesley; and practical labour for local family by helping with yardwork and other duties.

For the past two summers, Katie applied for and was accepted into the Female Firefighters in Training (FFIT) program in Kitchener.

Last summer, she worked as a camp counsellor at Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp northwest of New Hamburg, and demonstrated such care and compassion in this role that she was asked to return this year as intake facilitator for inclusive campers.

At Waterloo-Oxford she was involved in the “Best Buddies” program, where she spent break time

W

helping special-needs children. She program underway. It’s a project she took an active part in the Student is very passionate about.

Activities Counti (SAC) for the past She plans to attend Lambton two years. college in Sarnia in September 2025.

Last year she was in charge of She will take the firefighting “Barnyard Bash” and brought her program as she strives toward her own barnyard animals to school for goal is becoming a full-time the day. firefighter. Katie believes this is a This year she was chosen by her career that will give back to her school to represent the special high community. skills major program, as an In selecting Kate, a committee of agriculture ambassador. She her peers said they were highly accompanied Stephen Lecce, impressed by the contributions that Ontario's Minister of Energy and she has made to Wellesley township Electrification, and other delegates and beyond. They look forward to around the school to offer seeing what she will do with her gifts information regarding this unique of compassion and creativity which program. leads to ambitious ideas and action. ◊ In June, she volunteered for the third year in a row at a farm safety day, leading a group of children in farm safety awareness and activities on the farm.

In past years, she has volunteered at the Lion’s club team dances as a chaperone. She was accepted into Fleming and Lambton college firefighting programs, but has chosen to study at Conestoga College, taking advanced pro-health sciences. She made this decision so that she can be close to home as she gets Katie Musselman is Wellesley Township’s Junior the junior ambassador Citizen of the Year.

C - 119 Pinebush Rd., Cambridge, ON Fax: 1-866-388-9659 Email: info@waddelleng.com Website: www.waddelleng.com Instagram: @waddell_engineering TikTok: waddell_engineering

Design your next project with our trusted team August 2024 49

Call us today for all your building and renovating needs.

NORTH HURON CARPENTRY INC. Specializing in eavestroughs, windows and doors, exterior residential and utility doors, siding, agricultural storage buildings, and so much more.

We also manufacture custom kitchens, cabinetry, stairs and railings

No job too big or too small!

38728 Moncrieff Rd., RR #3 Blyth, ON David Werkema Ph.: 519-526-7634 Dave - Mobile - 519-531-0224 Email: dave@northcarpentry.ca Herman - Mobile - 519-525-0232

SHETLER’S GARDEN CENTRE Tobie & Katie

Fall Mums A Selection of Fall Plants.. (Ornamental Peppers & Ornamental Kale etc)

Selection of Trees including Fruit Types Shrubs, Roses and Hostas Soil Mix ~ Peat Moss ~ Black Earth, Etc....

Visitors Welcome Open 8 am to 8 pm Daily (No Sunday Sales) ~ Cash or cheque only

37441 Glens Hill Road, Auburn (across the road from Smyth Welding) Just North of Dungannon

50 The Rural Voice

Corey Hoffarth

CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS Concrete Pumping • Circular Tanks • Bunker Silos Crane Rental • Excavation • Float Service • Stone Slinger R.R.#5, Mildmay, Ontario Office (519) 367-2372 Fax (519) 367-2172

Email: gbconoffice@gmail.com www.greybruceconstruction.ca

Lisa Thompson MPP Huron-Bruce

Your Voice at Queen’s Park CONSTITUENCY OFFICES Blyth Office: Phone: 519-523-4251

Kincardine Office: Phone: 519-396-3007

Website: www.lisathompsonmpp.ca Email: lisa.thompsonco@pc.ola.org

Huron-Bruce Matters

News 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.

REBUILD YOUR NATURAL CAPITAL  Nutrient Management Plans  NASM Plans

 Feasibility Studies & MDS  Soil Health

Progressive Dairy Tour planned for Germany and Holland ● Press Release he Progressive Dairy Operators group has ambitious plans for a tour of 10 innovative dairy farms in Germany and Holland from November 11 to 18, with a focus on sustainability.

No business is sustainable without profit and despite lower milk prices, these farms remain profitable with top management. Labour-saving automatic feeding systems for cows and calves are featured as well as two unique approaches to housing milking cows in open pens.

Two of the farms scored highest in their region for sustainability, combining high production with low carbon emissions. Digesters — which are expected to play a big role in manure management in Canada in the future — are also featured on many of these dairies, ranging in size from 200 to 1,500 cows.

The tour will also spend one day at Eurotier, the largest livestock equipment show in the world, with over 2,000 exhibitors. The program also includes a factory tour at Trioliet, a boat tour of Hamburg Harbour, a city tour of Belin and visits to the Sachsanhausen Concentration Camp and the Sanssouci Place in Potsdam.

