Citizen farm issue 2016 by North Huron Publishing Co. Inc.

A Salute to

Agriculture March 2016

A Special Supplement to

The Citizen

PAGE A2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

Farm to play big part in Cowbell Brewing Company By Denny Scott The Citizen Part of the announcement of the Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company was that an on-site farm would be providing ingredients not only for the beer to be brewed there but for the food on the menu of the on-site brew pub. The company, which is a Sparling family venture, seeks to put a brewery, brew pub and farm on the property at the corner of County Road 25 and London Road, just south of Blyth. According to Vice-President and General Manager Grant Sparling, having the opportunity for a farm to be on site was always a big part of the plan. “The site where the brewery is going to be has been a farm for its entire life,” he said. “It was a cattle farm and a crop farm. It’s important for us, as a rural destination, with the goal of remaining authentic, that we have some sort of farm aspect at the brewery. The components that are grown there will be used for the foods and the beer and it seemed like a natural thing to incorporate into our destination facility.” While the specifics are still being ironed out, the farm will be a place where fruits and vegetables are grown, alongside barley and hops. Unfortunately, having the best brews will mean reaching a little further afield than the back 40 for the best ingredients. “As far as the brewing side, the supply chain in Huron County for brewing ingredients is pretty much non-existent,” Sparling said. “The closest maltster would be in Guelph, but they don’t have the capacity to provide for us.” Moving forward, Sparling said, the Guelph site might be used for the company’s malting, but they didn’t have enough stock to provide the company with the vital brewing ingredient now. “The mandate is to have as much as possible sourced or processed locally,” he said. “When that doesn’t apply, however, we will get the best in the world. “Right now, our malt is coming from Germany and the hops will be coming from all over the world,” Sparling said. “For those ingredients, we can’t source anything in Huron County. For the restaurant and other things we plan, we’re working with a list of 30 to 40 Huron County vendors and suppliers and will be speaking with them shortly. We’re getting as much for the restaurant as we can from Huron County.” Sparling said specific dishes or ingredients haven’t been discussed yet, however one of the things that the company is proud to announce is its on-site wood-fired pizza oven. “It would be a differentiator for our restaurant from the area,” he said. “It’s neat from a visual perspective as well as making excellent pizzas. The menu hasn’t been confirmed, but we will have the pizza as well as quite a few different burger options, as it all pairs great with beer.” As far as Blyth’s existing community agricultural program, the community garden at the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity, or the former Blyth Public School, Sparling said he didn’t know if the two ventures would work together. “We’re not sure how the garden is going to play into our plan,” he said. “Some of the restaurant owners around town were excited about fresh fruits and vegetables coming Continued on page A19

A big footprint As part of its proposed brewery and brew pub, Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company will have a farm on-site, as shown in the darker green in the above map. The grounds

to the east of London Road, shown at the top of the picture with North being to the right, will provide food for the restaurant and ingredients for the beer. (Photo submitted)

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A3.

Anniversary gala to focus on 2017 IPM, food court

Long time coming It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been three full years since it was announced that Walton would be the site of the 2017 International Plowing Match, and since the above picture was taken, but it was June, 2013 in Seaforth when a (very warm) ice sculpture was revealed bearing Walton’s name. The above group has been hard at work as the process enters the home stretch. (File photo)

of the committee in 2013, Godkin said, when those involved with the 2017 match attended the IPM in Perth County. A local food court at that match really succeeded in highlighting local producers and showcasing the great food grown in that community. The same will be done for Huron County in 2017, Godkin said, as they work to include more and more groups every year leading up to the IPM. Godkin teaches family studies at Central Huron Secondary School and she says she’s often appalled by the quality of food offered at events and fairs. In Huron County, residents are so lucky to have highquality food produced right at home, so the IPM will do its best to showcase that to the best of their ability. Godkin says that the food court is just one part of what the committee is hoping to do with the IPM, which is really to shine a light on all that’s great about Huron County, from its food to its landscape to its people. “That’s what the IPM is all about. It’s about showing off Huron County. It’s not just our food, but our sunsets and just everything that’s unique about living here,” she said. This won’t be news to many of those who live in Huron County,

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen With the 2017 International Plowing Match (IPM) now one year closer, those at the head of the match are focusing their attention on sponsorship, since much of the planning is already in the books. IPM Secretary Lynne Godkin says that in the next few months many committee chairs will be submitting their final plans for the historic event – the 100th actual IPM in the year of Canada’s 150th birthday – and then many of those involved will be turning their attention to the Huron County Federation of Agriculture’s 75th anniversary gala on Saturday, April 9 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Goderich. The special event, set to be hosted by the federation, will feature the IPM as the “entertainment” Godkin said. It will also serve as the kick-off fundraiser to provide start-up funds for the “Harvest of Huron” food court that will include local commodities at the 2017 IPM. According to a press release from the federation, proceeds from the food court, which will include stations from many local farm organizations like the Huron County Beef Producers, will be distributed throughout the county. The event is called “The Planting the Seed for the Harvest of Huron” 75th anniversary gala. Godkin assures those interested in attending that the IPM committee has some special entertainment planned for the evening. The idea for a locally-sourced food court first occurred to members

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Godkin said, but with so many new Canadians in nearby urban areas like Kitchener and London, the match will be a chance to show these people what’s great about Huron County. To continue the theme of showcasing not only what’s great about Huron County, but about Canada in 2017, the year Canada turns 150, five themes have been implemented for the five days of the match, Godkin said. Each of the five days has an “H” attached to it. The themed days will focus on aspects of life in Huron County and in Canada. The first day will focus on Huron and the following days will focus on heroes (military and local first responders), hockey, heritage and then finally “hundred and fiftieth” to celebrate Canada and its 150-year history. Another recent development for the IPM is making its own history, courtesy of Matt Townsend and technology students from Conestoga College. Townsend recently attended the college in his capacity as the head of the event’s RV park. He was seeking a way to register people digitally on Continued on page A5

PAGE A4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

4-H Clubs offer varied, unique experiences in Huron

Learning by doing Members of the 4-H Proud Pollinators Jaxson Curran, left, and Maisy Jefferson prepared a radio show as a means of learning about ants beetles. These kinds of activities open the participants to information and practices they otherwise may not get to experience. (File photo)

The clubs focus on learning about caring for dairy animals throughout each stage of their lives and then showing the success. For more information about the Lucknow Dairy Club, contact Margaret Vincent at vincent9margaret@msn.com Sheep is tied for one of the most populous number of groups in the area with four separate 4-H organizations. Three of the four are in the northern part of the county while the South Huron Sheep Group is the lone group in the south. In the north, there are the North Huron, Lucknow and Howick sheep groups. For more information contact Margaret Vincent at vincent9margaret@msn.com for the North Huron Sheep Club, Joan Finlay at finn@tnt21.com for the Lucknow group or Deb Falconer at 519-233-5393 for the South Huron Sheep Club. The Huron Goat 4-H Group is all about the different skills needed to raise goats. In 2015, according to the group’s organizers, members learned to build kid treatment boxes, tasted all manner of goat products and learned how to give needles. The group also toured local goat farms, learned how to identify pregnancy in

goats through ultrasound, participated in postmortems and more. In 2016, the group is set to learn about breeding and reproduction and show members’ project goats at the Zurich and Seaforth fairs. The Huron Goat 4-H group is led by Angela Gerretsen, a veterinarian in the Mitchell area, and Amy Vingerhoeds. For more information, contact Vingerhoeds at avingerhoeds@quadro.net For field activities, there are two 4-H organizations running: the Sod Busters 4-H Group and the Lucknow Field Crops 4-H Group. The former focuses on plowing and is a mainstay of the Huron County Plowing Match every year. The group’s achievement day takes place before the plowing competition and sees members competing for a chance to participate in provincial and national competitions. For more information, contact Melissa Veldman at 519-317-8470. The field crops organization focuses on the planting, growing and harvesting of field crops. The lifeskills courses provide different experiences for participants Continued on page A24

By Denny Scott The Citizen Every year for the past century 4H groups across the country have provided unique learning experiences for youth in rural communities. Locally, Huron 4-H provides nearly 20 different groups covering a wide array of rural life skills from raising livestock to cooking. Separated into nine different categories, the groups encourage youth to experience different skills and gain an appreciation and knowledge of rural life. Incoming President Reg Vinnicombe said this year there is an exciting list of programs being offered. He said the start times are different for each club, with some running year-round and some being tied to the season. “We had our annual general meeting in February,” he said. “I’ve been on the Huron County 4-H Executive for six years and I also help with the Grey Township Lifeskills Club and this year is looking to be a very exciting opportunity.” The county has two beef clubs which specialize in not only raising but showing beef livestock. The groups work throughout the year to raise the best animals possible to be shown and eventually sold for meat. The Belgrave and Brussels Beef Club show at the Brussels and Elemenatary School fairs while the Lucknow Beef Club has its achievement day at the Lucknow Fall Fair. For more information on the clubs, contact Holly Holyoake at 519-7775738 for the Lucknow club or Kim Higgins at 519-357-9398 for the Belgrave and Brussels Beef Club. Youth in the county who are interested in participating in the swine industry have that opportunity through the Central Huron Swine Club. The group shows at the Seaforth Fall Fair as part of its achievement program and teaches participants how to care for market hogs. Those interested in joining can contact Barbara Storey at barbara.storey@hotmail.com. There are two 4-H dairy groups that serve Huron County: the Lucknow and South Central Dairy groups.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A5.

