The Rural Voice, 1983-05, Page 17IN THE NEWS
of five European countries in fifteen days
in early 1982.
First stop was Holland, and the city of
Amsterdam where three million wooden
shoes are made each day.
The Dutch must utilize every bit of
land, because they are such a small
country, and are constantly reclaiming
land from the sea. In one area where
1,000 square miles were being reclaimed,
sea shells presented a problem, being
very abrasive to tractor tires. There is a
ninety-nine year lease on the land at $140
per acre, and it can be sold to another
farmer. Dairy farmers are constantly
looking for the cheapest way to produce
milk and increase milk production. One
dairy farm the group visited in the
Ellesmere area produced cheese, and
also catered to tourists with a bed and
breakfast in the home.
McKinlay said there was a notable
difference between German and Cana-
dian farms. One farmer at Austich owned
30 hectares of land and had four tractors.
His livestock; twenty-five cows, and
thirty-six pigs per year were kept in a
barn within the village and hay and sugar
beets were transported from the field to
the barn. Weaner pigs sold for $60 and a
finished pig brought $220.
In Lucerne, Switzerland, a wealthy
Swiss farmer owned ten cows and made
cheese. The group also visited the largest
breeder of Simmental cattle in Switzer-
land. Three stable hands looked after
sixty cattle which were exported to
Canada, U.S.A., and around the world.
Mistletoe hanging in trees created
problems to apple producers in France.
Farming is the biggest industry in this
country of 55 million people, with barley
the biggest crop.
Paris was hosting the Agricultural
Exposition, which is similar to, but ten
times the size of our Royal Winter Fair
and the International Plowing Match
combined. Four Canadian exhibitors
showing their equipment were happy to
see the Canadian grou,J and glad to talk
with people who spoke English.
For the last leg of their trip, the group
visited Kent County in England where a
wet, cold climate forced sheep farmers to
place plastic bags over their baby sheep
to protect against the elements. One
farmer had 700 ewes and, during lamb-
ing, the young Iambs are kept in a
holding pen for three days, then turned
outside. Many lambs would die without
the added protection of the plastic bags.
Since returning to Canada, both
McKinlay and McMurchy have developed
a stronger appreciation for our Canadian
agriculture and lifestyle. With land prices
ranging from $4,000 in Kent County,
England (owned mainly by large land
operators) to $10,000 in Holland (no land
for sale) James McKinlay realizes how
fortunate we are to have so much
available land.
Having seen severe drought conditions
in Australia, where the water bill is the
biggest expense for some farmers, Grant
McMurchy knows how lucky we are to
have the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay
close.
The Seed and Feed Show and Annual
Meeting concluded with the announce-
ment of winners of the seed and feed
competition. Entries were down trom last
year. Top winner was Lloyd Mannerow
and James McKinlay was the runner-
up.
by Mary Lou Weiser
Custom
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THE RURAL VOICE, MAY 1983 PG 15