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The Huron Expositor, 1995-03-15, Page 46Papa 26 -Farm Program 16' CE the total dearth' service FOR ALL YOUR CLEANING NEEDS "WE DO NOT PHONE SOLICIT" CALL JEFF TYNDALL "INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES" •Carpets •Couches & Chairs -Fire & Water Restoration -Vehicles •Duct Work •Accoustlea/ Ceilings -Indian Carpets •Odour Problems -Vertical Blinds OFFICES - --RES 524-2260 / 482-7615 527-1224 7 e a m ) 7 RA/LER SPRAYERS Produced by Hyde Brothers Farm Equipment Limited EARLY BIRD SPECIAL • 750 gallon sprayer •Tandem axle (new tires) •60' hydraulic fold boom •3 boom filter kit •boom balance ONLY$ 1 •Electrical controls "Clean water tank losFree tee jet Calibration Kit 495 DO YOU WANT TO REPLACE YOUR OLD BOOM? If so, we have brand new P.G. Booms to fit your sprayer, 40', 45' & 60' manual & hydraulic fold. 750 Gallon/45 Ft. Boom (not exactly as shown) JIYDE IIROTHFIIS ,>,,> FARM EQUIPMENT LIMITED On Hensel) Store (Rl Rannoch Store 519.262-2605 519-229-6700 OR CALL TOLL-FREE 1-800-461-6089 • PARTS • • SALES • • SERVICE • Ginseng Made in the shade curative? Wooden lath and woven black polypropylene cover more than a thousand hectares of southwestern Ontario farmland. These structures provide necessary shade for cul- tivation of one of Canada's aboriginal crops, and a valuable export commodity - ginseng. Because of its legendary, curative powers purporting to reduce the effects of stress, increase perfor- mance during fatigue and many other benefits, ginseng is highly valued, particularly in the Orient. As interest in the West moves increasingly toward herbal medicines, the use of ginseng is also expanding. by John T.A. Proctor Ginseng has been grown under wooden lath screens in southern Ontario since 1980. The screens provide a shady environment similar to the understory of the hardwood forest, where native Ontario ginseng once grew. Clarence Hellyer began cultivating ginseng at Nanticoke and the family dominated the industry until the 1960s. Today, there are an es- timated 200 growers in Ontario, farming about 1600 hectares. The farm gate value of ginseng in A four-year-old ginseng plant showing the seed head, leaves and the highly -prized root system. southern Ontario now exceeds 550 million. Ginseng research and extension The University of Guelph has a long history of assisting ginseng growers, beginning with an exten- sion bulletin (LXV) first published in 1891. In the late 1980s, an extension horticulturalist for ginseng was appointed by OMAFRA and research was initiated at the Agriculture Canada Delhi Research Station, in cooperation with the Ginseng Growers' Association of Canada. In 1994, high priority long-term research was given to the following areas of ginseng production: i. disease control, including studie.i on and registration of new pes- ticides; ii. post-harvest handling procedures which enhance root quality. Work at Delhi has shown that refrigeration at 5oC for up to four weeks before drying at 380C can improve the visual quality of gin- seng. Roots become progressively darker and more withered in ap- pearance over the 40 days of refrigerated storage. This effect is •see Ginseng, page 29 Stevia plant has been around for years •from page 25 revive a very vital and diverse native crop of Canada. Stevia - the Sweetener As with hemp, the stevia plant has been around for many years and could prove to be a valuable alter- native crop. A Canadian -based company, Royal -Sweet Intemational Tech- nologies (RSIT), plans to process a low -calorie sweetener extract from the leaves of Ontario -grown stevia plants with assistance from the federal -provincial Tobacco Diver- sification program, according to OMAFRA. Stevia was used by Paraguayans centuries ago to sweeten hot drinks. Six farmers in the Delhi region will each grow one hectare of the sweet herb this year and work with resear- chers from Agriculture and Agri -Food Canada and RSIT to perfect various product ion techniques. Royal -Sweet has a patent for extracting the sweetener from stevia leaves and plans to eventually construct a stevia processing plant in southem Ontario. "The key (to the facility being built) is when they can demonstrate that growing stevia is a profitable venture," said Baxter. "I've tasted it. It wouldn't be bad on your cereal in the morning," said Lucknow C&M TRANSPORT 610 Inglis Street We Sem Vete Se,tvece 528-3535 the rural business consultant. The Alberta Research Council and a subsidiary of the NutraSweet Company have been assisting RSIT in the development of the tech- nology and the sweetener, "Royal -Sweet." "The venture has great potential," said Haldimand-Norfolk MP Bob Speller. "It offers Canadian farmers and agri-food entrepreneurs the chance to tap into a lucrative global market for this natural, high-intensity sweetener." Stevia extract sweetener products are licensed for sale in several countries including Japan, where annual sales are in excess of $160 million, according to OMAFRA. WHITE'S SANDBLASTING it PAINTING / truck frames / farm equipment / buildings BRICK & CONCRETE CLEANING, etc. Free Estimates Terry White Wroxeter 519-335-3452 Days or Evenings