Fall Fair, IPM plan moves towards finalization By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Showing off With the 2016/2017 school year just around the corner, plans regarding the partnership between the 2017 Brussels Fall Fair and International Plowing Match (IPM) are close to being finalized. With a large emphasis on the events’ educational programs, those involved hoped to have plans to teachers before the end of the current school year. A part of the 2017 IPM will be the Fall Fair’s annual 4-H beef achievement program, seen above in 2015. (File photo)

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College to develop program for IPM Continued from page A3 a tablet-based program. The students are now working on a map of the grounds and a program to allow people to register their RV through their tablet. When the program is complete (the students are working on it as their final project of the year), it will be the first of its kind, she said. Work is also continuing with the

With the budding partnership between the 2017 International Plowing Match (IPM) and the Brussels Fall Fair inching ever closer, those involved are focusing largely on the education of area students. Peggy Sloan, who is co-chair of the education committee alongside Crystal Whyte, said that very early in the process, education was identified as one of the most important aspects of the partnership. Sloan has been a teacher for 18 years, first in Clinton then in Goderich, while Whyte is a chicken farmer, as well as a trained teacher and long-time volunteer with the Seaforth Fall Fair’s educational programming. The relationship between Brussels Agricultural Society President Matt Cardiff and chairs from the IPM has been smooth from the beginning, Sloan said and they’ve been in agreement since very early on that education was going to be important. It’s crucial, Sloan said, that the Brussels Fall Fair be both integrated into the IPM, but have its own identity at the event as well. Educational programming is one of the ways, she said, to ensure that students visit the fair and absorb

some of its generations-old heritage and culture. One of the earliest concepts on the table at IPM educational meetings was that of a “Plowing Passport” for students attending the match. Not only would the passport ensure that students saw as much of the match as possible without getting bogged down at one attraction or another, but it would also ensure that they visit all the IPM has to offer, taking in experiences they may otherwise never see. The passport will really incentivize seeing as much as you can at the IPM. The passport will contain 10 stops throughout the match, Sloan said, and if a student is able to collect six stamps, they’ll receive a prize. Another very early decision in the IPM’s educational planning was to focus largely on soil. Without soil, Sloan said, nothing in the world of agriculture works for one reason or another. The importance of soil, what it does for the world and how to be a good steward of the land are subjects that need crucial attention from young students, she said, and the IPM is hoping to bring them that knowledge. “From our very first meeting, our committee has felt the importance to help students learn and understand the importance of soil in agriculture Continued on page A11

Kurtzville

IPM’s beautification committee, Godkin said, as those members prepare to roll out their contribution to the event. Details of that program will be released shortly. The IPM committee is still on the lookout for volunteers, but volunteers have to register online before they can officially be utilized by the committee. For more information, visit plowingmatch.org.

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PAGE A6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Family Heraldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; provides glimpse into the past

Sept. 26, 1968 issue of Family Herald The evolution of the internet and social networking has brought the demise of several print publications recently but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the first time beloved periodicals have disappeared. Recently Karen Webster brought copies of the final two editions of The Family Herald to The Citizen office. The final edition was issued Sept. 12, 1968 in the magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100th year. After the announcement of the upcoming end of publication weeks earlier, the last two issues included dozens of letters from readers across Canada saying how much theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d miss The Family Herald and often telling of their long association with the magazine. Among those singing the magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s praises was H. Gordon Green, a former editor whose recollections went all the way back to his boyhood when his grandfather subscribed to the paper and forbad anyone to read it until he had stitched it together with needle and string (in the days before it arrived stitched with wire) so none of the

pages would mysteriously disappear. Green recalled that his first short story to appear in print was in The Family Herald in 1941, and said he had never experienced as big a thrill as seeing that first story in print. The magazine was still printing short stories until the end, with four in the final edition including â&#x20AC;&#x153;A letter to my daughter on the day she left for collegeâ&#x20AC;? by H. Gordon Green. Green also recalled his pride when he took over as editor of The Family Herald following World War II. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was not only in the top office of the oldest and most widely circulated journal in Canada, but even more important, I was an editor of what was undoubtedly the friendliest magazine in America. Surely no periodical anywhere has ever been as close to its readers as this one has.â&#x20AC;?

In its final days, the magazine featured editorials, weather predictions, reports on commodities such as wheat, hogs and poultry, feature stories on important farm topics (eg. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Can we afford a livestock industryâ&#x20AC;?) and a substantial family section including advice in raising children, two pages of recipes and a youth page. While much more colourful than strictly black and white newspapers of the day, The Family Herald still used much less colour than similar farm publications today (such as our sister publication The Rural Voice) and less even than The Citizen often prints. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because printing colour was complicated and expensive with the rotogravure printing process used then compared to the offset printing process and digital composition pre-press technology used today. Aside from

Sept. 12, 1968 issue of Family Herald the cover most of the colour in the magazine was on advertisements. There were both familiar names and names long gone among the

advertisers. Chrysler and General Motors both advertised pick-up trucks in full page, colour ads. Ford had a double-page spread on tractors from 32 to 105 horsepower and International advertised cultivators from 8.5 to 28.5-foot widths. Westeel-Rosco was advertising grain bins. On the other hand there were ads for companies like Beatty Farm Equipment of Fergus and David Brown tractors that, like the magazine itself, have long since disappeared. Particularly noticeable by todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standards were advertisements for cigarettes in the days before tobacco advertising was prohibited. Nostalgic for older readers will be a full page advertisement in colour from the Doubleday Book Club offering â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any four books for only 99 Continued on page A16

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A7.

Outstanding Young Farmer title means sense of pride industry and really makes us want to do even more.” As far as their co-winners, Amy said they had only just met at the competition when they won, but she said she was very interested in what they do. “There are a lot of interesting things happening on the farm throughout the industry,” she said. “All of the couples there were fantastic. We learned so much from them in the competition, but also from the alumni. “It’s an atmosphere of excitement and energy for the cultural industry,” she said. “The group of people there are extremely positive about agriculture. It’s an great group to be a part of.” Being a member of the alumni is

actually one of the greatest parts of the win, according to Amy. “You don’t have to win the national competition to be part of the alumni,” she said. “That’s a great part. Once you make it to nationals, you’re part of it. You forge friendships with that cohort pretty quickly. “The couples from the other provinces developed some great relationships,” she said. “Each year, the alumni come back together and a lot of them continue to come back. That’s something we really look forward to. Keeping in touch with each one of those couples, supporting them in what we’re doing and learning what is working for them.” Amy said that, despite the fact that

there are very different backgrounds for the couples within agriculture, everyone at the event was excited about their industries and the innovations that are being brought forward both in specific sectors and to agriculture as a whole. “Whenever Mike and I are around farmers like that, we learn a lot and it makes us think about what we’re doing on our own farm and how we might incorporate some of those ideas,” she said. “I wouldn’t say it has made any major changes yet, but it’s part of that continuous improvement we focus on at the farm. Sometimes little things in how you administer the farm or how you work with human resource or production information can be Continued on page A13

The rules to win Cronin Family Farms have some fairly well documented steps to success: as part of a special workshop several years ago, the family heads, Amy, left, and Mike, set out the core values and vision of their family pork operation. The mission statement and core rules hang at all the sites the family-based company owns. (File photo)

By Denny Scott The Citizen Mike and Amy Cronin of Bluevale added another accolade to their family’s impressive list of agricultural accolades last year when they were named Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2015. The title was shared with Patrick and Cherylynn Bos of Ponoka, Alberta and was announced at the annual Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers event held last November in Edmonton. The Cronins were chosen from six regional farm couples across Canada after they were named the Ontario Outstanding Young Farmers in April of last year.

Mike and Amy, alongside their children Alyssa, Tyler, Kyle, Liam, Emmy and Sam, operate Cronin Family Farms which consists of five hog operations both in Canada and the US with their main centre of operation in Bluevale. The company employs 65 people. In previous years, the Cronins have been named to provincial boards, put in guiding positions for their industry and featured in the Faces of Farming Calendar, meaning the national nod, following the provincial one, wasn’t out of the realm of possibility, however, it was still a shock according to Amy. “It was a huge honour for Mike and me and for our family,” she said. “It doesn’t really change anything, but it keeps us excited about the

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PAGE A8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

After 25 years, localâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grazing event continues to grow their fields in a number of ways. Webb, who hails from Iowa, laughed that night in Brussels,

calling himself the snake oil salesman, but said that Alltech Continued on page A9

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Preaching the word

D L I QU I IUM CALC

Bob Webb of Alltech Crop Science was one of the two featured speakers at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grazing information evening, hosted annually by Brusselsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Tim Prior, at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. Over 250 people attended this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event, which Prior says makes it the most well-attended in its history. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen In 25 years, Tim Prior of Brussels Agri-Services has been hosting his annual grazing events and, in the process, has built a following that continues to grow year after year. This year, he welcomed two experts renowned the world over, as well as exhibitors from throughout the province in what was his biggest information evening in history. Over 250 people packed the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre earlier this month for the event, which makes it Priorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest ever indoor event. He also hosts an annual outdoor grazing walk at his home farm, however, that has attracted as many as 350 people. He says the experience has been both overwhelming and amazing and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s encouraged to see the support heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s received. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just about support for his business or the experts he attracts from all over the world, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s encouraging to see how many people are adopting good management practices and seeing the benefits of good grazing strategies on their farms. It was 25 years ago, Prior said, that he received valuable advice that suggested he hold meetings to preach grazing practices. The goal was to get people involved and at that first meeting, he did get people involved â&#x20AC;&#x201C; six of them. The event certainly had humble beginnings, Prior said, but it would see steady growth over the next two decades and eventually expanded into what it has become today: a must-attend for many farmers within an hourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drive of Brussels. Now with meetings held at his home and even trips that span the globe to see how grazing is tackled the world over, word is getting out and more and more people are learning about how to make their farms better, Prior said. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event kicked off with Bob Webb, the North American Sales Manager with Alltech Crop Science. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s headquarters is in Kentucky, but its Canadian headquarters is in Guelph, with two other offices in Canada â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one in

Quebec and the other in Alberta. The company was founded in 1980 and the Crop Science division began in 1994. He said that while much of what

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A9.

