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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgriculture 2002, 2002-03-13, Page 3For young keeper stings part of the job ACKLANDS GRAINGER® www.acklandsgrainger.com INDUSTRIAL, FLEET & SAFETY PRODUCTS All types of Farming, Welding & Industrial Safety Equipment Ph. 519-524-7305 Acklands Grainger Inc. 279 Suncoast Drive E., Goderich 1-800-265-5174 Fertilizers • Terra-Gator' with air spreader and impregnator • Micro nutrients • Bulk delivery • Spreaders readily available Chemicals Protect all your crops against insects & weeds • 2 Spray units available for P.P.I., pre or post spraying • Wick Weeding • Drop Nozzling INCREASE YOUR YIELDS! We will customize a fertilizer and chemical program specific to your requirements. * GPS Field Mapping * Nutrient Management Plans Available * Soil Testing SEEDS • Corn • Canola • White beans • Wneat • Soybeans • Barley & Oats • Grass seed DEALER FOR SPEARE Seeds ALPINE HOWSON & HOWSON LTD. Feed, Seed, Chemicals, Fertilizer, Grain Elevators, Custom Application Blyth 523-9624 1-800-663-3653 THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2002. PAGE A-3. Agriculture 2002 Partnership works to find solutions By David Blaney Citizen staff 'If we are all part of the problem then perhaps we can all be part of the solution' could almost be the motto of the Maitland Watershed . Partnerships program. The program brings various levels of government, public and private organizations and industry together to assess environ- mental problems- in the watershed and suggest solutions. According to Phil Beard, general Boxes abuzz Nine frames are in each of the wooden bee boxes. (Photo submit- ted) Continued from A-2 uid. The honey is strained and filtered, then left to sit for 24 hours to allow the wax to rise to the top. After that it is ready for the jars, which carry Storey's own label. The product is sold locally at the Winthrop General Store and retailed at the Storey home. Also, John sells it to his mother, who then takes it to the Goderich Farmer's Market. manager of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority the idea was born out of necessity. "It was all the government cutbacks which forced us to look at pooling our resources," he said. The stated goal of the partnerships is to improve the long-term social, economic and environmental health of the Maitland watershed. They intend to accomplish this by devel- oping a better understanding of natu- ral resource management in- the area and identifying innovative, approach- Ready to bottle The extractor is the final step in the production of honey. (Photo submitted) Though Storey enjoys the work, there is an aspect which might have some wondering why. While he does wear all the protective gear, Storey says, the bees seem to- manage to "find someplace to crawl through, every time." In the busy times, he says, "I get stung at least once a day. But after awhile you get so used to it, it does- n't seem to bother you quite as much." es for the implementation of best management, practices. It is hoped that the sharing of knowledge and responsibility will enhance the skills and resources of local organizations. With this in mind three teams were established to look at three different segments of the watershed. The terrestrial team looked at the state of the natural areas in the Maitland Valley. These are generally forested areas but could be any sub- stantially undisturbed ecosystem. ' The water action team stressed co- operative action to improve water quality and quantity. They had an' interest in both surface and ground water. The agroenviromental team origi- nally intended to examine on farm issues around soil fertility and water quality. However, Rick Steele, a planner for the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority said that soil fertility did not seem to be an issue. Further, they found much of what they wanted to examine paralleled the work of the water action team. With this in mind the two teams decided to merge and concentrate on water issues. - Steele describes the partnerships and their initial work as "a fair first step." He said the partners fotind that a number of the questions that were asked could be answered when everyone contributed their expertise. It became apparent that there is a significant amount of data already • in existence. The Blyth Brook area is a -case in point, with data on water quality gathered over several years. The amount and quality of the data available in some areas left Steele wondering, "If we should move away'from broadbased data gather- ing to work on specific geographic areas." Both Steele and Beard agreed that one of the benefits to this point has been to get organizations represent- ing a diverse collection of view- points and interests to sit down together and plan co-operative meas- ures. This spirit of co-operation has also been evident in the recent work of Scott Tousaw, senior cou9ty planner. His discussions with a variety of groups and individuals concerning the county's model manure manage- ment bylaw convinced him that there was a willingness to "start taking ownership of the problems." • He went on to say, "We have come a long way in the last five years. ['am impressed with the very high degree of professionalism in the public dis- course around theSe issues."