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Clinton News-Record, 1977-02-03, Page 10PAC,g,IQ-CLINTOl4 NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1977 Don Pullen uron ag. rep is very buyinan. Caught on film to prove to any doubting Huron County farmers that there really is an ag. rep., Don Pullen,left,seated in his office, goes over some information with Merle Gumby, a director of the Federation of Agriculture. (News -Record photo) S. By Chris Zdeb If Don Pullen's fairy godmother had to grant him one wish, she would probably make him into two. Two men, so that he could be in two places at the same time: the only possible solution to the agricultural representative's dilemma. "I think there are some farmers in the County (Huron), who wonder where I am all day," Don said, "I'11 be out in the field and they'll come looking for me in the ag. office. The people say, `Where's the ag rep, he's never in his office.' Then when I'm in the office, they ask, 'How come he's never in the field." Huron County's 39 -year-old ag rep puts in a 40 -hour week plus, but there just does not seem to be. enough of him to gp around. "I try to balance my time between the two, spending the morping in the office and then going "outdoors in the afternoon," Don said, but,. when your jdris.diction ex- tends from Clifford to Grand Bend and from Amberley to Kirkton, it is difficult to get around and visit the various areas as frequently as he would like. ' Don Pullen, a native of Blanchard Township, who holds a degree in animal husbandry from the University of Guelph, has been Huron County's agricultural representative since 1968. He thoroughly enjoys the job he has held for almost 10 years, and finds the people great to work with. As for the theory that he should enjoy the job for as long as he can, because with creeping urbanization and good farmland fast disappearing, that won't be long, Don is a non- believer. "I wouldn't continue in this job if I'felt there was no future in farming," he said. "The strides made in agriculture are greater than any sector, and Canada's farmers are one of the most efficient farmers in the world." Don believes there is a good future in agriculture. "Sure it's hard to make a start in agriculture," he said, "but then it always has been." And then there is the fact that agriculture is not for everyone. "Risk and uncertainty are the two key words in agriculture," he said. Only people prepared to face and live with constant challenge need apply. If they decide agriculture is still for them, there is no better place to start than in Huron County. Huron ranks first in Ontario in cattle marketing, barley, fodder corn, white bean and mixed grain production. It ranks, second in pig population, and cattle value, and third in total cattle population and milk production. n Huron is also the'leading county in Ontario with the most improved land: approximately 86 percent of the county's 840,000 acres is in production, according to Don. Whileescalating operating costs have fuelled the -crew nee coo erattontlightvayp By Susan Bright throughout these areas, he said. When it comes to Ontario's •To handle it, almost 50 per highways during winter - cent of the Ministry's snow safety is a two-way street. 'blowers are located in these Winter maintenance staff two districts. do their utmost to maintain Patrolmen, responsible for safe road conditions. But coping with excessive snow - motorists must also shoulder sleet situations, are trained some of the responsibility. on the job in special sessions Sanding or salting the high- and are also guided by MTC's ways, as well as plowing, are manual on winter main - the major components in the tenance operations. Ministry'•s maintenance "They're •.technicians and program. they, make the decision But slowing down and whether to plow, sand or salt. driving according to the It has to be made on -the -spot - prevailing -road conditions is not from an office," Orr said. the responsibility of every Murray Sinclair, Main - motorist, according to Earl tenance Operations Engineer Orr, Director of MTC's agrees. Maintenance Branch..- "It's really a science. If you When a storm hits, MTC's do, the wrong thing you can staff rolls into action. actually worsen • the Seasonal and regular em- situation," said Sinclair. ployees man the 880 The decision to sand and -or snowplows and 700 sanders. salt is made on the basis of Most of the 700 sander- several factors: trucks used last winter were . the current temperature and owned and operated by the „ whether it isrising or falling; private sector, which is . the type of precipitation, standard procedure. Ministry e.g., dry or wet snow, rain; sander units are mounted on .road condition, e.g., these trucks. • snowpacking on pavement; Although plow crews .storm development with ' operate .on the basis of shifts - different reactions depending and call-back when necessary on whether the storm is just - motorists cannot expect beginning, in progress or ideal road conditions at all finished. . times, said Orr. In short, the manual breaks "If they are needed, the down procedures into nearly crews will work 12 hours on 20 different types of .weather NTI-INFLATION�� and 12 hours off, sometimes and road conditions - each of far five or six days or longer if which dictates a specific necessary. reaction. N ? av i "But no matter what Salting for example can ter, 0 y� k � r. � BUCKETrrirr�h system we use, it is im- have an adverse effect on dry y.