Worldwide grazing expert shares stories in Brussels

An expert in his field Juan Alvez, a graduate of numerous universities, including the University of Vermont, was the keynote speaker at the annual Brussels grazing information night. He provided those in attendance with practical advice and a bit of a history lesson as well. (Shawn Loughlin photo) Continued from page A8 products would help farmers see better yields out of their farms due to better science and engineering. He then outlined a number of the company’s products for those in attendance, including Soil-Set,

Crop-Set and Grain-Set. He said that companies like Monsanto, Bayer and BASF are busy investing in biologicals, so farmers all over the world should take note of what’s happening in that relatively new world.

The evening’s second speaker was Juan Alvez, a pasture technical coordinator with an extremely impressive résumé. Alvez is originally from Uruguay, where he was born into a twogeneration family farm. He then began studying in Brazil and completed his Master’s Degree at the University of Vermont with an extension in management intensive grazing. Alvez, the evening’s keynote speaker, addressed the audience on the topics of grazing and pasture management, soil health, the environmental aspects of grazing and grazing tips. His presentation, however, covered much of the history of grazing science, reaching all the way back to Andre Voisin in France. Voisin was born in 1903 and was a biochemist and farmer and he is known best for developing the theory of rational grazing. Much of the work Alvez does on a day-to-day basis and what he’s learned over the years, he said, can be traced back to Voisin and his work in the early 1900s. He spoke to the over-250 people in attendance about the importance of rotating livestock through grazing areas. This work, he said, is important in terms of the health of the pasture, but also for the success of a farming operation. When proper grazing methods are employed, he said, animals maximize weight gains, adding to a farmer’s bottom line. If the methods aren’t followed, he argued, yields drop and the animals aren’t quite as healthy as they should be. He set the number at three days, he

said. Animals shouldn’t be in one patch of pasture for more than three days. Beyond that, statistics show a drop in production and animal weight. Periods between rotation also change depending on the time of year, he said. They should range anywhere from 12 to 18 days in May, he said, to 42 days in September, slowly climbing higher every month in between. He also focused on the importance of being a good steward to

agricultural land. If proper soil care isn’t recognized, he said, farming will cease to exist decades from now. The world is losing soil, he told those in the audience, at a rate of one Costa Rica per year, which he said is staggering. Proper grazing and land care can help care for the land on which all farmers depend. For more information on Prior’s events or his upcoming outdoor grazing walk, planned for this summer, visit the company’s website at brusselsagri.com.

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PAGE A10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

Five years later, solar contract paying off: Pot By Denny Scott The Citizen For some landowners, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been half a decade since the microFIT (Feed-in Tariff) program saw solar panels pop up on their property and buildings that have started making both electricity and money. Unlike wind energy, the solar panels havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t generated near the amount of controversy and, according to one microFIT lease holder, the reason for that is apparent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You forget they are there,â&#x20AC;? Freddy Pot, an Auburn-area farmer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be driving to the property from the south and remember that I have them because I see them, but, usually, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even think about them.â&#x20AC;? The hands-off investment has been that way since day one, according to Pot, who discussed the installation with The Citizen as part of the 2011 Salute to Agriculture. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Faromor Limited] moved in and took care of the construction,â&#x20AC;? he said in a previous interview with The Citizen. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had nothing to do with it, and, even if I wanted to, my own electrician was too busy setting up other solar rigs.â&#x20AC;? Despite a few hiccups with Central Huron staff in regards to deposits for the project, the entire process went very well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d always wanted to redo my drive shedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I needed new doors and the structure was in need of some renewal. Basically, the

making money goes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;pretty boring.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the barn, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a connection between the work youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing and the money coming in,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This one is boring. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just there and it generates money. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We get the notice e-mailed every month that lets us know that the money is coming and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty much it,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If it werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for that, I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know that I had it.â&#x20AC;? Having the roof-mounted system is something that Pot had been interested in since the microFIT program was announced. He had no Continued on page A12

rafters were good and needed some shoring up for safetyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sake, but aside from that construction went very smoothly.â&#x20AC;? As far as an investment goes, Pot said his farm, which has a roofbased system, is on par to pay off the original purchase and installation price near the seven-year mark thanks to the rig making approximately $1,000 a month. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After that seven years, the remaining time on the project will be pure profit,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It really is a no-brainer if you could get in on the system.â&#x20AC;? He added the investment is purely a financial one and that, as far as

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A11.

Good forestry practices on the rise: Pullen By Denny Scott The Citizen Good forestry practices have been on the rise in Huron County for the past several years and Forestry Conservation Officer (FCO) David Pullen couldn’t be happier about it. Several years ago, Pullen was at the point that he was dealing with so many punitive measures through the county’s forest conservation bylaw that he didn’t have time to apply himself in any educational

or constructive way. Being such an agriculturallydriven part of the province, Huron County needs good soil and clean water and forestation is vital to that. Because of that, Pullen felt he needed to be spending more time looking towards a future where forests and trees were being well maintained and less time focusing on those breaking the rules. Fortunately, through some programming involving the Huron Clean Water Project and other

Partnership natural says Kernighan Continued from page A5 and how it is important to be stewards,” Sloan said. “Ruth Knight is leading our soil activities with the help of Maria Speleta and Joanna Wallace.” Knight, Sloan said, is currently working with area schools and the local conservation authorities. The two local conservation authorities are already running pilot programs in schools that they hope will be used at the 2017 IPM, Sloan said. In educating students about soil and its importance in the world of agriculture, Sloan said it’s going to be important not to simply lecture students and present them with a slew of facts, but to provide handson learning opportunities and enable kids to “get their hands dirty” and learn about soil by actually putting their hands into the ground. In addition, one of the most important aspects of agriculture is the animals on farms throughout the community. Sloan said that Annelise Ringgenberg and Bianca denHertog of the IPM’s animal tent committee have been hard at work developing programming for younger students. And education at the IPM won’t stop at the basics of the farm for younger students who, Sloan said, are becoming more and more removed from the farm as Huron County’s farms grow and more students move into villages and towns. It will also include an opportunity for secondary school students to learn about jobs that could enable them to work in agriculture as a career and remain in their home county of Huron.

Joanna Wallace and Monica Ryan, Sloan’s sister, will be working in the secondary school area of the IPM. Its focus will be to showcase a number of different agricultural and technology careers that offer real opportunities in Huron County, but are often overlooked in many high schools for a variety of reasons. The deadline for IPM educational programming is quickly approaching, Sloan said. At a special IPM planning meeting in mid-April, chairs will present their final plans for educational programming. The hope, she said, is to have these plans to teachers before the end of the 2015/2016 school year, so they can begin preparations to integrate the IPM into the 2016/2017 school year ahead of the match. Mallory Kernighan, IPM special features co-ordinator, says that education is important for both the IPM and the Brussels Fall Fair because if those involved with the events don’t educate the youth, there will be no interest and no one to carry on Huron County’s agricultural legacy. Kernighan says that her first encounter with the IPM was when she was a student and went with her school when it was last in Huron County in 1999. For years, she wasn’t involved in the local organization at all until she was recruited to be part of the 2017 IPM. To her, the partnership between the IPM and the Brussels Fall Fair seemed natural. The two organizations complement each other in so many ways, she said, and aim to do a lot of the same things.

initiatives, Pullen says that Huron County landowners are quickly getting on board with best forestry practices and getting away from any kind of forestry that breaks the rules or isn’t sustainable. “I would say that people, quite a bit from word of mouth, have started using good forestry practices that can help sustain the income from woodlands,” he said in an interview with The Citizen. “That’s something we’ve been encouraging in several ways.” Since 2011, the number of bylaw

cases has decreased but the real measure of improvement is the number of people who are maintaining their woodlots by good standard practices. As a matter of fact, since the programs were made available, the number of people utilizing those practices has more than doubled. In 2011, only 19 per cent of wood harvesting in the county was done according to good forestry practices while 81 per cent was done by what was called diameter-limit harvest. “Diameter-limit harvests are part

of the bylaw,” Pullen explained. “Generally speaking, diameter-limit cut is where measurements are set out in the bylaw where a tree of a certain species has to reach a certain diameter before being cut. That’s a very basic form of regulation in a woodland. “What’s more preferable is the other way outlined in the bylaw, which is good forestry practice,” he said. “That involves using an independent professional forester, and it allows trees of all sizes to be Continued on page A12

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PAGE A12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

Proper incentives result in good trends says Pullen Continued from page A11 cut in the name of improving the woodlot.” Diameter-limit cutting is essentially cutting down all the biggest trees, Pullen said. “With that, you get something called high grading or ‘cut the best and leave the rest’,” he said. “The challenge with that kind of harvesting is if you do it that way over two or three successive harvests, you get to where there isn’t continuous quantities of goodquality timber. We’re encouraging people to manage their woodlands because that way they can benefit from them.” Since 2011, the numbers have moved to parity, with nearly half of all cuts being done according to good forestry practices. Landowners hoping to make wood harvests a sustainable part of their farm income have a friend in the county according to Pullen. “It’s something we’ve been encouraging in several ways,” he said. “There’s a notice of intent that all commercial loggers file, and there’s a fee for that. One of the things the county decided to do was not only waive that fee but to offer assistance as well through the Huron Clean Water Project. There is funding so people can get up to 50 per cent of the cost of having an independent forester come and analyze their woodlot for the best harvest.” Pullen says that practice is really beneficial to woodlot owners and there has been a lot of uptake on that program. “While I was spending the majority of my time working with people who broke the rules, I’m now spending the majority of my time through that project and on proactive advice to improve their woodlands,” he said. “It’s always our objective to do more proactive work and less reactive work with the bylaw and that is the way this seems to be going.”

