The Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-01-18, Page 14r,.
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PAGE FOURTEEN
THE LUCKNOW SENTINEL LUCKNOW, ONTARIO WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1978
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MAE DORE, PURPLE Grove correspondent for the Kincardine News, holds Petals, her
houMrs.e Doreaeal hi. istrrs.°tate sales representative and an Avonore also ites her column for the cu know paper: Besides writing,
n lady. (Bev Ctark photo)
Despite poor year,
Despite a trying year during
1977 Huron's Agricultural Repre-
sentative Don Pullen predicts
county farmers will °"remain
valiant ,and unshaken"
Pullen said in an interview last
week with the Exeter Times -
Advocate he was told by one
farmer who failed to harvest 200
acres of white beans . and did not
have , crop insurance, "well, it's
my first crop failure in 16 years."
The ag rep added, "Most of our
farmers are -eternal optimists like
myself ' or they . wouldn't be
associated with an. industry where.
there are so many risks which
include ' weather and' variable
market conditions:"
•
The very wet fall weather cut.'
Huron's white bean production by
more . than . 50 percent. Despite
this Pullen says, "I don't think
this will have any appreciable
effect on the amount of bean
acres to be planted this year. 'We
hope this was a once in a lifetime
situation.",
He continued, ' "The weather
this spring will dictate whether
more corn or beans will be
planted to make up for the drastic
cut in fall wheat planted last
fall." ,
Talking about the white bean
crop Pullen said, "the' weather
certainly turned one problem into
another. At' a crops day at
Centralia early in August every-
one was wondering what would
be done with all the beans from
an expected bumper crop. Germ-
ination was the best ever and the
beans came on very even. That is,
until the rains came."
• Next'to ,1975, Pullen said this
past year's corn crop, was the best
oat 'record, • He continued, "With
the exception 'of some acreage to
the. north, most of out corn ,was
harvested with the help of some
late Indian summer - weather."
"Ironcially, 'silage corn yields
were great ' but when field
conditions became so wet, the
silage became too -°---diry.'„ Corn
prices have now risen to about
$1.90 but, this is still below the.
cost of production of about
$2.20," added pullen.
Some'farnt rs, especially in the
northern portion of the county,
•who specialize in livestock are
finding a shortage of hay and
straw.
About hay, Pullen said,. "qual-
ity of the first cut was dandy, but,
due to dry weather was not
enough. There was an abundance
of second and third cuttings but
they couldn't be harvested be-
cause of the weather.. A lot of,hay
went down the drain."
Quality and quantity of pasture
was the best in many years. "We
had reports of hefty gains of cattle
out ongrass," said Pullen.
The ag rep saki Huron farmers
are showing more- awareness 'to
soil erosion. More sod ,crops are
being .used to help soil structures,
especially on heavy land. •
The year 1977 will be remem-
bered as the year of phasing' out
can -shipping for dairymen. On
the 'subject of dairy Pullen said,
"There will likely be some
,.frustrations when some run out of
quotas by the end f:f the year."
The beef cattle situation which
has been "not so 'good" for the
past `three years' is expected to•
take another three years, to.
recover.
Pullen said the poultry industry
in Huron was "stable" with
broilers much, better than,, several
years ago.
Sonne forecasters are suggest-
ing hog pric$s may be a bit easier
Purple Grove Correspondent
Collects old��►attles
and sells real estate
The story about our Purple
Grove correspondent was mistak-
enly printed as her column in a
previous edition of the paper., We
are reprinting the story with her
picture in this issue to correct the
error.
Mae Dore thinks it would be a
good idea if everyone in Purple
Grove took a turn writing the
Purple Grove column for the
Lucknaw Sentinel and the Kincar-
dine News. Each person could
write the column for a year she
suggests:, but adds, "I don't think
an;'body would do it," '
purple Grove is a community
Of about 25 families in- Huron
Tcwnship, close to the Kinloss
border. Actually, Purple Grove
takes in a few families in Kinloss,
she says.
"It's hard to get most of my
news Sunday night," she observ-
es, "I leave the lath concession
until••Monday morning because I
,can't get any of their numbers on
a Sunday night. The party line is
so busy.
