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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2015-04-02, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015. PAGE 11. Total receipts for Brussels Livestock for the week ending March 27 were 1,679 cattle and 1,441 lambs and goats. On Tuesday fed steers and heifers sold on a good active trade at steady prices. Choice steers and heifers sold $193 to $198 with sales to $206.50. Second cut sold $189 to $193. Cows sold steady. On Thursday holstein veal calves sold $2 to $5 higher while beef calves traded steady. Lambs sold on a very active trade with higher prices. Sheep sold steady. Goats sold steady to higher. On Friday calves sold on a strong active trade at steady prices. Yearling steers sold steady. Yearling heifers sold $2 to $3 higher. Chris Smith of Brussels, consigned 14 cattle that averaged 1,691 lbs. and sold for an average price of $198.81. One red steer weighed 1,440 lbs. and sold to Horizon Meat Packers for $206.50. Elo B. Weber of Mount Forest, consigned 14 cattle that averaged 1,367 lbs. and sold for an average price of $188.75. One rwf steer weighed 1,385 lbs. and sold to St. Helen’s Meat Packers for $195. Gerald Bross of Mildmay, consigned six cattle that averaged 1,554 lbs. and sold for an average price of $191.25. One black heifer weighed 1,415 lbs. and sold to Clark Brothers Livestock for $196. Donald Cormack of Mount Forest, consigned three cattle that averaged 1,540 lbs. and sold for an average price of $189.70. One charolais heifer weighed 1,490 lbs. and sold to St. Helen’s Meat Packers for $195. There were 130 cows on offer. Export types sold $122 to $139; beef, $137 to $150 with sales to $158; D1 and D2, $85 to $90; D3, $75 to $85; D4, $70 to $75. Harry Binkley of Harriston, consigned one charolais cow that weighed 1,710 lbs. and sold for $154. There were eight bulls selling $134 to $162. Florence Reinhart of Mildmay, consigned one black bull that weighed 2,060 lbs. and sold for $162. There were 146 head of veal on offer. Beef sold $200 to $245 with sales to $247; good holsteins, $160 to $170 with sales to $172; medium holsteins, $145 to $155; heavy holsteins, $155 to $165. Lamar Frey of Listowel, consigned eight calves that averaged 814 lbs. and sold for an average price of $227.44. One gold steer weighed 850 lbs. and sold for $228. Jonathan Jantzi of Linwood, consigned two steers that averaged 810 lbs. and sold for an average price of $208.60. One grey steer weighed 815 lbs. and sold for $226. Rueben S. Martin of Wallenstein, consigned four calves that averaged 774 lbs. and sold for an average price of $233.30. One pied heifer weighed 820 lbs. and sold for $247. Aaron F. Martin of Newton, consigned seven calves that averaged 835 lbs. and sold for an average price of $228.04. One pied heifer weighed 815 lbs. and sold for $243. Lambs, 50 - 64 lbs. sold $379 to $407; 65 - 79 lbs., $345 to $385; 80 - 94 lbs., $272 to $317; 95 - 109 lbs., $247 to $268/lb. Sheep sold $75 to $125 with sales to $140/lb. Goats: kids sold $220 to $340 with sales to $390; nannies, $50 to $120 with sales to $140; billies, $150 to $300/lb. Top quality stocker steers, 400 - 499 lbs. sold $325 to $360; 500 - 599 lbs., $311 to $344; 600 - 699 lbs., $290 to $315; 700 - 799 lbs., $257 to $280; 800 - 899 lbs., $235 to $258; 900 - 999 lbs., $233 to $241; 1,000 lbs. and over, $192 to $221. Top quality stocker heifers, 400 - 499 lbs., $295 to $312; 500 - 599 lbs., $301 to $328; 600 - 699 lbs., $280 to $305; 700 - 799 lbs., $244 to $276; 800 - 899 lbs., $225 to $231; 900 lbs. and over, $213 to $225. Amy and Mike Cronin of Bluevale have received a lot of accolades in recent years and now they can add provincial recognition for their family farm operation to that list. Members of the Cronin family have been featured in the Faces of Farming calender, named to provincial boards and put in positions where they are guiding the future of agriculture in the province, so it should come as no surprise that Mike and Amy have been chosen as Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2015. “It was humbling,” Amy said of the announcement at a gala event in Ottawa late last month. “We just sat there and looked at each other kind of shocked. We both thought it was quite an honour.” The event served not only as a way to recognize the finalists and winners, but also a networking opportunity according to Amy. “There were five finalists in Ottawa for the presentation,” she said. “They were all passionate about agriculture and from all different sectors with different operations. That was one of the most rewarding parts of going through the program: spending time with four other really successful couples in agriculture.” The couple will travel to Edmonton, Alberta, later this