The Rural Voice, 2003-09, Page 3About this issue
Battling through the crisis
A monthly publication like ours is faced with a dilemma
when it comes to a crisis like the BSE -related blockage of
Canadian beef exports. On one hand, we cannot possibly
stay on top of day-to-day developments the way radio and
television, daily newspapers or even weekly farm
publications can. It's also virtually impossible for us to add
any new enlightening information to the subject that hasn't
already been spoken or written in the millions of words of
coverage already out there. Generally it's our policy to
reserve our limited space for information you're not going
to get elsewhere and not repeat coverage that others can do
as well or better. On the other hand, how do you ignore a
story as big as this without insulting all those who are
suffering.
With our September issue coming up, the issue we put a
special focus on beef, our predicament was made even
more difficult. Finally, we decided that we should focus on
the same kinds of stories we would regularly include in this
issue: stories of people doing interesting things in the beef
industry. Still, of course, the BSE crisis factors into these
stories.
In our feature on Top Meadow Farmers, for instance, the
Limousin breeding farm has sought to overcome a drop in
live animal breeding stock sales to foreign customers by
increasing semen and embryo sales, even implanting
embryos in U.S. recipient animals so there would be a
future source of breeding stock that don't have to cross a
border for U.S. customers.
In Bonnie Gropp's story on Gary Haak's Clinton -area
pastured beef business, selling directly to customers, shows
how some beef producers can avoid the perils of the open
market, with its dependence on exports.
Aside from beef, it's the time of the year for the big
farm shows. In Grey County they're planning for the 2004
International Plowing Match and will be keeping a close
eye on this year's match in Lanark County. Meanwhile
Canada's Outdoor Farm Show will mark its 10th
anniversary show this September, once again showing off
the latest in technology.
Looking backward, instead of ahead, Larry Drew looks
at the history of silos in his feature.
A totally different tack on farming is explored by Sarah
Mann in her story on the growing of experimental
medicinal crops at Healing Arc Farm in the Wingham area.
In gardening, Rhea Hamilton Seeger deals with
butterflies and their uglier side — caterpillars.0
Update
Barn Dance Museum gets home
The CKNX Travelling Barn Dance has been the subject
of several stories and updates over the years, starting with a
story on the Blyth Festival play about the Barn Dance
(June 1996). Inspired by former Barn Dance regular Earl
Heywood, the memory of this legendary part of
midwestern Ontario culture has been preserved in a
museum collection which now has a new, convenient -to -
visit home in Wingham.
In late July the new museum was opened in the basement
of the same building that houses the North Huron Museum
on Wingham's main street. Visitors to the museum will
enjoy their collection of biographies on performers such as
Clarke Johnston, Cactus Mac, Elmer Purdon, Ernie King,
Lloyd Bank, and Jack Kingston and their showcases of host
Johnny Brent (including his uniform which he was selling
at his garage sale), and Earl Heywood. The museum also
has a great collection of artifacts including vintage guitars,
posters, records, awards won by the performers, as well as
videos of early shows. It's open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.0
`Rural Voice
Published monthly by:
The Rural Voice,
Box 429, Blyth, Ontario,
NOM 1HO
Telephone: 519-523-4311 (fax 523-9140).
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A division of North Huron Publishing Company Inc.
NH
Editor & Publisher: Keith Roulston
Editorial advisory committee:
Bev Hill, farmer, Huron Cty;
Diane O'Shea, farmer, Middlesex Cty.;
Gerald Poechman, farmer, Bruce Cty.
Contributing writers:
Bonnie Gropp, Carol Riemer, Ralph
Pearce, Bob Reid, Mervyn Erb, Sandra
Orr, Janice Becker, 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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