The Rural Voice, 1998-05, Page 70People
Perth producers hold high pork bd. posts
Perth County pork producer
Clare Schlegel, R.R.1, Tavistock,
has been elected vice-chairman of
the Ontario Pork Producers'
Marketing Board.
Western Ontario producers
joining Schlegel on the new
executive of Ontario Pork, elected
at the March board meeting, are
Andy Ernewein, Bruce County
and John Crowley, Perth County.
Will Nap of Thomton, Simcoe
County, was elected president,
following the retirement of Carl
Moore of Oxford County.
Clare Schlegel represented Zone
A (Districts 1 through 6) on the
board since 1995. He and his wife
Catherine and children Adam,
Toby and Ben live on a farm that
his great, great grandfather bought
from the crown in 1879. Farming
since 1979, he currently runs four
hog finishing barns and is a
participant in a small multi -site
production loop. His long-term
goals as a pork producer are: to
farm in such a way that his
children will have the opportunity
Clare Schlegel — Perth producer
Ontario Pork's new vice-chairman
to farm; to be the owner of pigs
rather than a contractor and to
achieve a balance between
stewardship of the land and astute
business practices.
Currently working on his MBA,
he believes in continuing
education and life-long learning.°
Cow and Sow issues CD recording
Fullarton-arca dairy farmer David Murray and Mitchell pork producer
Dominik Franken, known musically as "Cow and Sow", have recently released
their first CD recording.
The pair (first featured in The Rural Voice in a January 1992 article), perform
classical music — though their odd name has sometimes led people to think they
arc a comedy act. That name, however, has also brought them to the attention of
a national audience through a CBC radio broadcast which featured both
information on their unusual background, and numbers from their CD.
Though they farmed just three lots away from each other they had never met,
let alone known of each other's musical interests, until an employee of the
Mitchell Credit Union suggested they should get together in 1990. David studied
piano for 11 years before switching to bassoon while studying at Wilfrid Laurier
University. He directed a choir while living in Switzerland with his Swiss -born
wife then led various choirs after returning to the area.
Dominik began violin studies in his native Germany when he was eight years
old. His teacher's gift of a viola changed his direction. By age 14, he was
travelling the world with the German Youth Orchestra.
After being recommended to each other, they were hesitant at first about the
idea of a partnership. David remembered thinking "If this viola player isn't that
good, I'll be stuck. How will I get out gracefully?"
Dominik also had concerns. "I wondered what this other person would be like.
But by the time David had played five bars, I knew: this was it."
They performed their first concert in 1990 at the United Church in Mitchell
and have been performing ever since — sometimes from the front porch of local
houses.°
Agrologists honour
leading Ontario
agriculturalists
Hensall's Bob Down, president of
the Ontario Corn Producers
Association was among farm leaders
honoured by the Ontario Institute o!
Agrologists recently.
Down, who has been involved in
agricultural leadership since his days
as a 4-H and Junior Farmer member,
was named an Honorary Life
Member. He served 12 years on the
board of United Co-operatives of
Ontario, three years as president an4:
was vice -chair for three years of the <I
Co-operative Insurance Board of
Canada. He has also served with
AgCare, The Agriculture Adaptation.
Council, commodity marketing
boards, the Huron County Soil and
Crop Improvement Association and
the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture.
Other Honorary Life Members
included: Pieter Dirk Buis who built
Glenlake Orchards into one of the
most productive and best -managed
tender fruit and grape farms in the
Niagara Peninsula; Henry Koop, a
grape and egg producer who has
been active with the Ontario Egg
Producers' Marketing Board; and
Leno Mori, operator of Mori
Nurseries and co-founder of the
Ontario Nurserymen's Association,
president of the Canadian
Nurserymen's Association and
charter member and director of the
Canadian Ornamental Plant
Foundation.
Presented with the Distinguished
Agrologists Award were Peter F.
Hannam and Edward H. Clutton.
Hannam, president of First Line
Seeds, is also a past president of the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
and has been active in many areas of
Ontario agriculture. Clutton has
demonstrated leadership and
expertise in both western Canada and
Ontario in areas of education, sales
and marketing and consulting on the
use of pesticides, including the
authoring of five books.°