The Wingham Advance-Times, 1989-08-01, Page 1L
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FIRST SECTION
Wingham, Ontario, Tuesday, Aug. 1,1989
GRAIN HARVEST UNDERWAY—The annual August grain harvest has begun across the area.
Jim Moffat was working on his Turnberry Township farm last Saturday amid the dust of one of the.
dryest growing seasons in years.
Ecological farming
Back to basics at Jeffray's
Editor's Note The Maitland Val-
ley Conservation Authority recent-
ly sponsored a bus tour to the farm
of Brian and Bev Jeffrey at R.R.2,
Wingham. The Jeffrey farm is one -
of several in the region that has
gone "ecological", abandoning the
usual chemical fertilizers and pes-
ticides in favor of organic meth-
ods. Now in his second year of
ecological farming, Mr. Jeffrey
feels his chemical -free farm is
safer, healthier, more productive
and more in harmony with nature
than ever. The major stumbling
block in switching to ecological
farming? Attitude, he claims.
"The biggest change a farmer has
to make is between the ears."
By BRIAN JEFFRAY
Our farm is composed of 450
acres, with 310 acres cultivated and
the balance in woodlot. Livestock
includes 40 milking cows, their
replacements, 120 ewes, and vari-
ous numbers of lambs at different
times of the year. My father's farm
also has a small number of pigs. We
have some grain to sell most years.
My initial concern with conven-
tional farming was with the farm
chemicals. Handling these toxic
substances presents a health hazard
to me and my family.through spray ventional fanning is the most diffi-
drift and spills, and by contamina- cult hurdle to face. Information was
tion of clothing and vehicle seats. available fpm Ecological Farmers
Hiring someone to do the job Ass ciat oh of tar "rid the
tint ily�m+ hie helard ; alienor 4
Authority library. This, anct the
encouragement I received from
other ecological farmers, gave me
the courage to attempt it, and I'm
certain their guidances erlstired
early success.
is Also, I have a livestock -based
farm; that makes converting easier
because there is a ready supply of
manure for fertilizer, and 1 can use
hay crops for livestock feed.
There is alwa . a concern about
public image. � .;, are my neigh-
bors, peers an . tors` going to
think about me? fter all, govern-
ment agencies, feed and fertilizer
salesmen, and the farm press is crit-
ical of chemical -free farming. And
farmers themselves are convinced
that chemicals are essential. Why
not continue with the status quo?
This may be an oversimplifica-
tion, but chemical farming doesn't
feel right to me, and chemical -free
' , farming does. Besides, the- farmers
and the effect of farming practices who feed everything they grow to
on the environment. livestock and apply the manure
Actual conversion is easy; chang- back on the farm have more fertiliz-
ing your attitudeeyars of con- er than they need. To buy chemical
fertilizer and apply it in addition to
f ` manure is nothing short of crimi-
nal, yet we've done it for years.
Naturally, I was worried whether
I could keep production high
enough in the first four years of
family to someone else's. This is not
a viable solution for someone with
a _social conscience.
Often, these chemicals come in
containers that are hazardous and
have no safe means of disposal.
Also, the cost of chemicals
"Handling toxic substances
presents a health hazard."
excessive, and year after year new
weeds appear and more chemicals
are needed. It becomes a vicious
cycle.
There are many other issues,
such as trying to produce more
food to pay the spiralling cost of
production — food for which few
are willing or able to pay the price.
And now, consumers have valid
concerns for titSafety of the food
produced with,'rmful chemicals
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"How can you grow crop s
without weed control?"
transition to cover my costs, while
the soil returns to a natural balance.
In two years the yields are as good
or better than they were with chem-
icals, and the production costs are
considerably less. I'm less vulnera-
ble to outside price fluctuations on
inputs, and my products have gen-
erated premium prices.
Weed control is everyone's con-
cern, because weeds suppress
yields even when the field is
sprayed. How could you ever grow
crops without chemical weed con-
trol?
Weeds are not the problem; they
represent nature's solution to an
imbalance in the soil. By chemically
killing weeds, we get rid of the
symptom but not the cause. The
solution is to grow a crop with the
sante soli -correcting characteristics
the weeds have. That way, the soil
is balanced and we have an edible
crop as well. Let nature set the stan-
dard, and make your decisions
accordingly. That's the attitude of
the ecological farther.
