The Rural Voice, 1993-07, Page 551
RAINY RTVER
Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
R.R. 1, Devlin, Ontario POW 1C0
807-486-3622
' The Rural Voice is provided to Rainy
River Federation members by the RRFA.
June 7,1993
The full moon has come and
gone, gardens are planted, crops are
in and soft rain is falling to make all
the little things grow. Who could
ask for anything more?
The RRFA held their June 3
meeting at the OMAF office in
Emo with Rick Boersma presiding.
Attending were Linda Armstrong,
Amos Brielmann, Sue Boersma,
Gary Esselink, Tammy Hunsperger,
Wayne Flatt, Mike Zimmerman and
Shirley Morrish.
Linda reported that there are 45
spaces for rent in the Farm Progress
Building at the Emo Fall Fair and
that 28 are already booked and paid
for. They are asking for rent fees in
advance this year. Rentals are com-
ing in from as far away as Lockport
and Brandon and everything looks
great with all the displays so far.
The Ag in the Classroom com-
mittee is expanding: their com-
mittee includes Lisa Teeple, Kris
Carpenter, Joanne C. Neilson, Heidi
Brielmann and Pat Clysdale-
Cornell. Folders have now been
placed at every school in the
District. This fall they hope to find
sponsors to help promote and
encourage ag awareness and educa-
tion to the Grade 4 classrooms
across the Rainy River District. A
classroom can be sponsored for
$30. If anyone wishes to sponsor
an environmental teaching package,
call Pat at 807-486-2310 or 1-800-
465-2917. Twenty-five sponsors
are needed.
Bruce Ward, Ag. Rep., an-
nounced that the Northern Ontario
Agricultural Development Program
has been terminated. Wayne Flatt
mentioned that the Safety Associa-
tion held a First Aid course at Bar-
wick in the past month. Mike Zim-
merman, reporting for Community
Pasture, stated that some repairs
have been done to the corrals and
fences and that a four -wheeler has
been purchased. He also reported
that there are about 200 head of
cattle on pasture at this time and
room for additional cattle if
producers are interested. Call
Frank Scheibler, pasture manager at
487-2757.
Mike also mentioned the recent
visit by the Ontario Dairy Princess
to our District will be the last.
After 37 years of visiting schools
across the Province, OMMB is
replacing the princess image with a
"Dairy Educator". The job is open
to anyone who is adequately
educated in the agricultural field.
The last dairy princess is Becky
Bearinger, 19, who comes from
Waterloo County. She was
accompanied by Nellie Romyn,
representing the Rainy River Milk
Producers.
Linda Armstrong, reporting for
the R.R. Cattlemen said that the
designation of the Baudette port of
entry is still not official, pending
the signing into law of the
regulation by the new Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture in the
United States. It sounds as though
it will be another month or two yet.
Linda also announced the upcoming
sale dates: August 28, October 2
and October 23 at the sales yard at
Stratton.
R.R. Soil and Crop is now going
to man the outdoor scale at the
Stratton Salesyard. It is no longer
used to weigh cattle as in the past.
There will be a fee for its use;
possibly an annual fee. Amos,
reporting for Soil and Crop, said
that Kim Jo Bliss will have a
summer assistant.
A cow will eat, on the average,
100 pounds of grass in a day, eating
for six hours, then chewing cud for
eight hours.
The Rainy River Farm
Management Club held their wind-
up meeting of the season at White
Bear Lodge on Clearwater Lake. If
you want to really enjoy wild rice
soup made by Russ Fortier, this is
the place to eat. After the walleye
meal with all the extras, a meeting
chaired by Kim Cornell and speaker
Mike Neilson took place. Mike
gave an informative outline on the
pluses and minuses of the farming
business as it's happening in our
district today. He gave us much to
think about over the summer while
we're busy haying for all those
four -legged critters who have 32
teeth and can chew 50 times a
minute. Their total jaw movements
average 41,630 a day.
The old Grandstand at the Emo
Fairgrounds is gone forever.
Construction has begun with
cement footings for the steel beams
which will be arriving around mid-
June. Emo Fair -days this year are
August 19-20-21. Dryden District
Fair is August 26-27-28.
There are several farms in the
district who have donated their time
and efforts to young school children
so that they can visit the actual
setting of real live farm animals.
The children are able to touch, see
and smell as part of their Ag
Awareness education that is being
offered in the local schools in the
area. Thanks go out to the Gerber
family, Bill and Marg Govier, Jack
and Diane Vandenbrand, and Tom
and Shirley Morrish for opening
their hearts and their farm gates to
all the eager and inquisitive young
minds.
There will be no meeting for
RRFA members in July because
we're all supposed to be too busy at
haying, but there will be a meeting
August 5 at Stratton to plan last
minute details for the Farm
Progress Building at the Fair.
Congratulations to the Manager
of the Rainy River Cattlemen's
Salesyards who married the
RRFA's Secretary/Treasurer Kim
Hunsperger on May 29, 1993.
We'll be watching for great things
happening in both organizations
shortly. To Ralph and Jacquelyn,
you're not losing a daughter, you're
gaining a bathroom.0
Shirley Morrish
JULY 1993 51