The Rural Voice, 1978-12, Page 14z
operations which cost thousands of dollars and many take a
lifetime to pay for. Living near a farm equipment dealership,
he's also awed by the price of today's farm equipment. One
farmer he knows recently paid over $60,000 for a tractor, plow
and disc outfit.
Need?
"They (farmers) figure they need the big tractors now. I don't
know if they need them as big as they're buying them," he said.
One reason for the larger equipment is that farm operations in
the Teeswater area are also larger now than when Mr. Millen
started farming. Then 100 acre farms were the norm, today 200
acre and larger operations are common. The increased size has
resulted in a number of changes - larger equipment, such as five
furrow plows, and in many instances, an end to traditional
farming methods.
Mr. Millen said people growing corn today tend to put it on the
land year after year. The big farmers are no longer rotating their
crops as much as the smaller operations.
The farmer said when he was farming, he rotated crops every
two to three years when possible. For example, if he grew oats
on the land for four years, then he put the land into grass for the
next three years.
Mr. Millen said he never felt isolated on the farm and if he
hadn't liked farming, he wouldn't have been there.
That's one thing Mr. Millen agrees hasn't changed - "You
still have to like farming to be farming."
Les Fortune...learning and working at 75
By Rhea Hamilton
The gleam in his eye is one indication that 75 year old, Les
Fortune is eager to see and learn more.
With the fourth generation manning the Fortune farm north of
Wingham, Les in now 99 per cent retired but still helps his son
Doug out with some plowing and work around the farm.
Mr. Fortune has been a farmer all of his life and it was not
until he retired that he could look around and enjoy more of the
world that has fascinated him for so many years.
A lover of history Mr. Fortune knows the history of his family
right back to before 1800 when they lived in France.
The Fortune family were originally Huegenots (French
Protestants) who immigrated to Scotland to live under the Clan
Armstrong.
Mr. Fortune's grandfather immigrated to Canada in 1834 and
chose crown land north of Wingham to settle down with his
family. The farm name, Gilnockie, means gathering place of the
Clan Armstrong.
With his love of knowledge Les Fortune has kept himself
aware of what is going on in the world as well as around his farm
and his own township of Turnberry.
He served 22 years on the local board of education for the
Wingham district before the county wide board of education was
formed.
Les always took an active role in helping with the school
situations.
"I probably enjoyed it all the more because I couldn't have as
much education as I wanted" said Mr. Fortune.
Mr. Fortune got as far as grade8 before he quit to help his
father with the farm. Les was an only child and there were not
many hands to help.
Les married in 1931 to Edna Gilkinson and for the next six
years worked the land through the depression.
"Times were hard then" Les said. "We had to do work in the
bush to make a little extra."
During those years Les remembers a MP from Alberta
speaking to a crowd at a meeting in Wingham.
"1n the west we have graneries that are bulging with food and
our children go without shoes. In the east the warehouses are
filled with shoes and your children are hungry," was the man's
message.
"1 remember that man so well," Les says. "There was no
remedy to control that then and there is none for that situation
now".
"Generally speaking we have gone a little too far socialistic
and that in turn hampers our initiative," Les Fortune thinks.
Les remembers his three week trip to China with a Federation
of Agriculture tour. He asked a guide what happens to the people
PG. 14 THE RURAL VOICE/DECEMBER 1978
who can work and don't want to.
"I'11 always remember her answer". Les said."She shrugged
her shoulders and said they don't eat."
"I have been to several communist countries, dictatorships.
and I still believe we have the best system if we didn't abuse it"
says Les.
After the depression Les changed the farm from a mixed
operation to a western beef finishing operation. In 1936 the barn
was made over and steers from out west were fattened for
market. This operation lasted until 1967. When Les son Doug
took over the farm and changed the business to dairy farming.
complete with a new addition to the barn.
Involved
"Farming has become such an involved business. You almost
Shipping Fever,
Pneumonia, Foot Rot, Calf Scours,
Metritis,Vitamin Deficiencies
and more...
When herd health is threatened
you've a friend indeed
in your local Shur -Gain dealer
• Shur -Gain vitamins ADE injectable
• Shur -Gain Tylan 200 for injection
• Shur -Gain scour Bolus
• Penicillin -strep
• Sodium sulfamethazinp solution.
Hummel's Feed Mill
Clinton,Ont.
482-9792