The record, 29 avril 1999, Supplément 1

jjjjj ill 3 j .tÆMi ' ¦ :: Ils 11 'ÿ§swm '! '¦ ; I|« Sl Supplement April 1999 Is§S Is t s| I i AlfH kjtm S lata! ¦¦ 3Î1.3 i" :m- ¦ ¦ page 2 • SUCCESSFUL FARMING SUPPLEMENT • THE RECORD Thursday, April 29, 1999 Spring’s work and thoughts on the future of farming Pépinière LAMBERT EVERLASTING PLANTS • FINE HERBS SHRUBS • CONIFERS • TREES ANNUAL FLOWERS * HANGING BASKETS GREAT SELECTION / GREAT SERVICE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK MasterGmg 623 Des Vétérans ROCK FOREST 564-7711 BULK WOOD SHAVINGS - Les Entreprises Animal Litter Quantities available from 800 cu.ft.- 3600 cu.ft.Delivery truck equipped with blower BAGGED SHAVINGS & DUST-FREE SHAVINGS AVAILABLE WHOLESALE & RETAIL Delivery or pick-up 3.25 cu.ft.per bag WE GUARANTEE YOU: • Ultra-Fast Delivery Service • Very competitive prices thanks to our warehouse volume and quality service 24 hrs/day telephone service • 7 days/week 3100 chemin Grondin, Canton Eaton (819) 566-6483 Fax: (819) 566-6126 By Diana Frizzle Special contributor Sugaring is finished (except for the clean-up!).Lambing and calving are mostly done and farmers are starting to think about getting onto the land.Around here that means fixing fence and getting the land ready for seeding.The government says this is the optimum time for spreading manure but we will have to wait or we will bury the tractor in the soft ground.What we need is some warm weather and some of those April showers to start the grass growing.But we also need it dry enough to get on the plowed ground to ready it for seeding.Always that catch 22! Then comes the best job of all! Picking stones! It seems to be our best crop —if you miss a single one, the next time the piece is plowed it has multiplied like rabbits! On the positive side, you feel like you are really doing something — oh, do you feel it! For about 100 years now there has been a Frizzle farmer itching to get to work on the land each spring, but will that continue?I hope so.Our oldest son is currently studying agriculture with the idea of coming home to farm, but will there be something to come home to?That has been the question concerning many a farm family these days.We are in dairy and we watch as farm after farm gives up.Quota has become so valuable that if there is no one to take over, dairymen are getting out while the getting is good! In our little corner of Encan m Bilingual Licensed Auctioneer We buy & sell complete farms and farm equipment 1274 South St., Cowansville (450) 266-0670 (450) 263-4480 the Townships there used to be three dairy farms and shortly there will only be one.If you want to expand to accommodate another family on the farm you run into all kinds of hurdles.There are the environmental considerations and the buildings needing improvement and/or enlargement which lead to the main concern, that of money! Unless you can take over a family farm, it is almost impossible to get started in most types of agriculture - and not everyone wants to work the long hours for little return! It is a lifestyle that you have to love or you won’t last long, but people better hope that there are still those of us who love to watch things grow and flourish and don’t mind getting our hands dirty.Food is cheap in Canada and for all that the uninformed say about the farmers getting all those subsidies, it is really the consumer who is being subsidized.If we don’t support our farmers we will have to rely on some other country to supply our food and that is not a good idea and also you quickly see the price rise (look at the cost of vegetables in winter).The United States, for instance, probably produces enough surplus milk to feed all of Canada.But as soon as we have no way of supplying our own milk, the price will go up and what will we be able to do about it?Grin and bear it - we have to eat! If you don’t produce your own food, you are at the mercy of whoever might sell it to you! It is time we started to think of the long range effects of some of our misplaced priorities and not just of the few pennies we can pinch today! Diana Frizzle is a farmer in Knowlton and Provincial President of the Quebec Farmers’Association.VALLEE FEED The name says it all.ORDER YOUR CHICKENS! May 5 June 2 June 22 35 Old Bridge, Richmond, Que.Tel.: (819) 826-6543 MBr LENNOMIUe -1376 ATV’c r L 0f1 wh ATV slighter than t TRX 450ES 4X4 2 Queen St., Lennoxville Electric shift switchgear SUCCESSFUL FARMING SUPPLEMENT • THE RECORD Thursday, April 29, 1999 • page 3 Climate a factor in Canada’s fruit industry (AAFC)-While Canadian fruit producers are competitive in many crops, they are often faced with higher costs than producers in countries with warmer temperatures and milder winters.The northern climate has forced the Canadian farm industry to become a world leader in improving farm management and storage techniques.Canadian apples, for example, can be supplied almost year-round using controlled-atmosphere storage.Fruits have a variety of end uses.They can be eaten fresh or processed for use as juice, sauces, pectin, wines, ciders, dried fruit or jams and jellies.Fruit can be dried, canned or frozen for preservation.Other uses for fruits include flavouring, oil, dyes and cosmetics.Many of these products are also used by the bakery trade and ice cream and yogurt manufacturers.An exciting development in the last decade is the number of new