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The Rural Voice, 2000-08, Page 64GREY 446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9 Email: grey©ofa on.ca Website www ofa.on.ca/grey 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551 County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER • The Rural Voice is provided to all Grey County Farmers by the GCFA. Take every opportunity to educate the public I would like to report on an event that doesn't even get front page attention. the Kindergarten class trip to the farm. My son's class and another class came to see our farm. The big yellow bus pulled into our driveway and 40 lively children got off the bus. You could see the excitement and anticipation in their faces. Some children, parent volunteers and teachers had never set foot on a farm before. Our youngest son immediately started showing off our four yellow lab puppies which had been born some two weeks earlier. The children just gravitated toward them. The puppies seemed to enjoy all the attention they were getting. After pulling the children away from the puppies, we got started with the farm tour. One class got the tour while the other class went to a butter - making station. The butter -making station was capably instructed by Audrey Lembke, our Dairy Educator. The children who were on the barn tour started out in the milkhouse. The children immediately noticed the smell. After a few pinched noses and pheews they got used to it once they saw everything else in the barn. They saw the milk tank where the milk is cooled until the milk truck comes. We were able to educate them on the strict screening process each truck has to go through before it can go to the processors to ensure top quality milk and milk products in the stores. Next was the milking parlour. We turned on the milkers and the children could put their fingers in to feel the GREY COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE PLEASE NOTE: There will be NO Board of Directors' Meeting in August Next meeting will be Thursday, September 28 60 THE RURAL VOICE suction. Some of the children were fearless, while others were a little hesitant. Then they saw the calves in their pens. How eager the children were to feed them! They all were given some feed in their hands so they could feed the calves. We had a newborn calf the day before and it got out of its pen and was right at home among the children. While we were on the topic of feed we showed them the bunker silo, and explained that it contained hay and corn. One child adamantly stated that her dad eats that. As we were walking toward the barn we passed the manure pit, and the machinery that makes our work a little easier: the tractors, disc -bine, plough, seed drill, hay wagons, just to name a few. As the children finished the barn tour, the butter making station tour was also completed and the classes switched. At the butter making station the children learned how to make REAL butter. A small jar filled with whipping cream was passed to each of the children. The' hildren could take turns shaking the jar. While this was happening Audrey educated the children about the way butter used to be made. She brought some of the old equipment with her, eg. butter churner, and butter stamp. By the time Audrey finished her demonstration, the whipping cream had turned into butter. She washed it with some water and each child had a cracker with some real butter on it. Audrey also brought some ear tags, leg bands, brushes, pill shoot, halters and some other items used for cows. The children were given some chocolate milk and ate their lunch. We still had enough time to give them a wagon ride. A perfect way to finish a morning on the farm. As the yellow bus came to pick up the children we thought about what an education this had been. The children as well as the parent volunteers, and teachers learned things they never knew before. This is what agriculture is about. We should take every opportunity to educate our present and future consumers. Let's make the most of it!O — Submitted by Pau! De Jong GCFA Executive Director and Dairy Producers Representative A Healing Vision for Family Farms and Rural Life A dynamic presentation by: Dr. John Ikerd, BS, MS, PhD Agricultural Economics Dr. Ikerd is an agricultural economist and researcher of sustainable models for family farming and rural economic development A Must -Attend Event for all those with a stake in the future of Family Farms and Rural Communities! Knights of Columbus Hall (Hwy. 4, West of Hanover) Thursday, August 24, 2000 - 7:30 - 10:00 p.m. Admission: Donations gratefully accepted A follow-up to Bill and Judy Heffernan meeting (Developing Rural Community as if People Matter) last year. If you enjoyed the meeting last year, or were unable to attend, be sure to take in this informative event. Sponsored by the Grey and Bruce Federations of Agriculture For more information contact our office at 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551