The Rural Voice, 2005-03, Page 3About this issue
A sweet specialization
Traditionally on the mixed farm, maple syrup was just
one more crop of the year. At a time when farms have
specialized, however, why shouldn't maple syrup be the
main crop?
That's what it is for Bill and Susanne Robinson of St,
Augustine whose main source of income comes from the
rushed spring syrup season. Though they also have some
beef cattle, their 12,000 -tap operation is the biggest source
of income for their full-time farming operation. Bill does
the bush work and Susanne does further processing and
marketing year round. We have their story.
Perhaps it's BSE that has brought to mind the problem
of disease that can cross from animals to humans (or vice -
versa), but at the Centralia Swine Research Update
conference there were an number of presentations on
disease problems that pigs and humans share. We have a
story.
Organic farming has been one of the success stories of
Ontario agriculture in recent years, with the market
growing by 20 per cent a year. But there's a debate among
organic practitioners about whether organic farming is an
economic opportunity or a philosophy. Speaking at Guelph
Organic Conference in January, U.S. agricultural economist
John Ikerd argued organic agriculture needs to be about
more than a minimum set of standards coupled with the
industrialized model of food delivery. Jeff Carter reports on
his views.
It's well known the average age of farmers in Ontario is
increasing every year as too few young people see a future
in agriculture. What's not understood so well, however, is
that the rate of accidents among older farmers is higher
than for young farmers. Add to this the stress farmers are
under today and the farm can be a dangerous place. To
mark Farm Safety Week we took a look at the issue.
Feeding the Future is a new compilation of essays
examining the present and future of food and agriculture
here at home and around the world. We have a review.
Rhea Hamilton Seeger's gardening column this month
deals with ground covers. Bonnie Gropp's recipe collection
features recipes using mushrooms.°
Update
Harrg Bogle's votce lost
The January 24 death of Huron County native Harry J.
Boyle recalled the story in our August 1993 issue about
the 50th anniversary celebration of the Farm Radio Forum.
Boyle, who was instrumental in the founding of the
weekly radio broadcast when he was a CBC programmer,
attended that anniversary along with others like Bob
Carbert, former CKNX farm director and Roger Schwass,
also formerly with CKNX who later became Ontario
secretary for the Farm Forum.
From the mid -1940s through the early -1950s there were
up to 800 Monday -night farm forum gatherings across
Ontario as neighbours gathered to hear a broadcast on a
topic, read further information in the Farm Forum Guide
and then discuss the issue. Each forum's secretary then
filled in a report on the discussion that was sent along to
the provincial secretary. Boyle said the forums were not
only a way of getting instant grassroots reaction to issues
but a way of venting anger. During World War II when
there was suddenly all kinds of money for war supplies,
farm people wondered how there could not have been
money for their farm products just months before.
The anger and frustration is still there in the countryside
but there's nothing to bring neighbours together to discuss
these issues and no way for politicians to get an instant
reading on rural discontent as there was with Boyle's Farm
Radio Forum.°
'Rural Voice
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Pearce, Bob Reid, Mervyn Erb, Sandra
Orr, Janice Becker, Larry Drew
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