The Rural Voice, 1999-09, Page 23Recreating a theatre -sized threshing machine was a challenge for the
Blyth Festival technical crew.
already done some of the
development work and sketched out
the characters for the actors who will
further develop them after talking to
several farmers who recall the days
of the transition from threshing to
combining. They also took lessons in
stooking sheaves and took part in a
threshing on an area farm.
Speaking before rehearsal began
he said he would like to be able
to find a way to show the
tremendous change that came over
the rural community when that way
of life ended. There was a huge
change when the kind of "hip -
pocket" economics when a farmer
never bought anything unless he had
the money in his pocket. gave way to
the modern economy when "nobody
even sees the money".
"Again, one of my vivid
memories is that any time some kind
of economic exchange too place
there was the reach into the back
pocket ... the hand coming out. You
never saw how much money was in
Bluevale-
area farmer a
Mike
Beretta
gives cast
members
lessons in
how to
stook grain.
that wallet. It was always done
slightly on the side," he says acting
out the subtleties of handing over
cash in those reserved days.
Thompson is fascinated about the
move from this kind of cautious
approach to farming and life to the
fact that someone in 1954 would go
out an buy a new combine — a very
unproven technology which was
plagued with stories of its
inadequacy — and spend $3,500. It
was a time, remember when a 100
acre farm with house and barn could
be bought for little more.
In a short period farmers went
right to the basis of modern
agribusiness, he notes: high capital
investment, long-term financing. In
doing research, talking to dozens of
farmers from across western Ontario,
Thompson says, several noted that
you could take equipment and land
prices in the mid-1950s and pretty
much add two zeros to get today's
prices. "Everybody remembers those
numbers," he says.
TILLAGE DAY
September 8 9:30 - 4:00
at the
Elora Research Station
Rain or Shine
Presented he the Wellington & Waterloo
Surl & Crop A.Y.1nC.. Unn'ersuy of Guelph.
OMAFRA, Grand Valles C.A. and
Wellington Cry. Stewardship Council
• Come and hear the latest on
tillage equipment from the
experts and see the equipment
demonstrated in the field.
• Come and chat with local
equipment dealers and see other
company exhibits.
tor lntormation contact Bob Hamilton
OMAFRA at Fergus
1-800-265-8332
"Our experience
assures lower cost
water wells"
99 YEARS EXPERIENCE
Member of Canadian
and Ontario
Water Well Associations
• Farm
• Industrial
• Suburban
• Municipal
Licensed
by the Ministry
of the Environment
DAVIDSON
WELL DRILLING LTD.
WINGHAM
Serving Ontario Since 1900
519-357-1960 WINGHAM
519-664-1424 WATERLOO
SEPTEMBER 1999 19