Details and registration information are on the website at https://www.pdo-ontario.ca. Space is limited and this is likely to sell out soon.◊

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MORRIS SACHS SILO CONSTRUCTION New stave silos now available SILO ACCESSORIES SILOS DISMANTLED, REBUILT AND REPAIRS

519-363-3900 Cell # (519) 372-5375 R.R. #2 Elmwood, Ont. N0G 1S0 September 2024 51

The

Rural Voice

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

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

Brad Doney Independently Owned & Operated by

B&B Reglazing & Liners Call: (519) 440-3799

35642 Huron Rd. Goderich, Ontario N7A 3X8 brad.doney@bathmaster.com www.bathmaster.com

►Quality bathtub reglazing ►Acrylic bathtub liners ►Custom wall surrounds ►Clawfoot tub restoration ►Free in-home estimates ►Tub cut to shower conversion

CUSTOM PROCESSING ———— CUT & WRAP Howard & Rosanna Brubacher 7335 12th Line RR2 Alma ON, N0B 1A0

519-846-1319

Horse & Livestock Car, Utility & Recreational any design, hitches trade-ins welcome super after sales service Tile Installed, GPS Surveying, Excavator, Backhoe, Dozer Work, Weeping Beds Installed

www.beloretrailers.ca

FAMILY BUSINESS SINCE 1949

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

Mark Cook Main 519-393-5656 Cell 519-276-7402 4283 Line 42, Sebringville, ON N0K 1X0

Jamie Belore

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

DL Distributing Dave Mustard 519-794-3334 Authorized Dealer

Tough on Winter, Easy on You

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

52 The Rural Voice

Full service to all boats and marine engines

ARGYLE Marine & Small Engines Inc.

33973 Church Camp Rd., Goderich 519-524-5361 Email: argylemarine1960@gmail.com

STEFFEN WELL DRILLING

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

519-531-0355

A complete line of nutritionally balanced Non-GMO feeds

TEESWATER, ON

mike@steffenwelldrilling.ca

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

AGRICULTURAL

Roasted soybean sales and custom roasting

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

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

RESIDENTIAL

37452 Glen’s Hill Road, RR 2, Auburn, Ont. N0M 1E0

Tel. 519-529-7212 NEW CONSTRUCTION RENOVATIONS

519-524-0253

Snowblowers, Quick-attach Buckets, Sweepers, Woodsplitters, Crimper Rollers, Land Rollers, Stone Windrowers, etc. smythwelding.com info@smythwelding.com

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

Lucknow Auto Parts Supply 37521 Amberley Rd., Lucknow 519-528-2220

Spike’s Auto Parts 252 Queen St., Kincardine 519-396-1515 Email: lap@porters.ca

TREE TRIMMING & REMOVAL Any Size. Any Place • FULLY INSURED • FREE ESTIMATES • OVER 18 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

5554 Highway 23 Harriston, ON Office: 519-638-0121 Cell: 226-885-0045 FULL SERVICE: Tree Trimming • Tree Removal • Stump Grinding • Brush Chipping •Thorough Cleanup • Fire Wood & Wood Chips Sales Monday-Friday 7:30 am - 6:00 pm Saturdays on request We accept payment by cash, cheque or E-transfer

PACKERS: WE BUILD Order Now

RUBBER TIRE PACKER SPECIALISTS

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

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

September 2024 53

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

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE? I can help with...

REAL ESTATE • Farm, residential, country, cottages, condominiums.

• Thinking of Buying or Selling? Rightsizing? Relocating?

• Market value analysis on your property.

Organic Growers Wanted Long term production contracts available for HR Winter Wheat, Winter Barley, Winter Spelt and Winter Canola

Gladys Munro Realtor®

Also available in 2025 : production contracts for Soybeans, Edible Beans, Sunflowers, Peas

“Welcome to connect with me anytime.”

contact: Wehrmann Grain & Seed Ltd

Direct: 519.389.8242 Office: 519.396.3300 gladysmunro21@gmail.com 926 Queen St. Kincardine, ON

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

e-mail: ingasven@hurontel.on.ca

www.wehrmanngrainandseed.ca

Profitable, Actionable, Advice Crop Planning SWAT Maps/VR Scripts Soil Sampling Cropwalker Newsletter • Farm Lanes • Campgrounds • Driveways • Horse Riding Arenas Brent Pryce 519-525-6295

Leadership in energy and environmental design Jonathan Zettler CCA-ON, 4R NMS 519-323-7505 jz@fieldwalker.ca fieldwalker.ca

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

devonjhenry@hotmail.com

Hammermills • Blower Systems Automatic Feed Systems Shaving Spreaders

Brian Martin (BJ) 1 (226) 622-8214 54 The Rural Voice

nu-maticbrian@outlook.com numatic.ca

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

CLASSIFIED

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

-------------------------------------------FOR SALE -------------------------------------------Available certified fall wheat varieties, fall rye and winter triticale. For pricing contact Courtney Grain & Seed (2015) Ltd, 225 Hwy 21 Ripley. Phone 519395-2972.