varieties and production techniques adapted to the Canadian climate.Vinifera grape varieties are doing well in Canada and as a result have created a boom in the wine industry.New varieties of peaches, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwis, blackberries, currants and gooseberries have also been adapted to Canada’s climate through breeding programmes emphasizing hardiness and seasonal adaptation.Because of Canada’s varied climate, scientists are continually developing and enhancing technology from around the world to maximize production in our shorter growing season.Plants must be able to grow in a short season with long sunlight hours, and researchers are always adapting new varieties to these conditions.Biotechnology is also influencing the fruit industry as researchers try to bring a better product to consumers in Canada and abroad.Southern Ontario and southwest British Columbia have the longest growing seasons, with a range of 80 to 160 days, while regions of Quebec and the Maritimes also have significant fruit production.The fruit industry provides thousands of seasonal jobs for Canadians in the orchards and processing plants.Students are often employed by the Most fresh fruit is handpicked.fruit industry because their summer vacations coincide with the growing and harvesting season.Most fresh fruit is hand-picked.Sour cherries, blueberries and cranberries can be mechanically harvested.Farm workers’ wages constitute about 30 percent of the expenses on fruit and vegetable farms, compared with eight percent for cereal crops.Pesticide use in Canada is significantly lower than in many countries, due in part to our northern climate.This fact enhances both Canada’s domestic and international reputation for high-quality, safe food products.In response to consumer demand for reduced pesticide use, scientists are working hard to find alternate ways to control pests and diseases.More producers are using integrated pest management programmes (IPM) to reduce pesticide usage, where pest populations are monitored and pesticides are precisely timed to be the most effective.The more that is known about a pest, the earlier it can be controlled.The discovery and management of natural predators also helps control pests.The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspects imports, exports and produce destined for interprovincial trade to verify compliance with health, safety and food quality standards and regulations.Producers and packers must conform to very specific regulations about labels they put on their products.CFIA inspectors check labels for accuracy.Growing and delivering produce that is affordable, good-tasting and safe to eat is complex.Ensuring the safety of our fresh and processed fruit is a shared responsibility of CFIA, Pest Management Regulatory Agency of Health Canada (PMRA), provincial governments and growers, packers, processors, wholesalers and retailers of all fruit sold in Canada.Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada SAGE & FILS INC.Encan d’animaux de Danville Inc.REPRODUCTION COWS - DAIRY CALF Delivery Available Tel.: (819) 849-3792 or Fax: (819) 849-3838 Yvon: 849-2532 Réal: 849-9003 2 Desrosiers, Coaticook J1A2S8 Buy & Sell °airy Cows Ariie C.Fearon Refuse .: ' ¦ s;.Excavation Snow Removal 400 Queen Street, Lennoxville 562-3473 LARRY MASTINE Representative “Pickseed ” corn & forage seef “Semican ” small grain seed “Growers ” liquid fertilizer “Jim Lewis” minerals Richmond, Qc Tel.(819) 848-1163 e-mail: lmastine@yahoo.com Cell.(819) 572-2187 Sale & Welding on -Aluminum - Stainless steel - Galvanized “Mig” welding Sale of parts and metal to make your own trailer n Mancel M.All types of manufacturing • General welding • Residential welding service • Steel frames - Metallic trellis • All types of “Channel and palte” • H-l beam for construction 152 Main St.E.Coaticook Tel.: 849-3023 Fax: 849-3138 SCIES à chaîne ' CLAUDE C4F&IER , TRACTOR taies entra YARD-B Picture may differ Picture may differ 3 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY LAWNMOWER only *169™ Bxtra taxes extra assembly extra assembly extra COLUMBIA \(r 9% Interest j 12 months 45 Craig Street, Cookshire 875-3847 • 1-800-3847 page 4 • SUCCESSFUL FARMING SUPPLEMENT THE RECORD Thursday, April 29, 1999 Ayer’s Cliff Branch Proud supporters of • The Ayer’s Cliff Fair • Local school breakfast and hot lunch programs Bob Suitor, President Will there be enough food for your children?UPA La Fédération de l’U.P.A.de Sherbrooke 4300 Bourque Blvd.Rock Forest, Quebec 346-8905 DUKE, NOBLE, WEBBER Inc.Farm accounting, Income tax consulting and preparation, Tax planning, Farm management consulting, Farm rollovers and transfers, Financial analyses Estate settlements and planning W.G.Duke, M.BA 127 Principale S.105 Geoffrey Webber, agr., M.BA 339 Knowlton Rd.Cowansville, Qc J2K1J3 Knowlton, Qc JOE 1 VO (450)263-4123 (450)234-5021 1-877-263-DUKE (3853) Fax:243-5022 Fax:263-3489 AJ.Noble, CA 164-A Queen S1 Lennoxville, Qc J1M1J9 (819) 346-0333 Fax: 346-0313 Serving the Farm Community for over 34 years DON’T WAIT! Take advantage of our wide selection n — B.F.GOODRICH — GALAXVA — GOODYEAR — FIRESTONE and other brands Also: TRUCKS, FORESTRY TIRES - B.F.GOODRICH -GOODYEAR -HANK00K -YOKOHAMA (NAPS)-Imagine this: It’s the year 2025.More than eight billion people live on the planet, three billion more than today.The world’s farmers plow national parks, rainforests, nature preserves and wetlands to keep pace with the rising demand for grain.But in spite of their best efforts, food and water supplies diminish.Are your children, and your children’s children, doomed to slowly starve to death?