Farmland loss threatens economy, food security: PCFA president
Country Life reached out to leaders of local agriculture federations for their take on the top issues facing agriculture today. The following article is derived from an email interview with Perth County Federation of Agriculture President Derek Van De Walle.
Country Life: What is top issue facing the agriculture industry in Canada today and what needs to happen to improve the situation?
Van De Walle: Loss of farmland is probably the biggest issue facing agriculture in Canada today. In Ontario alone, we lose about 319 acres of productive farmland every day. This is roughly the same size as 58 city blocks, 797 hockey rinks, or 4785 tennis courts. This loss not only has implications on the economy, but also food security for Canadians. While agriculture continues to make advancements in productivity, it will be difficult to keep up to the rapid loss of farmland and our growing population.
farm. As the rural-urban divide grows, educating consumers of all backgrounds on the importance of agriculture and our farmland will be both imperative and challenging.
As a nation we need to be conscientious of our farmland, by prioritizing development on less productive, non-prime farmland. Urban intensification by building up rather than out will help alleviate this pressure to develop farmland and ensure we have food for generations to come. Today, less than two percent of the Canadian population lives and works on a
Country Life: At a local level, what does the federation find farmers in this area most concerned about and what actions is the organization taking in response?
Van De Walle: There are a number of issues that are on the top of our minds right now.
Currently, Perth County is in process of updating their Official Plan which has ramifications for agriculture. In order to understand the wording and respond to the proposals being put forth by the County, PCFA has hired a consultant. There are a number of different concerns that PCFA has with the proposals that have been released. We will continue to investigate these concerns and work with the county to offer feedback and help create an Official Plan that fairly balances the interests of its largest economic driveragriculture. The significance in having a strong Official Plan cannot be understated. We need only to look to neighbouring County of Waterloo in Wilmot to see the farming community at odds with the county as some face
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Contributed photo Perth County Federation President Derek Van De Walle says loss of farmland is among the key issues facing the agriculture industry, impacting both the economy and food security.
On The Front Quynnten Terpstra watches his line while plowing at the Perth County Plowing Match held on Aug. 24 at the Monkton area farm of Nellie and John Vandenhoven. Patrick Raftis photo
Lisa Thompson appointed as first Minister of Rural Affairs
NICOLE BESWITHERICK
TORONTO - The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) no longer exists after a cabinet shuffle announced this previous June by Premier Doug Ford.
The provincial Progressive Conservatives have now moved forward with two separate ministries, splitting OMAFRA into the Ministry of Farming, Agriculture and Agribusiness led by Minister Rob Flack, and the Ministry of Rural Affairs led by Huron-Bruce MPP, Minister Lisa Thompson.
The ministry led by Flack handles all agriculture and food related items across the supply chain, whereas the Ministry of Rural Affairs will work with rural municipalities across the province.
“I am really, really proud that our government understands the importance of small town rural Ontario by way of dedicating a ministry to serve it,” Thompson said in a phone interview with Country Life
She added that OMAFRA as it was, “was an extremely busy ministry” and with more people moving to small, rural Ontario, the provincial government wants to ensure there are proper connections, relationships and supports in place to assist with growth in these communities.
With Rural Affairs now a seperate entity, the ministry will focus on the priorities and needs to ensure that rural communities in the province will have the infrastructure and rate supports to attract newcomers and new businesses, and retain the economic drivers that Ontario already has.
About Thompson Thompson was born and raised near
Wingham in Huron County, but now calls Bruce County her home, living near Teeswater on a farm that has been in her husband’s family for 120 years. She is a graduate of the University of Guelph, and before entering politics, the new minister served as general manager of the Ontario Dairy Goat Cooperative.
On June 18, 2021, Thompson was appointed Ontario’s 40th Minister of OMAFRA by Premier Ford. She was then reappointed to the ministry in June 2022.
Prior to this role, Thompson served as Minister of Government and Consumer Services, Ontario’s Registrar General and Minister of Education.
Minister of Rural Affairs Now stepping into the new role of
Minister of Rural Affairs, Thompson told Country Life that “I feel like I’ve come full circle, because my very first job after graduating from the University of Guelph was a rural community advisor.
“Traveling across Ontario already through Eastern Ontario and Northern Ontario, and even here at home in Midwestern Ontario, I can tell you that people are … excited because our government understands the importance of rural Ontario, as we demonstrated through standing up as a standalone ministry.”
She said, too, that “it’s very humbling, but it’s invigorating as well” to be the first dedicated leader of the new ministry.