-------------------------------------------CASE 1948 VA - Clean, good tin, paint, tires, rims, not seized - ran in 2023. Rebuilt starter, generator, carburetor. Needs mechanical work. Stored indoors. Delivery can be arranged. 519-243-5670 or 519319-7185.

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

-------------------------------------------Shade trees, Spruce, White Pine, Cedars, windbreaks and privacy hedges, Shrubs, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Sweet and sour Cherry Trees at (Emanuel E.M. Martin) Martin's Nursery. 42661 Orangehill Rd Wroxeter ON N0G 2X0.

-------------------------------------------HELP WANTED -------------------------------------------Experienced A/Z licence driver , loader/ Excavator Operator - Fulltime position for A/Z driver, experience running heavy equipment an asset; position will include duties around yard/ on job sites as needed. Competitive wages, benefit package. Please email resume to rick@sittlergrinding.com. Office: 519-669-2456 cell 519-588-8400.

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

-------------------------------------------LIVESTOCK FOR SALE -------------------------------------------Limousin - Yearling and 2-year old Limousin bulls. Semen tested; will deliver.

Smart Limousin, Meaford.

519-372-7459, smartlimo@bmts.com. www.smartlimousin.com -------------------------------------------LIMOUSIN breeding bulls, quiet, thick, semen tested, guaranteed breeders, delivery included. Posthaven Limousin, John Post, 519-766-7178; John Jr. 519-831-1869. www.posthavenlimousin.com -------------------------------------------MARKETS -------------------------------------------Flesherton & District Farmers' Market. A "true farmers' market".

Locally grown, produced, and handmade. 9 am to 1:00 pm.

Saturday's until Thanksgiving. 101 Highland Drive, Flesherton. (Email: market.manager.fdfm@gmail.com) -------------------------------------------RESTORATION -------------------------------------------The Olde Tyme Radio Centre antique radios, clocks, gramophones, telephones; soldestored (vintage autoclock radio repairs). Golden Oldies Antiques For Sale. Belgrave 519357-4304, www.oldtymeradio.ca, oldetymeradiocentre@gmail.com -------------------------------------------RETAIL & GIFTS -------------------------------------------Little Falls Artisan Market Over 100 Artisans to choose from!

Large, varied selection of interesting gift ideas. Headquarters of popular 18 inch doll clothes. 83 Queen St. East, St Mary's; www.littlefallscraftersmarket.com -------------------------------------------SERVICES --------------------------------------------

• Tree Seedlings • Nursery Stock • Shade Trees • Native Species Now taking Fall Orders

905-797-2801

The Rural Voice is looking for our next

EDITOR Are you curious about the latest innovations in agriculture?

Can you find interesting farms and farmers to bring to our readers each month?

We offer a flexible, part-time work model, with a hybrid option where you can work remotely most of the time and join the team in Blyth for deadlines and meetings. We offer a competitive salary and benefit package.

Email résumé to deb@northhuron.on.ca

www.hrichardsonfarms.com ------------------------------------------LIVESTOCK BEDDING -------------------------------------------MIRACLE FIBRE Livestock Bedding.

Also, coarse wood mulch for horse and cattle walkways, wet areas around water troughs and bush lanes. Also available is dairy pack starter bedding. 519-669-2456.

Sittler Grinding Inc. Rick Sittler.

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

519-692-4232 www.sgspestmanagement.ca

September 2024 55

-------------------------------------------SERVICES -------------------------------------------Farm buildings, homes, cottages repaired, remodeled, restored and jacked up. Also roofing, siding, doors, windows, cement work, foundations, piers, framework, decks, doors, fencing, beams, eavestroughing - repaired, replaced or installed. Brian McCurdy 519375-0958/519-986-1781 -------------------------------------------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. 519-274-5000. www.croninpouredconcrete.ca -------------------------------------------Income tax filing for farms, small business, truckers and individuals.

Will make house calls in the North Huron, Perth and surrounding area.

Call Shirley in Wingham. Cell: 1705-434-8187 --------------------------------------------

DANNY’S

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

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

Ph. 519-528-3019

EGGER FARMS

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

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

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

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

RESISTS CRACKING & PEELING

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

161st Fall ll Fair ir Chatsworth Agricultural Society

Saturday September 14, 2024

Water based, solvent free, Liquid Rubber Seal Roof creates an adhered, flexible membrane.

Williamsford Community Centre

SURFACES

www.chatsworthagriculturalsociety.ca

112 Salter Street, Williamsford Presented by

• Metal (inc. galvanized & aluminum) • Wood • Concrete • Manure Pits • UV Resistant

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

-------------------------------------------WANTED -------------------------------------------Scrap Cars Wanted. 20, 30, 40 yd. scrap metal bins available. We sell quality used auto parts. Wanted to buy - scrap cars, trucks, farm machinery, heavy equipment.

