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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-08-12, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12,1992. Conservation Day to be held at Lobbs' When Conservation Day is held on August 27 it will be the tenth annual running of this event organized by the Huron Soil and Water Conservation District. The theme for this year's Conservation Day is “Conservation Farming in the Nineties - Protecting the Environment.” The District was first conceived in the early 1980's by a group of How to pick the perfect peach following Foodland Ontario guide If you want to pick a perfect peach, following Foodland Ontario's guidelines and you'll find picking a peach that's juicy, sweet and luscious is as easy as one, two, three. SELECTION: Choose those that have a creamy yellow “background” colour and a sweet smell. The attractive pink blush on a peach is a sign of variety not ripeness. A ripe peach should yield gently to the touch, without being too soft and have a smooth, unwrinkled skin with a stem and end free of green tinges. BUYING: Ontario Peaches are available by the pound (kilogram), in 4-L and 6-quart baskets. Buy your own peaches at supermarkets, roadside stands, farmers' markets and pick-your-own farms throughout Ontario. For jam-making or baking, the following equivalents are a useful guide: 3 to 4 medium peaches = 1 lb.(500 g.) or 2 cups (500 ml.) sliced one 4-L basket = 6 lb. (2.5 kg) one 6-quart basket = 10 lb. (4.5 kg.) VARIETIES: There are three varieties of peaches grown in Ontario: Semi-freestone: These peaches herald the start of the season in July. Their flesh is soft and clings to the pit. Freestone: As its name implies, this peach separates easily from its pit. Freestone peaches can usually be found in stores and markets by the second week of August with Red Haven being the first available of this type. Clingstone: The flesh of these peaches clings firmly to the pit. They are used exclusively for commercial processing. STORAGE: At home, sort through peaches according to their degree of ripeness. Underripe peaches should be kept in a single layer at room temperature and away from direct sunlight until they ripen. Ripe peaches can be stored, uncovered, in the refrigerator for up to five days. Overripe peaches should be used at once in recipes such as sauces and frozen desserts, where their appearance doesn't matter. PREPARATION: To peel peaches, dip them in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then plunge immediately into iced water. The skins will slip off easily. Peeled, sliced or chopped peaches quickly turn brown so toss them immediately in a lemon juice or ascorbic acid crystals. The best varieties for canning or freezing are area farmers who required more technical support in their efforts to adopt conservation tillage practices. The District was designed to co­ ordinate the soil and water conservation programs of various agencies, providing information and assistance that was of greatest benefit to local area farmers. Today the Soil and Water Conservation District,in the freestone types such as Red Haven or Loring because the flesh separates easily from the pit. PICK YOUR OWN: Foodland Ontario's Pick-Your-Own Guide listing locations of Pick-Your-Own farms and farmers' markets across Ontario is available now. To get your free copy, call 1-800- ONTARIO (toll free) or visit your local OMAF office. conjunction with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and the Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley Conservation Authorities, oversees no-till cropping trials planted with equipment owned by the District. Conservation Day, however, remains as one of the District's major undertakings. To mark Conservation Day's tenth anniversary the event will be held on the farm of Don and Alison Lobb, the same farm on which the District held its first Conservation Day in 1982. Don Lobb has been involved in the use of conservation practice for a number of years and is one of the District's founding members. Guided wagon and walking tours of the farm will be conducted in the morning beginning at 10:00, and in the afternoon until 3:00. Registration is $5.00 and this includes lunch. The Lobb farm is located one and a quarter miles west of Clinton on Highway No. 8 and two and a half miles north on concession road ' 15/16 of Goderich Township. Watch for “Conservation Day” signs as you approach the farm. Following the tradition of past Conservation days, this year's event is designed to allow farmers the opportunity to view conservation practices that could be applied in their own farming operations. The guest speaker will be Dr. Terry Daynard, Chairman of the Green Plan Committee. Terry will speak on the topic of farm planning as the key to farmland conservation. Conservation tillage practices can be defined as any planting or tillage system that retains at least 30 per cent residue cover on the soil surface. As a result of these practices being a little different for each site and operator, the Soil and Water Conservation District has focused on establishing tillage trials to learn how to use these new tillage systems in a variety of different conditions. Each year the District establishes trials with a group of co-operators. Data collected from these trials is available to help all farmers establish a conservation tillage system appropriate from their operation. The District’s membership is made up of co-operators, and other participating groups and agencies including O.M.A.F., local conservation authorities, agribusinesses, and the Soil and Crop Improvement Association. For more information on the Huron Soil and Water Conservation District why not plan on attending Conservation Day, or contact the Clinton office of O.M.A.F., or the Maitland Valley or Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authorities. NOW THEY'RE HERE! VITALIT PdRTicipacrian^ ® DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE NOW IN THIS AREA OLDFIELD'S BRUSSELS