Loading...
The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-07-28, Page 33GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR ThURSDAy,`. 4S • }..f+'!R, • • ud lire -d' pack t. ry� sla 0 one lay, page I IiA- • Not. ced with a roomy, bright throe( ' where the ,produce :plains ayed and soli. • and r 11. the vegetables, go the shed. Juke' ex tat many of the hotels tauranY.ln the area wanting good, fresh vegetables come to the farm with large `orders." He adds that some pf theoprgduce is Gott t a 011 Ra 195; Reder, the younger of the two brothers, picks some cabbage to restock the shed with garden vegetables in preparation for the many local customers that descend°on the r farm daily for produce. The Reders plant their produce systematically to have it at `stages through the growing season to enable them to try always to meet the ands of their customers. (staff photo) ,.,,. taken to town to be siilii t stores but points out that tit stores are only supplied during the grot+ring season He said if he tried to suppl them year round he woul have to import vegetable and he is strictly a hoer grown vegetable supplier, The technical end of th is .:a-petteac;,,:ending learning process, accbrdin to Cam. He says that every year experimental farms come up with 'spraying techniques, new greenhouse ventilation, temperature and hutnidity levels, material and type of construction for greenhouses, planting procedures and weed con- trols. di. not take ;up the field space the e vines use and will enable ideal conditions for growth. ' The cucumber greenhouse y has . recently been equipped di' with two huge ventilation fans s and Cam explains that he e hopes to get some engineering advice to e determine what . spoeds the be -operated. at -to achieve ideal conditions. He is also concerned about the proper ventilation for the vegetables. g Thls year two of the greenhouses are being used for. experiments, one for cucumbers and one for tomatoes. The tomatoes are suspended on ropes from the roof of the house and grow in vine like fashion to heights of about seven feet. Cam says the tomatoes are a different variety and aren't as acid as the types normally'grown. He shrugs and points out that most people like the taste of the tomato with more acid but says they wanted to see what the market was like for the type grown in the greenhouse. The cucumbers are also in a greenhouse and are also growing from the ground to wires suspended across the roof. Cam explained that the vegetable is every sensitive and must be under ideal conditions if an A-1 slicing cucumber is to be harvested. Cam points out that if the end of the cucumber or the blossom of the vegetable is touched during its growth process it will be scarred and will not develop into A-1 produce. He says that by growing them in the greenhouse the vegetable will 1-11I.PNNTt1R1; NLON(; Outdoors the Reders try to use technology to make nature work more efficiently. This year they are using a new photo -degradable plastic in the musk melons to try to increase yield and cut down on weeds. Cam explains that the plastic, which is laid overtop of the melons and has holes poked in it to allow the plants to grow through, is broken down by sunlight and will eventually disintegrate to be replaced next year. He says the plastic they are using this year is a 74 -day process and points out that it is supposed to reduce irrigation and in- crease yield by 200 to 300 percent. Cam says the principle is that sunshine heats the ground around the plant despite cool air temperatures and that•the plastic prevents evaporation from the soil. Thus the plant is kept moist and warm while the weeds. don't get an opportunity to grow under the plastic. "So far it's worked with the weeds and irrigation but it's too early to know if the yield is up#hat much," he says. Another experiment this year is peanuts. Jake went south during the winter and bought some peanut seeds that were planted on the home farm. Cam admits that • he .knows nothing abou - harvesting .the nuts and doesn't know if they will sell He knows that they have to be roasted before they can be sold but adds that he has to find out how to do that before they ripen. "I might have to send away -14:'''417419-YrCaFt#Rfat? And AM -- about it," -he jokes. THRIVE ON t'H\NG1•; The experiments and changes each year are what the Reders thrive ,on. Cam points out thatte is happiest when he is broadening his skills and uses the winter Months to do just that. He says he ,works hard and long in the summer and wants the winter months to himself but doesn't wile