The Rural Voice, 1999-08, Page 31
R.V.
Editor: Keith Roulston
editorial advisory committee:
Bev Hill, farmer, Huron County
John Heard, soils and crop extension
and research, northwestern Ontario
Diane O'Shea, farmer, Middlesex Cty.
George Penfold, associate professor,
University of Guelph
Gerald Poechman, farmer, Bruce Cty.
contributing writers:
Gisele Ireland, Lisa Boonstoppel-
Pot, Bonnie Gropp, Ralph Pearce
Bob Reid, Mervyn Erb, Sandra
Orr, Carl L. Bedal, Janice Becker,
Andrew Grindlay
marketing & advertising sales manager:
Gerry Fortune
advertising representative:
Merle Gunby
production co-ordinator:
Joan Caldwell
advertising & editorial production:
Dianne Josling
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Behind the Scenes
How are the fairs faring?
The country fair has been part of
the rural Ontario culture almost from
the time axes began to fell the first
trees in land -clearing. Agricultural
societies are among the oldest
institutions in most communities with
fairs dating back 150 years.
But the times are changing and
government financial support for fall
fairs has ended. How are our fairs
faring at the end of the century? We
talked to some fair leaders to find out.
"Identity preserved", it's a phrase
that is becoming more and more a
part of agriculture. As specialized
products are developed for
specialized markets, corn is no longer
just corn or wheat, wheat. C&M
Seeds recently released a new
identity preserved wheat variety and
Janice Becker decided to look at the
whole issue of preserving the identity
of a product from the farm gate to the
manufacturer.
Speaking of the farm gate, more
and more farmers are discovering the
value of farm -gate sales directly to
consumers as a way of generating
extra revenue. A couple from Grey
Township in Huron County came up
with an idea borrowed from
Switzerland. They sell cut -your -own
flowers from a flower garden near the
highway on their farm.
The fastest growing segment of
farming in recent years has been the
sheep industry as small flocks grow
into large flocks and part-time
farmers become full-time farmers.
Vince and Heather Stutzki are among
the people who have made the switch
to full-time sheep farming, growing
from 10 ewes on their Paisley -area
farm a decade ago to 350-400 today.
The story of their growth is in our
special section on sheep and goats
this month.
While the sheep industry has come
and gone and come again in Ontario,
processing of wool and sheepskins
has kept the Bainton Limited tannery
in Blyth going for more than a
century. Four generations have kept
the family business going. The
business has changed over the years
but the tannery has adapted with the
times. We visited the tannery this
month.
Andrew Grindlay looks at the
program designed to reintroduce
American chestnut to Ontario's
woodlots.
In gardening, Rhea Hamilton
Seeger this month looks at the August
beauty queen of the garden, flox. In
recipes, Bonnie Gropp has selected
recipes that will take you on a tour
around the world.0
Update
Beans bouncing back in 1999
After three years of steady declines, acreage of white pea beans have
rebounded with a vengeance in 1999, the Ontario White Bean Producers
Marketing Board reports. As discussed in our February article Can Beans Bounce
Back, beans had dipped to 35,000 acres in 1998 because of high prices for other
alternative crops. Meanwhile much of the crop had shifted westward to
Manitoba.
But with corn and soybean prices lower, white beans became attractive again in
1999 and 85,000 acres have been planted in Ontario, the bean board says. In fact
demand for seed was so tight, many Ontario producers eventually planted seed
imported from Idaho. There is virtually no carryover from previous years' crops.
Acreage is high elsewhere as well with Manitoba planting 110,000 acres,
Michigan planting 140,000 acres and the Minnesota -Dakota (Mindak) growing
area planting 240,000 acres. Total North American acreage is up a dramatic 70
per cent from Last year. As of the middle of July, the Michigan crop looked in
best shape, followed by Ontario's crop. The Mindak crop, which makes up 65 per
cent of the North American crop, was planted two weeks late in wet conditions.
Buyers are waiting to see whether the Mindak crop improves or gets worse, the
bean board says.0