“Yes,” says Lester Brown, president of the Worldwatch Institute, one of many organizations that monitors the availability of food, water and natural resources.He claims that the world is dangerously close to starvation.Grain surpluses are at the lowest they have been in recent history, he says, a trend that will only get worse as time goes on.And a recent study done by the World Bank finds that huge food gaps could be created in the earth’s poorest countries within the next 20 years.“No,” says Rick McConnell, the senior vice president of research and development at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., the world’s largest seed genetics company.“We can feed the world’s children.And the way to do it is not by plowing more land, but by increasing yields on the land currently being farmed.” “In fact, yields on farmed land have been increasing for some time,” he adds.Over the past 70 years, hybridization has produced stronger, healthier crops for America’s farmers.The practice of hybridization, combined with mechanization, fertilization and chemistry, has helped increase yields by 1.5 percent every year since the mid-1940s.In practical terms, this means United States farmers have sowed 13 percent fewer acres over the past three-quarters Food and water supplies diminish of a century, while total production has increased 434 percent! This trend is expected to continue as technological and scientific advances in agriculture provide extra grain in the face of increased demand.The old methods of developing seed cannot produce enough grain fast enough to feed our exploding population.That’s why scientists are relying on the integration of technology and plant sciences to give farmers stronger, higher-yielding plants that are resistant to insects and tolerant of disease and se-____________ vere growing conditions.“At Pioneer, we use a combination of all plant sciences to enhance the productivity of our products,” says McConnell.“We identify and stack the genes of a plant to give it characteristics that can yield more harvestable grain for food and feed.This new genetic technology produces better quality and higher-yielding grains more quickly than traditional methods.” Pioneer, the world’s premier plant sciences company, has proved this point Other experts agree with McConnell.Dennis Avery, director of the Center for Global Food Issues at the Hudson Institute, thinks that the world’s farmers can meet and exceed the growing population’s demand for food through genetics.Even Lester Brown of the Worldwatch Institute believes that the world needs to invest quickly in genetic research in order to meet its increasing food demands.For more information on the role genetics and biotechnology are playing in agriculture, visit Pioneer on the World Wide Web at http://www.pioneer.com.North American Precis Syndicate Auta «i PL4CE MAITRE MECANICIEN Alignment - Brakes Suspension ' - Oil Changes Exhaust - Rust Treatment 133 Angus St.South EAST ANGUS 832-3928 P.0.Box 1200 Sherbrooke J1H 514 or 257 Queen St lennoxville, Que.JIM 1K7 Fax: 819-569-3945 e-mail: record@interlixut.qc.ca Website: www.sherbrookerecord.com Randy Kinnear Publisher .(819) 569-9511 Sharon McCully Editor .(819) 569-6345 Sunil Mahtani Corresp.Editor .(819) 5696345 Susan Mastine Community Relat.(819) 569-9525 Richard Lessard Prod.Mgr.(819) 569-9931 Mark Guilfite Press Superv._(819) 569-9931 Francine Thibault Prod.Superv.(819) 569-9931 DEPARTMENTS Accounting .(819)569-9511 Advertising.(819)569-9525 Circulation.(819)569-9528 Newsroom .(819)5696345 Knowlton office 88 Lakeside, Knowlton, Quebec JOE 1V0 Tel: (450) 242-1188 Fax:(450)243-5155 MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS GST PST TOTAL Canada: l year 104.00 7.28 8.35 $119.63 6 MONTHS 53.50 3.75 4.29 $61.54 3 months 27.00 1.89 2.17 S31.06 Out of Quebec residents do not include PST.Rates for other services available on request.The Record is published daily Monday to Friday.Back copies of The Record ordered one week after publication are available at $3.00 per copy prepaid.The Record was founded on February 7,1897, and acquired the Sherbrooke Examiner (est.1879) in 1905 and the Sherbrooke Gazette (est.1837) in 1908.The Record is published by Sun Media Corporation, a Quebecor company, having its head office at 333 King Street, Toronto (Ontario), M5A 3X5.Canadian Publications Mail Service Product Agreement No.0479675.mm—- Member ILHHj ABC, CARD, CDNA, NMB, QCNA ÎVi'vVil m Id i à SUCCESSFUL FARMING SUPPLEMENT • THE RECORD Thursday, April 29, 1999 • page 5 Safe farming is smart farming (CSC)-Machinery continues to be the leading cause of serious injury and fatalities on the farm.From 1991-1995, 71.8 percent of all farm deaths in Canada resulted from working with or around agricultural machinery.Knowledge, experience and technical advances are crucial to improving farm safety.Farmers are constantly in and out of buildings, using machinery, lifting things or tending to animals.While working, farmers and their workers can be exposed to potential health and safety hazards including viruses, chemical solvents, pesticides and moving machinery.Care