“There are so many people that I look to as mentors that truly were leading edge when it came to rural economic development, you know, 10-20 years ago. And I’m really, really proud to bring that perspective and that commitment to making sure that we get this ministry set up in such a way that people go, ‘You know what? That
government really gets it, they understand, and they’re walking their talk,’” Thompson explained.
Citing statistics from StatsCan, she added that the percentage of Ontario’s population living in rural, small town Ontario in 2021 was 17 per cent.
“I would respectfully suggest today, in 2024, that percentage will be even higher… In 2021 StatsCanada was showing that GDP (gross domestic product) generated by small town rural businesses was equivalent to $99 billion for the provincial GDP.”
Thompson says the provincial Progressive Conservative government is going to focus on growing GDP, improving economic opportunities, creating and retaining “great jobs” for a workforce that is attracted to rural Ontario, and continue to have the right supports in place to foster growth.
“I believe that one of the biggest challenges, and we’re going to really focus in on this, is making sure that we have a workforce that’s proud to call rural Ontario home and that they see a bright future in small town, rural Ontario.”
Contributed photos
Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson is Ontario’s first Minister of Rural Affairs.
Farmland loss threatens economy, food security: PCFA president
Continued from page 2 potential expropriation. The threat of this happening anywhere concerns a number of our own members as well. Consequently, PCFA has intentionally sought updates on this issue through several guest speakers at our meetings and following farming groups more closely involved.
In the unfortunate event that this happens in Perth County, we want to be prepared for what to expect and have the resources to support those affected. More recently, kite fighting is a new issue that was recently brought to our attention at our recently-held town hall meeting. While PCFA has never heard of this issue, we will be investigating it further in the coming weeks and making our provincial counterparts aware of it.
Country Life: Labour challenges are affecting many industries, including agriculture. How are farmers in this area faring in terms of ability to recruit and retain workers compared to other areas of the province. What are the key challenges in this area?
Van De Walle: Labour is consistently an issue for farmers. As of 2021, nearly 9,000 people were employed by the local agri-food sector. While we are relatively close to larger urban areas such as London and Kitchener-WaterlooCambridge, being able to offer competitive wages, benefits, etc. in order to attract employees to commute to a rural workplace continues to be a challenge. Lack of affordable housing in our more local communities which are closer to our farms is a considerable factor as well.
Automation of technology and inno-
vation has allowed farms to rely less on labour, but has not eliminated this need. In order to fill these gaps, many farms rely on temporary foreign workers (who are often housed at or near the farm they are employed at) for labour.
Country Life: Loss of farmland to urbanization and industry is an area many farm leaders have expressed concern about on a national and province-wide scale. Is it something you see as a problem locally? What needs to be done?
Van De Walle: While this is perhaps a bigger issue in other counties, Perth is not immune to loss of farmland. We are seeing our communities expand in an effort to build more housing and other infrastructure.
Compared to the rest of the country, Perth County has some of the best, most productive land. Economically, Perth County agriculture generates $1.2 billion in farm cash receipts annually (2021) and contributes to $2.7 billion in GDP provincially. Consequently, just a small loss in farmland has major impacts locally, provincially, and nationally. Because of this, we urge planning departments to be diligent in their use of this precious resource.
By working with municipalities to increase urban intensification, we can conserve more land for production. As mentioned, we can do this by building up, and not out. Having buildings (both industrial and residential) be multi-levels, developing vacant land inside urban boundaries, and repurposing unused buildings are a few ways we can achieve this.
While these solutions present their own challenges and perhaps can be more difficult than developing on bare
farmland, we commend those that go through the effort in an attempt to conserve farmland. We will continue to work with municipalities to achieve this and encourage such collaboration.
Country Life: The provincial government introduced and reversed policy several times in the past few years on issues such as Greenbelt development, provincial planning policy and unilateral changes to the Official Plans of some jurisdictions, which caused a lot of turmoil in the agricultural sector. Have things settled down in the policy department or do you feel further changes to the government’s approach are needed?
Van De Walle: There is still work that needs to be done. A new Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) is due to come out ... from the provincial government. There were recommendations that were delivered to the government by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and we are hoping that the government implemented them into the PPS. The changes to the PPS by the provincial government have cost a lot of money and heartache to lower tier municipalities as they try to navigate and apply them to their own framework of governance.
However, if municipalities deviate from the PPS, it presents challenges as the same rules are not being applied from one municipality to the next.
CORY
NORTH HURON – Mela-
nie Pletch is overjoyed with the success of the restoration and rejuvenation that began when her father, Murray Scott, approached Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) and other supporters for help with an erosion problem in his fields and ended up part of a municipal drain project that now serves as a model for others.
