The Rural Voice, 1998-10, Page 62People
Grey family's spring cleanup wins $1,000
Concern for the environment has
won a Grey County farm family
$1,000 from the Ontario Farm
Environmental Coalition.
Pam and Ted Coulter won the
prize for modifications they made in
their spring -fed water supply. The
spring water had served five
generations of the Coulter family
since 1847 but in 1998 the family
realized that the pumping rate often
exceeded the supply and testing
showed the water had been
contaminated. Participation in a local
EFP workshop earlier this year
provided the spark and incentive to
find a lasting solution to the growing
water problem.
The spring is situated alongside
Maxwell Creek which flows past the
barn through a former pasture. To
improve the spring, the Coulters
removed the old well house and
excavated the soil around the spring
to a depth of seven feet. A bed of
clean, crushed stone was then placed
to a depth of two feet before an 800 -
gallon (3600 litre) new concrete tank
(originally designed as a septic tank)
was positioned over the spring
source. A Targe hole was punched in
the bottom of the tank to allow the
spring to bubble through the gravel
and collect in the tank, which acts as
an underground storage. An overflow
pipe takes the excess to the stream.
The area around the tank was
backfilled with clay soil, sloped and
seeded to direct surface water away
from the top of the tank. Heavy
concrete lids provide access for
inspection or routine pump
maintenance.
The Coulters were forced to take
action on their water supply when
Ted began intensive pasture
management earlier this year,
dividing the farm into six paddocks
which required water to be run to
each section. The existing pump and
storage capacity could no longer
keep up with the demand.
In addition, in 1996 when they
sought financing, their water had
been tested and proved to be
contaminated by both coliform and
E. coli bacteria. They had installed a
UV water treatment system in the
house as an interim measure but the
new alterations to the spring should
protect the water supply from
contamination.
"Even during the dry summer we
now have sufficient water for the
livestock and household," said Ted
Coulter.
The alternative to renovating the
spring would have been to drill a
new well but it would have cost
several times the $2,500 in contractor
time and 24 hours of their own
labour involved in the improvements.
Ray Robertson, EFP workshop
leader in Grey estimates there are
many similar drinking water wells in
Grey and elsewhere in the province
that could benefit from the practical,
effective and low -maintenance
solution demonstrated on the Coulter
farm.0
Bruce native featured in milk ads
Dairy farmers who sometimes grumble about the amount of money their
marketing board spends on advertising may be happy to know that a small chunk
will be going to a Bruce County native.
Walkerton's Sarah Kieffer is shown enjoying a cold glass of milk in the 30 -
second commercial. Kieffer says it was her baseball skills, not her acting skills
that won the role. She plays short-stop for Chinguacousy, a senior women's
fastball team in Brampton and when a former team member, who now works in
advertising, asked for volunteers to take part in the commercial, she was one of
six players to step forward.
"It was a fun day — maybe because it was new to me," she told the Walkerton
Ilerald-Times. "The day's work was easy money."
Kieffer earned a fee for doing the commercial and had to join the actors' guild.
Because the commercial has now been booked for a second 13 -week cycle she
will also earn a residual payment. Still, she doesn't see Hollywood in her future.0
Staffa farms host
Chilean visitors
When 11 agricultural engineers and
farmers returned home to their native
Chile recently some of the memories
they took with them originated on
two Staffa-area farms.
As part of a two-week tour of
Canadian farms the Chileans visited
Rosebank Seed Farms, operated by
Lorne and Roger Fell and Hilton
Whole Grain Millers, run by Barry
and Karen Mahon. The visitors told
the Mitchell Advocate they were
interested in adding value to their
agricultural production and were
especially interested in the Mahon
farm which takes hulless oats, cleans,
rolls, toasts and packages them. The
Mahons also mill gluten-free spelt.
At Rosebank Seed Farms they
toured the family's operation which
includes 240 acres of their own and
about the same amount of rented
land.0
Local winners
prominent in
Gencor Challenge
Western Ontario participants were
prominent among the 4-H winners in
the Gencor Challenge held in
Stratford and Markham in August.
At Stratford, beef competition
winners included: Shane Stever,
Perth, champion Blonde
d'Acquitaine and Ian Weber, Perth.
reserve; Lyle Dudgeon, Bruce,
champion Charolais; Andrew
Pebbles, Bruce, champion Murray
Grey and Richard Pebbles, Bruce,
reserve; Matt Farrell and Gordon
Palmer, both of Bruce, champion
and reserve, Simmental; Lyle
Dudgeon, Bruce, reserve grand
champion and champion showman.
Grey 4 -Hers were equally
successful at Markham. Lisa Lemon
was champion showperson; Cierra
Watson of Grey was overall grand
champion and had the champion calf
and the Grey team of Tracy Caswell,
Taddum Grein, Sarah Stonehouse,
Cierra Watson and Chester Tupling
won the team award.0