The Rural Voice, 2000-07, Page 47RAINY RIVER
Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
416
R.R. 1, Devlin, Ontario POW 100
807-486-3622
k 11NY RIVER ‘'ALLEY• The Rural Voice is provided to Rainy
River Federation members by the RRFA.
P3A 4M5 and her phone number is 705-
525-6118. The next leaders' meeting is
June 19 at Barwick.
A get-together with the Hereford
Association in the form of a potluck
dinner will take place July 22 at the
Riverside Park at Emo. CaII KimJo for
more information.
The Rainy River District Cattlemen
will have a work bee the third week of
July to finish up the penning areas and
put some paint in the new office. New
gates will be hung and the new scales
will have the slippery floor rectified.
Sales this year are August 26 for
yearlings. September 23 for calves, Top
of the Line sale October 14. A stocker
sale will take place from 9:00 a.m. -
noon the same date as the Top of the
Line.
The Ontario Agri Food Education
report was given by Kristine. Our Ag
Awareness group will be setting up a
dairy display at the Emo Fair in the
Farm Progress building. We will be
promoting all dairy products with
games and handouts for children. The
Rainy River District Milk Producers
will have their booth next to ours and
together we will advertise the wonders
of milk products. To date Willow -Mor
Farms has been host to over 475
students ranging from Daycare, J.K.,
S.K., Grades 1-2-3, Special Ed.
Children, and Toy Library groups.
Tours began in late May and continue
through the summer months. Children
learn about farming and all the animals
in a safe and educational environment.
It's interesting to see just how many
cattlemen are just putting their bulls out
with the cows to pasture this past week.
Later spring calving seer& to be catch-
ing on with the guys who don't want to
see the calves freeze their ears and butts
anymore than they do themselves.
In honour of the Emo Fair's IOOth
anniversary, all exhibitors are
encouraged to share their history. Prizes
will be awarded to the best portrayal of
the history of their product, their
company or organization's history or
the 100th anniversary of the Emo Fair.
Information on registration forms and
how you can take part in this
celebration can be had by calling Linda
Armstrong at 807-852-3645 or Kim
Desserre at 807-483-5412.
"People who do things that count
never stop to count them."
Have a safe and bountiful haying
season.0
— Submitted by Shirley Morrish
JULY 2000 43
June 16. 2000
Just returned from chaperoning a
school trip to three local farms for the
Grade 4 students.
Normally I'm on the receiving end
of these events, doing farm tours for
people who want to see a variety of
farm animals with the hands-on
experience and old-fashioned charm.
Well, today the experience was an
education for teachers as well as the
students. The first stop was to Arnold
and Cindy Kaeminghs' dairy farm south
of Devlin. After a video, grand tour of
the dairy barn and ice cream as a treat,
we travelled by bus to the Cornell Farm
north of LaVallee where 1 grew up as
their neighbours. Kim and Pat showed
us their line of machinery, a restored,
vintage Massey Tractor and the
wonderful old barn that began with
Great Grampa Billy Pope. Young
Garnet took us through the steps of
grooming and preparing a beef animal
for showtime and the students went
through the crowding tub, up the alley
and then were weighed just as the cattle
would be, after running through the
squeeze. The highlight of the tour was
Kim's speech on artificial insemination
and Garnet's graphic comments.
Following this educational experience.
everyone was invited for a lunch of
barbecued burgers, chips and juices.
It really hit the spot before the next
stop at Deb and Bill Darby's Elk Ranch.
One again, an actual run-through of the
fantastic penning system that the elk
encounter. After bottle feeding a day-
old elk calf, touching an elk antler
covered in velvet and tasting a sample
of elk sausage, the bus returned to the
school with students and teachers much
wiser than before.
The RRFA held their June 6 meeting
at the Emo Municipal office with Linda
Armstrong, Dianne Vandenbrand, Betty
Salchert, Kris Carpenter, Shirley
Morrish, Jason Teeple, Bernie
Zimmerman, Ken Fisher, Kimio Calder,
and Kim Desserre attending.
Betty, reporting for Member
Services, stated that a log book will be
needed for hauling cattle trailers now
and a vehicle inspection booklet similar
to the regular truckers. Betty will see
that the information is placed in the
North West Link. RRFA will have
booklets available at their booth at the
Farm Progress Building at the Fair in
August.
Betty has also been busy putting up
OFA signs across the Rainy River
District. These are for paid members
only and non-members should have
their signs removed.
Saturday, October 14. 2000 will be
the RRFA annual meeting date as well
as the Top of the Line Sale at Stratton.
The annual will take place at the
Barwick Community Centre. Kim
Desserre resigned from the
entertainment committee. so Kristine
Carpenter, Ken Fisher. Bernie
Zimmerman and Kink) Bliss -Calder
will continue with the planning.
Jason reported that as of May 30
there were 350 head of cattle in the
Community Pasture. This season, there
are more stockers than cow/calf pairs.
Repairs and gravel hauling are
underway as well as improvements that
were needed. Wally and Tammy
Hunsperger are the managers this
season.
Bernie, reporting for the local Milk
Producers, announced that they've lost
another dairy farm in the District. Brian
McCoy has to let go because of health
problems. Brian has been a farmer all
his life working alongside his dad as a
young boy and carrying on after his dad
passed away. The McCoy ranch also
raise beef cattle and dogs. Brian and
Judy are proud of their efforts and it
won't be easy giving up something
you've done all your life. We wish them
well.
The EMO Research Station will hold
their Open House on Monday, July 17
at 7:00 p.m. with a barbecue. Kink)
also mentioned that the 2000 Summer
Soil & Crop Tour will take place
Tuesday. July 18. There will be a
special guest.
If you want to contact OMAFRA,
you can call the Verner Regional Office
at 1-800-461-6132 to reach all northern
staff. This is for paid publications and
fact sheets. You can also call Guelph at
1-888-466-2372 or the Ag Information
Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300.
Phone numbers and pushing buttons
will never replace a good Ag. Rep in the
farming community.
Forage and Soil Probes as well as the
bags, boxes and forms for sending
samples to Norwest Labs in Winnipeg
can now be obtained from Emo Feed
Service. Any borrowed items must be
returned within Live working days.
4H has a new (ASR) Association
Support Representative to take care of
all membership lists and any questions
regarding 4-H. She is Sandra Larsen at
22 Peppertree Village in Sudbury, ON