year where Canada’s Oustanding Young Farmers for 2015 will be chosen. The event runs Nov. 17-22 and has the Cronins competing against six other winners from various regions across Canada for one of two national awards. The competition is open to participants aged 18 to 39 who make the majority of their income from on-farm sources. While the award was presented to the two of them, like all things on the farm, the Cronins said it has to be shared with their children. “This isn’t just about Mike and me, it’s really about our whole family and the future of our family,” Amy said. “Every decision we make, we think about both our family and our farm. “We work together on everything,” Amy said. “We like to work with our children.” The couple work on their farms, which includes sites in Ontario, Iowa and Missouri, with their children and work with them to show them how the family business is run. Amy and Mike have six children, 17-year-old Alyssa, 16-year-old Tyler, 14-year-old Kyle, 11-year-old Liam, nine-year-old Emmy and seven-year-old Sam. Alyssa is currently on a month- long mission trip to Haiti. When not helping those in need around the world, she works on the family farm and manages the farrow rooms on the home farm. She graduated high school last year and, after a year on the farm full time and the trip, she is looking forward to starting university this fall. Tyler and Kyle currently share the operation of a nursery barn for the family and have been doing it for three and a half years. “They are out there twice a day, seven days a week,” Mike said. “They help each other out, and cover each other when need be, but they do the work together.” Tyler and Kyle’s younger siblings don’t have a dedicated job like their older brothers, but they are found all over the farm helping out whenever they’re able. Both Amy and Mike can’t help but smile when they explain the atmosphere. “The other morning, the kids were going to the barn with me at 6 in the morning,” Mike said. “Sam comes and wakes me up at 4 a.m. and said, ‘You’re not going to forget to take me, are you?’” Family has always been important on the Cronin farms because Mike and Amy feel family and the farm are really interconnected. “Tyler, for example, is taking accounting right now so he can relate that to the farm,” Mike said. Kyle, last year, took on a huge project at school focused on the farm and is hoping to get into business as well so he can ply skills he learns in business to the farm. While the children are learning from their parents about how to run the farm, the inverse is also true, with Mike and Amy picking up some lessons from their children. “We had some of our children talking about changing to other focuses than farming and we didn’t really see why,” he said. “We did eventually figure it out when we caught ourselves being negative about the hog industry.” Amy explained the children picked up on that negativity, which was a clear sign the two needed to start being more positive about the prospects for their growing agriculture empire. The Cronins have five agriculture Cronin farm honoured at provincial level The family biz While Mike and Amy Cronin were the ones standing up to receive the award for Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2015, they said that it really was a matter of family. Whether it’s their immediate family, shown above, or the extended family from their agri-business, Cronin Family Farms, the couple said they could not have had the success they have without the help of family. From left: Mike, Amy, Sam, Emmy, Kyle, Tyler, Liam and Alyssa. (Photo submitted) CUSTOM MANURE SPREADING with a truck tank and draghose system and CUSTOM SILAGE HAULING A.J. Wagemans Farms Call Andrew at 519-356-9170 TUESDAYS 9:00 a.m. Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows THURSDAYS 8:00 a.m.Drop Calves 10:00 a.m.Veal 11:30 a.m. Lambs, Goats & Sheep FRIDAYS 10:00 a.m. Stockers Call us 519-887-6461 Visit our webpage at: www.brusselslivestock.ca email us at: info@brusselslivestock.ca BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd. UPCOMING SALES Gloves Downtown Blyth 519-523-4740 Bainton’s Old Mill Agriculture Brussels Livestock report Fed steers, heifers sell on active trade BLYTH 519-523-4244 www.hurontractor.comHensall 519-262-3002 | 1-800-265-5190 | www.hdc.on.ca Multiple Locations across Southwestern Ontario · GRAIN ELEVATORS · CROP PRODUCTS · PETROLEUM & PROPANE · FEEDProud to be farmer-owned. wouthoss Srrotions accraoccaMultiple L ensall 519-262-3002 | 1-800-265-5190 | wH V· GRAIN ELE d.wneo farmer-o bee ud tPro · FEED · PETROLEUM & PROP · CROP PRODUC arioern Onttaesttewwe a.on.c.hdcwwensall 519-262-3002 | 1-800-265-5190 | w ORSTAATV ANEM&PROPPA ST· CROP PRODUC By Denny Scott The Citizen Continued on page 15