Kenilworth Auto Recyclers. 519323-1113.

CUSTOM BALING

• 3x3 Bales Automatic Acid Applications, Roto Cutter.

Individual Bale Wrapping 6' bales

Call Fritz: 519-292-0138

Lego Contest • Homecrafts - Tomato Contest • Entertainment featuring Adam Cousins • 4H Show • Horse Show • Silent Auction

seaforthagriculturalsociety.on.ca

BUYING? SELLING? DO IT ALL IN THE CLASSIFIEDS....519-523-4311 56 The Rural Voice

-------------------------------------------WANTED -------------------------------------------Dion threshing machine with straw cutter, any condition. McCormick grain binder in good condition.

Phone evenings 905-983-9331 -------------------------------------------Farmland - Long or short term.

Cash rent, share crop. Contact Paul at Hill & Hill Farms, 519-233-3218 or 519-525-3137 or email: paul.hill@tcc.on.ca -------------------------------------------Young farmer looking for land rent, sharecrop, or custom work opportunities. Good environmental stewardship and professionalism.

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

Deadline for the October Rural Voice is September 10

Join us at the

2024 Plowing Match and Rural Expo October 1st to 5th, 2024 at the Lindsay Fairgrounds Celebrate agriculture and rural living at the 2024 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo.

The Match offers 100s of vendors and exhibitors highlighting agriculture, food, lifestyles, and more.

Experience the past while checking out the antique and historical displays. Daily plowing competitions showcase plowing techniques ranging from the antique to the modern. Relax and take in the fabulous variety of talent and entertainment that will take place on various stages throughout the Match.

The Match has something for the whole family!

Hosting Partners:

Presenting Partners:

Platinum Partners:

For more information • www.plowingmatch.org/ipm2024 • 1-800-661-7569 2024 IPM Ad 7" x 4.625".indd 1

2024-08-06 5:48 PM September 2024 57

National Farmers Union – Ontario NEWSLETTER ● Strong Communities ● Sound Policies ● Sustainable Farms

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

THE EXCHANGE: Cultivating diversity in agriculture

A

re you an equity-deserving farmer looking to advance your career in agriculture for long-term success?

The National Farmers Union (NFU) and National Farmers Union-Ontario (N F U-O) present T H E EXCHANGE, a new national program running until March 2026 to maximize the long-term success of equitydeserving farmers in Canadian agriculture. This program will support two successive cohorts of 20 equity-deserving farmers to gain access to funding for training, grant-writing support, mentorship, networking, a centralized online Resource Hub, and more.

Looking for help with accessing funding for your farm?

Training opportunities to learn new skills? All farmers can benefit from the Resource Hub where available training, grants and funding opportunities are being gathered and presented in one location. Stop by THE EXCHANGE’s Resource Hub on the NFU website at nfu.ca to discover these opportunities. And, if you have questions about how to complete an application, call the Resource Hub support hotline during the help desk hours.

What will help you thrive in Canadian Agriculture in the long-term? Equitydeserving farmers can apply to join one of the cohorts to pursue their training and mentoring goals in the context of The Exchange. You decide, then commit to the training and mentorship that will advance your career – while joining a cohort of farmers also on the learning journey with you.

AAFC defines equity-deserving farmers as Women, Youth, B I P O C, 2S L G B T Q+ farmers, farmers with disabilities, and farmers in language minority communities.

NFU considers the term farmer to include farm workers and land-stewards.

NFU’s Nadia Bunyan and Nasseem Hakimian are coordinating the national program, and Peachtree Boucaud is coordinating Ontario farmer participation.

Applications for the first cohort are open until Sept.

27th, 2024 at 12 p.m. EST. The first cohort starts in October 2024. Applications for the second cohort will be accepted in Jan/Feb 2025.

To learn more, scan the QR code or visit us at www.nfu.ca/the exchange today. ~ Funded by the Government of Canada through the Agri Diversity Program, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian A g r i c u l t u r a l Partnership.

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

Perth County Pork Producers NEWSLETTER

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

The 101 on the CME 201 constructed price

By Craig Hulshof very day of the week, Ontario Pork informs producers of the CME 201 Constructed price.

This is a wonky but powerful number that drives pricing of Ontario Hogs.

The funny thing is that if you click the link in the Ontario Pork email to take you to the report on where the number comes from, you are not taken to a Chicago Mercantile Exchange Website, and the number displayed in the email is nowhere to be found in the report! This deserves some explanation.

The link takes you to the United States Department of Agriculture’s “National Daily Direct Hog Prior Day Report.” The USDA has been collecting voluntary marketing data from packers since it was authorized to do so in 1946. This data includes the volume of animals, their carcass characteristics, and prices paid. As the mean industry has consolidated and less livestock were sold on the spot market, it was necessary for the reporting of this data to become mandatory to preserve the integrity of the reports.

Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) provides all market participants with the same open and transparent data for beef cattle, swine, sheep, boxed beef, lamb, and wholesale pork. LMR encourages competition in the marketplace by vastly improving price and supply information, bringing transparency, breadth, and depth to market reporting. Federally inspected packing plants that process an average of 100,000 barrows and gilts or companies that process 200,000 sows and boars are required to report information to the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

Currently, 21 packers report swine information under LMR, accounting for 97 percent of swine sales and production in the United States. AMS Market Reporters review between 7,000-11,000 swine data records on a daily basis. This data is used to

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publish 20 daily and two weekly swine reports. Yes, Canadian swine price discovery is outsourced to the Americans. They drive the market with their huge volumes, and they collect the data more frequently than we do.

The National Daily Direct Hog Prior Day Report, or LM_HG201, is a summary of all the pigs that were sold in the U.S. yesterday, categorized by who sold the hogs, and how the price was determined.

For who sold the hogs, there are three different categories: ● Producer Sold: Pigs raised by an independent pork producer. ● Packer Sold: Pigs raised by a packer, or packer affiliate and sold to another packer. ● Packer Owned: Pigs raised by a packer or packer affiliate, or packer subsidiary, or under direct control of a packer. Note that there is no price information produced for these hogs, but the volume of packer owned hogs vs. Producer sold hogs shows how the industry is becoming more vertically integrated over time.

The report also categorizes the data by how the price of the hogs was determined. ● Negotiated purchase: A cash or spot market purchase by a packer of livestock from a producer under which the base price for the livestock is determined by seller-buyer interaction and agreement on a delivery day. The livestock must be scheduled for delivery to the packer not more than 14 days after the date on which the livestock are committed to the packer. ● Negotiated formula purchase: A swine or pork market formula purchase under which the formula is determined by negotiation on a lotby-lot basis and the swine are scheduled for delivery to the packer not later than 14 days after the date on which the formula is negotiated and swine are committed to the packer. ● Swine or pork market formula

purchase: A purchase of swine by a packer in which the pricing mechanism is a formula price based on a market for swine, pork, or a pork product, other than a futures or options contract for swine, pork, or a pork product. ● Other market formula: A purchase of swine by a packer in which the pricing mechanism is a formula price based on any market other than the market for swine, pork, or a pork product. This includes a formula purchase in a case where the price formula is based on one or more futures or options contracts. ● Other purchase arrangement: A purchase of swine by a packer that is not a negotiated purchase, swine or pork market formula purchase, negotiated formula purchase, or other market formula purchase; and does not involve packer-owned swine.

To determine the constructed CME 201 price, Ontario Pork takes the pricing data for all of the ProducerSold pigs in the LM_HG201, and determines the price per 100 lbs.

Carcass weight for each category of price discovery. Then they calculate a weighted average by the total carcass weights sold under each category of price discovery. This is the same method that the Chicago Mercantile Exchange uses to report yesterday’s value of a hog carcass in the U.S..

This is the CME 201 constructed price that appears in Ontario Pork’s daily news briefs, the number that has historically determined the value of a hog in Ontario.

Wonky, but powerful. ◊

LOCAL PORK PRODUCTS Order today from:

Tanya and Darryl Terpstra (519-291-7603) or visit Leis Feeds in Milverton – Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon

Pork supplied by: Perth County Pork Producers

September 2024 59

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

NEWSLETTER

519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551 * The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Bruce County by the BCFA

Share the Roads Signage now in Bruce County The Bruce Federation of Agriculture (BCFA) and the County of Bruce have partnered to implement a crucial initiative aimed at enhancing road safety for local residents, agricultural users, and visitors to Bruce County.

Twenty-five agriculture-based “Share the Road” signs have been strategically placed on major entry points to the county and county roads known for high traffic related to agricultural activities. These signs will serve as a reminder to motorists to exercise caution and share the road responsibly with agricultural equipment. The signs are strategically located on roads that are major entry points to Bruce County and on county roads that experience significant agricultural traffic. The emphasis being on ensuring visibility in areas where both local residents and the three million annual visitors enter the county, particularly those coming from urban centers.

The “Share the Road” Signage Initiative in Bruce County will have lasting and transformative impacts on the community, fostering a safer, more collaborative, and communityconscious environment. This is beneficial to all OFA members who drive the roads in Bruce County with their tractors/farm equipment. The initiative's enduring effects include: 1. Enhanced Road Safety: - Reduced Accidents: The installation of “Share the Road” signs will contribute to a decline in road accidents involving agricultural vehicles and other road users, resulting in a safer commuting experience for everyone.

- Increased Awareness: The ongoing communication efforts will continue to reinforce the importance of responsible road-sharing, creating a lasting impact on the community’s approach to road safety.