and precautions should always be taken to maintain the highest safety standards possible and to secure dangerous chemicals and equipment safely away from children.When handling large machinery, watch out for the children.Be careful when you back up.Don’t give rides to children unless there is a proper seat belt and seat for them.Always make sure that the equipment is turned off and that you have the keys in hand when you leave your vehicle.Make sure that all machinery is in good working order.When using equip- ment, make sure that it fits the individual.For example, seats and controls on a tractor might have to be readjusted to fit a different driver.When servicing machinery, make sure that you and your workers turn the equipment off, particularly when unclogging machinery.A Farm Is Not A Playground The best way to keep your children safe is to have a specifically designated play area in your farm yard.Too often, the entire farm is considered a safe play space by both children and parents.By limiting your children’s play area to be a specific location, you greatly increase the safety zone and decrease their exposure to farm dangers.Children often repeat the actions they see, and farmers and their workers should always consider the safe choices when working.Setting a good example can make a life or death difference.Remember, if you farm safely, so will they.Road Smarts Many motorists have little appreciation for the slow speed and larger size Super yrixt Don’t pay ‘ti! year 2000! LlVEPY DE mEUBLEUR OPEN SUNDAYS Lennoxville Furniture 153 Queen Street, Lennoxville 566-5844 VISA LENNOXVILLE Therapedic Mattresses Sofa bed 7 piece dinette set 19” Color TV 9 15 cu.ft.Fridge of modern farm machinery.To avoid accidents when driving farm vehicles on public roads, operators must practice caution and obey the rules of the road.Remember, tractors and self-propelled farm implements are subject to provincial highway traffic act regulations.forced.It is important to take time to train your employees in equipment operation and safety procedures, as well as implement a seasonal safety review into their work schedule.Canada Safety Council Summertime Summertime is also a time when farmers often hire part-time workers to help out on the farm.Many of these workers have grown up in urban areas and are not familiar with the potential hazards on the farm.Even if the workers have been raised on a farm, safety awareness must be rein- Tâïaiilë i FÏi$ Ltée [ Commission Auctions LAFAILLE We buy and se,t Milking Cows & lihdiHHtM We buy Wood Cuts AUCTION Every Monday at 4 p.m.- Sawyerville (875-3577) Every Tuesday at 4 p.m.- Coaticook (849-4321) i 1512 Main West, Coaticook office: 849-3606 ¦m ¦ ¦¦¦ 37» 36 rt»°n please • Vortec 4,800 V8 255 HP 1999 MOTOR TREND TRUCK OF THE YEAR.SILVERADO, » 4-speed automatic transmission • Locking rear differential with overdrive • 4-wheel disc and anti-lock brakes WHY BUY AT DYSON & ARMSTRONG?• NO SALES PRESSURE • VERY COMPETITIVE PRICES • NO LAST MINUTE SURPRISES • REASONABLE AFTER-SALE SERVICE HOURLY RATE • MORE COMPETITIVE THAN THE COMPETITION • COURTESY CAR WHILE CAR BEING REPAIRED We know what our customers want, and we know now to do it, after all we have been in business for over 80 years! Iff Roadside SERVICE How can you earn 5% towards a new GM vehicle! The GM Card* Chevrolet TlUEl) TESTED it TUI J1S GMAC FINANCIAL SERVICES ?* Goodwrench Service DYSON & ARMSTRONG l RICHMOND, QueJ 265 Principale Street • 826-3721 • 1800-263-9766 page 6 » SUCCESSFUL FARMING SUPPLEMENT « THE RECORD Thursday, April 29, 1999 ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS * MILLING (Feed and breeding programs) * GRAIN CENTRE (Drying and storage) * VEGETABLE (Cultivating, seeds, culture protection & chemical fertilizer programs) * TEAM OF SPECIALISTS (Agronomes & agriculture technologists) FOLLOW-UP OF HEIFERS & PREPARATION OF STOCK FOR EXPOSITIONS THE S.C.A.DES BOIS-FRANCS’ “A past and a future!" Victoriaville 5 Ave Pie X Tel.: 758-0671 St-Félix de Kingsey Tel.: 848-2991 Warwick 164 St-Louis Tel.: 358-3531 CO-OP Safety thoughts for the day (CSC)-Canada Safety Council encourages the media and farm organizations to publicize one safety thought per day during National Farm Safety Week and throughout the year.•The safety boots I got for Father’s Day are great.The treads on the old ones were worn out.The new ones reduce my chances of slipping and falling off the combine.• I always shut off the power take-off (PTO) and pocket the ignition key before repairing farm equipment.ing.• I apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15, 20 minutes before going outside, even on cloudy days.• I always listen to my radio for up-to-the-minute weather information before going in the field to work.•I never reach or step across an operating power take-off, even if it is shielded.• I always make sure that no one is in forage or grain wagons or trucks while they are being loaded or unloaded.• Short breaks in the late morning and late afternoon help relieve any fatigue I am feeling.• It’s time for lunch; I think I’ll climb down from my tractor and relax for 15 to 20 minutes.• I must ask Bill to help me lift this heavy load.If I do it alone, I might hurt my back.•Today is the day I install smoke detectors on every level of our home.• It’s smart practice to participate in a first-aid and CPR training course every three years.