Times Advocate, 1992-09-23, Page 13How his this
summer's
weather
affectzd
your craps?
por.:
Tina Visscher
R.K. I Hav P.U.
"For most of our crops. it
has actually been a good
year. Cool wet weather has
been good for the cauli-
flower and broccoli crops.
Potatoes are yielding very
well. It is a bit early to tell
about the corn and soy-
beans. Weare certainly op-
timistic about them though
and everyone knows that
farmers are eternal opti-
mists.'.
Len Veri
Exeter
"At this point, it has been
the most unusual summer
that 1 can remember be-
cause of the coldness and
dullness. 12 has certainly re-
tarded the growth of crops.
Our pepper crop for exam-
ple is running 3-4 weeks
late. We will never get near
the yield because of the
short picking time. Our
picking time' is usually the
first of August and we
didn't start til the first of
September so we are nov.
four weeks behind - four
weeks that we will never
get back."
John Gielen
RR1 Crediton
"Obviously yields will be
down and drying and harvest
costs will be up on most
crops. There is some severe
damage to the white bean
corp because of moulds and
wet, cold field conditions.
What .we need now is dry
weather so we can start the
white bean harvest. Corn and
soybeans would suffer some
damage by an early frost in
the next two. weeks."
Tom Triebner
RRI Exeter
"Our yiell is still good but the
corn 1.. way behind. A day or
two of nice weather is always
followed by some wet weath-
er and it is so difficult to get
the ..crops Off. Our wheat was
exceptionally good but o
hay was really hard to get off
and was not veru good quali-
ty. With the wet weather you
end up with compaction of
the ground and that concerns
me as it will affect our land
for a couple of years
Celebrate
Agri -Food
Week
GUELP}i - Theres a Hurry of
sicuvu\ across the province, ati
small and large txsrriniuniues pre-
pare to celebrate Agri -Food Week.
FLp your calendar to the week of
October 4-10 and piaci to spend
ante visaing some of the entenain-
mg, educatxxial Agn-Food Week
celebrathuns.
The acttvuses scheduled for this
year are as diverse as the &teas of
uur province Take apeual {arm
tours in Elgin. Middheaex and
(Grenville counties. wander the
streets of Dunnville to see the win-
ners 01 Uic store window display
wmpeuuon. see the ptumolhooal
btllbuards throughout Brantford,
and be sure to visit the Fall Fairs
and Fanners' Markets m your area
to see special displays and daoMiun-
matwns highlighting the systems
that bring an abundance of autri-
leoits ()rheic food to your table.
Agri -Food Week is auw a ten-
year -old custom . iii Cheerio. it is
traditaunaLiy held the .week before
Thanksgiving. when the harvest
Season naturally latns,pur thoughts
to food and .where it ceases from.
This year, the possum is being co -
animated by the Agri -Food Net-
work with fhaaicial and advisory
support from the Ontario Ministry
of AgriaWWre sand Good .and a
ittiwber of agricultural ee ,a -
tions.
So. no matter where you are in
line province. head our to the euun-
try.sidevtnd enjoy your local Agri -
Food Wcek activities and learn
More about Ontario's Agri-tood in-
dustry. if you world like specific
details about the events plotted in
your area, c sutact your local Qua-
rto Ministry of Agriculture And
Fiiod office.
Big Lug.
1 he While Workhorse 170 and 195. Stmuch
power, toughness. and lugging ability they live right
up to their rani•
I•ur high output on heavy tillage and Mu vesting fobs.
we put in a rugged six -cylinder Cummins Diesel engine
1b , in .0 hp in Uie 170. and t 92 PCU hp ui the l 95. Lach
one punching out a high 3U% torque true
Then a transmission that uses a 3 -speed puwershili
and only two clutch packs. It cuts internal drag, giving
you more puwet and efficiency. So you don't sacrifice
power or fuel
The White Workhorse 170 or 195. At your AOC()
Willie Dealer now
They're here 'They're ready. Lae the Workhorse -
that they.arc
Times-AAvocate September 23, 1992
Page i'
nears of frost, cold, rain and
mold continue for local farmers
By Adrian Harte
T -A I dltor
CLINTON
Local farm-
ers still
have a
few
weeks
of ner-
vously
watch
-ing
the
skies and the thermometer as they
watt to find out the outcome of the
colt: wet 1992 growing season.
Most crops are delayed a feu
weeks in maturing, and many farm-
er, are fearing that an early frost
may take a large bite out of harvest
yield.
Allan McCallum, a soil and crop
advisor at Clinton's Ontario Minis
try of Agriculture and Food, noes
th. white bean crop will likely.
Drive disappointing to many grow-
er The wet season has made tor
hien moisture levels in plants and
ha. led to many fields being dam -
aped by white moki.
"It rs to the point where most of
th. Crop is starting to drop its
leaves and dry," said McCallum,
but noted in many areas the dam-
age Lias already been done.
Some of the early maturing varie-
ties are already being harvested in
us South Huron lutea, but other
tanners are still having to wait to
VIO
s
see if a continued wet fall will hurt
their chances of cleanly Iiarvesting
what they do hidl4c.
As for soybeans, McCallum said
white meld has also been a factor.
"They've actually been hit a hit
by white mold as well, which isn't
very airman in soybeans," he
Raid, observing that "it's been an
average crop this year. There's
been a bit of concern that there
hasn't been as much pod develop-
ment as in recent years.
While there are . plants that do
look good in the fields. time is run-
ning out_
"They're starting to get to the
point where a frost will really hurt
them," said McCallum.
Rut if a frost does come in the
next few days it will he the corn
crop that will likely he hardest hit.
McCallum said the past couple of
weeks have helped the corn im-
mensely. Waren weather has
helped it mature rapidly, but he
said another two or three weeks in
the field, frost free, are needed.
McCallum said a light frost was
reported on the morning of Sep-
tember 12 for the north end of the
county, and in the Hay Swamp
area, -but he said "there was very
minimal damage".
Another concern is that a law
harvest for the soybean crop will
cause difficulties' for those looking
to plant winter wheat.
"Some have already started aerial
seeding into the standing soybean
erop," said McCallum, who said the
theory is that falling soybean leaves
should pmvide cover and mulch for
the wheat seeds
"it's not ideal. but its certainly a
viable option on a year like this,"
said McCallum, who said he is ad
vising farmers against re -seeding
their wheat fields for a second crop
two years in a row.
"You really do leave yourselt
open to mot and ground diseases,"
he said of the increased risk of dis-
ease carryover.
"The specific issue this fall is the
wheat because people want to keep
wheat in their rotation," he said.
"There's still preuy gond yield
potential in the coin and soybeans.
but it's a matter of getting them ma
lure and harvested," added. saying
most gmwers can certainly expect
lower than average white bean
yields this year.
"To be practical we should not be
comparing this year's crop to last
year's crop." McCallum noted, calt
ing last year's "exceptional" pump-
er crop as much of an aberration as
this year's cold. wet season.
"People making their cropping
decisions for next year shouldn't
put any more weight on this year
than lase," he said. suggesting farm-
ers stick with the long-term averag-
es for their area.
Ready to
Receive
Your 1992
Bean
Crop
q"033r
Brad Elder, Don Stroud, Rick Forrest
and Murray Insley
l
Ass €� ..
•
\-• J1
6,000 bu. per hour
Grain Elevator
Tv better serve the customers
in the Exeter *049
ALL
DISTRICT 2rarso
CO'OPERAI7VE