The Rural Voice, 1995-12, Page 22Finding the joy in giving
At this time of the year everyone discovers that there is real pleasure in giving. But for
some Ontario farmers, sharing the blessing of a bountiful lifestyle goes on all year
'round. This month we looked at three projects where Ontario farmers can share their
good fortune with those who haven't been so lucky.
Like
many
Canadians
Ewald
Lammerding was
looking forward to
heading south as the
November winds blew
in snow off Lake
Huron. Unlike most
snowbirds, however,
the Grand Valley -area
farmer was 'going to
work, not for leisure.
Sponsored by the
Agri -Skills Abroad
Committee of the
Ontario Federation of
Agriculture (OFA)
Lammerding and his
wife Emma have been
going to Mexico for
more than a dozen
years to help manage a
farm attached to an
orphanage. Agri -Skills
is a committee of the
OFA convention,
Helping with knowledge
The Agri -Skills program lets people in
Third World countries benefit from the
talents of Ontario farmers
By Keith Roulston
funded by donations
from delegates at the annual
convention and by donations from
others who want to support the work
of helping transfer the skills of
Ontario farmers to third world
countries.
The program began in the early
1970s under the presidency of
Gordon Hill as a way of improving
the production capabilities of third
world farmers while conserving soil
and water resources. Early projects
included providing a tractor for a
boys' school in Lesotho and starting
a poultry operation in Sierra Leone.
In the 1980s, however, there was a
desire to find projects closer to home
than Africa so that farmers could also
donate their time and skills as well as
money. In 1981 the Mexican
orphanage Nuestros Pequeflos
Hemanos (which means Our Little
Brothers and Sisters) was suggested.
Founded by Father Bill Wasson, the
18 THE RURAL VOICE
orphanage is home to 650 children in
school and another 150 attending
colleges and university. Attached to
the orphanage is a 150 -acre farm that
produces food for the orphanage's
kitchen and for sale.
In 1982 Ewald and Emma were
selected to go down for three months
to help with farm management of the
orphanage farm, near Miacatlan, 150
km. south of Mexico City. On their
return he suggested that to really
have an impact on the farm's
management, it was important for
someone to go down for a longer
term — a year or two. He and Emma
were chosen to be the couple and
stayed from February, 1984 to June,
1986.
Ewald chuckles at his own
idealism when he first went to
Mexico, envisioning setting up 4-H
dairy calf clubs and such. He learned
to adapt to a very different culture
when he arrived, but he did bring
Ewald Lammerding
studies for his next trip to
Mexico.
changes.
"The farm was like a
disorganized zoo when I
arrived. There were all
kinds of livestock — cows,
rabbits, sheep, pigs and
chickens — and no record-
keeping whatsoever." He
convinced the farm
management to specialize
in pigs and broiler
chickens, using some in
the kitchen and selling the
weaner pigs to other
farmers as well as
finishing some hogs, and
raising 10,000 to 12,000
broilers every seven to
eight weeks.
Though his specialty at
home was dairy cattle,
Ewald had kept pigs when
he first come to Canada in
the early 1950s, working
first for others until he could save
enough money to buy his own farm.
That, and a love of learning about
new things, helped him change the
habits of the farm managers. At first
they were feeding whole corn and it
was taking eight months to fatten
pigs. Slowly he has taught people to
be more efficient.
But he got a lot back too. "I get
just as much as out of it as I can
give," he says which is why he has
continued to go back to Mexico,
twice a year, at planting and harvest
season, ever since. As he prepared
for a mid-November departure to
another month-long stay he said
"When I go out there and better
things even a little bit, that is the way
I like it."
Along the way he has helped the
orphanage farm adjust to changing
realities. Recently, for instance, the
farm closed down its broiler
operation. The NAFTA agreement