• I always properly ventilate the silos and test the atmosphere before enter- • I keep my hands and feet away from the intake areas of augers and elevators.• I only operate conveying equipment with guards placed over the belts, chains, intake areas and drive shafts.•When moving equipment, I always maintain at least 10 feet of clearance around all power lines.• I only move an auger or an elevator in its lowest position with the safety locking device in place to prevent tipping, collapsing or contacting a power line.Canada Safety Council (¦Tl P.-E.LYNCH inc.?INCREASE MILK PRODUCTION WITH THESE THREE MAJOR FACTORS AGRI-MIXER PASTURE MAT VENTEC '«¦-—> —- FEEDING VENTILATION COW’S COMFORT Ask for Paul Guay cell: 823-4622 1021 Child St., Coaticook - 849-2376 / 849-7981 849-9682 (Fax) SUCCESSFUL FARMING SUPPLEMENT • THE RECORD Thursday, April 29, 1999 • page 7 Memories of growing up on a local farm COURTESY: ROBERTA SYLVESTER Springtime often found Roberta Sylvester behind the plow with her Dad.: W&JÊ ¦ W 4* < Y-4 By Roberta Sylvester Special contributor Sawyerville There is one good thing about turning 60 - you have a lot of years to look back on, some good, others you would just as soon forget.In farming, as with every other walk of life, there have been phenomenal changes since I was growing up down on the farm back in the 40’s and 50’s.At first there were no tractors, no electricity, no running water, few telephones, fewer radios, and even fewer automobiles, yet life seemed so simple and unhurried then.A farmer had time to doze after lunch on the swing in the shade of the old butternut tree.After all, his horses needed time to eat and drink.More likely than not today’s farmer grabs his sandwich in one hand and keeps on plowing.He has to.Tractors have a voracious appetite for diesel fuel and loan payments.I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t keen about farming.My Dad called me his shadow.Although only a year my junior, my brother was often housebound by ill health, while I went everywhere with my Dad.Springtime would find me walking behind his plow or sitting on his knee as he rode the disc harrow or the seeder.In summer I was glued to the front of the hay wagon “driving” the horses, although they were so well-trained I’m sure they all but drove themselves.Always anxious to help hitch, one day I pulled the heavy neckyoke off the wagon and onto my head, making it necessary for Dr.Winder to drive out from Lennoxville to stitch me up.Undeterred, I was soon back at my post while Dad worked at building a load from the fragrant hay deposited on the wagon by our old Frosst and Woods hayloader.Back at the barn, Dad ran the hay fork while my Mom led the horse that pulled the hay up into the mow.Some times I was allowed to ride on the horse’s back, but often had to share this pleasure with my brother, so would content myself with pulling the trip rope when the forkful of hay had reached its destination.When the wagon was empty, Dad would climb into the mow to distribute the hay evenly with his fork while Mother would sprinkle it with course salt to keep it from heating and possibly causing a barn fire.As I grew older my favorite job was raking.It was always a challenge to trip the dump at exactly the right moment to make a straight winrow of hay across the field.The haying season started in late July or early August as farmers believed then that the hay needed to “ripen.” When the Brown-eyed Susans bloomed, Dad always figured it was time to start cutting.The fall harvest was a special time as my Dad owned one of the few grain binders in the district and would make the rounds of neighbouring farms to harvest their fields of golden oats or barley.We were allowed to accompany him to a few of the farms, and one of my favorite places was the McElrea’s on the Brickyard Road.They were a jolly couple and never minded having an extra kid or two around.Being a bit of a tomboy in pigtails, I secretly envied the older McElrea girls as they went about their tasks in their dainty, starched dresses and perfectly groomed long flowing hair.I can’t remember who owned the threshing machine, but I remember the tons of food the hungry men devoured and how the women moved from farm to farm with the threshing crew to help prepare the meals, and how black and dusty the men were when they came in to eat.Storing up the winter’s supply of bedding for our animals made several trips to Hunting’s sawmill a necessity.Space on the spring seat beside my Dad was highly coveted, as riding in the box of a wooden wagon with steel rimmed wheels was enough to jar your teeth loose, especially when Dad would urge his horses to “jog along.” It was easier if my brother accompanied us as we each held one side of the jute bag while Father shovelled in the sawdust.The best part was the three mile ride home.Cushioned by the bags of sawdust, there was plenty of time to enjoy the coloured leaves and vivid Autumn skies, and it was a rare day indeed when several flocks of snow geese couldn’t be seen winging their way south.Run by waterpower, the original mill was located on the river bank across the road from its present location, and next to Hunting’s Store.Directly across from the store was the blacksmith’s shop, always an intriguing place for a child to play.When my brother and I tired of watching Mr.Hall heat and shape the shoes and nail them to our horses’ feet, we would wander