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The Rural Voice, 1979-02, Page 331 8 yearold Bruce farmer Ralph Kreutzwiser has very mature ideas for a farmer so young - he won't be 19 until March. He lives on his aunt and uncle's farm at RR 2, Wingham. His uncle, Harold McCormick has a mixed farm and does a lot of custom work. Ralph has been working out full time since graduating from F.E. Madill Secon- dary School. He seems to have limitless energy because he is on the job usually by six a.m. and has by then done some chores at home. He works on a dairy farm at the present time, milking 120 Jersey cows with the help of his employers Bill and Janet Ireland and another full time helper, Nancy Shaver. He doesn't plan to work for others long - ju- t long enough to get into farming on his own. OVER BUY Ralph feels most young farmers over buy, especially in the machinery depart- ment. He plans to start with cash cropping and hiring his work and working up to a full dairy enterprise. He seems fully aware of the sacrifices and hardships ahead of him but those who Has mature ideas BY GISELLE IRELAND know him can't help but feel elated at such enthusiasm and drive to reach his goal. ADVANCED HONOURS This fall Ralph was awarded an Ad- vanced Honour Award in 4-H work after having completed 18 clubs. He is also a member of the Teeswater Junior Farmers and is very active in all projects. Ralph enjoys community improvements best but Ralph Kreutzwiser The Young Farmer about his industry is also quite an athlete, involved in numerous Junior Farmer sports victories. Ralph feels that the farming industry will see the steady encroachment of artifical products. mainly because of price. He feels that the "real" thing will be there for those that can afford to buy it. He is looking for a strong increase in the artificial meat market. TREMENDOUS Ralph feels strongly that the 4-H clubs in Ontario are doing a tremendous job in educating in advanced theories and prac- tices. He is happy to note that in the last few years there have been more field trips, showing members practical application of theory. He feels that a lot of farming looks wonderful on paper and is sometimes an expensive disaster when applied prac- tically. PLANNED Ralph seems to have his future planned with great thought. If more young people with the same drive and enthusiasm as Ralph's enter the agricultural profession there will certainly be a better industry in future years. ............ rf ........:..t ....:...tar..:.... . New 4H programs stress nutrition Nutrition has always been emphasized in the food projects in 4-H home making programs. But in some cases the way it is emphasized has changed. "Whenever we have any food project, nutrition is an underlying theme whether we're studying all the food groups or teaching specific recil cs'n how to cook specific food," says Huion home econo- mist Bea McClenaghan. 4-H programs try to approach nutrition from different angles using the basic food guide which suggests eating something from all of the four food groups—milk and milk products, meat and alternatives, bread and cereals. and fruits and vege- tables every day. A recent nroject, Essential Edibles, she BY DEBBIE RANNEY called a good overall coverage of nutrition and the food guide. Barb DeVisscher, home economist for Bruce County said that the new 4-H format is more activity oriented. Members had to score their meals for several days and that forced them to take a look at their nutritional status, Barb said. In other years, she said 4-H members might have sr,Ired their meals once every other food project so that would be once every two and a half years. i ney u .nu., than ui previous years and they were expected to show progress," Barb said. Essential Edibles members also got some different recipes such as Metric Crispy Granola which uses cereal products and fibre and Energy Squares which use granola and are good for putting in lunch boxes. "The project tries to stress the things that Nutrition Canada pointed out we're lacking," she said. She added that home economists were trying to pick recipes that were nutritionally sound and popular such as the ones using granola but she said jokingly that they certainly haven't become "health food freaks." "I think there's more of an emphasis on nutrition. It's not just left as an abstract topic that you talk about. They (the 4-H members) have to actually apply it to themselves," Barb said of the new Essential Edibles project. THE RURAL VOICE/FEBRUARY 1979 PG. 33