The Rural Voice, 2001-05, Page 3R.V.
Editor: Keith Roulston
editorial advisory committee:
Bev Hill, farmer, Huron County
Diane O'Shea, farmer, Middlesex Cty.
George Penfold, associate professor,
University of Guelph
Gerald Poechman, farmer, Bruce Cty.
contributing writers:
Gisele Ireland, Lisa Boonstoppel-
Pot, Bonnie Gropp, Ralph Pearce
Bob Reid, Mervyn Erb, Sandra
Orr, Janice Becker, Andrew Grindlay,
Mark Nonkes, Larry Drew
marketing & advertising sales manager:
Gerry Fortune
advertising representative:
Merle Gunby
production co-ordinator:
Joan Caldwell
advertising & editorial production:
Dianne Josling
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Publishing, Goderich, Ontario
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Behind the Scenes
Keeping your `workers' happy
The study of animal behaviour can
be a touchy subject among some
farmers. For many, it's the domain of
animal welfare "crazies" who have
fuzzy ideas of what's right for
animals and no idea of what's right
for the farmers trying to make a
living keeping livestock.
But a growing number of practical
professionals like Dr. Neil Anderson,
a veterinarian with OMAFRA's
Fergus office, and an increasing
number of farmers, are realizing that
happy, comfortable animals are a
compet-itive advantage. Dr. Ander-
son had his own eyes opened by
leaving a video camera running in a
barn to watch the cattle when no one
was around them. What he saw has
convinced him to change his own
ideas about the design of stalls and
barns. Those farmers who have
followed his findings have been reap-
ing the rewards of increased product-
ion and fewer health problems. We
talked to Dr. Anderson this month.
Also on this month's featured
subject of dairy production, Michael
Hutjens, dairy extension specialist
from the University of Illinois, talks
about the value of good forages in
giving dairy farmers a competitive
advantage.
Water continues to be a hot topic
among farmers and society in
general. Often we see only our own
needs for water, whether water in
ponds and streams or underground.
But the situation for the people who
have to make policy for the use of
water is far more complicated than
the individual landowner or
recreationist might think. Lorrie
Minshall, manager of watershed
resources planning with the Grand
River Conservation Authority has
studied the competing demands for
that watershed from its headwaters in
the Grey highlands to the mouth of
the river are Lake Erie. It presents an
interesting perspective of the import-
ance of water in people's lives.
Lightning rods were once on every
farm building. Today they're not as
popular as they once were, but the
decorative glass balls that used to be
part of the rods have attracted collect-
ors. Larry Drew takes a look at the
history of lightning rods in this issue.
One of the first harvests of spring
for many people is rhubarb. Linda
Gabris takes a look at the plant and
passes on recipes for uses of this
hardy survivor of farm gardens.0
Update
A sad farewell
All good things must end and the relationship between Gisele Ireland and
readers of The Rural Voice has been one of the best for more than 20 years.
This month Gisele contributes her final monthly column to this magazine. She
has been one of our best assets in making Rural Voice a must -read in farm
homes. Readers always say the first thing they read in the magazine is Gisele's
column. The foibles of her family, and especially Super Wrench, have been
entertaining readers since her first column appeared (searching our files this
seems to have been in August 1980, though she had been contributing to the
magazine on a less -regular basis for months before that).
But there's a double edge to being so popular — readers have high
expectations. People expect you to be hilarious every month. Twenty years is a
long time to be funny.
But Gisele managed it most months, through good times and bad in her own
family's life. One of my favourite columns, however, wasn't funny at all. It was
in February 1999 and one of the most devastating price drops in history had hit
pork producers. Gisele shared memories of the troubling times she and Brian had
survived on their own farm and reminded suffering readers to hold onto the
things that really mattered, like their families.
Sad though we are to see her leave, we can only wish Gisele as much laughter
in her retirement as she has given us over the years. — Keith Roulston