The Rural Voice, 1994-07, Page 54Marlen Vincent: heads dealers'
association.
Marten Vincent
heads ORFEDA
Marlen Vincent of Vincent
Farm Equipment Ltd. in
Seaforth has been elected
president of the Ontario Retail
Farm Equipment Dealers'
Association (ORFEDA) for
1994.
ORFEDA is a non-profit
voluntary provincial association
founded in 1945. It is the
recognized voice of the farm
equipment dealers, making
presentations to the provincial
and federal governments,
supplying trade publications,
regular dealer bulletins,
conducting training seminars,
insurance counselling and legal
representations to its members.
ORFEDA through its computer
division, is selling, installing
and servicing dealer in-house
computer systems. It also
operates the Outdoor Power
Equipment Division for Ontario
Power Equipment Dealers'
services.
ORFEDA is affiliated with the
Canadian and North American
Equipment Dealers' Assoc-
iation. Vincent had been vice-
president in 1993.0
People
Area rider could make Canadian
equestrian team for world meet
A rider from Seaforth, Ontario is
one of six people competing to be part
of the Canadian Equestrian Team for
the endurance event and competitive
event at the World Equestrian Games
at The Hague in the Netherlands.
Barbara Alkemade will be
competing in riding events in Calgary,
Quebec and Vermont to win a place on
the team. She describes endurance
riding as "trail riding with a purpose".
At the world championship event a
horse and rider combination must
cover 100 miles in one day. In the
competitive event the rider and horse
must complete a set distance within a
set time and are penalized if the horse
appears to be fatigued or unsound. In
both events there are designated areas
where the horses are inspected by
veterinarians.
While 100 miles may seem like an
incredible journey it's noted that in
early years it wasn't unusual for horses
to travel this distance. Canadian
Horseman magazine describes the
sport as "an incredible test of not only
fitness but mental tenacity".
Alkemade will ride in New York in
a 100 -mile competitive event in July.
Last year she was the top Canadian in
the event. She was a member of the
Bronze Medal team in the North
American Championships in Calgary
last year.
For endurance races she rides Kabar
Raftah, a 15 -year-old Canadian
champion three-quarters Arabian
loaned to the team by Rick Burnside.
For the Canadian Competitive Trail
Ride Championships at Penetanguish-
ene she hopes to ride Elesyn Cameo,
an 11 -year-old Arabian mare.
"This is the sport where I've learn-
ed most about horses," she says. "You
find out all kinds of things about their
instincts... you certainly get a great
deal of respect for any of these animals
that you may not have had before."
Alkemade has been in love with
horses since she first heard the story of
Black Beauty. Before taking up
endurance and competitive events she
had competed in hunter/jumper events
and studied dressage with Elizabeth
Yeates of Milltown Farm Riding
School near Mitchell.
She is married to Stan Alkemade, a
former Seaforth-area veterinarian who
is now technical director of the
Vetrepharm and Bioniche research
companies.0
Schmidt, Jersey owners seek
alternative market for their milk
Remember when you used to see milk bottles that featured a Jersey cow's
picture on the bottle? Bruce Schmidt and a group of 12 Jersey producers are
trying to bring back those days.
The Walton -area farmer, (featured in a Rural Voice article last July on how he
increased production to record levels with Mac Cuddy gets
new management techniques and wet
distillers grains), heads the group that honourary degree
received a $10,275 jobsOntario
Community Action program grant for a
feasibility study to determine market
potential for Jersey products. "We need
to determine if we should process and
market the product ourselves, work in co-
operation with existing processors, or
simply hire an existing processor with
surplus capacity," Schmidt said in a paper
submitted to the Ontario Milk Marketing
Board. The OMMB must still approve
any plan worked out.0
Mac Cuddy chose to start
farming in 1950 rather than enter an
MBA course at Harvard. This spring
he got an honorary doctor of laws
degree from University of Guelph.
Cuddy Farms, started as a 1,500
bird turkey farm, is now the world's
leading turkey breeding and hatching
operation and sole supplier of
chicken to McDonald's restaurants in
Canada.0