"You know, I feel just about to
give up,' she added, "and' then
someone that has . left the
community and is visiting in the
area, tells me they know what is
going on because they read the
column and Took forward to it."
Mae and her husband, Don
have four children. Only ' one is
still living at home and the rest
are out working. •
Mae, who sells Don Hoist Real
Estate and Avon cosmetics, is a
bottle collector,
"My true love, besides my
family, is bottle .collecting and my
husband also collects bottles"
she says. In :the summer she and
her husband`visit dumps and dig
up old bottles. A shelf in her
kitchen is lined with old pop
bottles. Her husband has a
complete chess set of '="'Avon
bottles.
Mae also runs the R. R. 3 mail
route for Ivan Pollock in the
winter. If the weather is stormy,
Don will do the route for his wife.
Mae also does carpentry work.
Her father was a carpenter and
she just "fools around" with it.
She made a cupboard that some
of her bottles stand on as well as
`valances for her kitchen windows.
Mae says she is spoiled by an
understanding husband.
"I have my freedom. I'have my
own car and I do as I please," she
laughs. "`But no matter what' I do
or where I go, I'm always home to
cook supper." -
"Although when I took my real
estate course, Don would have
supper ready for me, if I was
late," she points out.
The Dores have lived in Purple
Grove on their 100 acre crop farm
afor about 18 years. Don is from
the . area - while Mae grew up in
'Port Severn. "I wouldn't go back
there," she says, "I like it here."
armers keep chins up
in " 1978 because • of uglier
production in •other areas.
The Huron Ag. rep. ' said some
Huron hog operators are consol-
idating: their operations to include
farrowing to finishing.
Bad years like 1977 point up the
changingprole of the agricultural
office. -.Credit counselling and
farm management advice is a:
logger part of the ag. rep's and
three associate ag. reps jobs
when an average 100 acre farm
may have an investment of a
quarter of a million dollars. 0.
Pullen says farm people in this
county are very innovative and
some of the 'best farm managers
in North America are right here in ,
Huron. "They are not afraid to
risk".
Farmers have made more gains
in' productivity than any other
sector of society "but they are
fairly, quiet about it" and get
animosity from consumers when
prices go up.
"It's one of the agricultural
ministry's jobs to make the cities
understand what a small percent-
age of ' the increase goes to
. farmers," says Pullen.
He admits, "It's an uphill
battle since farmers are only
about six percent of the popula-
tion and most MPPs represent
. urban ridings, but, OMAF. ,is
trying." •
The four men whe work at farm
management 'counselling in Hur-
on, Don Pullen, Stan Paquette,
Dennis Martin and.Ivlikr..: Miller
are . always 'available . when a
farmer looking at a major new
investment wants to , try some-
.thing
ome-•thing new.
They can help "with cash flows
and debt planning. that can • be
,'crucialn wear like this. Short
farrn m . nagement 'courses are
offered at Centralia College and
there is more and more demand
for intensive, one to one counsel-
ling since each farm family has its
own goals and objectives.
Don Pullen and his staff are
always updating their manage-
ment knowledge and he :says
"from exposure to farmers I'd say
we. often .learn more from them
`Than vice -versa."
Land costs ' and huge invest-
ments in. farming make this year's
extreme weather conditions a lot
more significant.
The ag office. is worried' about
the young farmer who has been in
the business only three or four
years and has the highest costs.
More established farmers can
usuallywait out a bad year.
The big change in Huron from
mixed farming to cash cropping
also makesa year of bad weather
more serious. Mixed farmers
could hope to "tread ' water"
during a bad year.
Right, now, the, ag. rep sug-
gests, "Huron's economy is like a
car in neutral. The big effect of
1977's disastrous weather and
commodity prices will hit . when
the debt comes due. The pain will.
be, more excruciating next
spring. "
But with reasonable plans and
documentation, he says farmers
should get a sympathetic ear from
the Farm Credit Corporation and
other tending agencies. And he
and his staff will make time to
help Huron farmers do this type
of planning.
It takes a special kind of person
to 'cope with •the stress a and
uncertainty of farming these days
and Pullen sayd he is amazed at
the optimism•and resourcefulness
of farmers, who are/ facing big
CONTINUED: ON PAGE 16
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