The Rural Voice, 2006-07, Page 62People in Agriculture
Carl Hiebert's trek honours farmers
You get quite a view when you
travel across Canada in an open
cockpit, ultralight aircraft as
Linwood resident Carl Hiebert has
done twice, but the view is
something else again from the seat of
a W4 1949 McCormick tractor.
Hiebert, who published the
stunningly -beautiful book Gift of
Wings with photos he took from
crossing Canada in an ulrtalight
aircraft, left Vancouver on June 1 to
drive his tractor at a speed of 25
kilometres an hour to St. John's
Newfoundland, where he hopes to
arrive by the end of August.
But it is the journey that matters
not the destination, for Hiebert who
has become an inspirational speaker
with his adventures since losing the
use of his legs in a 1981 hang-glider
accident. Along the way he plans to
stop and talk to, and photograph,
farm families and tell their stories in
a book, the proceeds of which will be
donated to food banks, 4-H clubs and
non-profit organizations throughout
Canada.
Hiebert, 59, says he wants to pay
tribute to Canada's farmers through
the trip and the subsequent book.
"One of my favourite memories of
the farm was a day of transforming
green pasture into straight, dark
rows, ploughing." Hiebert said before
leaving for the trip. "Sometimes the
field seemed to stretch forever, and
time slowed immeasurably. I was
hungry and the last peanut butter
sandwich had disappeared an hour
ago. Yet I loved it."
When he was 18, he said, he left
the tractor and the farm behind,
seeking to avoid the hard life of
farming. "But as the years and miles
between me and the farm grew, so
did the memories. Time gave me a
new appreciation for the importance
of food and its production; a new-
found respect for the tenacity and
commitment of farmers, for the
challenges they faced. `These are the
un -sung heroes of our country,' I
realized, 'and their story needs to be
told,' he said."
With that, he said, he decided he
must find another W4 tractor like his
father's and drive it across the
country to gather stories and produce
a book to celebrate farm people.
The tractor has undergone some
moderation to help him make the
7,400 kilometer trip. A sunroof was
install to help keep the sun's rays off
him while hand controls were built m
around the steering wheel and a
wheel -chair carrier was added to the
back of the tractor. To help him pass
the time, he has a satellite radio.
Hiebert's partner Debby Battista
will drive a motor home that will
accompany the journey.
Anyone seeking information can
check out Heibert's website at:
www.adventurecanada.ca
Bill French to seek PC nomination in Perth
Farm innovator and free -thinker
Bill French has decided to seek the
nomination for the Progressive
Conservative Party in the provincial
riding of Perth -Wellington.
French attracted attention more
than a decade ago with his innovative
natural wetland treatment system for
runoff from his barnyard.
He is also a past -member of the
CKNX Farm Advisory Board, a
member of the Ontario Agricultural
Hall of Fame Association, recipient
of the 1996 Ridgetown College
humanitarian Award (he's also a
graduate of the school), and recipient
of volunteer service awards for both
his 30 years of service as a 4-H
leader and his long-time work with
the Mitchell and District Agricultural
Society. He was involved in
municipal politics for many years
and served six years on the Rural
Ontario Municipal Association.
Currently French, who farms near
Mitchell with his wife Marg and son,
Jeff, is president of the Perth County
Christian Farmers' Federation.
French said he decided to run
because of the number of issues on
which farmers voices did not seem to
be heard m Queen's Park.O
Josephson honoured
with Merit Award for
pork industry
The Industry Merit Award for
the 2006 Pork Congress honours
swine pathology pioneer, Dr.
Gaylan Josephson.
A long -serving member of the
veterinary medical profession, Dr.
Josephson has been a leader in
swine pathology for more than 25
years. particularly during his time
at the Centralia Veterinary Services
Laboratory at Centralia College.
Before its closure in 1994, he was
responsible for much of the
diagnosis and confirmation of
swine diseases in Ontario. He was a
founding member of the Centralia
Swine Research Update conference
at its inception more than 25 years
ago, and continues as one of its
driving forces, today.
Dr. Josephson, who lives in
Exeter, has since retired from
service in veterinary labs with the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs and the
University of Guelph. He now
offers specialized on-farm swine
pathology services to various
producers and veterinary
practitioners. He and his wife
Evelyn have three children, two of
whom are medical doctors and one
a veterinarian, as well as five
grandchildren.
Each year, the Ontario Pork
Congress celebrates the level of
excellence afforded by the
province's pork industry. It
recognizes the vital contribution
made by its 4,000 producers and
industry stakeholders, including an
estimated $4.8 billion in direct sales
and indirect economic impacts and
35,000 jobs. The Pork Congress
also provides a timely forum for all
facets of the industry -from
producers to retailers, packers to
consumers; a unique opportunity to
learn, share and reflect on all that
Ontario pork production has to
offer.0