2. Community Cohesion: - Shared Responsibility: The initiative promotes a sense of shared

Pictured left to right: Jackie Pennings (BCFA), Christina Tennyson (Bruce County), Margaret Vincent (OFA MSR ), Rob Mouillierat (Bruce County, Foreperson for Transportation and Environmental Services), Chris Cossitt (BCFA President), Luke Charbonneau (Bruce County Deputy Warden)

responsibility among residents, visitors, and the agricultural community. This collaborative mindset fosters a stronger sense of community cohesion and mutual respect among diverse road users.

If you have questions about this initiative or any of BCFA’s other projects please reach out to our office.

Bruce County 2024 Directors Meetings October 4 - Annual Meeting September 23 November 11

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

60 The Rural Voice

519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551 Grey County Federation Email: grey@ofa.on.ca Website: greyfederation.ca of Agriculture * The Rural Voice is provided to OFA Members in Grey County by the GCFA

What is Karst?

By: Karen Gillan

Karst is a term used to describe landscapes with distinct bedrock features known as carbonates (e.g. limestone and dolostone), which are prone to weathering by water. According to the Ontario Geological Survey, the Niagara Escarpment areas around Grey and Bruce Counties constitute one of the most regionally extensive and significant dolostone karst plains in North America if not the world.

For example, if large applications of chemicals or manure occur in areas where there is very little soil cover or fractured bedrock, contaminants can move rapidly from surface to groundwater sources.

Private septic systems can also pose a risk to groundwater wells in these areas and should be monitored for proper function.

The following graphic shows surface features and the soil profile in a karst areas:

Why is it a concern?

Karst areas have a lot of cracks and fissures and are often characterized with shallow soils or low overburden. The fractures in karst areas can allow contaminants to travel to groundwater aquifers with minimal to no soil filtration.

This groundwater can be the source of drinking water for rural residents; therefore the increased speed of travel and lack of filtration means that contaminants pose a higher risk to landowners in these areas.

Below, centre, is an example from Grey Highlands of a sinkhole and second image is the Wodehouse Creek that becomes a sinking stream and leads to springs in Kimberley-Talisman area.

What can landowners do in these areas?

Areas with high potential for groundwater contamination exist especially in areas where there is bedrock within one metre of the surface. The following best management practices should be considered in areas of higher vulnerability: • Conduct an assessment of your property and farm practices to counteract the potential for groundwater contamination, following OMAF guidelines: https://www.ontario.ca/page/assessingpotential-ground-water-contaminationyour-farm#section-5 • Use Environmental Farm Plans & Nutrient Management Plans promoting the ‘4-Rs’ best management practices.

• Ensure proper containment of manure, yard runoff, and any wash water to reduce leaching to groundwater.

• Consider the use of less intensive practices in higher risk areas, such as pasture, cover crops, reduced tillage and soil disturbance.

• Routinely clean out and inspect septic systems to ensure proper functioning.

• Conduct private well testing, as a routine practice.

Using care to consider how your actions on a property can impact water quality below the surface is key to managing risks in karst areas across the region.

Photo by Kate Lazier Taken in Grey Highlands

Glossary: Karst - landscape made of limestone.

Landscape - the geographic features of a region.

Limestone - type of sedimentary rock mostly made of calcium carbonate from shells and skeletons of marine organisms.

Sinkhole - hole formed in a rock or other solid material by the weight or movement of water.

Springs – An opening at or near the surface of the earth through which water from underground sources emerges.

2024 Directors Meetings September 11 October 18 - AGM November 13

Photo by Grey Sauble Conservation Taken at Wodehouse Creek

If you require a new SMV sign for your equipment before heading out on the road, contact our office we have some available to members.

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

September 2024 61

Perth County Federation of Agriculture Office: 1-833-229-6834 Email: perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com Website: www.perthcountyfarmers.ca Derek Van De Walle, President

Attend the gala, nominate a farmer and apply for scholarships Get your tickets for the Gala!

Perth County Federation of Agriculture is holding our annual Harvest Gala Thursday, November 21, at the Arden Park in Stratford.

Join us to celebrate our 80th anniversary. We will be handing out our agriculture recitation award, along with two continuing education scholarships. Get your tickets from any PCFA director.

Perth County 2024 Red Tie Gala in celebration of

PCFA’s 80th Anniversary

Nominate a farmer for the agriculture recitation award Do you know an outstanding individual, farm, or family from Perth County? PCFA is looking for nominations for the agriculture recitation award. This award is handed out to those that are active in the agriculture and rural community.

Please send nominations to perthcountyfedofag@gmail.com.

Apply for a Perth scholarship for agricultural students Are you a post secondary student in your second, third or fourth year studying agriculture or in an agrelated field? We would like you to apply for the Perth County Federation of Agriculture continuing education scholarship. This is open to Perth County OFA members. Go to our website for details and get the application from https://www.perth county farmers.ca/ .

Scholarship and award nominations are due September 30.