�{ E �N 4{ °y l� �� 1/..4i4.,. ;r{, possible to hit every mile of swirling snow by making it ,., r , kv y ' i'!F s F!ft with varying road conditions. The amount of traffic also affects the time needed to "bar"e" a highway. Tires running over its surface generate heat and actually speedup the process. Even though cars may not always be able to get through a road, that's rarely the case for snowplows. Poor visibility is the major reason why plows are sometimes pulled off a road, said Or -r. • Andther reason can be stranded cars clogging up a route. One of the most serious problems faced. by plow operators is the possibility of motorists running into the back of their plows. Plows are hard to see because snow swirls up behind them as they move along a highway, he said. "But drivers have to realize these plows are big and slow in comparison - to normal traffic. You've got to watch out for them." (- From the Ontario Traffic Safet N Y News away from mixed farms to specialized operations, and from many farms with small farms - with to fewer larger acreage, the need for increasing the farmers' knowledge of specialization has also increased. The - trend has also increased the ministry of agriculture and food's role as an information provider. Don's position as Huron County's ag rep means that all agricultural policies and programs in the County fall under his direction and co-ordination. These policies and selling, livestock and crop management, and agricultural engineering. It is in agricultural organization and farm management that the ministry is most effective. And management by objectives is the name of the game. . "The Ministry adopts ob ctives cor pileds' from the field first, and the program's are evaluated as they are completed," Don said. The evaluation is carried out and programs reviewed during weekly staff meetings held in the Ministry's Clinton office. ' The ag rep encourages change and improvements to the programs and policies he is responsible for and said the Ministry' has a great deal.of flexibility in accepting new ideas. "We go out into the field and ask .the farmers what they think of the programs we offer and if they have any suggestions for future programs," Don said. "We're open to suggestions and like to feel that we're quite approachable." If it is new ideas and changes that Don craves; the farmers of Huron County have more than complied. "The farmers here are very keen in seeking new ideas," he said. "There are many innovative farmers in the, county willing to try something new for the- first time. It's helping to make headway in the field of agriculture." • There is a afore intensive approach being taken to working with individual farmers and their problems, and Don has many farmers come to the -office for advice and general information. If a farmer requires more specific information, he sits down to talk with Don or one of. the office's associate. ag. representatives for further clarification. "We've become more specialized as more farmers have been specializing he said. One area of speclali.z ttion is the identification of weeds and plants and plants with diseases brought into the office. It is a good thing Don met and married Florence Pullen, otherwise, he would have been a little pressed to find:s_ameone to help with the plant identification, Florence, who specialized in botany, the categorization of plant and animal organisms,•while at the Universitlof Guelph, has been a great help to Don in this area. She must be the only woman in the county who is not offended when her husband brings home a clump of weeds for her. In his attempts to provide the county farmers with all the information and good advice that the ag.office has to offer, the ag• rep. still remains human and as such, fallible. - "When we had the frost in June of '72 we answered a lot of calls from people concerned with whether the crops, specifically corn, would recover," Don said. "We told them they would and they didn't. Even for those who replanted, it was too late." Coupled with his duties as ag. rep, Don is also faced with the responsibilities of secretary for the 1978 International Plowing Match to be held on the Wingham farm of Jim Armstrong, in Huron County. Last year the match was held in Bruce County and attracted 300,000 visitors over its five days in September. It was a record turnout. The Plowing Match in Huron will be held on 1,000 acres of land, 100 of which will support exhibitors. Don, in co-operation with the secretaries of the various committees • working to organize the Plowing Match in Huron, is responsible for the mailing and reply of all correspondence. ' The correspondencehas begun to flow in already, but it is just a trickle of the torrent of mail expected as the match date comes closer, Don said. There is a chance that with all this work, Don will have little time for wife, Florence and'their two sons, David,9 and Michel,7, but as long as he has weeds to get identified the family can rest assured•thatx they will at least see him from time to time. On second thought, maybe Don's fairy godmother should make him over into three. Three men, to be in three places at the same time. TARTING OON WATCH FOR DETAILS OF BIRTHDAY CLUB FOR THE CHILDREN (1110""n --- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9th. road instantaneously. In sticky and packing