HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-06-17, Page 15exelerZitnesabuocale
Times-Advocate, June 17, 1976
Page 15
Traditional farming, an answer
to today's noise and pollution
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DOLL AND MAUDE, Thomas Desjardines two purebred Clydesdales
are still at work in the fields. Above they are joined in the harness by a
third horse belonging to Thomas' brother who gave up active farming
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last year. Although Thomas has driven tractors he has never owned
one, preferring the quieter, more aesthetic action of real horsepower.
T-A photo
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MAX'S TV & APPLIANC
REFRIGERATION SALES & SERVICE
GRAND BEND 238-2493
By MRS. FRED BOWDEN
Mr. & Mrs. William Rimmer
accompanieu by their friend,
Miss Sharon Grover of Camock,
England, are guests at the home
of the former's brother and
sister-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. B.J.
Rimmer
Mr. & Mrs. Ron Brittain of
Mississauga and Elaine Powe of
St. Catharines were weekend
visitors with Mr. & Mrs. Elmer
Powe and Allan and were guests
at the Murley -Shapton wedding
on Saturday.
Visitors with Mrs. Lorne Hicks
were Mr, & Mrs. Orma Pollock
of Kincardine for a couple of days
last week and on Monday Mr. &
Mrs. Clayton Scheifile of Kit-
chener.
Sunday visitors at the home of
Mr. & Mrs. Fred Cunnington
were Mrs. Lloyd Shantz of Kit-
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chener, Mr. & Mrs, Lloyd Vogan
and family of Listowel, Mr. &
Mrs. Howard Cunnington and
family, Thames Road.
Father's Day will be observed
in the United Church Sunday
morning with a combined Sunday
School and church service in
charge of United Church Women.
Mrs. John Beaton will be the
speaker and there will be a choir
of UCW members,
By LEIGH ROBINSON
If you decide to head south
from Grand Bend, following
Highway 81 down around that
first big curve on a dry day in the
spring or summer, you might
witness a bit of contemporary
nostalgia as you let your glance
roam the 50 acres belonging to
Thomas Desjardine.
There, you've spotted him
riding atop a harrow while his
purebred Clydesdales provide the
motion required to dig the
harrow's prongs into the clay
loam soil being readied for a crop
of white beans.
For the past 40 years, Mr.
Desjardine has made a go of his
small farming operation using
horses to work the land. In 1976,
three decades after the tractor
revolution accompanied by ar-
mies of mechanized implements
seemingly took over Canada's
farm fields, Doll and Maude are
still responding to his soft
commands delivered by a slight
twitch in the rein or verbal in-
flection.
It's a smooth, noiseless per-
formance in contrast to the action
on the hot pavement just a few
rods away. A touch of irony you
might call it as you step out of,
your auto, climb a fence and hail
Thomas down for a few moments
of afternoon conversation.
Mr, Desjardine is not exactly
overtalka live, characteristic
perhaps, of a farmer in his,
generation, On the other hind, he
is not unwilling to talk, The slow
easy pace of his work is con-
ducive to a break now and again,
provided its not for too long and
doesn't interfere with the
harrowing to be done that af-
ternoon. Although there are
many hours of hard work left, age
and experience have brought him
to a point where working the land
with the help of two Clydesdale
horses can seem more restful
than a hurried weekerid at the
Pinery or Grand Bend for the
city-worn tourist. Modern
campers, motorcycles, and
automobiles zoom by but Thomas
seems oblivious to it all on the
other side of his fence.
A different world opens up out
there in that field, You notice that
Maude and Doll, who have by
now been - brought to a com-
fortable halt, are patiently
standing against the harness,
perhaps contemplating the ad-
dition of a third horse belonging
to Thomas' brother Alex, who
gave up active farming last year
when his other horse passed
away.
I'm not agin'em", Thomas
begins referring to a. question
about tractors, "hut I always
liked horses best - next to my
"You can't get Clydesdales
'around here anymore and they're
nay favorite horse. They're showy
and have good action,"
lie notes that a man came by
recently and offered him $800 for
the pair, "but I told him there
was no use taking my phone
number because he wouldn't get
I hem anyway."
His eyes moisten slightly when
you ask him how old his two
animals are. "I don't like to tell
their age", he explains, "it hurts
me too much. I wish they were
five."
Over the years, Thomas
estimates that he has had as
many as 15 different teams of
work horses with none being any
better than Maude and Doll.
About four years ago he at-
tempted to breed them but it
didn't work out and you. can tell
that he was disappointed.
Thomas Desjardine was raised
on a farm across the road from
his own farm, hack in the days
when 81 was just another gravel
road. Prior to starting up his own,
Thomas worked for his father
and sometimes hired out. You get
the impression that 50 acres, a
mere backyard in the eyes of
today's big commercial farmer,
was just about the right amount
of land for Mr. Desjardine. Just
the right amount to go on working
with horses.
"You don't see many horses
nowadays. You can drive all the
way to Toronto and you won't see
any,"
"I never had enough land for a
tractor. They tell me that a
tractor will eat everything you
grow and 1 don't think that half of
this machinery pays for what its
costing." Ile adds that horses are
much quieter than a tractor and
don't foul up that good country
air.
Some 14 years ago the Huron
Plowing Match was held on his
farm and he took first prize. "I
always liked the nice straight
plowing that you get behind
horses. With these tractors,
you're all over the farm."
Despite the pleasure and
success Thomas has' enjoyed on
his own small farm, he is not
terribly optimistic about the
future of the small farming
operation, "I guess the big
fellows will take over", he
laments. "We're living in a faster
age now and you can't get
anything fixed anymore. There's
no place where you can buy a new
harness."
The conversation comes to a
natural conclusion and its time to
climb back over Thomas' fence
and into the jet age. Driving back
toward Exeter, numerous
vehicles swish by in that nervous
fashion just before rush hour.
Yes, rush hour has even found a
place in the Ontario countryside.
And as you count all those autos
and listen to the rattles and
shakes in your own, you wonder
whether Thomas Desjardine
didn't have the right idea all
along.
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THOMAS DESJARDINE, who owns a 50 acre farm near Grand Bend loves horses and when most farmers
began to switch to the tractor in the late '40's and early '50's he decided to continue working his land in the
same manner thdt he had been doing since his days as a farm boy. T-A photo.
Couple hosts English guests
:2.
Carrie.r Central Air Conditioning keeps your home evenly cool,
dry and helps reduce dust and pollen that bothers allergy
sufferers. And the price is less than you think. For a free
estimate of the cost of installing Carrier Central air condition-
ing in your home, give us •a call. NO OBLIGATION, OF
COURSE.
*These are prices of typical installations in the houses pic-
tured above using Carrier equipment. Costs can vary depend-
ing on location, house layout and season. But these may be
considered typical for homes of comparable size equipped
with forced air heating.
BOB and SHIRE'S
Take Out Food & Gas Bar
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