The Rural Voice, 2002-10, Page 3i
About this issue
Harvesting too much, too soon
In our woodlots issue this month, a new study by the
Maitland Watershed Partnership looks at the health of 100
forest stands in the area that sprawl over parts of four
counties and finds all is not well. One of the key findings is
that the good market for logs, particularly maple, has led
many to harvest all trees down to the minimum cutting
diameter allowed under county tree bylaws. Over 70 per
cent of the areas harvested in the Maitland watershed are
not marked prior to cutting, the study notes, and of those
that are marked, most were for a legal diameter limit cut.
As a result, there are too many trees of similar age and size
for a healthy forest stand and it will take longer than it
should before more timber can be cut from many woodlots.
We have further information on the study.
Also in woodlot-oriented stories, Larry Drew tells us of
the decline of the oak trees that are ancient reminders of the
days before our forefathers came to this country.
Could livestock farmers be sitting on (well at least
storing) a resource that could help meet electrical energy
growth requirements in the difficult days of Kyoto cutbacks
ahead? Well that's what thinkers of Kinetrics, a former
branch of Ontario Hydro think. The Toronto-based
organization is seeking to set up a pilot project to use a
digester to create gas from liquid manure that would then
power a turbine to generate electricity. The engineers see
the possibility of co-operatives being set up by livestock
farmers to generate electricity for sale to the power grid.
Still, they admit the economics need to change before there
will be massive potential for farmers.
Few branches of farming have changed as much in
recent years as pork production has. So where is the
industry heading and who will be producing the pork in the
future? A forum to discuss the future of the industry was
held in Shakespeare in September. We have a report from
the day -long gathering of top industry officials.
The first set of regulations under the Nutrient
Management Act has been released and hearings have been
held across the province. Helen Johns, Minister of
Agriculture and Food was on hand for the session in
Clinton to hear the comments of a crowd that filled the
Clinton Legion, even though it was a prime harvest day.
We have a report in the News section.0
Update
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A growing success storg
One of the joys of this job is talking to people doing
exciting, interesting things. One of the sad parts of the job
is watching as so many of these exciting enterprises fail.
So it's a real pleasure when people trying something new
and different succeed. In August 2001 we told of a group
of Perth County goats' milk producers who formed the
Mornington Heritage Cheese and Dairy Co-operative to
process their own milk into cheese and other dairy
products. At the time the co-op, which has 100 member -
shareholders with the vast majority being non -farmer
community members, was still struggling to get started and
was processing the milk of six producers. By this summer
there were 10 producers selling their milk to the co-op.
The additional demand was created by the biggest step
made in the past year with a move into fluid milk. The
scarcity of small dairies remaining in the province has
necessitated traveling all the way to Leamington in Essex
County to find a processor — Lakeside Jersey.
Meanwhile cheese sales also continue to grow with
processing still done at the Quality Jersey Products plant in
Seaforth and packaging at Pine River Cheese near Ripley.
Both milk and cheese are now being marketed through
chain stores. — KR
m`Rural Voice
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Drew
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