in nature. certain conditions, we can hit In addition, salt becomes less an area yet only improve the effective as the temperature roads slightly," said Orr. drops to severe freezing At this point the onus is on conditons. the driver. Each must decide This process is further whether driving is really complicated by the fact that necessary. If it is, then take it Ontario's highways are easy and recognize the broken down into four conditions, classifications for winter The areas hardest hit by maintenance during storm snow in Ontario are in the conditions - bare I, bare II, vicinity of Owen Sound and centre -bare and snowpacked, Stratford. Winds sweeping Roads are classed on the across Georgiar "-- "^d basis of their average daily Lake Huron 1 • ' 1DWT) count. tremendous a first run. mes, every Bch -Clinton moisture, then New assistant conductor with - -cpec, to cope London symphony 36 Gond: Brian Jackson, a thirty- three year-old native of Cornwall, England, has been engaged as the London Symphony Orchestra's new Assistant Conductor. Mr. Jackson was offered the post on the recom- mendation of Music Director, Clifford Evens with the en- dorserrient of the members of Sinfonia. Auditions for the position were held in late 1976. • Before the end of the current season, Mr. Jaekson Will conduct ten• concerts in all, inclj4;ing the complete "Cabaret", Series, Gilbert and Sullivan .'a la Carte' on the du Maurier Pops Series, and the April 16, Lollipop concept -featuring "Carnival of the Anitna The need for an assistant, conductor has grown out of the rapid , expansion of the orchestra's activities par- ticularly since the creation of Sinfonia as a full-time professional • nucleus. Eight years ago, during Clifford Evens' first season as Music Director and Conductor, the Orchestra performed only 12 concerts. The current season's conducting workload requires the . programming, preparation, rehearsal and 'performance of no less than 109 concerts. • impAt ism by cotty Hamilton Mail your piob letnii . , m pact" c -o this 'Taper. Alt let tern will be answered provided a stamped addressed envelope is enclosed. Some, of general interest will be published. Letters must be signed but we will NOT reveal your identity. "These Questions and An- swers based on Ontario Law, are published to inform- and not to advise. No one should try to apply or interpret the law without the aid and advice of a trained expert who knows the facts, since the facts of each case may change the application of the law." NO PHONE. CALLS PLEASE ' , FRED J. HUDIE LIMITED LUMBER BLDG. HDW. PAINT ALLPAPER CARPETS LIGHTING WI EWAY HOME 8 BUILDING CENTRE 482-.3441 230, BAY F 1 E'LD.RD. CLINTON- - Several letters have been sent to this column recently concerning some of the rules governing snowmobilers, and. what they can and cannot do according to law. Up until now we have replied on a personal basis and covered the specific question asked. However, in view of the wide interest in this subject we have decided to publish some IMPORTANT EXCERPTS from the Mdtorized Snow Vehicles Act, and we hope this will help clarify some of the most often asked questions. Every motorized snow vehicle, unless exempted under this act or the regulations, shall have at- tached to or painted on both sides.. of the cowling in a clearly visible position, a sign showing the registration number of the motorized snow vehicle. Clinton Community Credit Union. Good Dividends Convenient office hours 482— i"' 3467. • -70 Ontario - Street No person shall drive a motorized snow vehicle across a highway unless (a) he has attained the full age of 16 years; (b) he holds a driver's license, a motorized snow vehicle operator's license or is a resident of any other province, country or state and holds a license issued by such province, country or state which authorizes him to drive a motorized snow..vehicle. No person shall drive a motorized snow vehicle upon a public trail, unless (a) he'has attained the full, age of 12 years; and (b) he holds a driver's license, a motorized snow vehicle operator's license or is a resident of any other province, country or state and holds a license issued 1-4y such province, country °or state which authorizes him to drive a motorized snow vehicle. on T. Prycie .& LtSd. __ District Representative' 1 Don Denomme 75 HAMILTON MONUMENTS LETTERING 524- 2373 or 6_621 appal _ -- appointments _anytime A special offer from the Colonel to fight inflation— feeds 5 t7 ftgry people. -24 i' lif IN 5 entiw 9 ivied `• RICkSII Col. Sanders Boys & Olds make lit "Finger Lickin' Good" 94 Elgin Ave. Goderiih, Ont. 4', GODERICH MARKERS 0 M • No person shall drive a motorized snow vehicle upon a highway or public trail unless he is insured under a motor vehicle liability policy in accordance with the In- surance Act, and the owner of a motorized snow vehicle shall not permit any person to drive the vehicle upon a highway or public trail unless the driver is so insured. The driver of a motorized snow vehicle who drives or permits the driving of the motorized snow vehicle on a highway or public trail shall, upon the request of a police officer, constable or con- servation officer, produce evidence that the driver thereof is insured under a motor vehicle liability policy in accordance with . the In- surance Act. Bali & Mutch LTD.. in '.'® HOME FURNISHINGS ®111 FLOOR INGS CARCOVER.. FURNISHINGS 71 ALBERT 5, 482-9505 • •