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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-04-28, Page 30( 11 . 1.pia; woiks on top of one of his brother's bams which was destroyed by fire. WO pigs parish SHIPKA - Amount .of damage is yet-'mtdetarmnted following a fate which destroyed'thtee:bilosutad'Med hundreds,of pigs in Shipluclate'Tfinrsday The fire .ts:from • Zurich,: Dashwood and Grand Bend -were fall _dispatched to the farm of Bill Finkbeiner justeiffof Huron County Road 4. "A neighbour phoned and said the barn was on fire. We had.gone to bed," said Finkbeiner. Monday.untsning, while smoke still rose from the ruins;Enilcbeinersaidhe still -had no idea of what start- ed the flre:orwhat the.actual cause was. He said the fire .in the :three bams killed about 500 hie pigs but he was able to save quite a few. "We still saved 275 or 300, we're hoping they'll be :okay," said Finkbeiner. • Firefighters were summoned back to the farm on Fri- day because the fire had started up again. Finkbeiner said he was insured and will be rebuilding. The barns were fairly new, having been built in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Monday morning, several neighbours _and family members were at the Einkbeiner farm assisting with the cleanup. One Foot in the Furrow; A few snide little remarks are surfacing about the manner in which the agricultural community is "brainwashing" children in the classroom. I have heard it once or twice at social gatherings from eggheads who feel the classroom should be preserved for what comes from the education ministry and the ingenu- ity of the teacher. They decried the methods used by some of the mar- keting boards, especially in Onta- rjo. Also, 1 have heard several farm writers decrying the manner in which certain farm groups spread their propaganda in public and high schools. Personally, I believe .these boards are doing an excellent job. The material that 1 have seen from such groups as the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the On- tario Pork Producers Marketing Board, the Canadian Caulemen's Association, the various branche=s of the feathers industry and even the Ontario Farm Animal Counclil have been not only tasteful but truthful. None of it has been forced on school children. Any participation has been by choice. 1 have three daughters who went through the public school system, one of whom is tiiitl at university and will soon become Dr. Trotter. I have six grandchildren, five of whom arc in the system so I am not speaking from inexperience here. It will be interesting, then. to see what the Ontario Milk Marketing Board does with its new Education in the Classroom program. Instead of the once -popular Dairy Princess Program, the milk board has scrapped this semi -sexist idea.after 37 years. 1 never felt the Dairy Princess selection was degradieg because the choice did not depend on the "beauty" of the winner but was based on her knowledge of and ability to perform the duties of a dairyperson along with public speaking and personality. Instead of selecting a princess, the board will sponsor a representa- tive to be known as the Ontario Dairy Educator. She -- or he -- will be chosen in a job interview selec- tion process. 1 know of no other marketing board in this country which has been in the forefront of change like the OMMB. When dealing with board members and -employees in more than 30 years of writing about agriculture, I have found the OMMB to be first class all tithe way. They .choose their peopleith great care and the board members are on top of the game at all times. It .is:ibe Cadillac of marketing bonds ion my humble opinion. i have imported -- and criticized - this board for most of its 25 years of existence. Always, the praise and the criticism has been accepted with good grace. I did some con- sulting for theboard some years ago and was treated warmly but professionally. i think every marketing board in this country, whether they are sup- ply management or not couldjske some lessons in public rets sow teed -the proper handling of -the -stress from the OMMB. • I'm sure this new venture into the classrooms of the province will be done quietly but firml, and in good taste. Not long ago I criticized the pork board for withholding minutes of meetings from a producer who asked for them. I think that board haslearned plenty in the last fee years as well. Not long after the snide remarks in this corner, I was contacted with what was a reason- able explanation. This is what these boards should do more often. They cannot contin- ue to simply ignore their critics for- ever. Public relations is a big part of my agricultural -endeavor and will continue to be. TelMisorr 1104••• Mil fats %Ai& immiar it If you think it's hot now, wait 'til you see your AOCO Allis dealer Not only will you discover the hot new 400 Series riding mowers, but you'll get a FREE ACCO AIhs thermometer just for ,lakinga .: test drive Su you'll always know s how4iot it is. The new 400 Series - - - - riding mowers. Only at your AOC° Allis dealer. • Limited time otter JA�iMfstit Jct 04d Hwy 117 & MaatMM d =411 Welluigaon S! Rannocr 1124700 Hensa1 2112.26o5 Deisit sour cows on :milk produalea GUELPH - 'Most cows are con- tent giving milk, but one bad expe- rience in the milking parlor can sour them on the process -for a