HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1989-03-08, Page 53lark
The pro
ressu ,O j
Keeping pace with the needs '6 Int
tion tht's .grown from 2 million to s..
million is a challenge. Ontario thr '
have met that challenge over the past We
years wi innovation and excellence.
Them
Farming technology in'18Rn h es hn
productivity. The steam e °
threshing machines, tile Ora e , rr
new lieldsunder cultivate ,,,
tili7ers, wire fencing, Iadd ✓nndir.,,a
pump water unabled eas h farmer .o ie&
abou rc 10 other people in Ontario's growth
cities and towns.
At • the same time, farm women were
also :benefitting from "new" technolee,
which had'now become affordab, - .the
average farian'faanily — cast iron cooking
stoves and sewing machines provided
measures of relief from daily drudgery.
The progressive tendency of the time
was to speeialive ,in livestock production.
So, in addition to selling Lew r 'ins for
cash, farmers grew the: , h op° reg . . ed to
feed livestock — oats, peae, corn the the
southwest) and root crops such las
mangels.
Nearly every farmer had a plow, seed
drill, cultivator, hay Mower, .hay rake and
a binder or an old reaper in the barn. At
harvest time, farmers would hire someone
to come in with a steam engine and
thresher to thresh the crop.
Until the tractor came into widespread
use, plowing was known as the "horse
killer." Each farm usually had three
teams of horses — a light team to pull a
wagon or buggy into town and two heavy
teams for plowing or harrowing. But one
would_iastfor-o-nl a .the e
second team would be harnessed for the
other half.
Farming in the 1880s was hard work, but
rural Ontario had advanced beyond the
subsistence level of earlier years.
Of
!o7
P
4.4
.r.
e dead become the basis of a
wovrinolal econoa
Todav eunectaainneed -farm equ~.np-
aanuarrs' o transportation, improved
;els and cropping methods have improv-
ed the nature of work and life around the
"arra
Science and technology have helped
farmers produce more than their
;aro ^ c°tQ .> ever .drearne-." possible. But
• u atbity isn't everything. Research, much
it founded 'by the Ontario Ministry of
rriculture and Food, has helped ensure
variety and -quality, (making Ontario's
agricultural prr iucts among the best in
the world
Ana a eo' -,3,0i10 farms export close to $2
billion of food and :agricultural products
annually, as well as supplying a 'hungry
domestic market.
Modern fan .. homes fully enjoy the
benefits of technology and the computer is
appearing more and more frequently in
farm offices to asist in managing the
operation.
Agricultural representatives and
ministry specialists have played a key role
over the years in encouraging the use of
new technology and new farming methods.
But farming still has its challenges and
changes — from the uncertainties of the
weather to. shifting international trade pat-
terns. The nature of farm life in Ontario as
a family enterprise still requires commit-
ment from both men.and women alike.
From farms to processing plants, truck-
ing companies, supermarkets and
restaurants, the .agri food business is a
complex ,$15 -billion industry that employs
one in five Ontarians.
Farming is the cornerstone of Ontario's
food system — one of the finest in the
world.
When most people trn�i.. 1
they think of legendary a i,: • • lc Ly, and
durability. And most likely, a once tag
to match.
But the fact is, the
Volvo 240 DL is •
surprisingly afford- .,
•able..Despite its
.v
classic design, its comfortable intenor, and
its even more comforting safety features.
It just goes to prove, you can'l,tudge
a car's value by its sticker
pricealone. And
that's been our angle
all along.
``VO AVO
Acar you can believe in
. ' URDH TQBUYORLA AVOI Y0. SED,1 N AY
" jANADA'S OLDEST VQLVD:DEALER"
vi
184 EAST ST., GOD RiO1- 24-2i 13
Males, Service, Parts, :•F.ieasing
tl •
firm -!Edltiorn 'rv3o Bye SA
School] children delighted with the bull in the 18.10's Pioneer Farmstead barnyard.
Slow transition to organic f arrnin
Turn to page 8A
gives the soil its fertility and resistance
against disease such as insects and fungus
which trigger weed growth, he said.
He suggested a slow transition from far-
ming using fertilizer to organic farming
because the "risk is high for low results."
Farmers need above-average skills to
make observations and decisions, a skill
that is achieved through farming colleges
or years of experience, he said.
Lawrence said farmers buying fertilizer
are ' "degrading themselves to label
readers," while farmers converting to
organic farming depend on the advice of
other ecological farmers.
Born in Switzerland and a resident of
Kineardino---townehrip for - 10-- 3eaars,
Lawrence said there were no ecological
farmers in this area when he started.
He began his supply of seed from his own
Or
4100
is wise
crops and had converted'his farrrn on con-
cession 10 within three years.
Has to get over fertilizer "addiction"
. When converting a farm, weeds are a:
problem and the soil needs time to' become
less dependent or "addict.. " to fertilizer,
Lawrence said.
He said other practises for organic fann-
ing include growing a crop which can be
used to feed livestock and one or two crops
which can be sold, if the farmer has
enough room to store the crop.
In his opinion, beef cattle are the best "
livestock to maintain because they con-
sume hay and grain, making their manure
the bestto refertilize the soil. Pigs only re-
quire some grain and corn, he said.
- - -Residents of - Kincar€llne-_owns , •
Lawrence and Mathilde Andres arrived
from Switzerland 10 years ago and have
managed the association since 1983.
Your Pioneer Sales 'Representative has a whole line-up of
fine Pioneer® brand products, including seed corn,
soybeans, alfalfa and sorghum-sudangrass along with .
Sila-bac® brand 1177 silage inoculant*.
Superior products with reliable services ... together
they are "The Pioneer Difference".
`PIONEER DAYS"
March:2046, 1989
Volume •disctiutt..up lo 10%,plus 5% for cash
FREE..JACKET, on 10 :Wnfts,and over
*crake additi ve
Your Pioneer ,SalesR epieaentati%ve #s
'DOUG 'EADIE
395.5-721. (Holyrood) daytl><ne
3964991 Oiu IlRrdioe) ev tltngs