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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFarming '89, 1989-03-22, Page 6A6. FARMING ‘89, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1989. Friends, neighbours raised $11,000 to help Annin Siertsema and her son Jim look through the nearly completed stable. “You really don’t know how helpful people are until you have a disaster,” she says. Continued from page A4 made larger and the floor streng­ thened. The upstairs floor was made by placing two six inch planks side by side to handle the weight of round bales stacked on each other. The wood was also stained and varnish­ ed for an attractive appearance. The new bam also features a washroom and an office. Mrs. Siertsema plans to install a shower in the bam once the hubbub of the move has settled down. A larger pipeline system was installed by Surge along with the larger bulk tank. The tank is white due to a plastic coating over the stainless steel. The individual feeding system is the same as the one destroyed in the fire. The Alpha-Laval feeder distributed grain and concentrate to the cows specific needs. The com silage will be still fed by hand. The same milking equipment was also installed in the new bam. “We were satisfied with the old equipment and the dealers,” said Mr. Siertsema. Now that the barn has been built and the devastation of the fire is trying to be forgotten, the Siert­ sema family said they have learned a lot from the experience. “You really don’t know how helpful people are until you have a disaster,” said Mrs. Siertsema. This is a great community to live in, she said. Friends and neighbours of the family helped move the cattle, helped doing chores the first few days, brought food, moved cattle feed and raised over $11,000 for the family. They also realize now how impor­ tant insurance is. “The fire taught us to put insurance on everything,” said Mrs. Siertsema, “because when you have a fire the insurance just isn’t enough when the insur­ ance hasn’t been upgraded.” Mrs. Siertsema says that some people believe you can make money from a fire but said there was no way they were making money. ‘‘Over $15,000 was lost in miscellaneous items like forks, cow clippers, medicine and tools,” she said. The tools were in the bam because Jim and his dad were working on the addition. Mr. Siertsema says you also lose a lot of money from decreased milk production. ‘‘We expect things will get back to normal in one year but our milk production won’t be as high as it was for another three years,” he said. Mrs. Siertsema said that other farmers who have survived a bam fire warned them that it would take five years to get PROPERLY TILED FARM LAND IS A NECESSITY! OUR CREW IS READY AND WAITING FOR YOUR CALL A good drainage system • allows fields to be worked earlier • Improves soil conditions to promote plant growth • improves fertilizer efficiency • aerates the soil • promotes deeper root systems • faster soil warming • extends harvesting • minimizes erosion • allows better crop rotation and planting of higher yielding crops • increases land value Ron McCallum 887-6318 Bill McClure 527-0989 CALL THE EXPERTS! KMM DRAINAGE Walton 887-6428 Doug Kirkby 887-6428 right back on track. It’s been a rough time for the Siertsema’s. Jim was planning to join Farmstart this year, a program that assists young farmers. Now, Jim will wait to join the program and because of the fire, the dairy operation will cost him more. Still the Siertsema family says they are optimistic about their future and are concentrating on getting their milk production up again. Farm safety tip Keep a supply of clean water handy when you are mixing or spraying farm chemicals to rinse off spills or splashes ... remember, ‘Farm Chemical Safety Is In Your Hands’. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION AT ITS BEST! Centralia College proudly proclaims two decades of in careers throughout the agriculture and food - Centralia College offers two year diploma programs in: yy ) -Agricultural Business Management -Animal Health Technology -Food Service Management ©Centralia College Continuing Education courses vary from a highly technical information session to a fun educational night out. Ask for our continuing education brochures. FOR A COLLEGE CALENDAR AND OTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: CENTRALIA COLLEGE ©Ministry of Agriculture and Food ONTARIO Jack Riddell. Minister Huron Park, Ontario NOM 1Y0 (519) 228-6691 Your dollars cover more ground with High Quality Special Mixtures As in the past, we prepare mixtures to meet your own individual requirements on recommendations of the Ministry of Agriculture at no extra cost. • BARLEY •OATS • MIXED GRAIN Forage Seeds Reasonably priced and processed to a high standard of purity and germination. LONDESBORO SEED PLANT We have on hand Custom Cleaning by appointment OWNER. Robert Shaddick — Londesboro — Also Featuring "fiTC CUSTOM SPREADING