long time, says University of Guelph an- imal scientist Frank Hurnik. Humik, who gave a report on his work with dairy cows at a recent symposium on robotic minting in the Netherlands, says the success of technological advances in milking systems depends on the good treat- ment of dairy cows. "Progress in automatization and robotization will depend on the sen- sible integration of biological and technical knowledge," he says. "It is always easier to adjust newly de- veloping animal -production tech- nologies to the biological require- ments of animals, rather than animals to the technology. it is sur- prising how often this simple rule has been ignored," Hurnik says dairy-irmers should take special measures to ensure that milking is not traumatic flbr their cows. "The milking parlor itself and all aspects of the milking pro- cess should be comfortable and positively reinforcing." In previous research, Humik has found that cows acquire behavioral characteristics through experience. An anim`dl that has learned to asso- ciate the milking process with an unpleasant experience may resist being taken to the milking parlor and cause handling difficulties. Conversely, if efforts arc made to make a cow as comfortable as pos- sible during milking, it may adapt more readily to the process. By understanding and using the concept of positive reinforcement, dairy farmers can alter their ani- mals' behavior and develop the skills necessary to harmonize ani- mal behavior with new technology, says Humik. But fanners must keep in mind 'that the success of such harmonization depends on "the psy- chological and physiological pat - dispositions of each individual ani- mal." Simply put, some cows naturally enjoy being milked more than others. He suggests several steps that Thompson founder named to Agriculture Hall of Fame GUELPH - Wesley Gardiner (Tommy) Thompson, founder of W.G. Thompson & Sons Ltd. will be inducted into the Onta- rio Agriculture Hall of Fame at its 14th annual Unveiling Cere- mony on June 20 at the Ontario Agriculture Museum. Tommy Thompson, was an innovator, and some of Ontario's ',greatest crop handling techniques and mechanisms were de- , veloped and implemented under his watchful eye. The legacy of Thompson's keen and fair business sense can be traced through the two family corporations, W.G. Thompson and Sons Limited and Hyland Farms Limited. Elected to represent i East Kent in 1943, he became the Minister of Lands and Forests in the Ontario Legislature. The Honourable Lincoln Alexander, Chancellor of the Universi- ` ty of Guelph and former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario will beahe guest speaker at the ceremony and the general public is welcome to at- tend. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the Ontario Agriculture - Museum in Milton. The Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame is a provincial non-prnfit.or- i ganization created for the sole purpose of providing recognition -to those who have made significant contributions to Ontario's agriculture. should be taken to gear the milltNlg roeess to the cow's weft -being. hese include: • using the milking parlor for no other purpose, particularly painted of aversive treatments; • consistent timing in milking routines; • -using comfortable attd non - aversive walkways and holding units and well -operating milking machines; and • early detection of nett=frt � health problems that can Milking painful for the tow. Hurnik says it's in the best inter- est of farmers to ensure that the Milking process is a pleasant one for their cattle. Sec ad 111 next week's issue for details LAWN & GARDEN CENTRE EXETER u Custom applied Dual 480 Impregnation Liw For control of your annual grasses Bar Call your Thompson Branch for more details Crop Tips - - Seeding Date and Planting Depth or The best yields are usually obtained from corn planted in the first half of May because the crop is table to use the full growing season. Early planting also results in earlier maturity in the fall, reducing the risk of damage from an early fall frost or adverse weather at harvest. The optimum planting date is around May 7 in south- western Ontario and May 10 in central and eastern Ontario. L$elaying planting past the optimum date can result in yield reductions averaging 40 kg/ha'per day of delay. we It is advisable to start planting slightly before the optimum date. Take advantage of good planting conditions when they oc- cur. The risk of a yield reduction from planting a bit too early is less than that from planting too late. er Corn will germinate if the soil temperature is over 10 degrees C, but emergence will be very slow at soil temperatures under 15 de- grtzss C. When planting early or in cold soil, place the scads 2 to 3 cm deep, because the soil will be warmest near the soil surface. Deeper planting will result in delayed emergence and uneven stands. se When planting in warm soil, the sending depth generally should be such that the Seed is placed in moist soil. Excessively deep planting should be avoided. Seeds planted more than 7 cm deep may have difficulty emerging, espe- cially en line -textured or compacted soils where crusting may be a problem. (Re OMAF publication 296) -Seeforth Hensel) Mitchell Ailsa Craig Granton Pt. Albert 245-2545 262-2527 343.8433 293-3223 225-2360 5,29-7501 9