Countless stories, studies, and reports have been shared about this project. While the technical side of things has already been published, Pletch
sat down with Country Life recently to discuss the project’s encouraging and exciting side effects.
On July 3, 2024, Pletch received an email from Erin Gouthro, MVCA’s water ecologist, who had recently been by the farm to see if any of the brook trout had returned to the now clean and wholesome stream.
“We have great news,” said Gouthro. “The drain is full of brook trout babies (Young of the Year or YOY) and some juveniles as well. We only found brook trout and found lots of them. This is really exciting because it means the water-
course is an important nursery ground and brookies are likely spawning and successfully reproducing.”
Gouthro added, “Brook trout are in serious decline across the province, so this is a bright spot. It also shows how incredibly important this restoration is and continues to be. You couldn’t get a better outcome.”
Pletch said, “That was something that was in evidence before, the decreased population of brook trout, [now] 20 years on, we have that good report. So, that is amazing news.”
According to the Ontario Rivers Alliance, “There are very few thriving brook trout
populations left in southern Ontario, and it is especially surprising to find them present as far south as London, Ontario. Brook trout are a sentinel species – the canary in the coal mine. In southern Ontario, brook trout populations have seen an 80% decline in numbers over the last 50 years. Their populations have been under increasing pressure from a warming climate as well as agricultural, urban, rural and industrial development.”
Pletch remembers when people could fish and eat, if they desired, from the Belgrave Creek, where the Scott Munic-
ipal Drain empties. She said that the final part of the project was cleaning out that culvert area, the Belgrave Creek vent. “This open portion of drain that’s on our farm, spills into the Belgrave Creek, which is down the road,” said Pletch. “And so I remember people fishing in there years and years and years ago. People certainly fish down at the at the bigger area of the Belgrave Creek.”
Pletch added that the opportunity to catch brook trout had not existed for a long time because they wouldn’t have been there.
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Brook trout have returned to the clean and fresh water in Belgrave Creek thanks to the Scott Municipal Drain project.
Cory Bilyea photos
The Pletch Family pose for a photo in 2022 during the commemoration of a years-long restoration project centred around the Scott Municipal Drain in North Huron.
BILYEA
Brook trout return to Scott Municipal Drain
Continued from page 6
“Before the project, all of the soil erosion was coming down the hills and into the drain, and then further going out into the Belgrave creek where the brook trout spawn and their habitat is. They couldn’t thrive because of that rushing water that would go through there and then the silt or the soil that was in the water.”
Productivity
Some farmers struggle to find positive reasons to revitalize their fields, which includes the possibility of losing some of their productivity, which affects their bottom line.
Pletch said, “And I’m quoting my dad when I say that it’s hard for farmers to get on board with, especially if you talk about taking acres out of production, right? He did, he farmed every last acre of it right up to the open part of the drain. Everybody’s trying to get good production. And then you get the financial return for all of that.
“But … really you end up losing a lot of your valuable topsoil down into the water. Seeds go with it, too, if you’ve just planted that. And then big rain comes. So really, how productive was it? And so the acres that we have, we still have 120 workable acres, that are being planted every year with rotating crops that have been quite productive,” said Pletch.
Continuing on this subject, Pletch added, “But you know, we kind of have the best of both worlds here. We’ve got 120 acres of good producing farmland that is farmed, respectfully, the farmer that crops this land is very respectful to the project. And we’re surrounded by nature, with nature right now doing its job and flourishing.”
Why should you care?
“We have to take care of nature because once it’s gone, it’s very hard to get back. Same as land and same as water. Once it goes away, you’re not going to ever get land back if you
don’t take care of it and the water,” Pletch said. She added that many of the extinct birds and wildlife will never return without “a whole lot of scientific miracles.
“So, I think we have to just appreciate the ways that we can preserve nature. Knowing that nature does benefit us all, whether it’s mentally or physically, or how it aids in the health of the agriculture, it is beneficial to all of us. Nature isn’t just the birds and the bees; nature has a bigger picture in the grand scheme of things and everything really,” Pletch said.
Results
Pletch said the revitalization project results are precisely what they wanted when they set out. The water quality has improved so much that the brook trout have returned. Additionally, “any areas that were very hard to farm before because they were naturally wet or rolling have really returned to nature,” she said. “So tree
planting and the creation of these berms has stopped the water coming off the hills from entering the drain.”
She noted that the area has a diverse wildlife population, including deer, foxes, coyotes, groundhogs, and ducks. Additionally, there are many birds and aquatic animals, such as turtles and frogs.
During a tour of the property, Pletch pointed out a pathway created by what she suspects is an otter. The otter is very elusive, she said, but one could see the long grass bent where the otter enters and exits the different water systems along the banks.
