The Rural Voice, 2004-04, Page 42❑ ❑ ❑
Safe & Professional
Dismantling of Barns & Wooden Structures
• Insured •
NOSTALGIC SALVAGE INC.
Danny Farrow
519-323-0175 565 Perth St. N., Mount Forest 1-888-643-8410
You're invited to
i
Date: APRIL 19, 2004
Time'
11:30 am to 4:30 pm & 7 pm to 9 pm
Join in the celebration of the future of agriculture
and its people at this year's John Deere Day.
Stop in and take a look at the latest in agricultural
equipment and technology. Get to know our
friendly parts and service staff, or just chat
with your neighbours...they'll all be there.
Don't miss this year's John Deere Day!
Location Dave Holliday Ltd.
JOHN DEERE
DAVE
HOLLIDAY LTD.
Hwy 6 N., Mount Forest
519-323-1340
38 THE RURAL VOICE
more attention to their job by being
"more consistent and working harder
than other places."
Lewington said there are many
benefits for selling directly to the
consumer.
Small farms like his give
consumers an option instead of just
complaining about large-scale
modern farms, he says. They can
complain about large livestock barns
to their local MP while they continue
to buy meat through their local
supermarket and not accomplish a
thing. or they can vote with their
pocketbook and buy from small
farmers where animals are raised in a
way they can agree with.
Ocher benefits of a local direct -
to -consumer market include
better tasting. healthier meat,
less environmental damage due to
Tess transportation. a system that is
better for the local economy and
more variety for the consumer .
He explained that a grocery store's
line of products are all the same. but
if the consumer buys locally, he or
she will get what they specifically
ask for. For example the type of
sausage. how many sausages and
exactly where it came from.
"It's custom-made products for the
consumer instead of being massed
produced."
Lewington held an open house last
summer for people to stop by and
watch his lambs and pigs out in the
sunshine.
"1 do this so people know I'm not
telling them a story and they can
come and see for themselves how
happy the animals are," said
Lewington.
Because he only has a small
number of pigs, he only has to move
them once a week, but they need to
be fenced in, which he said is hard
because they like a bigger area.
Hischickens also spend most of
their lives outdoors. After spending
their days after hatching in a warm
brooder at 90° F, they are turned
outdoors at two to three weeks old to
a small pasture pen.
The pen doesn't have a floor
because the chicks like to scratch in
the dirt while the pen protects them
from the wind and any predators.
He moves the pen every morning to
a fresh batch of grass.
"As they get bigger I move them
twice a day it's cleaner and increases