Pullen said the county wants to help people make money off their woodlands in such a way that the soil is kept healthy, the woodlands are kept fertile and neither are a drain on farm owners. “We have some of the best woodlands in the province and some of the sugar maple we have is the best quality in the world,” he said. “There is definite interest in that market and it’s strengthening because of the U.S. dollar. Because it’s a finite resource, however, we want to manage these resources in a way to continue giving high-quality timber that gives people a sustained income for the future. That’s really one of the objectives of the county, to assist them in maintaining that income.” Pullen has also been spending a lot of time dealing with ash trees which are becoming more and more of a liability in the south thanks to the emerald ash borer which kills the deciduous trees. “We have a lot of ash dying in the

south of the county and it’s moving north,” he said. “There are a lot of people trying to manage their woodland to deal with the loss of the ash. There are programs to help with that. If people’s woodlands have been thinned out there, they can do some under-planting to increase diversity of the species. Through the Clean Water Project, in partnership with the conservation authorities, there are programs available to help with that.” Good advise is worth its weight in gold when it comes to harvesting woodlots according to Pullen. The end goal of all of these programs, including the bylaw, is to make sure Huron County maintains as much tree cover as possible. “Currently, the county’s tree-cover is 16 per cent,” Pullen said. “All the science-based thinking states that should be closer to 30 per cent, but we know that, with our agriculturally-rich land and agriculture-focused community, we can’t do that. Places with poorer soil

Solar project delivers Continued from page A10 interest in the tracking systems which can be seen on concrete platforms throughout the community. Aside from a single cable that was loose after the installation and the aforementioned issues with a deposit, Pot said he has had no activity related to the panels. “We had a wire secured that was out of place shortly after the install,” he said. “Aside from that, it’s just been doing what it has supposed to.” He has considered setting up some kind of rig that would get the snow off the panels faster than just relying on the sun to melt it, however he said that the time that it would require and the infrastructure costs are just something he is not interested in. “I could put tracks up there and

get the special scrapers that won’t damage the panels, but I have other things to do and that would just be something to worry about,” he said. “I’m happy with the way the system is working now.” While he wasn’t originally interested in the tracking systems, in another year, Pot will be able to comment on the difference between static panels like those on his driving shed and tracking panel systems. Pot’s son Jessie has recently purchased a farm that has a microFIT panel array on a tracker, so the family will be able to compare notes about what kind of output and finances the panels provide. He said that the purchase is very recent and thus far they haven’t seen any paperwork about it.

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to the north might get there.” Pullen said people with marginal or fragile land might consider planting trees where they can, but the important message for the county is to maintain tree cover. “There are places, like ChathamKent, where there is no forest conservation bylaw,” he said. “The amount of forest cover there is less than four per cent and dropping every year. The forest cover is what makes our land great for agriculture.” While time spent on punitive problems isn’t as high as it has been for Pullen, bylaw infractions are still happening. Over the past five years, there have

been a total of 17 violations recorded. Five incidents occurred in 2011, 10 in 2012, one in 2013 and two in 2015. As those numbers have decreased, the number of people who have filed notices with the county have increased from 123 in 2011 to 193 in 2015. That growth, according to Pullen, shows that with the right incentives, people are more than willing to follow the rules. For more information about Huron County’s forestry services, visit the Huron County website at www.huroncounty.ca and find the services under the planning and development heading or, for more information about the Huron Perth Woodlot Association, visit hpcowa.huronstewardship.ca

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A13.

Outstanding farmer alumni the best part of winning: Cronins Continued from page A7 tweaked, or you can incorporate little things here or there, and it will help you thrive as a farmer.â&#x20AC;? Another common ground the Cronins found with their fellow competitors and alumni was that everyone has a focus not just on farming but on family farming. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That balance between farming and family and community is there and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really interesting to meet people who are passionate about that being a part of their industry,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Family is always at the centre of all that. Everyone there seemed to have that in common. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than just being involved in an agricultural or farming business, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about the balance that goes with that.â&#x20AC;? Balancing farm and family has always been important for the Cronins, having enshrined that value, along with the others that have made them a success in their core values which hangs prominently in each facility. Their mission, to be a profitable, sustainable family business providing quality products and services to the global market, is built on core values of family being the most valuable asset, honesty, integrity, people relationships, championing success and excellence, embracing change and sustainability practices. The family is deeply involved with the farm. Both Tyler and Kyle have expressed interest in working on the farm with Tyler focusing on accounting so he can bring that experience to the company. Kyle wants to focus on business so he can help add to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s viability.

While the children are learning from Mike and Amy, the opposite of that is also true as well. When Amy and Mike noticed that their children were looking outside farming for their future, they had to ask why. It turned out that Mike and Amy had been talking about their industry in less-than-glowing terms and the children had picked up on that negative. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was our sign,â&#x20AC;? Amy said in a previous interview with The Citizen. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We needed to stop being negative about the prospects of growing our business.â&#x20AC;? The family knows a thing or two about weathering the bad when it comes to their industry. Mike and Amy originally got into the industry in 1998, which she said was the worst year for hogs since the 1930s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We got in at the ultimate low, but we knew there was potential in this industry,â&#x20AC;? she said. The Cronins bought a farm from Amyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents that the couple had been managing for their in-laws. Amy said she and Mike bought it flat out, paying market value for everything from the land to the equipment. That attitude of owning their company and its successes, as well as following the core values set out for the company, has helped the Cronins achieve the accolades they have.

Growing the farm together The Cronin family were named National Outstanding Young Farmers for their efforts not only at home but in their farm industry as well. The family works hard together to make Cronin Family Farms a success. From left: Mike, Amy, Sam, Emmy, Kyle, Tyler, Liam and Alyssa. (File photo)

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PAGE A14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

Cardiff youngest president in Ag. Society history the previous two-year term before stepping up and taking the big job) was a potential budding partnership between the 2017 Brussels Fall Fair and the International Plowing Match (IPM) set to be held in Walton the same year. In an interview with The Citizen, Cardiff said that those discussions began with Bluevale’s Jacquie Bishop, chair of the 2017 match and

Cardiff thought that bringing the two events together was a brilliant concept. As one of the major driving forces behind the partnership, Cardiff said he felt that in many ways if he was going to be so in favour of the event’s coming together in 2017, then he had to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. In addition, he said that at the time

he was considering the position, he was aiming to be more positive about a lot of things in his life – finding ways to talk himself into things that seemed challenging, rather than ways to talk himself out of them. In a way, however, Cardiff says he feels like he’s been destined to serve as the Brussels Agricultural Continued on page A15

Years of service Earlier this year at the annual general meeting of the Brussels Agricultural Society, Matt Cardiff, left, became the youngest president in the organization’s history. One of his first orders of business was to present long-time members with certificates recognizing their service. One of those members was his grandmother Betty, who has been a member of the society for over 35 years, meaning she first joined long before Matt was even born. (Photo submitted)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen For an organization even older than the country it’s in, the Brussels Agricultural Society doesn’t have the chance to make history often, but it did earlier this year. When Matt Cardiff was officially elected the society’s president, many believe he became the youngest-ever member to take the organization’s lead. The Brussels Agricultural Society’s records, Cardiff says, aren’t nearly as complete as he and others would like them to be, but as far as the records show and as far as the memories of living members are concerned, Cardiff is indeed the youngest person to be named president. When Cardiff stepped up from the position of First Vice-President at last month’s annual general meeting

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of the society, he was 23 years old. In doing so, he eclipsed Nicole Noble, who had previously been believed to be the youngest president in the group’s history. He is also the third generation of his family to serve in the society’s executive. His father Jeff has twice served as the organization’s president, while his grandmother Betty was its homecraft president years ago. At the same meeting where he became president, Cardiff also honoured a number of long-serving society members with special certificates, including his parents Jeff and Cathy and his grandmother Betty, all of whom have been members for decades. What inspired him to step up several years ago and begin working towards the presidency (the incoming president traditionally serves in the vice-president role for

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A15.

