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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-01-18, Page 14r,. • 0 PAGE FOURTEEN THE LUCKNOW SENTINEL LUCKNOW, ONTARIO WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1978 0 4 RO 0H ,`•<• • 000 Di�'y 1. Ye° " •°se 4 4 R.R» 0.0.4.4 ex+ 44. �4A4A4 4 x4°40°6°4 i4a4$4••4 44x6%44 &4 �Y:'0 9R e • xe4x `4 o x x . .% 4%.+X'" 4 3i,•a a R e 5 eee• °e<.x %•4R%e4x+x 44•%4< 4 40..0 a.4.4, y4°e °°f°e °'° "p Aex*a4o %0 .1• e 4 4 Vt 0 4 0. x : ° x•f a e R• 0 • 110,74,,*(‘. nyO ROR txo •• e40 %• ° exp ,4 * xa% e Q. : 4 ' e4 y e% 4 R eeex % 4 x ` >x ,°R s< 4 R x 0 e e +e % 4 °y 4 a e 4 4%a% 0% 4 0 % o a 0. 4 a •" 00 x 0X0 O x 4 4 d yRaa %0 x o 0 x 4 0 4 0 A- R. *,','0•0*;, i x 0♦ x 4 4 x 4 a 0 e <<xx4 P. 4 4 4 0 0 A ,. ,<• a e%x 4 ,X 0N. a eOUe4( 0 0 * R0 %< 0% u 4 It 0 taxV•• 0 0 8 0. R % <•< o rx x : 00/4,104.7,0P t00.460 40 04 X*1.7.04v°x" V a° 0< 4 ..ee.e0<%x MAE DORE, PURPLE Grove correspondent for the Kincardine News, holds Petals, her houMrs.e Doreaeal hi. istrrs.°tate sales representative and an Avonore also ites her column for the cu know paper: Besides writing, n lady. (Bev Ctark photo) Despite poor year, Despite a trying year during 1977 Huron's Agricultural Repre- sentative Don Pullen predicts county farmers will °"remain valiant ,and unshaken" Pullen said in an interview last week with the Exeter Times - Advocate he was told by one farmer who failed to harvest 200 acres of white beans . and did not have , crop insurance, "well, it's my first crop failure in 16 years." The ag rep added, "Most of our farmers are -eternal optimists like myself ' or they . wouldn't be associated with an. industry where. there are so many risks which include ' weather and' variable market conditions:" • The very wet fall weather cut.' Huron's white bean production by more . than . 50 percent. Despite this Pullen says, "I don't think this will have any appreciable effect on the amount of bean acres to be planted this year. 'We hope this was a once in a lifetime situation.", He continued, ' "The weather this spring will dictate whether more corn or beans will be planted to make up for the drastic cut in fall wheat planted last fall." , Talking about the white bean crop Pullen said, "the' weather certainly turned one problem into another. At' a crops day at Centralia early in August every- one was wondering what would be done with all the beans from an expected bumper crop. Germ- ination was the best ever and the beans came on very even. That is, until the rains came." • Next'to ,1975, Pullen said this past year's corn crop, was the best oat 'record, • He continued, "With the exception 'of some acreage to the. north, most of out corn ,was harvested with the help of some late Indian summer - weather." "Ironcially, 'silage corn yields were great ' but when field conditions became so wet, the silage became too -°---diry.'„ Corn prices have now risen to about $1.90 but, this is still below the. cost of production of about $2.20," added pullen. Some'farnt rs, especially in the northern portion of the county, •who specialize in livestock are finding a shortage of hay and straw. About hay, Pullen said,. "qual- ity of the first cut was dandy, but, due to dry weather was not enough. There was an abundance of second and third cuttings but they couldn't be harvested be- cause of the weather.. A lot of,hay went down the drain." Quality and quantity of pasture was the best in many years. "We had reports of hefty gains of cattle out ongrass," said Pullen. The ag rep saki Huron farmers are showing more- awareness 'to soil erosion. More sod ,crops are being .used to help soil structures, especially on heavy land. • The year 1977 will be remem- bered as the year of phasing' out can -shipping for dairymen. On the 'subject of dairy Pullen said, "There will likely be some ,.frustrations when some run out of quotas by the end f:f the year." The beef cattle situation which has been "not so 'good" for the past `three years' is expected to• take another three years, to. recover. Pullen said the poultry industry in Huron was "stable" with broilers much, better than,, several years ago. Sonne forecasters are suggest- ing hog pric$s may be a bit easier Purple Grove Correspondent Collects old��►attles and sells real estate The story about our Purple Grove correspondent was mistak- enly printed as her column in a previous edition of the paper., We are reprinting the story with her picture in this issue to correct the error. Mae Dore thinks it would be a good idea if everyone in Purple Grove took a turn writing the Purple Grove column for the Lucknaw Sentinel and the Kincar- dine News. Each person could write the column for a year she suggests:, but adds, "I don't think an;'body would do it," ' purple Grove is a community Of about 25 families in- Huron Tcwnship, close to the Kinloss border. Actually, Purple Grove takes in a few families in