Come Celebrate with us Thursday, November 21st, 2024 The Arden Park Hotel

522 Ontario St., Stratford 6:00pm Cocktail Hour  7:00pm Dinner $550.00 per table of 8  $75.00 per person

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

62 The Rural Voice

#000

Index

Apples ..........................................17 Armstrong’s Home Bakery..........29 Bernie McGlynn Lumber ............43 Bervie Supply Energy ................28 Bester Forest Products ..............43 Britespan Building Systems Inc....7 Canadian Co-operative Wool ....47 Chalmers Fuels............................28 Chatsworth Ag. Society ..............56 Creative China Decorating ........35 Crafter’s Corner ..........................35 Crop Quest Inc ............................51 Cross County Eavestrough ........37 Daytrips & Destinations ..............15 Easy Lift Doors Ltd ......................41 Egger Farms ................................56 Fall Harvest....................................4 Farm To Table ........................9, 24 Feeney Design Build ..........Cover 4 Green Valley Heating Inc ............47 Greenville Liquid Plant Food ......63 Grey-Bruce Construction ..........50 GRK Products ............................44 Hanover Honda ..........................57 Hayden Water Wells....................45 Hidden Home Wood Products ....29 Highland Fuels & Supply ............63 Hill & Hill/Varna Grain ........Cover 2 Huron Motor Products ................50 H-P Public Health ..........28, 40, 43 JA Porter Holdings Ltd ................51 Kenpal Farm Products ................47 Kingwood Bins....................Cover 7 Lakeside Shelving & Racking ....35 Lambton Heritage Museum ..Cover 4 Legge Fitness ..............Back Cover Lisa Thompson MPP Huron-Bruce ..50 Live Landscape ..........................35 Mapleview Agri Ltd ......................51 Marquardt Farm Drainage Ltd ....46 Martin Farm Wagons ....................8 Marvin L Smith Forestry..............47 McLeod Water Wells Ltd ............60 May Apple Financial ....................13 McLeod Water Wells Ltd ............19 Michael’s Stabling Dev Inc..........44 MNP LLP ......................................16 Morris Sachs Silo Construction ..51 MRC Wireless ..............................14 Nature’s Wave Inc ......................45 NNZ Inc Canada ..........................10 North Huron Carpentry Inc ........50 Nu-Matic Systems Inc ................54 Nuhn Forage ................................17 Nutrient Management ................27 Ontario Mutual Ins Assoc ..Cover 3 Ontario Plowmen’s Assoc ..........57 Oxford Honey & Supplies............21 Pioneer Seeds ..............................13 Port Maples ..................................19 Preserve & Store ..........................11 R2R Conference ..........................24 RCS Forestry Mulching ..............41 Riverside Welding & Mfg. ..........27 Rural Voice Books ..............Cover 6

Schmidt’s Farm Drainage............37 Schweiss Doors ..........................46 Seaforth Ag Society....................56 Seifried Farm Equipment ............39 Shetler’s Garden Centre ............50 Silver Creek Nursery Ltd ............19 Snobelen Farms ......................3, 23 Stones ‘n More ............................21 Stoneview Custom Service Inc ....2

Superior Barn Painting ......Cover 5 SWO Diesel Inc ..................Cover 7 Townsley Barn Painting ..............56 Tree Planting & Maint. ........32, 33 Usborne & Hibbert Mutual Ins ....23 Varna Grain/Hill & Hill ........Cover 2 WD Hopper & Sons ......................2 Waddell Engineering ..................49

Family owned and operated, check out our website www.highlandsupply.ca for updated equipment pricing throughout the year!

92 Main St. W., Dundalk, Ontario Tel: 519.923.2240 ~ Toll-Free: 800.265.9154 email: sales@highlandsupply.ca

September 2024 63

HURON

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

County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER

Are you passionate about agriculture in Huron County Take this chance to discover more about the HCFA. Connect with the HCFA office or a board member to learn all about the HCFA and how we make agriculture a priority in Huron County. Now is your opportunity to see how you could network and contribute to guarantee that Agriculture in Huron County is resilient and strong for today and future generations.

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

Upcoming Events

Send in your nominations We are collecting nominations for the annual Huron County Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture Award. Please include in the nomination the name, address, phone number of your nominee. Your nomination should include an explanation for the nomination such as the person or groups contribution(s) to agriculture and rural life in Huron County. Please send nominations to the HCFA office - deadline is October 4th.

Annual/Regional Meeting The Huron County Federation of Agriculture is hosting its Annual/Regional meeting on Friday, November 1st at the Clinton Legion. The Guest Speaker will be Sara Epp, Assistant Professor School of Environmental Design & Rural Development at the University of Guelph. Tickets are $20 per person.

Contact the HCFA for tickets.

September marks the start of the school year so please keep safety in mind: 1. Obey School Bus Laws: Remember to STOP for school buses when they're loading or unloading kids. When you see a school bus with its overhead amber lights flashing please slow down and prepare to stop whether you are behind or approaching a bus.

Watch if the bus stops and flashes its overhead red-lights or activates its stop arm. This means that the bus has stopped to pick-up or drop off passengers. Before continuing on your way you must wait for the bus to start moving, for the overhead red lights to stop flashing and the stop arm is no longer activated.

