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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1986-10-01, Page 30Page 14A Times -Advocate, October 1, 1986 Now Cash cropper Uwe Wisch, RR 2 Kip - pen, believes in accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative. If handed )emon, his instinctive e is fo fiind a way to turn it in- to 1epi�fl0piade, A perpetually wet area in his front field which resisted all corrective measures has been transflrmed into an attractively land- scaped one -and -one-half acre mini - park centred around a utilitarian and decorative farm pond. Wisch likes water. Before emigrating from Germany m 1981, he and his wife Thea grew sugar beets and cabbages on 50 acres of farmland wrested from the North Sea. Also, as former captain of the area fire board in his native village, he values the fire protection offered by a pond on one's property. However, anyone contethplating building a farm pond should first con- sider the cost. Wisch went ahead despite the fact the provincial capital grant program expired more than five years -ago. Ron Fleming, agricultural engineer in the Clinton OMAF office, said his ministry has no current policy on dug -out ponds. At one time design assistance was pro- vided, especially for dams, but the re- quirements have become so strict the ministry of natural resources has taken over that responsibility if fish are involved. Fleming said OMAF personnel will still give advice if asked. Attractive pond replaces problem area a perniia•iit wet spot No reduction in insurance premiums is allowed by most com- panies either. John Consitt, manager of Hay 'Township Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company in Zurich, explained that farm ponds present ac- cess problems in the winter. In addi- tion, modern fire departments operate very efficiently by bringing water to a fire with tardier trucks and portable tanks. Fire departments can call on four or five neighbouring com- panies if extra firefighting equipment is needed. Wisch looked at other farm ponds, and obtained a number of estimates before hiring an excavator. He reluc- tantly relinquished the idea of a cen-. tral island as too expensive. His men- tal calculation of $3,000 to dig out an area measuring 120 feet by 80 feet was $100 less than the final bill from the local contractor. The excavating uncovered 25 feet of organic material once the 30 inches of topsoil had been removed. No wonder the area had never drained properly; there had been a pond on the site ages before. Even the teethmarks of some long -gone beavers were still faintly visible on a number of pieces of decomposing wood. A day's bulldog" ing was required to clear everything away. Underneath, in one corner, was a gravel bed and springs of fresh water. The excavation was left for three weeks, to allow the earth to settle. The 4 banks eventually sloped in to a cen- tre of 18 feet. Rearranging and extending the farm's drainage system was another expense. All drains from the septic tank were diverted away from the pond. Two four -inch overflow pipes were installed at the pond and hook- ed into the tile drainage. A catch basin was added, connected to the main line to the pond. Wisch built an earthen dike on one side to retain sur- face water until it can seep down, enter the tile, and continue its journey underground to the pond. A 12 -inch trench was dug over the main surface water drain leading to the pond, and filled in with crushed stone. Besides providing a useful walkway, the gravel filters out most of the dirt which would otherwise be carried into the pond, as the path follows the natural flow of water from the lawn and field bordering the pond. The Wisches hired a back hoe operator to load and haul a four-year accumulation of stone pickings. Man and wife and a helpful friend worked for two days packing 150 tons of stones around the pond to stabilize the banks and prevent erosion. The cost for drainage and backhoe work totalled $500. A retired carpente\friend built a pondside deck compl to with seats, flower boxes, and steps leading down into the water. His only charge was a demand to deep the supply I of material coming. Uwe complied. He FARM POND — Uwe and Thea Wisch, RR 2 Kippen, built an attractive farm pond on the site of on un - drainable wet spot in their front field. Seeking candidates for leadership plan -Dr. Freeman McEwan, Chairman of the Agricultural Leadership Trust, announced recentfy at the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Seminar that a second group of participants will be selected to begin the leadership pro- gram in March 1987. Candidates should be in the early stages of their leadership careers (about 25-40 years old), have demonstrated leadership qualities, have an interest in community ac- tivities, and have the potential for fur- ther leadership development. Par- ticipants can be farmers, employees of agriculturally -related business, or individuals committed to Ontario agriculture. Applications are now be- ing accepted. The program is for individuals who ADAMS Hooting 8 Cooling • Heating Systems of all, types INSTALLED, MODERNIZED and MAINTAINED • General Sheet Metal Work • Air Conditioning • Humidifiers • Ventilation 235.2187 133 Huron St. E., Exeter • —BRANDY POINT FARMS CENTRED AROUND ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION • Our breeding stock provides our buyers with proven genetics from the top 3°e animals tested ocross Canada. • Our progrom enables us to offer gdlality and health at a price that is hard to beot • We hove an ongoing supply of A.1. sired �Hamp Duroc, York Landrace boars 8 F1 York Landrace gilts • Our closed herd is ranked "Good- bx the OMAF standards of Herd Health Classification. Come and take a look at our stock anytime! Delivery available KURT KELLER R.R. 1, Mitchell, Ont. 519-348-8043 fi f want to become more aware of the issues facing agriculture today. Topics such as government