The Lucknow Sentinel, 1996-03-13, Page 47This m
n knows
by David Scott
Io the world of seeds, Lome
Fell has"bean" there, done that.
Fell is a 20 -time worid champi-
on
on for seed growing at the
Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
in. Toronto. He captured two
world titles at the 1995 Royal in
both theopen and pedigreed.
classes for white beans,
He operates Rosebank Seed
Farms Ltd, at RR ,2 Staffs with
his wife Helen, son Roger and
daughter Pauline. •
Fell started selling seeds in.
1948 after the barley fromhis
one -acre -4-H block won second
place at the .Mitchell Fair, He.
showed the same barley at the
Royal and won second there
"1 thought it :can't be that bad
so I cleaned _it,up and sold it,"
said Fell. That was his first.
experience in the seed business.
"People started asking if I
had any seed for sell so 1 kept at
it."
Fell took over the family
farm in• 1960. It was a mixed
operation with some dairy and
beef cattle, a few pigs and
chickens.
He started concentrating
more on the seed end. He start-
ed white beans' in- 196Q and in
1969 set up theseed plant com-
plete withMa seed cleaner.
Since the early 1970's, Fell
has. sold oats, barley, winter
wheat, white beans and soy
beans from Rosebank Seed
Farms. All the seedsare
processed and cleaned in his
plant. By •1978, he'd gotten out
Of livestock entirely..
Every year he shows samples
°ofall his. seeds and has ,won
world championships in the past
for oats, barley, white beans and
soybeans..
. It took 15 consecutive years
'►f, showing at the Royal before
Fell won a world championship.
And since then there's only
been three years he 'hasn't won
a world title. But in those off-
years, someone in the area won,
including his son in 1994.
"Roger won and my cousin
won. I was still involved in it,"
said Fell' since he processed the
winning seeds.
His wins aren't limited to the
Royal. Fell has had top show-
ings at the. London Farm Show
and > the -Canadian Western
Agribition. Last year he entered
four different farm shows out
west and was a winner in three
of them.
World Winning Quality "` A
Appearance is a major factor.
in seed judging. "They look for
uniformity in size, check that
it's free of mechanical damage,"
Fell said.
Colour,especially in seed
grains, is important
"If there's damp weather at
harvest it will darken the seed.
roan Progirmis INV -Page 31
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1N LIVESTOCK
Lorne Fell, of R.R. 2 Staffa, displays his two World
Champion silverplates, ribbons and certificate from the
1995 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair for best: white- beans
in the c peh and pedigreed classes. (David . Scott photo)
When showing you liketo have in Idaho (for white beans)," said
a nice bright colour." p Fell.
Fell said the western wheat Other grains can wait for five
was better this. year. "We had years before starting over with
wet weather at harvest. It was breeder seed. in . the other class -
not as good." es of seeds there's a fifth genet
Pedigreed classes are open to ation registered, which falls
exhibitors of any country in the after foundation.
=world where pedigreed seed, Aside from the seed plant,
one V whose history can be Fell has 240 acres And his son ;.
traced,.; is. produced. A sample is Roger rents another 1.100. As
drawnout of a clean lot of 100 'well many neighbours, grow
bushels. "It's . a sample of What Fell's seeds. "It gives them a
we sell to the customer." market. They grow Ahern, 'I take`
Because Rosebank Seed is an them back and; process them."
authorized establis`hment it can Most of Fell's customers are in
draw its own samples.' In the ,• Perth County but 'he. has sold
past inspectors had to take the seeds all over Eastern Ontario.
saniple. Fell won with his OAC "This year we had stuff go
Gryphon white beans in the quite a distance. They're more
pedigreed class at the 1995 into cash crops in this area, not
Royal. spring grains.You've got to go
A two -kilogram sample is . '. more into . livestock area.
entered in both classes. Fell said There's : not muchspring grain
it used to be a i0 -pound sample grown around here : except for
that was, required and when he seed."
showed seeds for the first time Fell says the exposure at the
with the 4-H it was 18 lbs. • Royal helps business. When he
Preparing a' sample for the first won, the world title include
open class requires more time ed a silver tray and $100. Now
and more patience. The seeds the prize : money is $500. What.
are hand-picked and only the do the. Fells do with all the sil-
best make it. "It's.like showing ver trays`
livest+ clt," said Fell. You want "I have 20 silver trays. 1 get
to; makesure sure you. --have_ a • good -;them outfor weddings- nd--spe -
looking product. But he • warns 'cial occasions,'", said Helen Fell::;
against looking too hard when "I store. them away. I try to keep
weeding out undesirable . seeds, them covered soI don't have to
"The longer you work at it polish them.'''
the more things you find .` Soybeans Popular
wrong.' Fell predicts he'll sell over
Fell's son. Roger won in the 40,000 bags '.of soybeans alone
pedigreed
are grd catssrin 1994 and this year.>He"' figures spring
both
gs. There grains- will be down a bit and
are four generations in white . there's "not too much interest in
beans - the ; breeder seed : from vwh te.beans."'
theplant breeder, select; fowl- Usually seeds are bagged <,
dation and certified. 25 kg sizes but some grains are
"We have to getffresh breeder package in 40 kg bags. ,"The
seed every year from a grower . *turn to page 32
•
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