IPM partnership led Cardiff to society presidency starting to get excited about the idea. Some discussions have already taken place, Cardiff said, in regards to rides that will be able to fit into what the fair does at the 2017 IPM. Exhibiting, he said, will remain the same, including all of the categories regular participants have come to expect. While the fair’s display area will be smaller than it normally is, Cardiff says that

situation should work itself out eventually, as the society is expecting a lower-than-usual number of entries that year due to how busy many members of the community will be with the IPM, whether they’re volunteering or simply planning to attend throughout the week. Some things, however, are at a bit of a standstill as the society waits

eagerly to find out if their Canada 150 grant application has been approved or not. Much of what the society hopes to do that year hinges on the grant. Cardiff also said that the organization is rolling out a new sponsorship program to help finance the 2017 event. Details of that campaign will soon become available.

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Father and son Two-time Brussels Agricultural Society President Jeff Cardiff, right, has been with the group for a long time and was honoured accordingly this year by his son, Matt, the current president of the society. (Photo submitted) Continued from page A14 Society’s president for possibly his entire life. He’s been attending the Brussels Fall Fair for as long as he can remember, he says, and with how heavily involved his family has been, his service in this position seemed only natural. Because he’s been attending the fair and pitching in for longer than he can remember, Cardiff says he doesn’t actually know when he first became an official member of the society. “It’s hard to know when I went from just attending the fair to be useful,” Cardiff says jokingly. In many ways – due to the solid team of the executive and members behind him – Cardiff says he doesn’t feel like the president. Yes, there is some added responsibility, he said, but he simply doesn’t feel like the man in charge. Having said that, Cardiff says it is “pretty neat” to be the youngest president in the organization’s history, especially considering just how far back that history reaches. He hopes that his presidency won’t be the end of the positive changes. He said it seems as though younger people are beginning to become involved with the society and, in turn, their ideas are being more widely considered. For example, some of the younger female members of the organization have spearheaded a ladies night in

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November, Cardiff said. Younger people are stepping up with creative ideas and members of the society are embracing those ideas. As for the society’s biggest, newest idea, partnering with the 2017 IPM, Cardiff says plans are beginning to take shape, advancing further every month with just about a year and a half until the big event. He has been attending some of the IPM’s planning meetings along with society treasurer Brian Schlosser. These meetings, along with meetings of the society’s Fall Fair/IPM sub-committee, have really been helping the process along, Cardiff said. He said support for the idea keeps growing and people are really

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PAGE A16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

Magazines’ prices not the only big change in decades

February, 1948 issue of Farmer’s Magazine Continued from page A6 cents” and another from Michigan Bulb Company of Canada offering evergreens at 34 cents each as well as spring bulbs for fall planting. At the back of the magazine were several pages of classified ads including nearly two pages of companies offering to process colour photographs – another industry that has become a victim of digital technology. Something else that’s changed: yearly subscriptions to the twicemonthly magazine were $1.50 and the single copy price was 10 cents.

Even that was expensive compared to an earlier long-departed magazine which Karen also brought to the office. A single copy of Farmer’s Magazine in February 1948 cost five cents. A yearly subscription was one dollar. The magazine was in its 45th year in 1948. An internet search failed to find the date of its demise. Massey-Harris was advertising its “44” tractor while its future partner Ferguson was promoting Ferguson System Implements. Case was encouraging farmers to increase their productivity by moving up to its two and three-furrow tractors (it showed its narrow-wheeled versions). Allis-Chalmers Rumley, Ltd. was advertising the All-Crop Harvester, a combine pulled by a tractor. International Harvester Company’s full-page advertisement promoted the company’s trucks, bulldozers and Farmall tractors. Cockshutt Farm Equipment’s full page advertised everything from its tractors and selfpropelled combine to manure spreaders, seed drills, binders and a horse-drawn disk, complete with seat for the driver. Home baking was a big thing on the farm in those days, as evidenced by large advertisements for Five Roses Flour, Ogilvie Flour Mills and Purity Flour as well as Magic

Baking Powder and Calumet Baking Powder. Gillett’s Lye had a half-page ad encouraging homemakers to make their own soap with a smiling young woman assuring readers “Now even city folks make soap at home”. The magazine also had a pattern department where readers could order patterns: in this issue were dresses for children and school girls,

even a slip and panties for women. The price: 20 cents per pattern. There was also a Needlework Department with patterns for knitters and crocheters. Singer Sewing Centres offered catalogues for the homemaker wanting information on its latest sewing machines. In 1948 there were still farm homes that didn’t have electricity so

The Coleman Lamp and Stove Company offered: “Let a Coleman make your’s a brighter home” while Aladdin promised “more light for less money” with its kerosene mantle lamps. Farmer’s Magazine was published by Consolidated Press Limited of Toronto which also published the iconic magazine Saturday Night, also no longer publishing.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A17.

Cardiff family closes in on 160 years in Huron land, all of which was bush, leaving 15 acres of hardwood bush. A small log cabin was erected on the property in which the family would live. The lot is now owned by Scott Cardiff, but the house is long gone. Scott farms the land now, but only a barn sits on the land. Mark and Margaret would have 10 children (an 11th, Alice Rebecca was born, but she died at the age of seven) and the Cardiff family in Huron County would continue to grow from there. As told in the Huron County Atlas, “Indians peddled their wares and camped on the farm. Candles, lye, soap, butter and cheese were made.” Lot 3 Concession 8 would soon Continued on page A18

potato famine and made passage to Canada in 1823. It was the branch of the family led by William Mark Cardiff, born in 1809, with his sister Jane and brother George that first made their way to Canada. George and Jane settled on land in Lanark County in the eastern section of what was not yet officially named the Province of Ontario. In 1834, Mark moved to Kitley and then to South Elmsley in 1848. Ten years later, in 1858, Mark and his family moved to Huron County, settling on a parcel of land in Grey Township that remains in the family. Mark and Margaret Cardiff settled on Lot 3, Concession 7 in Grey Township and cleared much of the

Generations of history The Cardiffs settled on their first homestead, above, in 1858 in Grey Township. Pictured on the homestead are, from left: Sarah Jane, Addie and Laura Cardiff. Below, the Cardiff family would eventually build on Lot 3, Concession 6, a home that remains in the family today. Below, in a picture taken in the early 1900s, are, from left: Richard Cardiff, Ernest Cardiff, Lizzie Elliott, Laura Smith, Margaret Cardiff, Berva Cardiff and Harold Cardiff. Murray Cardiff and his siblings would be born in this home, as would his children, Jeff, Joan and Scott. (Photos submitted)

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With several children just beginning to find their own way in the world, the Cardiff family is now in its seventh generation in Huron County. The Cardiff family originated in Wales as early as the 1600s. They made their way to Northern Ireland in the early 1700s, and then fled the

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PAGE A18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

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1, 2, 3 It’s not every day that three generations of one family are together, although for the Cardiffs, that was a reality for a number of years. This picture was taken seven years ago in front of Scott Cardiff’s Cockshutt 35 tractor. From left: Jeff, Blake, Scott, Matt, Tanner and Murray Cardiff, who passed away in 2013. (Photo submitted) Continued from page A17 come into the family and that is now where Scott and his family live. They live in a farmhouse built in the late 1800s that had actually been moved from Lot 6, Concession 6 in 1917, Scott said in an interview with The Citizen. Much of the Cardiff family’s current history, however, took place on Lot 3, Concession 6, the former home of Harold and Elizabeth Cardiff, and another property that remains in the family. Murray Cardiff, long-time Huron Bruce Member of Parliament, was born on that farm in 1934 to Harold and Elizabeth, as were his siblings Margaret and Jean. Murray would eventually take over that farm from his parents in the 1960s and build a life and a family there with his wife Betty (Mathieson) and their children Jeff, Joan and Scott. Murray and Betty would farm a mixed operation that included cattle and pigs. He maintained the farm for decades, even when he was elected to represent the people of HuronBruce in Ottawa between 1980 and 1993. By that time, Betty said, the couple’s children were old enough to help out, so between Jeff, Joan and Scott and Betty herself, the farm remained profitable, while Murray worked as an elected representative. He still helped at the farm when he could, Betty said, but he was rather busy in those days. As an MP, Cardiff served on the Standing Committee of Agriculture and Finance and spent time on a task force investigating a National Trading Corporation, which involved hearings all over Canada, the U.S. and Europe. He would eventually become the deputy-critic for the Ministry of State and Finance and for the Ministry of Agriculture. In his spare time, Murray also served as the chairman of the White Bean Producers’ Marketing Board, which led him to be involved in two missions to the United Kingdom. Betty said that Murray’s work as an MP sent him all around the world and she was able to accompany him on many of those trips. His trips over the years included China, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. While Murray and Betty’s daughter Joan moved to London after being a tremendous help on the family farm in her younger days, Jeff and Scott stayed in Huron County and built farms of their own, all on land that has been in their family for decades.