Depletion of soil fertility is a con-
stant problerm on n to vent1onal
di
lete
Single Copy 5Ot
Windham youths
injured in crash
One Wingham youth was in criti-
cal condition Monday morning in
University Hospital, London and
another listed as satisfactory in
Wingham hospital following a sin-
gle -car crash Sunday evening near
Stone School in Morris Township.
David sic nmillea, 19, of Wing -
ham was transferred to London for
treatment of major injuries follow-
ing the crash, while Paul Brophy,
also 19 and of Wingham, remained
in Wingham and District Hospital,
Wingham firefighters were called
to the scene, Con. 2-3 of Morris at
Sideroad 5-6, at 11:15 Sunday
evening, says Fire Chief Harley
Gaunt, to extricate the youths from
the car.
According to a spokesman for the
Wingham detachment of the
Ontario Provincial Police, the
mishap occurred at around 11 p.m.
July 30.
As the police report was incom-
plete at press time Monday morn-
ing, it was not known who was
driving the vehicle or which direc-
tion it was travelling. However, the
1986 Chevrolet station wagon,
which is registered to Brophy
Brothers Tire Service, was demol-
ished, report the OPP
The vehicle left the roadway and
entered the ditch on the east side of
the road, where it struck a tree,
according to police.
Meeting promised
over nursing home
The Wingham and District Nurs-
ing Home Needs Committee has
been promised a meeting with
Ontario health ministry and social
service ministry representatives to
discuss acquiring more nursing
home beds in Wingham.
Margaret Mann, a spokesman for
the group, told the newspaper that
several committee representatives
met with Huron MPP Jack Riddell
at his Exeter constituency office last
Friday morning and presented him
with petitions containing 1,432
names.
These,petitions have been located
d' tial Winghertibusinesst s-sit+d sa-asaWingha n brininess ple w.B} ,a
in Teeswater. They ask that the gov-
ernment allow Mac MacGowan,
that he would arrange a meeting
with the health and social services
ministers at Queen's Park.
Mr. MacGowan has until Sept. 30
,to outline his intentions; for the
nursing home. He has been lobby-
ing the government for more beds
since he bought the facility in 1983.
If he does not receive approval for
more beds, the home is in danger of
closing by June of 1993.
Questionnaire is
to be distributed
Balloon workshop
. Page 1 B
$rookhaven. ,nursing homesowner,
25 more beds so that he may build a
new facility, for which he already
has acquired the land.
At last week's meeting, Mr. Rid-
dell told committee representatives
Smoke gets
in your eyes
Area residents who thought they
could see and smell smoke last Fri-
day were not mistaken.
Wind currents last week drew
smoke from forest fires burning in
Manitoba and other parts of West-
ern Canada as far south as London.
The smoky haze lasted for sever-
al hours until the wind direction
changed.
Office closed
next Monday
The Advance -Times office will be
closed next Monday, Aug. 7, for the
Civic Holiday.
The deadline for classified and
display advertising is this Friday
afternoon at five o'clock.
have t e opportunity this week to
provide valuable input into the
decisions regarding future develop-
ment of the town.
A questionnaire has been
designed and geared toward the
local business people to help deter-
mine the community's attitudes
regarding local economic growth in
the future.
The survey is a component of the
work being undertaken by the
Wingham Economic Development
Committee in conjunction with the
Huron County Planning and Devel-
opment Department.
The information gathered will be
used in evaluating the strengths
and weaknesses of the town for
community and economic develop-
ment and also in the preparation of
a five-year plan that will build on
the strengths and work to remedy
the weaknesses.
Questionnaires will be distribut-
ed to local business people by Rose
Marks, a local geography student
hired to do research for the project
over the summer.
For further information, please
feel free to contact any of the fol-
lowing: Bob Murphy, 357-3016; Ian
Moreland, 357-3550; Wayne Phibbs,
357-2331 or Rose Marks, 524-21
Crops in need of rain
Rain is needed very soon before
irreparable damage is done to crop
yields, says a crop specialist with
the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Food office at Clinton.
