The Rural Voice, 1995-09, Page 64Advice
their ptoduct more readily available.
The Congress, held at the Ontario
Agricultural Museum, was sponsored
by Rabbits Ontario, an umbrella
group made up of representatives
from several related producer
organizations in the province of
Ontario.0
Power loss
action plan
BY DOUGLAS RICHARDS
OMAFRA SWINE ADVISOR
How many producers have an
"action plan" to deal with power loss
or water interruption? Is there
someone else on the farm who knows
when and how to hook up the
standby generator? What do you do
if it will not work? What if the well
pump is burned out by a lightning
strike? All dreadful thoughts, but
events that could happen to any
producer.
It is easy to just say I will worry
about it when it happens, but the
storm may not ask you to be home
when it hits. Your spouse, children
or hired hand may be the one facing
400 thirsty feeder pigs and a well
pump that resembles a badly charred
marshmallow.
An "action plan" should be posted
in an easy -to -find arca and its
contents familiar to those people
responsible for putting it into action.
The plan should give phone numbers
of the local trades people and who to
contact if outside emergency services
(fire, police, gas or hydro) are
required. A well thought-out plan
will help reduce the number of storm
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60 THE RURAL VOICE
related animal fatalities and the
economic loss that accompanies
them.
Some "action plan" check items:
• Check your generator periodically
to make sure it is working, that you
have all the necessary parts and it
will power any new electrical
additions (fans, heaters).
• After an electrical storm, walk your
barns to make sure the fans are all
working. (The power may be on but
the power surge may have tripped
some breakers.)
• Report any power interruption to
Ontario Hydro. Don't rely on your
neighbour phoning it in. Your
breaker at the end of your lane could
be the only one blown out and your
neighbour could be wondering why
you are cooking breakfast on the
barbecue.
• After hooking up your generator
walk the barns and make sure the
electrical controls and watering
systems are all working.
• Know the signs of heat stress in
your animals and how to handle it if
you run into problems (lack of water,
cooling down over heated animals).
• Watch the weather and make sure
someone capable of dealing with the
"action plan" is present if weather
warnings are issued.
• Always leave someone in charge.
Make one person responsible for the
operation. It's no good if you both
think the other one was going to be
around that day.
• Use common sense and, hopefully,
if you are ready, "Murphy's Law of
Farming" says it won't happen to
you. But then Murphy must not have
heard of neighbours, or has he?0
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Calendar
SEPTEMBER
5 — OntarBio meeting, 7:00 p.m.,
Walkerton OMAFRA Boardroom.
6 — Grey County 4-H Council
meeting, 8:00 p.m., OMAFRA
boardroom, Markdale.
6 — Perth County Farm Safety
Association meeting, 8:30 p.m.,
Atwood Municipal Office.
7 — Wiarton Feeder Sale.
7 — Huron County Federation of
Agriculture Regional meeting, 8:00
p.m., Hullett Central School,
Londesboro.
11 — Bruce County Milk Committee,
8:30 p.m., Walkerton OMAFRA
boardroom.
12 — Huron -Bruce -Grey 4-H Beef
Show and Sale meeting, 8:00 p.m.,
Walkerton OMAFRA boardroom.
12 — Grey Farm Safety Association
meeting, 8:00 p.m., OMAFRA
boardroom, Markdale.
12 — OFA Regional meeting, 8:00
p.m., Annesley United Church Hall,
Markdale.
14 — Bruce County 4-H Association
Directors' meeting, 7:30 p.m.,
Walkerton OMAFRA boardroom.
14 — Country Roads Goat Association
meeting, 8:00 p.m., OMAFRA
boardroom, Markdale.
21 — Wiarton Feeder Sale.
22 — Appreciation Night and Roast
for John Lichti, Social 6:00 p.m.,
Dinner 7:00 p.m., Roast 8:30 p.m.,
Shakespeare Optimist Hall. Tickets
S15/person, tickets available from
PCPPA councillors.
4