struc- ture and decision-making, economics, land use, fiscal and monetary policies, and agriculture's impact on the environment are examined in a series of ten seminars over a two year period. An additional highlight is a two week study travel in Western Canada and the U.S. A current par- ticipant has described this opportuni- ty as "an exposure to different cultures and different environments and to the people who live and work within them. A total learning experience." Applicants can apply directly or -be nominated by an individual or a group. Regional one -day orientation and interview sessions will be held across Ontario in January, 1987 to select participants. The final decision will be made by a provincial selection committee. Participants • will pay $1,000 the first year. and $1,500 the se- cond year. This amount represents 25 percent of the total cost with the re- mainder sponsored by fund raising in- cluding: individuals, rural organiza- tions, and agribusiness companies. The application deadline is December 15, 1986. Application forms are available from Ontario Federa- tion of Agriculture fieldmen, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food of- fices, or Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program, P.O. Box 1030. Guelph, Ontario, NIH 6N1 ( 519-823-5700 Ext. 209) . AA CO. The Advanced Agricultural Leader- ship Program has been initiated by the Foundation for Rural Living, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food, and the University of Guelph, and is supported by agribusiness and rural organizations, and individuals. Soil advisor is appointed Brent Kennedy has been recently appointed as OMAF's senior soil con- servation advisor for Huron County at the Agricultural Office, Clinton. Brent is a native of Sudbury and a 1985 Soil Science graduate of the University of Guelph. He has been working for the past year and a half as a soil conservation advisor with OMAF at the Perth County office in Stratford. Brent suc- ceeds Jane Sadler Richards who ac- cepted a position with Ecologistics - London, earlier. • As senior soil conservation advisor, Brent will be responsible for the ero- sion control portion of the Ontario Soil Conservation and Environment Pro- tection Assistance Program and will be working closely with the Conser- vation District, Huron County Soil and Crop Improvement Association. Don Pullen Agricultural Representative for Huron County spent, SIAM purchasing -treated lumber. This was supplemented by odds and ends be had around the faun. Seeding the area kurrounding the pond added a further.$700 to the bill. Landscapthg was another $2,500. The Wisches purchased 300 white cedars and 200 white pine. These they planted in a double row along the front and the south side of the pond, with a handful of superphosphate dug in around each tree after planting to encourage root development. Shrubs and flowers have been planted among large rocks obtained on the farm and artistically arranged around the deck and at the foot of the flagpole. A few weeping and corkscrew willows were planted at random at the pond's edge and on the lawn. Uwe's carpenter friend, an avid fisherman also contributed some large carp and a number of speckled trout to keep the pond clean. Uwe assumes all are thriving; on warm summer days, swarms of little fish could be observed close to shore, and not one dead fish has turned up. Uwe has been enriching the fishes' diet recently with high moisture corn. He will use an old European trick, in- serting a vertical bale of straw when the pond begins to freeze, to allow ox- ygen to reach the fish throughout the winter months. The bale can be quick- ly removed to provide access to a water supply in case of fire. Uwe prefers taking his daily dip there, rather than in his swimming pool. He says the water for the first two feet is much warmer in the pond. The rest of the family does not share that particular enthusiasm, preferr- ing to sacrifice heat for a fish -free environment. Has the pond been worth all the work and all the expense? Uwe and Thea would say "yes" without hesita- tion. They are proud of the beauty spot they have created, and believe the addition has increased the market value of their farm, where corn, fall barley, canola and wheat, plus some red spring wheat, are grown on 330 acres. (Correction: make that 328 and one-half!) - Other benefits are intangable. Who can put a price tag on the peace and contentment that comes at the end of a hard day, sitting on the deck beside a lovely pond one had helped create, watching the swallows skillfully skim- ming over the surface, hearing the frogs singing along the shore, and • noting the ripples that betray the presence of a venturesome trout? If you stay perfectly still as darkness falls, you may even get a close-up view of the great blue heron that comes each night at dusk for his fish dinner. And it all began with a mudhole in , a cornfield. .. POND DECK — A pleasantly landscaped deck encourages relaxa- tion and contemplation of the Wisches' new farm pond. FUTURE CATCH — The carp and trout dumped into the Wisches' new farm pond are obviously thriving -and multiplying. THIRD ANNUAL Giant Pumpkin Contest Entries received till October 25 BRING YOUR PUMPKINS TO: Centralia Farmers Supply Ltd. HOME/.\L1 BUILDING CENTRE 228-6638 CO.OP NEW FOR 1986 NOW THREE LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER DELIVER YOUR CORN & SOYBEANS TO HENSALL DISTRICT C OPERATIVE * Detailed, up-to-the-minute market information * Fast, efficient service * Honest weights * Fairg rddes * Competitive prices * Patronage Dividends "Your farmer -owned business" CREDITON SCOUTS SALE -- The Crediton Boy Scouts held a suc- cessful rummage sale Saturday at Pi's Roadhouse. From the left are Linda Morley and Don and Sandy Rider. • T -A photo • ENSALL DISTRICT CO-OPERATIV HENSALL 262-3002 • 1-800-265-5190 SEAFORTH VARNA 527-0770 office 482-5550 527-2024 elevator IP 1