into the “wild horse chamber,” a small room with assorted straps and chains where harder-to-han-dle horses were immobilized for shoeing.There we would take turns being the blacksmith and the kicking horse.Armed with only an axe and cross-cut saw, we spent our winters getting out a supply of firewood and perhaps a few logs for repairs or expansions.My brother and I busied ourselves making shelters from softwood branches.Sometimes we were even allowed to have a small fire inside to keep us warm while our parents worked.When we were considered “old enough,” we were given our own small axes and allowed to help split the firewood and limb the logs.One day I ventured too close just as Dad was felling a tree.Unable to reach me in time, he threw his weight against My dad called me his shadow.the tree to divert it and ended up being pinned underneath.Luckily, my Mom was able to free him and he recovered after a few days of rest.I never forgot the terror that could have ended in tragedy for one or both of us.A picturesque little maple bush provided a yearly supply of syrup and sugar, with a little extra to sell.The sap was boiled down in a flat-bottomed pan on a wood-fired arch located in a corner of the bush a short distance from the house.There was no camp, although my Father rigged up a frame with a piece of tin on top to keep out most of the rain.Somehow I don’t believe we ever made double A syrup, but it was a pleasant experience on a mild, starry evening to stand and watch the golden liquid bubbling into the pan and the glowing sparks shooting out of the chimney, the kerosene lantern hanging from the branch of a tree casting eerie shadows through the woods.Continued on next page COURTESY: ROBERTA SYLVESTER “I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t keen about farming” — Roberta Sylvester : ¦ * MæÆl m-'\ .i mm •r# h PI %1 page 8 • SUCCESSFUL FARMING SUPPLEMENT • THE RECORD Thursday, April 29, 1999 Memories Continued from page 7 WlNSOAR division de HERWOOD BELGIAN HORSES CHEVAUX BELGES SPECIALIZING IN HEAVY HORSE HARNESSES Horse shoes and nails For show, work & pulling All products for show preparation Horse care products Minerals and vitamins (Jim Levis, Penwood, Blacks and Carson’s supplement) Horse blankets BROKE BELGIAN HORSES FOR SALE AT ALL TIMES Vilitosti, 'Welcome, at tlte jjd/irn.STORE HOURS 8:30-5:00 Mon.-Sat.Closed Sunday Toll Free / Sans frais: 1-800-315-4607 Canada J1S2E3 Moulée Vallée Feed 35 Old Bridge, Richmond, QC (819) 826-6543 Clarke & Fils ‘‘More than just a Feed Store’ 110 CNR Terrace Lennoxville 562-9444 3 Sunset St.Rock Island (819)876-2092 Tbr.Al.C.Co.Ltd.Maker of Bag Balm, antiseptic ointment and other animal health products.Antiseptic Healing Salve Loaded with Lanolin A pet’s best Mend for skin i paws SÉptlife Available at: Although the work was physically demanding, there was always time and energy for socializing.Every neighbourhood had at least one attic transformed into a hall where folks could dance while the more talented took turns providing the music.Card parties were almost a weekly occurence, alternating from house to house.The word “babysitter” had yet to be invented, so the children played their own games then fell asleep on somebody’s couch or a blanket in a corner, only coming to as they were being stuffed into their snowsuits for the ride home.Huddled under a warm buffalo robe, they were soon lulled back to sleep by the pleasant jingle of the horse’s bells.It seems each bell had a distinctive sound, and it was often said folks knew who was coming long before they came into view by the sound of the bells.Farms were usually 50 to 100 acres then, with an assortment of animals.Ours had pigs and chickens as well as the ever-necessary horses and milk cows.The milk was separated using a machine cranked by hand, the skim milk going to feed the pigs while the cream was saved and taken to the Johnville Creamery once or twice a week.I often accompanied my Father on these 4 mile journeys, by buggy in summer and sleigh in winter.On one occasion Father must have been particularly tired as when we turned the corner for the last half mile he hung the reins over the dashboard, slid down further under the buffalo robe, and promptly went to sleep.The closer we got to home, the faster the horse trotted.Dad awoke just as we were turning into our gateway at a full gallop, but not in time to stop the horse before the sleigh overturned, spilling it occupants into the snowbank.Cows were milked by hand in the dim light of a kerosene lantern.More than once I was lulled to sleep on a mound of hay in the cows’ manger by the contented chewing of Continued on next page Cows were milked by hand in the dim light of a kerosene lantern.Come see us for all your needs in: Tractors 1 Farm Equipment Push Mowers 1 Lawn & Garden Tractors We will be at J La Foire Printanière Richmond, Québec J0B2H0 d’Asbestos” Large selection of products.Specials on site.April 30, May 1 & 2 Sales Parts Service SUCCESSFUL FARMING SUPPLEMENT • THE RECORD Thursday, April 29, 1999 • page 9 Memories Continued from page 8 dg&iw POWERFUL RELIABLE LONG-LASTIi IMPORTATIONS A.RIVARD INC.their cuds and the steady swoosh, swoosh of streams of milk hitting the inside of a metal pail.One of my first jobs in the barn was to fill the water troughs.Standing on a milk stool or an inverted pail I would pump until my arms ached, but I took my responsibilities seriously and nobody was getting that job away from me.Of course, it was never finished CONTINUED NEXT PAGE COURTESY: ROBERTA SYLVESTER Both in the woods and in the fields, everyone in the family lent a helping hand.POWER FENCE™ SYSTEMS SYSTEM NEW LOCATION: 70 - B, Route 112, EAST ANGUS (Québec) JOB 1R0 Phone: (819) 562-6541 mm ‘Taxes extra F-250XL 1 : ‘Taxes extra Transportât!