2. Slow Down in School Zones: Speed limits are reduced in School zones.

3. Watch for Pedestrians: Kids may be walking or biking to school.

4. Plan Ahead: Give yourself extra time to reach your destination, especially during school hours.

5. Avoid Distractions when you are driving.

Trespass Property Act

Trespassing on private property is a concern that is ongoing in Huron County.

Anyone who enters private property without the occupier’s permission, or under legal authority, is trespassing. If they fail to leave when told to do so, they can be found guilty of an offence under the Trespass to Property Act. Examples of people who have the authority to enter private property include land surveyors, utility meter readers, building inspectors, public health inspectors and conservation authority staff. The OFA website has further information on trespassing at https://ofa.on.ca/resources/trespassproblems-tips-on[1]how-to-deal-with-

trespassing/ Written permission is not necessary under the Trespass to Property Act but it is an excellent idea. Written permission makes clear the details of the permission such as who has permission to enter your property, when they can enter, what activities are permitted and what areas are out of bounds. In non-emergency situations it is best to report trespassing to your local police. The Ontario Provincial Police NonEmergency Line is 1-888-310- 1122. If the situation involves threats or violence then call 911. If the trespass involves hunting, you can also contact the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry violation reporting line at 1- 877-847-7667.

September 2 Labour Day September 6-8 Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association 63rd Reunion. For details visit https://blythsteamshow.com/ September 10-12 Outdoor Farm Show, 744906 Oxford Road #17, Woodstock Further Details at: www.outdoorfarmshow.com September 11 Elementary School Fair, Belgrave September 13-14 Seaforth Fair www.seaforthagriculturalsociety.on.ca September 13-15 Lucknow Fall Fair www.lucknowagsociety.com September 17-18 Brussels Fall Fair www.brusselsfallfair.ca September 27-28 Howick Turnberry Fall Fair www.howickagriculturalsociety.ca October 1-5 International Plowing Match in Lindsay www.plowingmatch.org/ipm2024

HCFA Board Meeting

Monday, September 23rd 8:00 pm Vanastra Office

OPP Non-Emergency Line 1-888-310-1122

Room for Rent

The HCFA has a board room available for rent for $40 including HST. Call the HCFA office at 519-482-9642 ext 2 to book your meetings.

Huron Federation Office Hours Monday 9­12 and 1­4 Alternate Fridays 9­12 and 1­4

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

64 The Rural Voice

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Advertising in The Rural Voice each month will allow your business to be in front of over 11,000 readers.

With ads both in print and on-line, reach a wider audience.

Getting started is as easy as calling 519-523-4311

The Rural Voice Magazine rvads@northhuron.on.ca • 519-523-4311 www.ruralvoice.ca

Fall Reads

The Rural Reading Room Specializing in Rural Living & Local Authors

CORN 140 recipes for cooking with corn from roasted to creamed to cooking with cornmeal: everything from corn breads and cookies to popcorn to tacos and burritos. $20.95

KEEPING HONEY BEES This go-to reference presents comprehensive yet accessible information on everything from planning hives and installing a colony to preventing disease and managing productive hives that will bear bountiful honey harvests year after year. $34.95

THE ARTISAN BREAD MACHINE Combine the convenience of your bread machine with the timehonoured tradition of artisan bread.

Learn to make whole-grain breads, flavoured breads, sourdough, flat breads and pizzas, festive breads and gluten-free bread. $27.95

GRANDPA’S TRACTOR Grandpa Joe takes his grandson Timmy back to the site of his family’s farm, where the old house and a ramshackle barn still stand. The visit stirs up memories for Grandpa Joe— in particular, the majesty of his own father's shiny red tractor, now rusting in the forgotten fields. $23.99

WATERFALLS OF ONTARIO Revised and expanded featuring over 125 waterfalls including stunning photographs and detailed descriptions of over 100 falls organized into eight regions. $29.95

CORN THE ARTISAN BREAD MACHINE GRANDPA’S TRACTOR 300 BEST POTATO RECIPES KEEPING HONEY BEES WATERFALLS OF ONTARIO MEGA MACHINES ACTIVITY BOOK UNFORGETTABLE ONTARIO

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Mega Machines Activity Book Get busy with more than 100 fun-filled puzzles and activities, including colouring, drawing, dot-to-dots, mazes, spot the differences, and more! $13.50

$20.95 $27.95 $23.99 $27.95 $34.95 $29.95 $13.50 $29.95

Total

Total for Books Shipping & Handling $9.00 Canada Post Fuel Surcharge $4.00

Subtotal 5% GST on Subtotal Order Total

300 BEST POTATO RECIPES Our most common vegetable can also be the most versatile.

Information on potato history and varieties and recipes for everything from appetizers, snacks, salads, soups, main courses, breads and desserts. $27.95

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

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

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

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