Brian Hall told the newspaper
last week that many crops are
reaching the critical stages in their
development, particularly corn and
ns.
It truly has been a year of
extremes, says Mr. Hall. A wet
spring impeded planting and now
a humid, dry summer is threaten-
ing numerous crops. By the way,
the last time an appreciable rain fell
in the area was June 2.
Although there was an abun-
dance of first -cut hay this year, says
Mr. Hall, the quality was not as
good., He predicts the second -cut
will not produce the- same yield,
however, it will be better than last
year.
Early harvests of whiter wheat
indicate yields between 60 and 90
bushelsper acre, with, an average of
H
70 bushels. Mr, says the,.q'uail-
good although there
ie loWtest weight
Pat
dsh ve
1i1ING Testi
crop of rye for ripens ss.
Hone! to ecological faim1nl
difficult change at fate
was,i rrcluded in a too
r pian Jeffrey elle his
My, who switched from coven. 1
two years ago, says attitude is themost f
u make. It ent1y,1is 450.acrai f
�t11 y
Couservatiott,Conservation
crops have been burned off i
places.
The drought may have caused
irreparable damage to oats and bar-
ley during the stage in their devel
opment in which the heads fill. Mr.
Hall says early indications point to
a better barley crop than oats.
White and soybeans are entering
a crucial time in their development
— the flowering stage — and rain is
essential. Mr. Hall is eager to avoid
last year's situation in which hea
August rains caused the beans t
flower for a second time and ruined
many crops.
Without rain, beans will have
poor pod set as well, he adds.
There is a potential for a good
corn crop this year, says Mr. Hall
but once again, rain is essential t
ensure strength during the criti
tassel stage that sets the size of th
ears.
Good growing weather through
out May and June has resulted i
taller corn this year, but lack o
water is causing the leaves to coil
makin rd for the tassels t
Ith tt fn the immediate
forecast &&'r i` In Week, farmers are
wonderinghaw long the drought
inue and how much dater,-
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Sale postponed
until September
A fund-raising auction sale,
which had been scheduled for Sun-
day at the Lower Town School
House, has been postponed to give
organizers more time to collect
items.
Jerry Richardson, a spokesman
for the Wingham Kinsmen Club
and Teens Unlimited, the two
groups sponsoring the sale, said
they underestimated the amount
of work involved in preparing for
such a sale and just had not given
themselves enough lead time.
By putting the sale off, possibly.
until September, he says; organizers
have more time to gate: and solicit
sale items.
The sale is being held in an effort
to raise funds for renovations at the
school house. The Kinsmen Club
and Teens Unlimited have joined
forces to renovate the building as a
teen drop-in centre at an estimated
cost of $50,000.
The sale will be held, says Mr.
Richardson, who adds that items
are needed. Anyone interested is
asked to call him or Bob Hewines of
the Wutgham Kinsmen Club.
Grain field
fire results in
minor damage
A fire in a grain field last Satur-
day in Turnberry Township result-
ed in minimal damage, reports
Wingham Fire Chief Harley Gaunt.
The department responded to the
call to the Aart deVos farm at Lot
11, Con. 5 of Turnberry at 4:20 p.m.
on July 29. Although Chief Gaunt
says he is not certain about the
cause of the fire, he suspects it Was
ignited by a spark.
Firefighters were summoned to
the Bob Burchill farm at Lot 41,
Con. 14 of Fast Wawanosh Town-
ship last Friday evening at 820. The
chief says a fire in a barnyard hay
rraanger resulted in approximately
S250 damage. The direct cause of
the blaze is unknown.
The Ontario Provincial Police has
been asked to investigate a suspi-
cloutt fire last Wednesday evening
at Lot 18, Con. B of Turnberry
Township.
aMr. Gaunt says five large bales of
hay behind the barn at the George
Gibbons' farm were found burning
at around 9:30 p.rn.
The fire department also was
summoned to a motor vehicle acci-
dent Sunday evening at 11:15 in
Morris Townehi to extricate two
Gyouths from a vehicle reports Chief
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