The Rural Voice, 2006-05, Page 3About this issue
A farm of the future?
In our February story on the future of dairy Jack
Rodenburg, OMAFRA Dairy Cattle Production Systems
Program Lead predicted that as herd size grows, robots will
give producers the ability to give greater cow care through
complete record keeping.
"I think we're on the threshold of the adoption of new
technology," he said. "There's a new generation of
technology out there"
For Frank and Ella Kieftenburg of the Listowel area, the
future is here. When they built a new freestall barn in 2003,
it was designed around two robotic milkers. More recently,
they added an automatic calf feeder. They also employ
closed-circuit television cameras to let them monitor the
robots and activity in the calving pen from the house.
If all this automation seems designed for the farmer who
wants to spend less time around cows, the Kieftenbergs say
that's a mistaken impression. While automation does give
them more flexible time, so they can take their kids to 4-H
and other activities, they still spend just as much time in
the barn, only doing different things than milking. The data
collected from the machines makes them feel they know
what's going on with their cows more than ever before.
Our other dairy issue story demonstrates how diary
producers were (and continue to be) sideswiped by the
border closure due to BSE. Bonnie Gropp talks to Fred
Armstrong, a highly -respected Jersey breeder from the
Auburn area whose sales of breeding stock dropped
$100,000 in the year after the border closure. The ongoing
U.S. ban on dairy replacement heifers has hurt the bottom
line of Canadian dairy producers and affected their future
plans.
With tough times in so many areas of farming these
days, farm families are looking for ways to increase their
income through diversification or capturing more of the
value of the consumer food dollar by taking their products
closer to the kitchen table. In an effort to promote this
solution, OMAFRA recently held a series of Growing Your
Opportunities conferences across the province. Keynote
speaker at the nearest conference in Seaforth, March 21,
was Gary Morton, a Nova Scotia farmer and consultant on
how to turn your farm from a commodity -based operation
to a producer of value-added goods.0
Update
Mitchell packer coming back
Recently a deal was finalized by the U.S.-based Parks
Company to purchase the former West Perth Packers hog
processing plant in Mitchell.
The plant will now operate under the title Great Lakes
Specialty Meats. Spokesperson Steve Weiss said the next
step is to hire a plant manager. After the manager and a
business plan are in place, Great Lakes Specialty Meats
will begin to hire employees and establish a shift at the
Mitchell plant.
Believe it or not it was only in our July 2002 issue that
we reported the initial opening of the plant, a partnership
between Miriam and Joe Terpstra of Acre T Farms of
Brussels and Larry and Glen Tulpin of Norfolk Packers in
St. Williams. Since then the original company failed then
the Tulpins put it back on its feet and that company too
closed. The plant has been sitting empty for some time.
The plant was a leader in technology when it opened.
From the minute pigs entered the plant, they were treated
in a way designed to reduce stress. A slow-moving,
automated push gate slowly moved them from the holding
pens to the stunning area, where they were stunned by
being gently lowered into a pit filled with carbon dioxide.
With a modern plant located in the heart of Ontario's top
pork -producing region it seems a natural. Will it be third -
time lucky?0
'Rural Voice
Published monthly by:
The Rural Voice,
Box 429, Blyth, Ontario,
NOM 1H0
Telephone: 519-523-4311 (fax 523-9140).
e-mail: norhuron@scsintemet.com
Subscriptions: $17.12 (12 issues)
(includes 7% GST)
Back copies $2.75 each
For U.S. rates, add $5 per year
Changes of address, orders for subscriptions
and undeliverable copies (return postage
guaranteed) are to be sent to The Rural Voice
at the address listed above.
A division of North Huron Publishing Company Inc.
Editor & Publisher: Keith Roulston
Editorial advisory committee:
Bev Hill, farmer, Huron Cty;
Diane O'Shea, farmer, Middlesex Cty.;
Gerald Poechman, farmer, Bruce Cty.
Contributing writers:
Bonnie Gropp, Carol Riemer, Ralph
Pearce, Bob Reid, Mervyn Erb, Sandra
Orr, Janice Becker
Marketing & Advertising sales manager:
Gerry Fortune
Advertising representative:
Allen Hughes
Production co-ordinator:
Joan Caldwell
Advertising & editorial production:
Dianne Josling
Printed & mailed by: Signal -Star Publishing, Goderich, Ontario
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40037593
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO
CIRCULATION DEPT.
PO BOX 429
BLYTH ON NOM 1H0
email: norhuron@scsinternet.com
All manuscripts submitted for consideration should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed
envelope. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs,
although both are welcome. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher.
Editorial content may be reproduced only by permission of the publisher.
The Rural Voice makes every effort to see that advertising copy is correct. However, should an error, 1
occur, please notify The Rural Voice office within 30 days of invoicing in order to obtain a billing
adjustment.