Joan, however, has been working as an accountant in London for decades and still works on Scott’s farm finances for him. Jeff, a graduate of the Agricultural College in Ridgetown, began farming on his own in 1986 when he grew cash crops and pigs. It was only a few years ago, in 2012, that he and his wife Cathy decided to get rid of the farm’s pigs. He says the decision hit his father Murray hard and tears were shed. While Murray acknowledged that it was the right decision at the time, Jeff said, it was still hard for him because Cardiff family farms had grown pigs for decades until Jeff decided it was time to get out of the business. Murray passed away in 2013, leaving his family, colleagues and many in the agricultural community to mourn. The funeral took place at Melville Presbyterian Church in Brussels, where Murray had dedicated so much of his time over. At that time, however, Jeff and Cathy were fully immersed in the family’s catering business, which they had taken over from Murray and Betty, that they simply couldn’t manage all of the endeavours. It was around this time that the Cardiffs first became involved with the storied Brussels Agricultural Society. While Murray had always sup-

ported the Brussels Fall Fair, he hadn’t been involved with the society himself. Betty, however, has been a member since the 1970s, even serving as Homecraft President. Jeff has also been involved for over 30 years, serving two two-year terms as the organization’s president. Cathy has also been a longtime member of the organization. They have recently given way to the next generation, as Jeff’s son Matt was named president at the organization’s annual meeting earlier this year. By all accounts, at the age of 23, Matt is the youngest president in the organization’s history. While he’s currently working in agricultural banking for the Bank of Montreal in Listowel, Matt hopes to take over his father’s farm one day. He will be the group’s president when the Brussels Fall Fair and the International Plowing Match partner up in 2017 for the first time ever. His sister Emily is currently a nurse in British Columbia. Scott hasn’t been officially involved with the society over the years, but has been known to exhibit field crops at the Brussels Fall Fair. He farms cash crops and 1,000 head of beef at his home farm. His son Blake now has his own farm, carrying on the storied Cardiff farming tradition, with 600 head of cattle. Scott’s other son, Tanner, is currently attending St. Clair College.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A19.

Brewery’s entry into farming should be ‘interesting’ the farm ready and having it available for tours as an educational component. People will be able to experience the farm and then enjoy the final product made there.”

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Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company General Manager and Vice-President Grant Sparling, seen here at the company’s Home Opener event late last month, explained to The Citizen why using locally sourced ingredients was such an integral part of the plan for the company and how they planned to work with local suppliers. (File photo) Continued from page A2 from there and having them in the kitchen, but we will have our own set of fruits and vegetables at the farm.” Farming isn’t something that anyone can just decide to take up, so it has been an experience, according to Sparling, getting ready to have a farm be such an integral part of the company. “It’s been interesting,” he said. “Rick [Elliott, who was announced as being in charge of the farm] is very excited about getting involved in the project. He loves digging into something and getting hands on with it. Whatever he looks after will be done well. “For me, it’s very interesting as I’ve seen barley and visited hopyards before,” he said. “For us to have the opportunity and space to grow our own crops and use them is something pretty special.” The company will be looking, in the future, to acquire a range of equipment to look after both the urban part of the property, around the brewery and restaurant, and to accompany the farm operations. “That will be in the next year to two years for us,” Sparling said. “The brewery is the focus and the restaurant as well. Once that’s up and running, we will look at having

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PAGE A20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

Baird family wins big at World Show, Royal Fair By Denny Scott The Citizen The Baird family from north of Wingham have a lot of reasons to be proud of the fruits of their labours as Baird’s Maitland River Jolie, a Clydesdale born and bred by the family, brought home several impressive accolades. Jolie won silver in the Senior Yearling class at the World Clydesdale Show in London and top Yearling at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 2015. The family, which consists of patriarch Clayton and sons Peter, Russell and Ronald, have been breeding, breaking and showing their own Clydesdales since 2001 when Clayton’s brother Lorne passed away. The farm was kept in the Baird family. Lorne started breeding the animals years ago for events like Santa Claus parades and homecoming shows, likely inspired, according to Clayton, by the fact that their father Russell had Clydesdales going back as early as the 1940s. Lorne, however, had no interest in the competitions that have since

been a staple of life for the family. Russell, Clayton and the rest of the family have taken what Lorne

and the elder Russell before him started and turned it into something Continued on page A21

Big win The Baird family, including Russell, shown above, were extremely happy when the family’s yearling Clydesdale, Baird’s Maitland River Jolie, took best in class at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair last year. (Photo by Lynn Cassels-Caldwell www.horsephotos.ca)

Some horse! Baird’s Maitland River Jolie, being shown here by Russell Baird, is a big winner in the Clydesdale world, not once, but twice. The horse brought home second place in the World Clydesdale Show in London last year and first prize at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair as well. (Denny Scott photo)

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A21.

Bairdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clydesdale yearling brings home accolades lot of art that goes into shoeing.â&#x20AC;? While some may think that raising, breaking and selling the Clydesdales would be a full-time job, the family also has sheep and beef farms and all have jobs off the farm as well. Peter is an electrician, Ronald is a plumber, Russell works for the Township of North Huron and Clayton is a perioperative nurse at the Wingham hospital. The next World Clydesdale Show

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Impressive rookie year Bairdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Maitland River Jolie has some impressive accolades for a yearling. The Clydesdale, shown above, was named second place in the senior yearling competition at the World Clydesdale Competition in London last year and top yearling at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. (Photo by Lynn Cassels-Caldwell www.horsephotos.ca) Continued from page A20 much, much bigger. While this year is the best the family has had for accolades, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the first time theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve earned awards and, they hope, it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be the last. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been getting good horses and buying good stallions and, for years, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been going to shows and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to keep going,â&#x20AC;? Clayton said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Two years ago, we won the Royal with a stallion, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been near the top at other shows, but this year has definitely been one of the best,â&#x20AC;? Russell said. The family breeds, breaks, shows and sells their stock and attends five shows a year typically. This year, aside from the Royal in Toronto and the World Show in London, they travelled to Barrie, Brampton and several local fairs. The competitions arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy to figure out, Russell said, adding he understands why his uncle never

wanted to get into it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of the shows are all-breeds together, which makes it tough,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of them are specific breeds, and that has its own challenges.â&#x20AC;? The World Clydesdale Show, which isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an annual event and was last held in 2011, saw more than 600 head of horses brought to London, including breeders from across Ontario, from eight of the 10 provinces and from as far away as Germany, making for some stiff competition. Despite the number and calibre of competitors, Jolie came out on top for the Bairds and, if you ask them why that is, the answer comes down to a few simple things: genetics, hope and a lot of work. Russell explained that you hope, with every foal thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s raised, that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to get a winner with Clayton adding that encouraging the right breeding habits among the

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PAGE A22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

Classing the key to growth in alpaca industry and most profitable alpaca products there are. However, if the grade is low (six is the lowest), they are used for alpaca products that are still high quality, but don’t require the softest fibre, such as socks or insoles. This is where classing comes in, she says. A classer can’t take sub-par fibre and make it great, but someone who doesn’t know how to class can do the exact opposite and take good fibre and make it “crap” without much effort. It represents a lack of understanding in the business, Griffey says, when a farmer simple sheers a fleece and wants all grade one and two fibre. You get what you get, Griffey

says, and it’s up to a classer to tell you what you have. Mengers says that classing alpaca fibre is also the industry’s path to growth. Currently, the alpaca industry is considered a cottage industry, he said, with between 200 and 300 alpaca farms throughout the province – some of which are closer than you think with John and Maureen Hengeveld’s Cranbrook Acres Alpacas farm established just south of Brussels. By implementing an industrywide classing system and establishing standards for their Continued on page A25

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Classing is the key Twice a week Henry Mengers, left, Dee Graham, centre, and Deb Griffey get together at Griffey’s Shears to You Fibre Pros mill and class through pounds and pounds of alpaca fibre, separating it according to colour, length and grade. The process, called classing, Griffey says, is the key to taking the alpaca fibre industry from a cottage industry to the next level. (Shawn

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Loughlin photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Two days a week, three people get together at the Shears to You Fibre Pros mill, just south of Palmerston, and work to grow the alpaca industry. The first is Deb Griffey, the owner of the mill, who is joined by alpaca farmers Henry Mengers of RR1, Hanover (Andre’s Alpacas – Andre is Henry’s middle name), and Dee Graham of the Lucknow area (DL Farms). The three are friends and they spend Tuesday and Wednesday of each week classing alpaca fibre – sometimes from Mengers’ or Graham’s farm, but usually fibre that Griffey has purchased from alpaca producers from all over the country. Mengers and Graham, both retired teachers, have upwards of 60 alpacas on their respective farms, while Griffey no longer has animals of her own. Griffey used to have an alpaca farm two different times, but officially got out of owning animals of her own when work at the mill began “taking over her life”. With a handful of employees and thousands of pounds of fibre making its way through the mill every year, it’s easy to see that it takes a lot of work to ensure everything runs smoothly. What the trio do every week is called classing and not just anyone

can do it. In fact, there are only 15 people in Ontario who are registered classers – having taken both phases of the course and graduated. Classing is the meticulous scrutinizing of alpaca fibre, dividing it among six possible grades, three different lengths and seven possible colours. What the process does is insure the quality of fibre ahead of sale or ahead of eventually using the fibre to make a multitude of products from socks to mittens to sweaters and scarves, and of course yarn, one of the industry’s most important products. The classification process begins with a three-day course that teaches the basics of classing. Many people take this course on an annual basis, Mengers said, and take that knowledge and apply it to their farms. Graduating the first part of the course, however, does not make you a classer, he said. Fewer take on the second part of the course, which is much more labour-intensive. It includes four days of class time, but then a lot of practical work, such as the classing of 200 fleeces (that must come from two different breeds of alpaca) and then 40 hours of work under a qualified mentor. The course’s final test is the submission of 25 samples that need to be graded. The whole process takes about

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two years, the three classers say, and they are three of the 15 in the province who have gone all the way. Classing, the three agree, is all about quality control. When alpaca products are out in the world, classing ensures that products that have been properly classed keep up the good alpaca name. Griffey says that the fibre dictates the product when it comes to creating something out of the fleece of an alpaca. If the grade is high (a one or two is the highest, meaning the softest and highest quality), it can be turned into some of the best

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A23.

