The Rural Voice, 2002-02, Page 47RAINY RIVER
Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
411*
R.R. 1, Devlin, Ontario POW 100
807-486-3622
Am=I
RAINY RIVER II' • The Rural Voice is provided to Rainy
River Federation members by the RRFA.
January 15. 2002
DEAR GOD: So far today. I've done all
right.
1 haven't gossiped. 1 haven't lost my
temper. I haven't been greedy, grumpy,
nasty, selfish or overindulgent. I'm
thankful for that. But in a few minutes,
Lord, I'm going to get out of bed. and
from then on, I'm probably going to need
a lot more help. Amen.
The January RRFA meeting was held
at Morley with Vice -President Ken Fisher
chairing. Attending were Kimio Calder,
Jason Teeple. Angela Halvorsen, Kelly
Teeple. Rudy Sinninghe. James Gibson.
Kristine Carpenter, Shirley Morrish and
Susan Boersma. Bernie could not attend
because he was on his way to the Ontario
Dairy Farmers' annual meeting at the
Royal York in Toronto. Betty was away
because she's vacationing in the south
and, we haven't caught up to Reg yet.
Happy birthday Ken Fisher!
Kimco is anxious to get something
started for Ag Days. This is the annual
Seed Fair that so many look forward to
each spring. It would be great to have
some new faces come forward and help
Kimco and Kristine to get the show on the
road. Call Klink if you can assist in any
way at 487-2863. You may think she can
handle it alone, but she shouldn't have to.
The new fair books are now being
prepared for 2002. If you'd like to place an
ad, call Shirley Teeple at 487-2465. The
fair board has a new president for the
coming season. Joyce Meyers will be
presiding and 1 believe she's the first
female president in the history of the
Rainy River District Agricultural Society's
existence. Joyce is a retired school teacher
and has served on the fair board for some
time as director. Connie Carrier remains as
secretary/treasurer.
KimJo announced the Livestock
Medicines Course corning up February 27
for Dairy and February 28 for Beef.
Seating is limited to 25 participants. You
may register with your $50 fee by calling
1-877-480-9992. The lunch is included in
the cost. The course will become
mandatory by the year 2003.
Kristine reported for our Ag
Awareness Committee. On January 25
there will be P.D. Day at the local schools.
Our committee will be setting up a display
at Crossroads School in Devlin and at
Sturgeon Creek School at Barwick. We
will have resource sheets, hooklets.
pamphlets, curriculum connections and
everything that is available promoting
agriculture. As ambassadors for
Agriculture, we are always on duty. If you
ate today, thank a farmer.
Rainy River District Cattlemen will
hold their regular meeting Wednesday,
January 16 at Morley. Then on Wednesday,
January 23, the annual meeting takes place
at the Stratton Separate School at 7:00
p.m. All cattle people are urged to attend
and voice your opinions. Tom is
continuing his calls to Nault concerning
the Animal Inspection Station. All other
stations are taken care of by the Federal
Government financially; our Rainy
River/Baudette crossing is financed by the
Rainy River Cattlemen's Association.
Something is not right somewhere.
The Rainy River District 4-H Leaders
will be holding their annual meeting on
January 25 at the Emo Inn beginning at
6:00 p.m. All 4-H leaders, partners, and
new leaders are welcome to attend.
The Year of the Horse. officially
begins on February 2, 2002; the seventh
year in a repeating 12 -year cycle for the
traditional Chinese. To commemorate,
Canada has designed souvenir sheets of
stamps featuring all the animals of the
zodiac with the horse highlighted in gold.
The stamp costs 48 cents. The horse is a
symbol of power and perseverance. Horses
are perceptive. talkative. highly
independent and very unpredictable —
sounds like someone I know. The price of
all stamps has gone up to 48 cents as of
January 14. With tax. a letter costs 51
cents to mail.
Charlie Gracey has been inducted into
the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame.
He worked as secretary -manager of the
Ontario Cattlemen's Association from
1965 to 1970 and was executive vice-
president from 1970 to 1990. Charlie is
still involved with the Canadian Cattle
Identification Agency.
"We make a living by what we get —
we make a life by what we give."
Remember cattle people. the tattoo
letter this year is M.
The Manitoba — North Dakota Zero
Tillage Farmers' Association will have
their 24th annual Workshop and Trade
Show on January 29-30, 2002 in Minot.
North Dakota at the Holiday Inn
Riverside. Their workshop theme this year
is "Farming Soil and Water Quality". The
speakers come from Manitoba, Alberta,
Saskatchewan as well as several states.
Registration is $120 Canadian. or $75 U.S.
for the complete workshop.
Farm Safety Report — World Health
Organization (WHO) will hold their I Ith
International Conference on Safe
Communities this May in the Rainy River
District. Last year, it was held in
Anchorage Alaska where a number of
delegates from our district attended,
delivering the message that programs
improving safety in all walks of life can be
developed from grass roots participation
without initial government funding. It is a
great honour to have the Rainy Ri er
District chosen as their meeting place
May 7. 8. 9. 2002.
Last summer. a 1 3 -year-old h,,,
drowned after becoming trapped in a hot
tub. This has resulted in the Office of the
Chief Coroner to issue recommendations
aimed at preventing similar deaths. They
ask owners and operators of hot tubs.
whirlpools. spas and similar units to
inspect their mechanical circulating
equipment. Chief Coroner. Dr. James
Young, is advising: No. I. that each
bottom or side suction fitting has a cover
plate designed to reduce the risk of
entrapment. No. 2. that two or more
separately located suction drains are
connected to the whirlpool pump. No. 3.
that a vacuum -release mechanism is
installed between the drain and the pump.
No. 4. that a clearly marked emergency
shut-off switch separate from the hot tub's
timing device. is installed on a wall
adjacent to the hot tub. Medical officers of
Health and members of the Lifesaving
Society of Canada will be advising owners
and operators of these recommendations to
ensure compliance.
Did you hear that "Dolly". the cloned
sheep. now five years old. has arthritis in
her one back leg. If she was cloned from a
seven-year-old sheep. would this not make
her 12 years old? No wonder she has
arthritis!
Rainy River Vet Committee will meet
in Nico's Kitchen on Thursday. January
24 at 10:00 a.m. They will he trying to
resolve the reduced service problem for
Targe animals within the Rainy River
District.
There are 18 dairy farms in the Rainy
River District and one of our dairy farmers
just became a grampa. Congratulations to
James and Katherine Gibson on the birth
of Brookelyn Lea Haglin to Laura and
Tim. This was also the Rainy River
District's first baby for 2002. I'm always
in admiration in the wondrous way that
one tiny baby can connect and Join people
to make bigger families. Congratulations
to great-grandparents. Fred and Grace
Angus and all the many relatives across
the country.
The 4-H annual awards and banquet
night will take place at Stratton
Millennium Hall on the evening of March
1. Please call Kimco at 487-2863 to
confirm attendance.
Thanks to Alex Chisholm way down
near Lake Huron who called and gave all
that info on gun control. 1 will pass it on to
Betty. our Member Services
Representative. as soon as she returns
from the sunny south.
"Any age. is the right age. to start what
you want to do".0 — By Sltirlev Morrish
FEBRUARY 2002 43