Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-10-31, Page 17THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019. PAGE 17. Project One Seed now includes 18,000 acres Continued from page 1 focus of a presentation by guest speaker Aaron Breimer of Chatham, whose enthusiasm for the One Seed Project in Zambia was palpable. Breimer said he was approached by an Enactus club from Lambton College in Sarnia to use his skills as a agronomist on a project to grow better corn in Zambia. Enactus is a global learning platform dedicated to creating a better world while developing the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders and social innovators. The Enactus network of global business, academic and student leaders is unified by a vision to create a more sustainable world. Zambia is one of the poorest countries of the world and maize is a staple in the Zambian diet. Breimer says there are good crops of maize grown in irrigated parts of Zambia. In other areas, drought and lack of knowledge contributes to lack of crop success. “Depth control is not a big deal there. The farmers scatter the corn over the field and then go back and forth with a harrow,” said Breimer, showing slides of his experience. “We taught them to poke a hole and drop in one seed, not three, hence the name Project One Seed.” The project also taught farmers how to spray for pests and irrigate using hand-held sprayers. “They do not have a shortage of help. What they need is knowledge,” said Breimer. In turn, Breimer was exposed to a new culture and social situation with which he was unfamiliar. For instance, the Zambians are an affectionate people. Hand holding is very normal, men included. One day, while checking the field, his translator reached out to hold Breimer’s hand on the walk. Not being a Canadian custom for men to hold hands, Breimer felt uncomfortable yet humbled and accepted by the experience. He also learned to ask questions and not make assumptions. For instance, the project gave one farmer a rain gauge to measure rainfall. The day the gauge was stuck in the ground, it rained. When the team returned to the farm to ask how much rain had fallen, the rain gauge had disappeared. Turns out the farmer had attached magical properties to the rain gauge, and taken it inside to protect it from thieves because it had the power to bring rain. Breimer told the story of Chile, a Zambian farmer who “had the worst crops and the worst luck.” He was lucky to average two to three bushels of maize per acre. By adopting the new methods, Chile ended up with a bumper crop (for that area), had to build two new corn cribs to store his harvest and discovered his newest problem was a good one — he still did not have enough storage. By 2018, the impact of Project One Seed has grown to 18,000 acres of maize, all planted by hand. Teaching is ongoing to reduce tillage, to encourage farmers to leave corn stalks on the ground instead of burning them to improve water retention, and to develop micro-loans to benefit whole communities. “I am proud to say that 80,000 people are no longer in poverty from this project,” said Breimer. He encouraged farmers present who had an interest in overseas development to consider sharing their knowledge with farmers in Zambia or Nigeria and Haiti where other Enactus projects are ongoing. Farmers could also donate money to help fund the project. Pride in farming was something Lisa Thompson spoke about as she took the floor as the MPP for Huron- Bruce. She urged farmers to pay attention to government announcements as they address the red tape issue. “The agri-food industry will be well represented in what we have to table,” said Thompson. She also urged farmers to ask if thier local municipality is part of the Municipal Cyber Security Association. There are 444 municipalities in Ontario and only 155 are members. “We need to be aware of this association and learn how to make sure our local data remains safe,” said Thompson. With dinner over and the presentations finished, the last item on the agenda was to conduct elections for board members and directors. When they were finished, leadership remained unchanged with Ethan Wallace remaining as president, a vacancy for first vice- president and Mike Colclough continuing to serve as second vice- president. Directors at Large were Erica Murray, Joan Vincent and Paul Klopp. OLIVIA JOHNSTON Buyer - Paul Johnston Farms Ltd. JANELLE PARSONS Buyer - Edgar’s Feed & Seed/Elliott Miller TAYLOR WHARTON Buyer - Watson’s Home Hardware EVY VERSHAEVE Buyer - Foxton Fuels Ltd. JEFFREY WALDEN Buyer - Riegling Accounting TYSEN GREIDANUS Buyer - Edgar’s Feed & Seed/Elliott Miller GABBY JOHNSTON Buyer - Brussels Agromart MAX JOHNSTON Buyer - Dave Franken Concrete Forming ALLY RIEGLING Buyer - Jay Riegling JACK RIEGLING Buyer - Jay Riegling EMILY DATEMA Buyer - Howatt Bros. Ltd. JAKE DATEMA Buyer - Millgrove Meat Packers A Special Thank You The Brussels 4H Show and Sale was held Saturday, October 12th. The 4H members would like to thank all of the sponsors of the day: Brussels Livestock, Howick Mutual Insurance, Sholdice Insurance and Brussels Agri-Services, as well as all the bidders, buyers, 4H leaders, volunteers and parents for a record-setting year. NATALIE PARSONS Buyer - Robert’s & McGavin Farm Equipment ALEX BECKER Buyer - Shawn McIntosh - McIntosh Meats DREW BECKER Buyer - Floradale Feed Mill EVAN BECKER Buyer - Wroxeter Rigging TYLER BECKER Buyer - Watson’s Home Hardware LAUREN BOS Buyer - Dave Franken Concrete Forming Honoured Jacquie Bishop, left, was honoured for her contributions to Huron County agriculture at the annual meeting of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture. Federation Vice- President Mike Colclough made the presentation. (Lisa B. Pot photo)