Brussels hosts livestock auctioneering championship

Home field advantage? Brussels Livestock Auctioneer Kevin McArter brought home the reserve championship from the Canadian Auctioneering Championship last year. This year, his home barn of Brussels Livestock is hosting the event and while he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to give him an edge, he hopes he is able to claim the title. (Denny Scott photo) After bringing home the reserve championship in the Livestock Markets Association of Canada (LMAC) Canadian Livestock Auctioneer Championship last year, Brussels Livestock auctioneer Kevin McArter, in conjunction with Mark and Cindy Ferraro, the owners of Brussels Livestock, are preparing to host the event in McArterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hometown of Brussels. It was announced last year that the LMAC annual convention would be held in Huron County in 2016 and since then the event has grown to include all of the county. Scheduled for May 12-14, the convention itself, along with accommodations for most visitors, will be in Grand Bend at the Oakwood Resort Inn while the auctioneer championship, which will be held on May 13, will be held at the Brussels Livestock Barn located just outside of Brussels. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited about the whole thing,â&#x20AC;? McArter said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to put on a good show.â&#x20AC;? McArter visited Huron County Council during its March 9 meeting to ask council to help fund the event. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Something like this is going to benefit the whole county,â&#x20AC;? he explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the presentation went well, though I have my fingers crossed. We asked for a cash infusion for advertising and tent rentals and some other expenses.â&#x20AC;? Mark and Cindy Ferraro, owners of the livestock barn, say that preparing for the event has been a company-wide endeavour and that everyone has been helping out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having the convention held through the barn and hosting the auctioneering championship is kind of a compliment to the Brussels Livestock employees,â&#x20AC;? Mark said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They should be proud and they are showing that they are by how hard they are working at this.â&#x20AC;? The auctioneering championship will see 30 auctioneers competing according to Mark, and general convention participants will be coming from across Canada including Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and large numbers of participants from Alberta. The Ferraros, as well as the staff at Brussels Livestock, share McArterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enthusiasm. Mark said the excitement must be growing because people outside the business are also looking forward to the competition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting great local support

as far as sponsorships and participation is going,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really looking up.â&#x20AC;? Mark said that even competitors to the livestock barn have been happy to help out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say enough about how helpful everyone has been,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone is working well together to make sure we can pull off a class act.â&#x20AC;? While word is getting out, McArter said he has been surprised

livestock auctions to get a view of what really goes on. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People will be able to see how the business runs,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People who are completely new to the experience will be able to find out if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested in.â&#x20AC;? As far as a first brush with livestock auctions, McArter said the competition will be an exciting one. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fast-paced, action-filled event,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We put three days of work into one.â&#x20AC;? The event will see a broader selection of cattle, cows and bulls than normal to Brussels Livestock, but there is still room for those looking to consign cattle. Mark said being involved in such a sale will be a good experience for owners looking to sell. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a standard sale, but we will have all the buyers there that day,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the people selling will be satisfied with how things work out.â&#x20AC;? Aside from working with people outside the livestock barn, Ferraro said that he has also been working on the site itself. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s encouraged me to get some work done that otherwise may have waited,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just want

from time to time by the fact that people are only finding out about the event now. He said he is meeting people in the industry who are only just hearing about the convention and competition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be going to be a guest auctioneer at some events, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be plugging the event there to try and get the word out,â&#x20AC;? he said. The event will also let people who arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t familiar with the world of

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to make sure we have everything ready for people when they get here.â&#x20AC;? The home-field advantage, according to McArter, might help when it comes time for him to try and earn the championship he barely missed out on last year, but heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not counting his chickens before they hatch. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if it will be enough having the home-field advantage, but, if it does, it would be a kind of Cinderella story for me,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It would be fitting to win where I started, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m more compelled to put on a good show right now.â&#x20AC;? As far as competition is concerned, Ferraro said he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t comfortable making any early guesses at the winner of the auctioneering championship. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are going to be some topnotch auctioneers from Ontario out there and they are going to make sure the westerners have their work cut out for them,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be tough, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure they will pull it off.â&#x20AC;? Anyone looking to consign cattle to be a part of this historic auction can contact Brussels Livestock at 519-887-6461 or contact McArter at 519-357-0594.

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PAGE A24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

Cloverbuds Club opens 4-H to younger members

Tasty! While 4-H clubs may be synonymous with raising animals or plowing fields to some, there are many different experiences available through the century-old program. Whether people are interested in hands-on farm experiences or some more universally-applicable skills like those taught by the various 4-H Lifeskills Clubs, there’s something for everyone. Just ask 4-H Chocolate Lovers group member Sarah Alexander, shown above enjoying a bean mole she learned to make. (Photo submitted)

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Continued from page A4 that change every year. The Wawanosh Lifeskills Team runs two to three lifeskill clubs during the 4-H season and cover all different kinds of skills and traits needed in rural communities including cooking, baking, gardening, sewing, quilting, outdoor activities, sports and healthy living. The group is based in the Auburn area. For more information, contact Mary Ellen Foran at stdonny@hurontel.on.ca The Grey Township Lifeskills group is based in Walton and has focused on many different skills including cooking, photography, small engines, sports and judging opportunities. The projects are chosen based on the members wants and leaders’ skill sets. For more information contact Vinnicombe at 519-933-1798 or Monique Baan at 519-887-6998. The Hensall Lifeskills Club works on a mix of indoor and outdoor activities. As a group, its members have focused on heritage projects, rug hooking, hiking, pizza, line dancing, vegetarian cooking, winter and summer sports, working with wool and holiday-themed activities. The focus has been developed to meet the interest of club members. The group regularly competes in the Hensall fair, which is held the second weekend of June. For more information, contact Mary Lynn MacDonald at 519-2623123 or Denise Iszczuk at 519-2208662. The Howick Lifeskills Team also focuses on different topics including cooking, gardening, sewing and outdoor activities. For more information, contact howick4h@gmail.com. Other clubs that can be found in Huron include equine- and rabbitfocused groups. Check www.4-hontario.ca/4h-in-my-area /huron for more information on those clubs. The Huron 4-H organization have also started a Cloverbuds program aimed at younger participants. “It’s a relatively new program,” Vinnicombe said. “It’s been three years since 4-H Ontario adopted it and Howick first started running Cloverbuds.” The program is an introduction to 4-H built into a three-year cycle so members won’t repeat the same information regardless

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of when they join the club. “Each year a different program will be offered,” Vinnicombe said. “They will get introduced to livestock, for example, but they won’t handle animals or compete in shows. It’s more about learning the different aspects of 4-H so they can get into the program with a better understanding.” Last year was the first year the program was run in Huron and it was offered by the volunteers responsible for the 4-H Lucknow Sheep Club. “It’s 4-H’s effort to try and get more participants involved,” Vinnicombe said. “Membership has

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A25.

Alpaca Ontario working to industry-wide standard creations. It naturally wicks moisture, it’s warm and it breathes. Mengers says, however, that alpaca fibre likes assistance, so many alpaca products include a small percentage of other products, whether it be silk, bamboo or nylon, to name a few. The industry is growing, the trio agrees, but it’s happening slowly. The trick is that the value of alpaca products needs to be communicated to consumers. While a pair of alpaca socks may cost more than a standard pair of cotton socks at Walmart, the benefits are far greater. Once a customer tries an alpaca product, Mengers says, they are often hooked. But that first purchase often comes by way of a luxury gift purchase for a friend – then word of mouth takes over.

Mengers says that he sold a pair of alpaca socks to a friend of his, a pig farmer, who wore them every day for a year. The man was instantly converted. He didn’t have to wash the socks as often as you would conventional socks and the comfort sold him, Mengers says. While all three sell their products at their farm gate, they are often best seen at craft and trade shows. Local alpaca farmers are planning a presence at the 2017 International Plowing Match, which will be held in Walton, but nothing has been confirmed. Alpaca Ontario is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Its special anniversary show will be held at the Orangeville Event Centre April 8-10. For more information on the organization, visit its website at alpacaontario.ca.

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A bite to eat Henry Mengers and his Andre’s Alpacas farm near Hanover was profiled late last year in The Rural Voice, a sister publication within North Huron Publishing. He is one of just 15 certified classers in Ontario’s alpaca industry. The classing system is a vehicle for the growth of the industry, he says. (Lisa Pot photo) Continued from page A22 products, alpaca farmers can take their business to the next level, he said. At its height, Alpaca Ontario, of which Mengers is the president, had 180 member farms (not all alpaca farms are members of the association) sometime between 2010 and 2011. That number has since decreased slightly due to the economic downturn. Mengers is a charter member of the organization, one of the first 30 members of Alpaca Ontario when

it was founded in 2001. Graham is also a director of Alpaca Ontario and serves as the chair of the events committee. Griffey is also involved with the organization as the chair of the fibre initiative. The work of the fibre initiative is aimed at the industry-wide standard of classing. When it’s implemented, Griffey says, she hopes the brand will be called Canadian Classified. The hope of alpaca farmers, she says, is that it will be an industrywide brand similar to Ontario Pork

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PAGE A26. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016.

