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Wingham Advance-Times, 1977-09-28, Page 14FIRST STOP for the milk after,Ieaving the cow Is this glass jar. The jar is calibrated to allow the farmer to keep a record of each cow's yield. From the jar, the milk travels through a pipeline to the bulk cooler and Gregory De Vos, 3, particularly enjoys opening the valve that sets It on Its way. .41 • JAMMU Advance -Times, September 28., 1977 logy in farming: Modernization is key By Henry Hess Dairy farming is becoming a difficultbusiness to get estab- 1 hed in. It's not simply a matter of turning some cows out to pasture and calling them in twice a day to be milked into a pail. The capital investment now is high, since in addition to land, live- stock' and the normal comple- ment of farm implements you need milking equipment, a milk - house and a bulk cooler' And it's no longer enough just to be able to produce milk; unless you have a quota from the Ontario Milk Marketing Board you can't sell it. A young couple qualified to talk about breaking into the dairy business is Art and Greta De Vos, who farm on Concession 5 of Tjrnberry Towpship. They have been farming since 1973 and last spring switched from cash crop and beef to a primarily diary operation, one of the most modern in the area. "We couldn't have picked a worse year to start," Art notes now. Last year the milk market- ing board found itself faced with surplus production and cut back all quotas by 15 Per cent. It also stopped allotting quota free, forc- ing them to go out and buy quota from farmers who had decided to cut back or go out of production. "There were times last spring when I really wondered," Art said recently. "Some people thought we were crazy — but we started it andwe're going to finish it. We didn't want to quit." They were caught in the middle, Ed's Siding and Roofing * Vinyl and Aluminum Siding * Aluminum Seamless Eavestrough * Vinyl and Aluminum Soffit and Fascia * Aluminum Windows and Doors * Shutters and Awnings * ESGARD Roofing Shingles CALL WROXETER 335-6341 FOR A FREE ESTIMATE! GIVE ED A TRY ON HIS NEW LINE OF ESCLAD PRODUCTS I TOGETHER TO SERVE /enab. . n>• CIAG Buy your home, life, boat, and auto insurance from a friend The Co -Operators your credit union sponsored insurance company Co-operation among Co -Ops. CIAG Located in the Credit Union Building. 8 Alfred St., [corner of Josephine St.] Wingham, Ont. North Huron Credit Union 357-2311 The Co-operators 357-3739 Kill Warbles NOW ! Table 1. 1972 LOSS DUE TO WARBLE GRUBS (dollars)"' No. of grubs Trim floss Devalue Loss Hide . per animal Loin Rib Loin Rib Loss Total 1 — 5 1.19 6 — 10 1.75 11+ 2.41 .44 .61 1.02 — 2.55 .68 10.20 2.55 .75 7.20 7.20 .5 •2.96 $12.62 $22.97 i l *Estimated on basis of a 70% increase since 1968. Hide loss Mired on one-third 'loss of hide rafue w/lel grubs number 5 or more. • In the Cow Herd — gadding causes re- duced gains on pasture. It may reduce milk flow about 2.5 pounds per day, reducing weaning weight about 40 pounds. Where sys- temics were used, gains were increased 30 pounds in calves and 50 pounds in yearlings. — winter gains were increased, due to treatment, by a TENTH to a QUARTER of a pound per day. This is 15 to 38 pounds in a five-month period, worth up to $17 on today's market'. Fence repair was also reduced. • In the Feedlot — systemic treated ani- mals gained about 23 pounds more in 4 months — that's over $10 at 1975 prices. — treated cattle gained 16% faster — for a return of around $10 for every $1 spent on treatment. COST OF TREATMENT WITH A SYSTEMIC Because the application rate of a sys- temic insecticide varies according to the size of the cattle treated, the cost of material per head will vary. Generally, this cost will be between /5 and'50 cents per head. Systemic Insecticides are easy to use and available at all farm supply stores. Treat your cattle from Sept. to Nov. IT PAYS - Both YOU and YOUR NEIGHBOURS Ad courtesy of Morris Township Council he explained, since they had 'al- ready committed themselves to the switch when the cuts came. Things are looking up for them now, though he still holds down a fulltime job as district sales manager for a seed company in addition to farming. However, he. says he wouldn't advise anybody to try to start- now. The dairy business is becoming almost a closed door, he feels. "I really can't see a lot of people getting started in dairy except by taking over from their fathers." Just the cost of quota would make it difficult for a new opera- tion to get off the ground, Greta added. While the price was frozen at 11/2 cents per pound last year, this year it was allowed to float and got as high as five or six cents.' "You couldn't make it pay, buying quota at that price," she said. What makes it tough, Art noted, is that a new operator is competing with established farmers who already have their quota and have their investments pretty well paid off. On the other hand, although it made things difficult for them, he said he agrees with the quota system "100 per cent". It tries to regulate the supply of milk on the market and keeps the price stable, he explained. "You pay dearly for quota, but are then assured of an income." He would rather have it like that than like the beef or pork market, where the prices fluctuate and a farmer is never sure what he or she will get, he said. He blames the quota cut and the end of free quota on farmer abuse of a program designed to encourage production. Prior to last spring, he said, demand in Ontario