The Rural Voice, 2000-08, Page 70People
Co-operative movement honours men
from Grey and Bruce counties
Don Ahrens of Chesley and John
S. Black of Markdale were recently
given the Co-operative Lifetime
Achievement Award at the Canadian
Co-operative Association (CCA)
Ontario Region annual meeting in
Guelph.
The Ontario co-operative awards
were first established last year to
recognize co-operators' outstanding
leadership efforts to boost the
economy and enhance the social
well-being of Ontarians and others.
Members of co-operatives and credit
unions qualify for the awards.
Don Ahrens is a director of the
Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Ltd.
and contributed to many co-operative
committees and boards including the
Canadian Co-operatives Association
Ontario Region Council. He operated
a dairy farm for more than 25 years
with his wife Freda. He now runs a
beef operation and strawberry patch.
His nominator said he is a devoted
supporter of the co-operative model
and the benefit it provides farmers
and rural communities.
John S. Black is a director of the
Huron Bay Co-operative Inc., based
in Teeswater. He was nominated for
the award by Huron Bay Co-
operative and the regional
agricultural co-operative Growmark
Inc. based on his ability to lead both
locally and provincially.
Black started as a leader at a local
farm co-operative 40 years ago and
eventually became president of the
United Co-operatives of Ontario. He
says one of his proudest co-operative
achievements was helping keep a
vital co-operative in the Grey -Bruce
area.
There are more than two million
individual members of co-ops and
credit unions in Ontario. The
provinces co-ops have combined
assets of more than $17 billion.0
Students win dairy youth scholarships
Leanne Russwurm of Mildmay
and Kathryn Johnson of Thorndale
are among four winners of Ontario
Dairy Youth Scholarships announced
recently.
The scholarships are open to
youth representing all six dairy
breeds and successful applicants
must have completed their first year
of college or university. Four
scholarships of $500 each are
awarded annually to two diploma
students and two degree students
showing keen interest and
involvement in the agricultural
community. Selection criteria are
based on farm experience and
agricultural involvement, future goals
and community activity. The award
is sponsored by the Ontario Dairy
Youth Trust Fund and the Ontario
Holstein Branch.
Leanne Russwurm, currently
studying agriculture at the University
of Guelph, has been a 4-H member
for nine years. She has a number of
accomplishments to her credit, such
as the 1999 Bruce County spirit of 4-
H Award, grand champion
showperson at the Gencor Challenge
in 1999 (as a junior) and having
placed in the top eight for show-
manship in four out of five years at
the Scotiabank Hayes Classic.
Kathryn Johnson of Thorndale
will be entering her second year of
the associate diploma in agriculture
program at the University of Guelph
in September. In the past 10 years
she has been actively involved with
local and Ontario 4-H, having
completed 22 projects and received
numerous awards recognizing her
efforts such as top showperson and 4-
H Achiever of the Year.
Also winning scholarships in the
degree program were Nancy Metcalf
of Bowmanville, entering her fourth
year of her Bachelor of Science in
Agriculture program at Guelph and
Mike Steele of Guelph, also entering
fourth year in the same program.0
Chance
encounter leads
to tractor
heading west
A rare Case tractor owned by a
Brussels collector is heading to the
Case Heritage Association Show in
Austin, Manitoba in late July, but
the story behind that story is even
more interesting than the tractor.
Neil Schade has been collecting
Case tractors for several years and
already had nine when, two years
ago, he spotted an auction in Lakelet
and went along to see what was
offered. There was a 710B row crop
tractor with wide front axle, one of
only 144 ever built and it was in
good condition. He couldn't resist,
bought it and drove it home.
Over the next few months he
worked on the tractor and had it
ready for the Huron Pioneer
Thresher and Hobby Association
Reunion in Blyth last September.
Later Schade was visiting family
and friends in Manitoba and one day
he stopped at his favourite
restaurant. Soon a man wearing a
Case IH cap sat down at the table
(Schade thinks he was wearing a
Case hat himself). They struck up a
conversation and Schade told him of
his collection and of the rare Case
710B. The tractor was of interest to
his tablemate, Brian Roche, who is
one of the best known collectors in
Manitoba.
Earlier this year Schade received
a call from Roche, asking him to
ship his rare tractor west for the
Austin show. Knowing the expense,
Schade said no.
But Roche, besides being a
collector, is owner of an
international trucking company. He
offered to pick up Schade's tractor,
when one of his trucks was in
southern Ontario, ship it west for the
show, then return it east again.
Schade will make the trip on his
own, getting a chance to see his
tractor at the show and visit friends
and relatives.0