< & preparation ini 8-foot box Equipped for Hard Work make People who sense 4x4 Turbo Diezel C%V^4 IT510 RADIAL IT525 DIAGONAL TIRE available soon DYNA TORQUE RADIAL Youf choice o' ^-Product WlixWtes TRIPLE RIB H.D.STABLE AND DURABLE DYNA RIB -IMPROVED ROAD HANDLING UTILITY FARM TIRE your- farm service 24 hours/ day 7 days/ SUPER TRACTION RADIAL DURATORQUE FOR TRUCKS SERVICE DE PNEU ROBERT PARE inc.570 Wellington St.S., Sherbrooke 820-9855 Cell.: 820-5684 Market Information 355, chemin de la Station, Compton (819) 835-0065 page 10 • SUCCESSFUL FARMING SUPPLEMENT • THE RECORD Thursday, April 29, 1999 Memories Continued from page 9 Mother remarried a few years later, restoring some semblance of normalcy to our lives.I have only ont thing to say about my step-father: anyone who would even contemplate taking on a widow with a three year old, a five year old, and two obnoxious teenagers has to be a serious candidate for sainthood.There are no honours high enough to bestow on one who actually does it.CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE AGRI-FEED COMPLEX GRAINS • BY-PRODUCTS PRE-MIXES DAIRY MINERALS Sale & installation of heavy machinery tires until a small can had been filled with water to prime the pump for the next time.Electricity came to our farm the year I was ten.The first things my Dad bought were a water pump and a milking machine, followed by a wringer washing machine for my Mom.I don’t think any of us really realized how much these things would revolutionize our lives, and whet our appetities for more.The whine of an electric motor replaced the com- forting, familiar sounds of chore-time, and although the machine cut down on milking time, the thing had to be pulled apart, meticulously washed and rinsed, then reassembled.The fierce pride I felt from filling the water troughs was replaced by the simple turn of a tap.Electric lights allowed people to work longer into the night, eventually cutting into the social activities that were the life-blood of the community.An even more drastic change occured two years later when my Dad died tragically, leaving Mother with three children and another on the way.There was no such thing as social assistance in 1950, so she had little choice but to forge ahead, doing what she knew best.It proved to be a wise choice, as farmers then took great pride in being clear of debt.“We may not make much money,” my Father used to say, “but it will take a while to starve us out.” The community rallied around us and helped ease the burden as well as the pain.Even so, my brother and I found ourselves assuming grown-up tasks and responsibilities, leaving little time for childhood pursuits.Electric lights allowed people to work longer into the night THE TIRE SPECiaUTT m FRONT TRACTOR TIRES REAR TRACTOR TIRES Unisteel G357 Front radial 1st quality Unisteel G362 Rear drive tire Unisteel G328 High km • long distance radial Drying • Grain Roller Grading • Clipping Screening • Storing Technical Support Unisteel G314 Most recent radial for trailer SUCCESSFUL FARMING SUPPLEMENT • THE RECORD Thursday, April 29, 1999 • page 11 Memories Continued from page 10 V In the meantime, the generosity of relatives and neighbouts was almost overwhelming.Work bees were organized to help with the planting and harvesting.An uncle helped Mother choose an appropriate tractor and accessories and arrange for their financing, and once again we were launched into a new era.It was perhaps this time more than any other that kindled my resolve to live my life on a farm, a resolve I have never regretted.My husband and I have our own store of memories, like the day we were preparing a field for planting.Albert had parked the stone drag in the ning, and I firmly believe it was there that he got his start.Once when I was chatting with the doctor who saw me through the births of our eight healthy children, he inquired as to how things were going down on the farm.“I tried farming once,” he told me.“When I was in college I landed a summer job on my uncle’s farm.He was a great boss, gave me two hours off every day to do with as I pleased -from 2 to 4 a.m.!” I told him things hadn’t changed all that much.Only the focus has changed.Yesterday, farming was a way of life, a way to feed your family with a little left over to exchange for the things you needed but couldn’t produce.Most farmers went without until they had saved up enough money to pay for their purchases.Today, it seems, our main aim in life is to keep the bankers at bay.We buy more land.to grow more corn.to feed more cows.to produce more milk.to make more money.to buy more land.to produce more corn.niiiissi * ' '' 'v ' See the full line of Garden-Way Equipment today! 