The Rural Voice, 1979-12, Page 12One day courses
to improve farming practises
BY DEBBIE RANNEY
Farmers wishing to pick up some extra
tips on their occupation could probably get
some good advice by attending the one day
courses offered in Huron, Bruce and Perth
counties during the winter months.
Perth County seems to have the most to
offer in the month of December starting off
with a Soils and Crops information day to
be held at the Stratford Coliseum on
Tuesday, December 4. John Murphy of the
Royal Bank will be speaking on what good
managers are doing and Soils and Crop
Specialist Pat Lynch will be reporting on all
the on-farm trial demonstrations conducted
in Perth and Huron Counties. The program
starts at 10:45 and goes until 3:30. Lunch
can be bought at noon for a nominal fee.
On Wednesday, December 5, a Swine
Symposium will be held at the Stratford
Fairgrounds. This program is planned for
pork producers and features speakers from
throughout North America. Registration
starts at 9 a.m. sharp and sessions start at
10 a.m.
Tickets are S10 in advance, $15 at the
door and include the luncheon. They may
be purchased from Pork Producer
Associations in Huron, Oxford and Perth,
at the County O.M.A.F. offices or by mail
by returning a swine symposium form with
your cheque.
Lit the courses being offered, Session 1
dealing with health includes Dr. Michael
Weber, of the University of Guelph
speaking on Hemophilius Pneumonia; Dr.
William Young of the Wellington Road
Animal Hospital in London speaking on the
Drug and Vaccine story; Dr. Trevor Smith .
of the University of Guelph speaking on
Myscotoxins and Dr. Ray Nachreiner of
Michigan State University, East Lansing,
Michigan speaking on M.M.A. Complex.
Session II on building design includes
Design Tidbits with Richard Smelski from
the O.M.A.F. office in Stratford; Modified
Open Front with Pork Producer, Dave
McDonald of Glencoe; Effects of Manure
a' ses with Dr. Ross Willoughby of the
University of Guelph,The Waldo Operation
with Max Waldo, a pork producer from
Dewitt, Nebraska.
Session III on Financial Management
will include Cost of Automation with Peter
Hart front -the Bank of Montreal in London;
Energy Efficiencies with Stan Stewart of
London from Ontario Hydro; Economic
Future with Carl Moore, pork producer
from Embro. and A Practical Swine
Operation with Don Knechtel, a pork
producer from Shakespeare.
The fourth sesison is on Management
and includes Feed Efficiency with Dr.
Gene Isler of Ohio State University,
Columbus, Ohio; Past, Present, Future of
A.I. with Dr. Vernon Pursel of U.S.D.A.,
Beltsville, Maryland; Compensatory
Growth with Dr. Doug Friend, Agriculture
Canada, Ottawa and Bilderback Operation
with Bill Bilderback, a pork producer from
Orleans, Indiana.
More winter courses will be offered in
Perth County in January and February,
including a Weed Identification course at
the Mitchell Town Hall on Tuesday,
January 8 and Wednesday, January 9. The
course will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. and registration is at the agricultural
office in Stratford.
Perth County Ag. Week will also be held
in February starting on Tuesday,
February 19 and running to Friday,
February 22. The program will be held at
the Coliseum at the Stratford Fair Grounds
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with Agribusiness
displays and a program daily.
Tuesday- will be beef and dairy day,
Wednesday, Federation Day, Thursday,
Pork Day and Friday will be Crops Day.
Also in February, a Herbicide Course for
Agribusiness, Counter Sales People and
Fieldmen will be held at the Mitchell Town
Hall on Thursday, February 28 and Friday,
February 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Registration is at the agricultural office in
Stratford.
In Huron County, one date that has
definitely been set is for a beef feedlot
management day to be held at Centralia
College in Huron Hall on Wednesday,
January 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There will be a feedlot tour in the
morning and then a telelecture at noon
with a speaker on outlook. The featured
speaker is Dan Fox from Cornell University
in Ithaca, New York who will be speaking
on Feeding Cattle in the '80 s.
On January 8th, there is a Sow Herd
Management Course.
It is a oneday course covering economics,
disease control, feeding and ventilation
and heating. Selected producer ex-
periences will be part of the program. It
will also be held at the Legion Hall in
Hanover, March 13.
On Thursday, January 10, Feeder Pig
Management - A one -day course to discuss
manure handling systems; medication, the
market situation, improving feed efficiency
and ways to start feeder pigs.
Unless stated otherwise, all course held
in Huron Hall, Centralia College.
!Registration 15 days in advance.
In Bruce County there is a Farmers'
Week which runs from January 7 to
January 11, and features Dairy Day on
Monday, Crops and Ladies Day on
Tuesday, Federation of Agriculture Day on
Wednesday with a program on horses in
the evening Swine and Sheep Day on
Thursday and Beef Day on Friday. The
programs are held in the Hanover
Coliseum and the Ladies program is held in
the town hall in Hanover. Programs usually
run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Training for dairy and swine workers
Centralia College of Agricultural
Technology is offering a training
opportunity in January for those interested
in becoming dairy or swine farm workers.
The programs are offered in co-operation
with Canada Farm Labour Pools and the
Canada Employment and Immigration
Commission. Admission requirements for
both programs are: male or female at least
17 years of age with at least a Grade 8
education and out of school for at least one
year.
The Dairy Farm Worker program begins
on January 21, 1980 and will operate for
10 weeks with 17 days of practical classes
at the College and 33 days of on-farm
training conducted by selected farm
PG. 10 THE RURAL VOICE/DECEMBER 1979
trainers. Study will include all aspects of
dairy farm work with emphasis on feeding,
reproduction, careof animals and milking
equipment operation and maintenance..
The on-farm training will provide practical
experience to develop and practice specific
skills.
A pamphlet on the program indicates
that elegible applicants may qualify for a