Auburn-area rider making her name in rodeo would spend summer roping cows, up to 30 a day. “I want to be the best,” admits Courtney whose determination, combined with fearlessness, a passion for horses and an ability to turn a green-broke horse into a champion, contribute to her success. The RAM Rodeo breakaway championship is as much hers and the family’s, as it is Sam’s, a horse she originally purchased with plans to train and sell. She’d done this with two other horses the year before, selling the pair for a tidy profit. Eager to duplicate the process, she purchased three more horses in 2013. One was a three-year-old she intended to keep and train as a back-up horse; the other two quarterhorses were to be trained and sold. At the time, Morgan was competing with a horse called Lucy and doing very well. Lucy came into Morgan’s possession as part of a trade. The Bos family had trail horses they no longer needed, and a neighbouring family had Lucy, which was too hot-blooded to serve as a trail horse. The trade was made and at first Morgan wondered about her new horse. “Lucy would spin in circles if she didn’t want to do something,” remembers Morgan. “But she had the build and I liked her attitude. I decided she would be a good roping horse.” Morgan explains that roping horses need speed and confidence to believe they can chase down a steer and catch it. A calmer horse may choose to give up. Lucy wasn’t that kind of horse. This was back when Morgan was in Grade 10 and had a lot of learning to do herself. She joined the Ontario High School Rodeo Association which she credits as an excellent organization for riders to learn skills in an encouraging atmosphere. Also, her dad asked around to find out where he and his daughter could learn to rope and they were led to Joe Terpstra, a dairy farmer outside of Brussels. “He really taught us all about roping,” says Morgan, who was keen to learn. Local farrier and

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Like The Lone Ranger and Silver or Roy Rogers and Trigger, every rider needs a partner and rodeo star Morgan Bos has found hers with Sam. (File photo) with 11.2 seconds on three rounds, By Lisa Pot and the ladies breakaway North Huron Publishing championship. “I was so happy!” she said. Morgan Bos had won the first Bos’s mom, Chastity, was round in the RAM Rodeo final of breakaway roping competition videotaping the event and says for with a 3.8 second catch. She her, the primary emotion was slipped to third place at the event relief. “She was so ticked about the calf held in October in the second she drew, I thought Morgan would round with a time of 4.7. The third round would decide if choke,” recalls Chas, who travels she won the championship. Bos to every show with her daughters and husband in what has become a was worried she would choke. “It’s what I often do. I get so family event for the family, who nervous that I over-think things. live on a chicken farm outside of It’s such a mental game,” says the Blyth. “I didn’t want to watch but I had young roper, barrel racer, student, agronomist assistant and farmer’s to videotape it,” says Chas. Morgan is the third of four daughter from just outside of daughters born to Art and Chas Blyth. The stress mounted when the Bos and rodeoing has become a calf she drew for the third round family affair with Courtney, was one no rider had been able to Morgan and Kate all competing. catch and which had the annoying Oldest daughter, Brittany, lives in habit of veering to the left, making Ottawa. They all enjoy it but none are as it extra hard to manoeuver the competitive as Morgan, who horse into position. Stress escalated when the rider roping before her caught her calf in 3.8 seconds. She would win the finals if Bos couldn’t keep it together. She thought about the last time she’d been in this position. Also Available: Turkeys, Ducks, Layers “Two years ago I was leading the average going into the third round and I pretty much dropped the • Monday, March 14 rope,” she recalls. for pickup Tuesday, April 19 Morgan was determined not to let it happen again. Focusing on • Thursday, April 14 how she’d worked her way up in for pickup Friday, May 20 the rankings (she was ranked • Monday, May 16 fourth out of eight riders coming for pickup Tuesday, June 21 into the finals) she gave herself grace to lose, but courage to win. We have a complete line of SHUR-GAIN Homestead Feeds And she came up with a game and Animal Health Products as well as feeders, waterers, plan. “Don’t think. This is all or heat lamps, baled shavings etc. nothing. Catch that calf before it turns left.” She was still nervous enough that her six-year-old quarterhorse gelding, Sam, got all jittery and had to turn around three times in the box before she settled him into Serving our friends and neighbours in the farming communities the corner. That done, they were with quality products and personalized service, both ready. for over 25 years. The calf was released, Bos and Sam let loose, and the catch was DUNGANNON 1-800-665-5675 WALTON made in 2.7 seconds winning her 519-529-7951 Fax 519-529-3341 519-887-6023 the third round, the overall average

lifetime roper, Jason Hoggart, also helped teach the pair. He and Art now team rope together. There are three parts to roping for girls: 1. Breakaway: Where the rope is tied to the saddle horn with a little piece of string. When the rider ropes a calf, the string breaks, the rope detaches from the saddle, and that’s the catch. 2. Heading: This is one of two disciplines to team roping. The header ropes the horns of the steer, then ‘dallys’ (ties) the rope around the saddle horn, and turns the horse to the left to allow the... 3. Heeler: who races in, jumps off the horse, and ropes the calf’s feet together. Morgan barrel races, does breakaway and competes as the header in team roping with Jesse Kinsmen of Staffa, the heeler. Both Morgan and Lucy had to learn to work together, to read cattle, to position themselves and get fast and accurate. Perhaps the most important thing each had to learn was patience. To do that, Morgan and Lucy did a lot of scoring.

Scoring is the process of letting calves loose in the pen but keeping horse and rider in the box. “The horse needs to learn she doesn’t have to run every time. Otherwise, horses can get hot thinking they have to burst out of Continued on page A27

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016. PAGE A27.

Tragedy leads to new roping partnership for Bos

Spoils Morgan Bos, an Auburn-area rodeo star, has earned a lot of accolades which, in her world, take the form of belt buckles. (File photo)

Continued from page A26 the box whenever they see calves,” explains Morgan. “I want my horses to listen; to go off my hand, instead of breaking out of the pen.” Breakouts can also cost competitors time; a 10-second penalty is issued to a horse and rider that break out before the calf

reaches a prescribed distance. Scoring can be very boring, admits Morgan, but it’s a critical part of the training process that some beginner riders ignore. “Now that I know more, I like to run one and score two,” says Morgan. It took a year before Lucy was a

dependable roping horse and Morgan admits she was winging it much of the time during that training year. By the time Morgan was in Grade 11, she and Lucy had gained confidence and skill and the winnings proved it. By then, Morgan was competing in both the Ontario High School Rodeo Circuit, the RAM Rodeo Circuit (Central Rodeo League) and the RAO Circuit (Roping Association of Ontario), gaining points and dollar amounts depending on each circuit’s system of winning. Then, trouble. “I had the veterinarian check Lucy in August and he said she was good to go. I competed and won with her at the Grand Valley rodeo but the next day, she was sore,” says Morgan. The veterinarian came out again and discovered Lucy had a bone chip in her knee, along with a fracture. Surgery was an option, but Lucy would not compete again. Morgan made the hard decision to put her horse down. “It was horrible. The worst thing,” she remembers. “She was the ‘go-to’ horse for everything. She ran 21-second poles, won me a saddle for junior barrel racing and got me to the finals for team roping and breakaway two years in a row,” recalls Morgan. Lucy was buried under a special tree on the farm but Morgan had already paid entry fees for a rodeo in Powasson the next weekend. “I had no choice but to use Sam,”

says Morgan. “He had to step up fast.” They ended up placing second in the Sunday showdown and earning top five spots in every event. Morgan was pleased. She began rethinking her decision to sell Sam. Morgan discovered he was a good worker and as she trained him, realized he was astonishingly athletic. But he was a little quirky and not always convinced he had to power out of the corner. Plus, Morgan said, he would scare easily. Riding near the road was a nightmare, but somehow, in the pen, he has absolute focus. The team of Sam and Morgan have won several competitions and placed in the top three in others including Blastoff at the Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH), first at the RAO finals in May, first for breakaway in Milverton and Spencerville, third in Orangeville, second in Markham and first for barrel racing at the International Plowing Match in Finch. Then, the big prize: the RAM Rodeo breakaway championship. Sam isn’t just a one-trick pony. Morgan believes a multidisciplined horse is a safer and healther animal. “I like all my horses to rope and barrel race,” says Morgan. “Actually I call them roping horses because I do more of that. Roping horses know how to stop. They know how to listen. And when I’m doing barrels, I want to be in control and know my horse is

going to stop when I ask it too.” The wins, and Sam’s quirky but friendly personality, has won him a lot of fans. She estimates her earnings are over $5,000 this year but since she lives at home, and works summer for her dad, much of her expenses are covered by the family farm. There are people who do make money doing rodeo but aside from horse sales, Morgan doesn’t do it to make a living. “My dad and I always say that as long we cover our entry fees, this is just like any other hobby.” When she leaves the farm, perhaps after finishing university (she’s currently in year three of a five-year co-op program, earning a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in food and agriculture) she’s not sure how consistently she will continue competing, but she will compete. “I just know Sam isn’t going anywhere. He has a lot of years in him yet. And as long as I have a team roping partner, I’ll keep doing that,” says Morgan. Right now, she’s still riding the high of her RAM Rodeo Breakaway championship while mom, Chas, is still basking in the relief. The rodeo has given the girls skills, confidence and broadened their social circle. Morgan encourages aspiring rodeo girls to also consider joining the RAO, which holds many events at REACH. “You get more runs for less money and there are so many people to help you learn.”

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