1995 CHRYSLER INC SMALL price FOR 1ST QUALITY VEHICLES MEGA SALE ON TRUCKS COURTESY: ROBERTA SYLVESTER Farming equipment has changed over the years, but things haven’t changed all that much.middle of the field so the children could pick the small stones while he was digging out the larger ones with the bucket on the tractor.I was harrowing with the other tractor when I noticed him pointing in the direction of the children.I looked up to see our three-year-old twins being propelled down the field by an older sibling on either side, their little feet only touching terra firma about every thirty yards.Our five-year-old was trying desperately to keep up.It was then that I realized the large black animal loping across the plowing behind them was not the family dog, but a bear.Incidently, the five-year-old later excelled at cross-country run- LAWN AND GARDEN TRACTORS Best in performance and quality TRIMMER/MOWERS Trim, mow and clear * NO PAYMENT NO INTEREST ntil September 1999 Priced Irom $949 5 hp TILLERS Buy your last tiller first TROY-BILT SICKLE BARS For serious “off-lawn mowing” Qtroy-bilt Bolens garden-way ’ Always the best price guaranteed.Information in store.Preparation & delivery included.Trades welcomed.Les Equipements David Taylor Inc.140 Route 116, Richmond, Quebec Tel.: 826-5101 • 1-800-985-8455 MEGA LIQUIDATION ON USED COME SEE, MAKE AN OFFER M ON PLYMOUTH neon '19 250 boul.Coakley, Asbestos, 1-800-665-1047 (819) 879-6636 Ml SPRING KIT • INTERIOR WASH • EXTERIOR WASH • COMPLETE INSPECTION • INSTALL 4 TIRES .AND EVERY DAY OIL & FILTER CHANGE on most vehicles page 12 • SUCCESSFUL FARMING SUPPLEMENT • THE RECORD Thursday, April 29, 1999 What’s good for the cultural goose.is also good for the agri-cultural gander by Hugh Maynard • Special contributor After all the cattle prods that Canadian farmers have taken from national media over protectionism and subsidies, it’s interesting to see many of these publications now lapping up their own swill from the same government trough.Shame on them for their hypocrisy even if it is a just cause.The news has been full lately of Bill C-55, the legislation introduced by the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Hon.Sheila Copps, to keep out‘unfair’ American competition.The new law will prevent so-called “split runs” - already published US material slapped into Canadian versions of the same publication and surrounded by advertising priced to put bona fide Canadian publications out of business.A protectionist red flag to the free trading bulls in the US, the Minister is quoted as saying that this action is not about protectionism but “about the right of a sovereign country to make laws to ensure its own cultural sovereignty.” Just slip a little ‘agri’ in front of the word ‘cultural’ and you have government poetry in motion for Canadian farmers, particularly those in supply managed commodities.In addition, many Canadians are unaware that the same minister also provided qualifying community newspapers with a subsidy to mitigate the high cost of postal rates, some of those newspapers being owned by the same very profitable chains that now stand to further preserve their profitable markets with greater protection at the border against American intrusion.And good for them; there will be little left of anything Canadian if there are not societal measures that ensure this distinction.Border protections against trans-national pulp and financial assistance to help reduce the costs of covering the huge expanse known as Canada are investments in — and not costs to — Canadian culture.But what’s good for the cultural goose must also be good for the agricultural gander.Why is it according to some media commentators, that farmers are denying consumers the benefits of ‘fair’ competition through border protections, and are taking taxpayers for a ride on the hay wagon when they receive subsidies?Even worse, farmers don’t make a tenth of the money that some media publications reap, starting with Canada’s national magazine, MacLean’s.which receives the postal subsidy and stands to be one of the bigger beneficiaries of the new protectionist legislation.If cultural sovereignty is so important, then why isn’t agricultural autonomy?What could be better than a meal made from down-home ingredients while perusing a domestically-inspired publication?If the media finds that the largesse of Canadian society is so necessary to their survival, then they should stop being so hypocritical when they go about bashing the so-called trade sins of other sectors, notably agriculture.And if culture is worth protecting in the name of Canadian sovereignty, then so is the feed that provides the ftiel for all that cultural thinking.“If we allow the Americans to bowl us over on culture today, then next week it will be steel,” said Copps.Amen; too bad she isn’t minister of agriculture.Hugh Maynard is the Executive Secretary of the Quebec Farmers Association and the Editor of the Quebec Farmers Advocate If cultural sovereignty is so important, then why isn ’t agricultural autonomy?Days of the Giants • vortec V8 255 HP engine • 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive • Air conditioning • am/fm stereo cassette • Locking rear differential • Chrome grille, bumpers and wheels • 4-wheel disc and anti-lock brakes SIERRA cashdown Monthly payment $2,763 $388 $1,166 $438 $o $478 $27,499 on purchase" m 36-month lease 2.9* purchase financing* And, for a limited time, get the Trim a Truck package for only $16 more per month: • Bedliner • Tailgate protector • Running boards • Hood protector Pick up a giant at a price that won’t crush your budget.Let mortreitzc rriueew Pontiac Buick 396 Main St.West, Coaticook (819) 849-2776