away the hours laying around the hoose. Last winter he worked part- time for a carpenter and hopes to do the same this winter. He says the part-time work suits both him and the carpenter and allows him to learn yet another trade. Prior to his taking over the farm with this brother he worked as a welder at a factory. Cam says he never con- sidered welding a job but an art and knew he would be needing welding skills on the farm. He adds that his father plans to build a house and he figures his carpentry skills will be_pat to_goccLuse. that comes about. Ron followed a similar history away from the farm. He worked in a boat ,yard in Bayfield and liked the work but felt that his future was limited at that job. He took the advice of his brother and came bac to work the farm. "We bought the place this spring from fathey but he still runs a lot of it fol us because there's too damn much about it we don't know," says Cam. Reflecting on his recent t decision to take up farming' 'Cam points out that he -likes it • over cash cropping or dairy farming. He explains that by making use of greenhouses and systematically timing crop planting, not all his "irons are in one fire". He says that the quality of land al5surd .frad„ionosi,ts.µconsidansid_ merakescas•iht crapping since the return compared to vegetables is small. - He admits that some;' of the things he does on the farm risks his income but says that with care and hard work most of the risk can be avoided. He points out that ,some weed, sprays being introduced are tricky to work with and if not applied properly can destroy crops. "We'll try them out but if they don't work properly we'll hoe the whole farm before we risk the crops," he says. Cam tends to get annoyed when people offer strong opinions on farmir.g without knowing what all is involved. He points out that so many people have guaranteed -in- comes by comparison but don't realize it. He knows that every job has the possibility of lay-off but doesn't necessarily depend on weather, att'c disease or any problems for its crops do. "This wasn't ION on me. It's the life I chose," he says. "1 wouldn't be here if 1 didn't want it," e SALE Of Summer Merchandise Is Now On Open 7 days a week 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. a� a /4*744 r -SA I/20PF Fags 11/4 miles south of Grand Bend ALL SALES FINAL. R. K. PECK APPLIANCES "In The Heart of Down Town Varna" • Vacuum Cleaners - Sales and Service of most makes • C B Radios and Accessories • Speed Queen Appliances • Moffat Appliances • Smoke Sensors • Insect Lights and Fly Killing Units • Handcrafted Gifts Varna, Ont. Phone 482-7103 ussio 71961 AM 4ecep :E 1 tarjo farm odut'ts: ld to U.. K. ulture and Food Bill Newman has ed sales of Ontario and soya beans in nited Kingdom, ng to $500,000. an said this is the e that significant s of these two have, been sold in optimistic," he said, les could go as high lion over the next few les resulted from a fission to London d by the Ontario of Agriculture and cooperation with the s Development at. Ontario House. oducts . represented ions, soft winter d grain corn. The said that orders for ns for human con - worth $20,000 were mmediate result of n. rs of the trade met with users of their products and with commodity trading firms to promote sales both in Britain and in the European Economic Community (EEC). The mission is part of the government's increased promotion of Ontario agricultural products. Other missions will visit the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and 'the Far East. Taking part in the mission, to London were represen- tatives of W.G. Thompson and Sons Ltd., Blenheim; the Ontario Wheat Producers' Marketing Board, King Grain Ltd., the Ontario Soya -bean Growers' Marketing Board, the United Co-operative of Ontario, all of Chatham; Erie James Co. Ltd., Leamington, the Ontario Grain Corn Council, Toronto; Ontario Producer Co. Ltd., Bradford; and Ontario Mustard Growers Ltd., Oxford Station. • fl DIET PEPSI. LOOKING BETTER ALITHE TIME. Diet Pepsi has a new look. You'll be seeing more of our distinctive new "wave" design on all sour bottles, cartons and cans. So now that you know the way we look, you'll know a good thing when you see it. Diet Pepsi. True cola taste without all the calories. oved r St an also THE GODERICH ODDFELLOWS AND REBEKAHS ARE SPONSORING A )me JuIy29& 30 Pra•eds toward purchase of wheel chairs, walkers. etc. which are available • loan free. A saccharin free Diet Pepsi will be introduced prior. to October 1, 1977, Pepsi -COP and Pepsi are registered-tratlemerkstitp a -? h-^-