Pletch talked about the incredible difference in her mental health and that of her visitors, who often come by to
enjoy a campfire night on the farm. She spoke of the effects of the pandemic and how the transformation helped her, her family, and friends.
“You know, your mental health is improved when you’re surrounded by nature and when you really sit back and respect it,” Pletch said. I’ve had much more respect for this place and nature, not that I didn’t before, but since the pandemic. We looked at this whole thing differently when we were confronted with that summer of 2020.
“And, you know, everybody was scared, you couldn’t go anyplace, you couldn’t have visitors unless they were outdoors. That summer, we created a place in the bush that is right behind the house here.
A project that started during the pandemic has turned into an oasis where friends and family can gather to enjoy nature on the Pletch Farm in Belgrave.
WER Manufacturing represents Huron County on the international stage
RACHEL HAMMERMUELLER
WALTON - On Blyth Road in Huron County, right off the intersection that determines if you’re heading to Seaforth, Goderich, or Mitchell, WER Manufacturing sits on a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ property. That’s not a slight on the business – it’s just not what one might expect an internationally-acclaimed rental and agricultural machinery manufacturing company to present.
An unobtrusive collection of an office, farmhouse, and manufacturing buildings houses eight employees.
The President of WER, or as he says, “I guess I’m the president,” Gary Sutcliffe spoke with Country Life fresh off another week of flying to the United States to do what his business is steadily becoming known for – manufacturing farm equipment to solve specific problems for those who use them.
“A lot of the time we’re building something because we already know there’s a need for something different,” Sutcliffe explains. “We sold a machine to a guy in New York. He [had] demoed two comparable products from US manufacturers, and neither of them worked how he wanted. Even though he bought it from us, the idea is the same. You take manure and you put it on the ground accu-
rately – but theirs wasn’t as accurate. It just didn’t really suit what he needed. He bought from us; we [cost] more money than [others], but it worked.”
One of three brothers, all of whom emigrated from Lancashire, England, Sutcliffe enlists his youngest brother, Stuart Sutcliffe, to conduct the design part of the business. When Sutcliffe approaches him with an idea for a design of a manure spreader – something the elder Sutcliffe comes up with at random times, like the middle of the night – his brother understands what he’s thinking “because we were born and raised together.” Sutcliffe will tell his brother this back portion of the spreader needs to fold this way, on these working parameters, and so on. Stuart will then assess the engineering and geometry of a mechanism folding whichever way will make the design work for that client’s needs. The computer program they use to mock up designs allows for the rotation of different pieces to then analyze and understand the physics of how a machine will work.
WER employee Joe Dewartz handles the costing based on that design – which Sutcliffe says is surprisingly accurate. This many pounds of steel equals this amount of labour to work with these parts, et cetera. It’s a well-oiled machine.
WER rarely builds something for market – many projects are clients coming to them with research development needs to fix a dilemma. Chances are, they’re not the only farmer with that specific issue.
A bit of an education on manure – there’s different ways of applying it to a field. As Sutcliffe explains, it can be spread with what’s called a splash plate, so the manure applies like a mist or a fan. A lot of nutrients are blown away by that method, according to him. He continues that this method also has very little mechanical needs, so it’s a cheaper machine, “but it does a poor job.”
Next up is the Dribble Boom, a machine WER built five of last year leading up to Christmas.
A WER Dribble Boom applies manure onto the ground in an accurate dosage, or as explainied on the company’s website, the Dribble Boom is fitted with a “WER Inverted Macerator/ Distributor and provides a consistent flow of liquid material that can handle 4000+gpm,” or gallons per minute.
Another way to apply manure (yes, there are several) is that manure can be applied into the ground, thereby incorporating it into the soil. When all’s said and done, there’s not a lot of it left sitting on top of the earth.
“Now that becomes a more expensive machine,” Sutcliffe confirms. “It’s more wear on
items; there’s more horsepower required from the tractor because it’s dragging dirt.”
A client came to WER wanting a machine that does minimal incorporation of manure – basically a small disturbance on the surface of the earth. If WER builds it and it works, it might be something that someone else is interested in for the future.
Sutcliffe takes advantage of social media to get the word out on his R&D projects – that and networking. He’s only inoffice 50 per cent of the time.
The remainder of his schedule he’s delivering equipment, traveling to meet dealers, or attending manure expos.
In South Dakota at a farm show, Sutcliffe sold equipment to brothers who daily pump six times the manure than a big manure operation in Ontario – that’s 600 million gallons of manure a year, give or take.
The manure world across the border is a whole different ball game, Sutcliffe says.