was higher than produc- tion and the government had pro- grams of special loans and free quota to boost production. However, milk production went up too fast and the government suddenly realized it had a sur- plus; hence the cut. He's not "really optimistic" about milk marketing, since there is talk of another quota cut- back next year, but added he's not that pessimistic either. "I think there's a good future,in farming. You never have a peny until the day you quit, but you're accumulating assets. "There's no question it's a challenge and I think that's what keeps me going: I enjoy the chal- lenge farming gives me," he added. "Some days it's almost too much of a challenge, but there's always something new; always a goal above a goal." Farming Background BothArt and Greta have dairy farming backgrounds. Art,the son of Bill De Vos who farms across the road and lends a hand at harvest, says he's dairy farmed "ever since I can remem- ber," and Greta was raised on a dairy farm near Clinton. Both studied at the University of Guelph. Art graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from -running the Ontario Agricultural College and Greta worked toward a Bachelor of Arts degree, which she intends to complete some day. "When I started at Guelph I had no intention of farming," Art recalls, but somewhere along the line be changed his mind. In the spring of 1973, immediately after. his graduation, they started farming, raising beef .and cash crops. In addition, he lectured at Centralia College for three years, before leaving that for his present job with the seed com- pany. Last spring they built a milking parlor and started into dairy farming. They now have a herd of 42 Holsteins, which means they are milking an average of 34-35 at any given time. Eventually they want to milk 45, requiring a herd of 60. Their production so far has been classified as industrial milk, used to produce cheese, butter and skim milk powder. Fluid milk production (which is sold as milk) pays better, but the quota is also more expensive so they intend to take advantage of the graduated entry program into fluid production. . Under this program, Art ex- plained, a producer is entitled to some free fluid quota each year for five years, but must be pro- ducing milk for at least two years to qualify for it. Fluid producers must meet more stringent regulations than industrial producers, such as MI.L.KING TIME—Greta De Vos' finishes pufting the milker on a cow. With a modern milking system, the milk is never exposed from the time it leaves the cow until„ it enters the bulk tank for shipping, thus greatly reducing the chance of contamination. The equip- ment is completely washed after each milking session. FEED CONTROL—The three switches on this control panel allow Art De Vos to set the amount of grain mix each cow on this side of the milking parlor will get as she is being milked. The feed is then released into the bowls automatically. He decides how much each one gets according to her milk production. lower bacterial count in the milk, but Art said that is no problem. High bacteria counts are usually due to careless handling or un- clean equipment, he noted, and this is easily avoided. He also pointed out that while fluid production is more lucra- tive, it is also harder to build up quota; and said he doesn't think there is any milk producer in the province with entirely. fluid quota. Modernization The Key Dairy farming is very labor intensive, and the key to running the operation and still having time for another job is moder- nization to reduce the labor, Art said. Easing the workload in the milking was most important and this is why they built the milking parlor. The parlor was expensive to build and equip, but it is now pos- sible for one person to milk the whole herd in little over an hour. Although he and Greta usually co-operate in the chores, either can do them alone. The milking parlor accommo- dates six cows at a time. An auto- matic feeder allows the operator to set each cow's grain ration, which is then delivered into a bowl in front of her. While she eats, her udder is washed and the milker put on. Watching six milkers at once would be too much of a job for one person, and the answer to allow- ing single-handed operation of the parlor has been the addition of automatic take -offs. The auto- matic take -off senses when the milk has stopped flowing and automatically removes the milker from the cow. They bought the first automatic take- off in this area and have since had them installed on all six milkers. ., . Milk flows from the cow through the milker into a large glass jar,.which is calibrated in Please turn to Page 4 WINGHAM BODY SHOP SID ADAMS Complte RADIATOR SERVICE for - Automobiles, Light Trucks, Farm Tractors New Rad Cores Rodding Cleaning & Flushing 14 North St. 357-1102 Attention Corn Producers CAMPBELL FARMS IS CONSTRUCT- ING A MAJOR EXTENSION TO ITS CORN DRYING PLANT. ' LOCATION: Approxin lately 31/2 nines soiifeast of Ripley on the 4th con- cession Huron Twp., 11/4 mile east of Ripley road. COME SEE US ANYTIME OR ATTEND OUR OPEN HOUSE Sot., October 1 at 2 p.m.; refreshments will be served. It will pay to sell your corn to CAMPBELL FARMS Let Us Tell You Why CAMPBELL FARMS 395-5526 • NUTRITE QUALITY PRODUCTS NUTRITE Fall Fertilizer Recommendations 0-8-32 0-10-30 0-20-10 '©-20-20 0-20-26 7-21-14 5-15-10 5-20-20 Plow Down Pasture Applications Fall Wheat T. B. ALLEN LTD.' Wingham 357-3060 KEITH MONTGOMERY Wingham 357-1115 ■► SENSTAR Chernicali LIMITED