The Rural Voice, 2002-09, Page 78People
Andg Dixon's tree -planting done
Trees live on long after those who
planted them, and the thousands of
trees planted by Andrew Dixon will
be living memorials to the energy
and curiosity that fueled him long
after most people have settled into
retirement.
Dixon, subject of numerous articles
in The Rural Voice over the past two
decades, died in an Ailsa Craig
nursing home on July 9, at age 95.
He had suffered a stroke a year ago.
Well into his 90s, Dixon was still
planting trees and in 1998 when an
agroforestry tour of his tree
plantations was conducted, he drove
a tractor pulling the wagon on which
the visitors rode.
Dixon pioneered work in agro-
forestry, growing hardwood trees in a
managed system to maximize
growth. After retirement from more
than 30 year of teaching, the last 18
in Exeter, he applied the same
techniques he'd employed in his
Centralia -area apple orchard to
growing trees to hardwood
production. He had planted his first
1,000 walnuts as part of a 3,000 tree
shelter -belt for his orchard in 1939.
The trees took so long to grow that
he felt there had to be a way to
promote faster growth.
He eventually settled on growing
trees among corn and other crops to
shade their roots until they were able
to establish themselves and provide
their own shade.
He kept experimenting with
different trees and different ways of
Andy Dixon talks trees
at a 1998 tour.
speeding up
growth,
eventually
buying a
second farm
for his
experiments.
A voice in
the wilder-
ness at first,
he was
recognized
in 1996 with
the Out-
standing
Service
Award from
the Ontario
Agricultural
College.
OAC
became
interested in
agroforestry
following a tour of his farm in 1985,
one of 150 tours he hosted over the
years.
In 1999 he was nationally
recognized with the Forest
Stewardship Recognition award for
his tireless efforts to promote forest
management.
He is survived by his son Jim
Dixon and daughter-in-law Mary
Lou of Exeter, daughter Betty
Birrell and son-in-law Don of
London, grandchildren Julie Kos and
husband Derek, Sandra Baker and
her husband Lee and great-
grandchildren.0
Tara 4 -Her wins $1,000 scholarship
Jennifer Christie of Tara, recently familiar with computers and
received a $ 1,000 IVOMEC technology, and we received some
scholarship for post -secondary innovative suggestions regarding
education from Merial Canada. everyday farm management and
Jennifer was one of six in Ontario to animal production," said Jacinthe
win an IVOMEC scholarship. A Moreau, marketing manager for
total of 50 4-H youth, from Merial Canada. "We are exploring
across Canada, were awarded a ways to publish some of this unique
$1,000 scholarship. thinking."
Each of the scholarship winners Over the past five years, Merial
submitted an essay, video, audiotape Canada has funded more than
or poster on the topic of the Internet's 250 4-H scholarships and has
impact on farming and livestock donated $425,000 to the scholarship
production. fund and related national Canadian
"Today's young people are very 4-H Council programs.0
Dennis Martin to run
in New York City
Marathon
Dennis Martin is on the move,
and it has nothing to do with the
another shuffle of Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food personnel.
Martin, 50, an OMAF beef
feedlot specialist working from the
Clinton office, will be running in
the New York City Marathon in
November. He was chosen by
lottery to be one of 30,000 athletes
in the marathon, which is 42 km
long. "I've enjoyed running all my
life. I've tried to stay in shape,"
Martin said, adding he has run in
several 10 km races. "I thought this
would be a personal challenge. I
have never run a marathon before."
Because of the prestige of the
marathon and the terrorist attacks
of September 11, Martin said he
made it his first choice to run. He
went to Cornell University, in
Ithaca, N.Y., and had visited the
Twin Towers before.
Born and raised in Bruce County,
Martin has worked for OMAF for
27 years, 25 years at the Clinton
office. He was raised in Ripley,
where his parents, Gordon and
Ora, lived before retiring to
Goderich.
To prepare for the marathon,
Martin said he started his 14 -month
training program in September
2001 with the Terry Fox Run. He is
running about seven miles a day.
"This is a one-shot deal. I plan on
continuing to run but no more
races," Martin said, adding that at
50 years of age, this race will be a
milestone for him. "I wanted to do
it once."
Martin is dedicating his run to his
brother Glen, a runner who died of
a heart attack at age 49, and to
Jeremy Mason, a young area pilot,
who died last year. He added he is
collecting pledges for the Heart and
Stroke Foundation and for the
Jeremy Mason Memorial Flying
Scholarship.
Pledges can be made at the
OMAF Office, 11 Don St., Clinton.
Anyone who would like to make a
pledge or help offset the expenses
can call Martin at 263-2411.0