The Rural Voice, 2000-09, Page 86People
Andy Dixon still experimenting
with trees at 93 years of age
Long past the age
when most people have
stopped looking far into
the future, Andy Dixon,
at 93, is still
experimenting with
better ways to grow
trees.
Dixon, who has been
featured many times in
The Rural Voice over the
years, recently dropped
in to share his
excitement over the use
of crown vetch as a crop
to grow around his
orchard of walnut trees
near Ailsa Craig.
Dixon recently
explained to Jim
Romahn of Ontario
Farmer that trees surrounded by a
crop of crown vetch have far
outgrown other trees in the field
where there was no vetch planted.
Since the field had previously grown
an even stand of corn, wheat and
oats, Dixon feels the crown vetch is
making the difference.
Dixon has made believers of many
skeptics over the years with his
theories that growing hardwood trees
on prime farmland can produce a
return equal to, or better than, other
field crops. Based on a recent sale of
one of his black walnut trees for
$1,500, Dixon projects a return of
Andy Dixon
$600 per acre per year
over a 70 -year growing
period.
But Dixon's goal has
always been to shorten
that period. While his
earliest plantings back in
1939 used the conven-
tional wisdom of
planting walnuts among
other, less valuable trees,
he later became
convinced that growing
trees in a field setting
would increase growth.
While traditional
growing requires 90
years for trees to reach a
30 -inch diameter,
Dixon's goal was to
grow a similar tree in 70,
or even 60 years.
Beginning 23 years ago, Dixon
planted walnut trees among corn to
provide a shaded, protected
environment like a forest floor, then
wheat, oats and perennial rye grass
were succeeding crops.
But the vetch seems to provide the
best crop because it releases some of
its nitrogen while it is still growing.
The vetch also provides a suitable
forage crop for cattle and sheep,
Dixon says. Last year he sold the hay
from the crop planted between his
trees. The farmer reported the cattle
liked the hay and performed we11.0
Western Ontario 4 -Hers score for Gencor
Bruce County had the best exhibit
at the annual Gencor Challenge West
held in Stratford.
The event attracted 159 4-H
competitors in categories including a
quiz, showmanship and conformation
with scores totalled and prizes
awarded for both individual and team
accomplishments.
Tying for the top prize for the quiz
were Nathan Thompson of
Middlesex and Heidi Koeppe of
Wentworth. Champion showperson
was Bryan Weldrick of Oxford.
Heidi Koeppe had the champion calf.
Jamie Farrell of Bruce was the
top junior competitor while Nathan
Thompson of Middlesex was the top
intermediate. Top senior was Brandy
McLeod of Oxford. Thompson and
McLeod tied as overall grand
champions.
The champion team was from
Oxford and made up of Adam
Garfat, Nathan Wade, Natalie
Haxeleger and Bryan Weldrick.0
Art agricultural
exchange with a
difference
Summer is a time when many
young people get to explore the
world through agricultural
exchanges but two young people
working on the Lucknow-area farm
of Fran and Tony McQuail are far
from typical exchange farmers.
Sabine Ralle came from
Germany and Tristan Kelley from
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia to learn
about organic farming from the
McQuails.
Ralle is studying agriculture in
Germany but says it's very hard to
learn about organic farming in her
native land. Not only aren't there a
lot of organic farms but there isn't
much information about organic
farming for those who might like to
explore an organic operation. She
heard about the McQuails' opera-
tion from a friend and applied to
come over.
The McQuails who have sheep
and goats, an orchard and operate a
community -share garden, have
been hosting apprentices since
1996. Ralle has been helping out in
all aspects from learning tips on
gardening from Fran to milking the
goats and making cheese.
Kelley also heard about the
McQuails from a friend who had
spent time with them. His mother,
knowing of his interest, had written
the McQuails asking if they'd
consider having Kelley as an
apprentice. "I've seen a lot of
ingenious things," he told Amy
Zoehout of the Lucknow Sentinel.
For the McQuails, the learning
goes both ways. Not only do they
try to impart some of what they've
learned over the years but they try
to learn from their apprentices.
Before apprentices leave they're
asked what they'd change if they
owned the farm.
"Sometimes you get stuck in
your ways," Tony says, and the
visitors let them "see the farm
through someone else's eyes."0
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