Kinloss, she says. "It's hard to get most of my news Sunday night," she observ- es, "I leave the lath concession until••Monday morning because I ,can't get any of their numbers on a Sunday night. The party line is so busy. "You know, I feel just about to give up,' she added, "and' then someone that has . left the community and is visiting in the area, tells me they know what is going on because they read the column and Took forward to it." Mae and her husband, Don have four children. Only ' one is still living at home and the rest are out working. • Mae, who sells Don Hoist Real Estate and Avon cosmetics, is a bottle collector, "My true love, besides my family, is bottle .collecting and my husband also collects bottles" she says. In :the summer she and her husband`visit dumps and dig up old bottles. A shelf in her kitchen is lined with old pop bottles. Her husband has a complete chess set of '="'Avon bottles. Mae also runs the R. R. 3 mail route for Ivan Pollock in the winter. If the weather is stormy, Don will do the route for his wife. Mae also does carpentry work. Her father was a carpenter and she just "fools around" with it. She made a cupboard that some of her bottles stand on as well as `valances for her kitchen windows. Mae says she is spoiled by an understanding husband. "I have my freedom. I'have my own car and I do as I please," she laughs. "`But no matter what' I do or where I go, I'm always home to cook supper." - "Although when I took my real estate course, Don would have supper ready for me, if I was late," she points out. The Dores have lived in Purple Grove on their 100 acre crop farm afor about 18 years. Don is from the . area - while Mae grew up in 'Port Severn. "I wouldn't go back there," she says, "I like it here." armers keep chins up in " 1978 because • of uglier production in •other areas. The Huron Ag. rep. ' said some Huron hog operators are consol- idating: their operations to include farrowing to finishing. Bad years like 1977 point up the changingprole of the agricultural office. -.Credit counselling and farm management advice is a: logger part of the ag. rep's and three associate ag. reps jobs when an average 100 acre farm may have an investment of a quarter of a million dollars. 0. Pullen says farm people in this county are very innovative and some of the 'best farm managers in North America are right here in , Huron. "They are not afraid to risk". Farmers have made more gains in' productivity than any other sector of society "but they are fairly, quiet about it" and get animosity from consumers when prices go up. "It's one of the agricultural ministry's jobs to make the cities understand what a small percent- age of ' the increase goes to . farmers," says Pullen. He admits, "It's an uphill battle since farmers are only about six percent of the popula- tion and most MPPs represent . urban ridings, but, OMAF. ,is trying." • The four men whe work at farm management 'counselling in Hur- on, Don Pullen, Stan Paquette, Dennis Martin and.Ivlikr..: Miller are . always 'available . when a farmer looking at a major new investment wants to , try some- .thing ome-•thing new. They can help "with cash flows and debt planning. that can • be ,'crucialn wear like this. Short farrn m . nagement 'courses are offered at Centralia College and there is more and more demand for intensive, one to one counsel- ling since each farm family has its own goals and objectives. Don Pullen and his staff are always updating their manage- ment knowledge and he :says "from exposure to farmers I'd say we. often .learn more from them `Than vice -versa." Land costs ' and huge invest- ments in. farming make this year's extreme weather conditions a lot more significant. The ag office. is worried' about the young farmer who has been in the business only three or four years and has the highest costs. More established farmers can usuallywait out a bad year. The big change in Huron from mixed farming to cash cropping also makesa year of bad weather more serious. Mixed farmers could hope to "tread ' water" during a bad year. Right, now, the, ag. rep sug- gests, "Huron's economy is like a car in neutral. The big effect of 1977's disastrous weather and commodity prices will hit . when the debt comes due. The pain will. be, more excruciating next spring. " But with reasonable plans and documentation, he says farmers should get a sympathetic ear from the Farm Credit Corporation and other tending agencies. And he and his staff will make time to help Huron farmers do this type of planning. It takes a special kind of person to 'cope with •the stress a and uncertainty of farming these days and Pullen sayd he is amazed at the optimism•and resourcefulness of farmers, who are/ facing big CONTINUED: ON PAGE 16 CANADA FARM SHOW Wednesday, February 1 AT AGRIBUSINESS MARKETPLACE TORONTO For Transportation, Phone: Godorl ch 524-7622 . Ok mcGo,vin Fortis Equipment Sec forth 887a6365 O