The Rural Voice, 2005-08, Page 57BRUCE
Email: bruce@ofa.on.ca
website: www.ofa.on.cafbruce
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
Challenge of farming
Sometimes farming and life in
general seems to be one big
challenge. Looking at the poor crops
day after day. Seeing your corn that
hasn't had rain. even though the
neighbour's crop is looking fine.
People taking care of themselves and
not seeing how their actions or words
affect others. Little things
mushrooming until they seem bigger
than the world itself. There are
struggles with the weather;
challenges with neighbours and
friends; frustration with broken
machinery and ori and on.
Thinking of challenge, 1 went to
the dictionary and looked it up.
Challenge — to summon; to fight:
calling to question; an exception
taken. I realized when 'we can
embrace a challenge, it can take us to
a new place or open up new
possibilities. But, before you can do
that you need to know who you are
fighting or what you are taking an
exception to. Is it the government
rules and regulations, your own
ambition to have better looking crops
'or a bigger herd or the everyday
struggle to keep machinery running?
Where does it end?
Accepting the challenge of writing
this article, led me to ask — is it just
the farming that's the challenge or is
it life that I'm fighting with?
Whatever the challenge, I can
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
• The Rural Voice is provided to OFA
Members in Bruce County by the BCFA
continue to struggle or 1 can name it,
embrace ,it and find a way to move
on. Instead of looking at your poor
crops and fretting day in and day out
in frustration, call your agronomist
for suggestions.
For me, this year's new challenge
was turning 50. half a century old. To
fight back I took on another
challenge. I entered a sprint triathlon
which is a 750 metre swim, a 20 km
bike ride and a 5 km run. I say it's
not a race, but the more 1 get into it
maybe it is a race — not against
others, but against myself (in my
head). It's a challenge to take time to
practice, just so I can finish. At the
'same time, I want others to benefit
from my effort.
To do this I decided to support
Sleeping Children Around the World,
so more street children will have bed
rolls and other basic necessities as a
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION OF
AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS' MEETING
MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2005
8.'00 P.M.
Bruce County Administrative
Building, 30 Park Street, Walkerton
MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
64TH ANNUAL MEETING AND BANQUET
AND OFA REGIONAL MEETING
Friday, October 28, 2005
Underwood Community Centre
Guest Speaker: Dennis Guy, Network President, FoodLand Forum
Social: 6:30 p.m. Dinner: 7:00 p.m.
NOTE: OFA Regional Directors, Delegates and Alternates for OFA
Convention, BCFA Presidents and Township Directors will be elected at
the meeting.
54 THE RURAL VOICE
result of my effort. That led to
another challenge of getting pledges.
Where does it stop!
Instead of focusing on and
becoming frustrated by all the
challenges, look at each situation and
set realistic goals. When you are
wrapping the hay, wrap the hay.
Don't worry about fixing the electric
fence, moving the heifers to another
field and fixing the combine to
harvest the grain. Step-by-step work
through the situation so that at the
end of the day you can look back and
see what you have accomplished.
Enjoy the feeling of succeeding,
bne goal at a time!O
— Submitted by Lorne Underwood,
Carrick Township Director
CONTACTS
Animal Care Helpline
(Ontario Farm Animal Council)
1-905-821-3880
Oueen's Bush Rural Ministry
(collect calls accepted)
1-519-369-6774
The Farm Line
1-888-451-2903
Distress Line of Grey Bruce
(2:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. - daily)
1-888-371-8485
Crisis Team
(24 hours per day)
1-888-525-0552
Kids Help Phone
(24 hours per day up to age
21)
1-800-668-6868
Parent Help Line
1-888-603-9100