That echoes the experience of his move from England to Huron County. One thing he mentions about his move is that Canadian dairy farming is a considerably bigger venture than his native country across the pond.
Sutcliffe is quick to say what WER is doing isn’t necessarily unique. Off the top of his head, he estimates there might
be four other companies in Ontario who do what they do.
Coming from a humble farming background, to being personally invited by a professor from Ohio State University to be involved in demos during next year’s manure expo in the US, is a pretty significant jump.
WER appears to be a small town business in their size, operations and approaches to business, but their representation across borders of counties, provinces, states and countries is evident.
For the future, Sutcliffe wants to give his employees more room to design and build their problem-solving machinery. That means more buildings and more staff.
WER is in an ideal location, Sutcliffe says, and not just because his family lives nearby.
Speaking about Huron County specifically, “There’s a lot more going on than most people know.” He’s been on the board of directors for the Huron Manufacturing Association for over a year, and at every meeting he finds out about a manufacturer somewhere in the county doing something innovative. “It might be plastic molded pieces, or rubber injection componentry, or whatever else it may be…and a lot of time you drive by it because you’re not looking for it, you don’t see it…. it’s all in Huron County.”
Rachel Hammermueller photo
Gary Sutcliffe, president of WER Manufacturing in Walton, stands next to some of his company’s internationally sought-after agricultural equipment.
Mental health care is important for farming communities
‘Not being able to access mental health support is a huge problem when it comes to rural communities.’ - Shannon Mercer
CORY BILYEA
WINGHAM - Farmers feed people. When we consider the world today, with all the pressure on people to take care of their mental health as they face their day-to-day challenges, one very important thought comes to mind: Who is looking in on our farmers?
We all know that farmers are imperative to the way people eat today, so imagine going to the grocery store to find bare shelves (which happened during the pandemic in many places). We don’t have the skills or knowledge that our farmers do anymore to provide food for ourselves. We rely on their hard work to supply our food; few would survive without farmers.
Farmers, facing unique pressures such as climate change, isolation, and lack of access to support services, are in need of specialized mental health support. These challenges are exacerbated by the ongoing healthcare crisis and lack of primary caregivers.
Mental Health Matters founder Shannon Mercer spoke with Country Life about the unique challenges that many farmers and rural residents experience in the Huron-Perth region and how she is trying to help.
“When it comes to farmers and mental health, of course, there’s all of these different sort of pressures that they have on them that we might not have,” said Mercer. “For example, climate change clearly is a concern for everybody, right? But when it comes to farmers, they are dependent on weather for much of what they can do on their farm, on what they can grow and what they can sell.”
Mercer explained that many of us don’t understand farmers’ daily pressures and stresses. Farmers don’t actually live a separate life from their work, and the lack of human interaction, in many cases, adds to the isolation many feel.
Mercer also highlighted the stigma associated with mental health challenges, especially in rural and farming towns. She emphasized the need for open discussions, stating that often, people are advised to talk to someone. However, the fear of their problems becoming town gossip can hinder these crucial conversations.
Mercer said, “And I think about even just living in Wingham and thinking about how kind of resistant people are to talk about mental health still in 2024, which is so sad and frustrating. But I think about that, and I think about the people I know in the community who are farmers and students who come from farming communities, and I think we still have that idea that we can’t be talking about mental health, and we certainly can’t say, ‘Oh, I’m not feeling mentally healthy today,’ or ‘I’m going through something,” or ‘I have anxiety about this,’ or ‘I have depression, I have to go to the doctor to get some medication.’
“I still don’t think we’re open enough
to talking about it for everybody to say, look, I have a problem and I need some help. Because really, the key to understanding mental health is learning from other people and being able to talk to them and talk out situations that they’re going through, and stressors. If they feel like they can’t say something because it makes them look weak or it makes them look vulnerable, then they’re not going to get the help, right?”
Mercer discussed the current state of health care in rural Ontario and its impact on mental health for all citizens, including farmers.
“And when you think of it, not being able to access mental health support is a huge problem when it comes to rural
“We want everyone to understand that it’s not a weakness to say that you need help, or that you have something that’s going on with you mentally, because we all go through that. We as a community need to be supportive of everybody in our community, so that it is a safer one.”
Shannon Mercer - Mental Health Matters
communities too, right? Because we don’t have a lot of mental health support here, and, you know, combine that with the stigma of not really being able to say, hey, I need help,” said Mercer.
“These farmers, these people who work in agriculture, are basically on an island, right? Like they feel like they’re isolated, and that’s what we have to sort of consider when we’re thinking about different programs and different sorts of workshops or education that we want to put out to the community,” said Mercer.
“We want everyone to understand that it’s not a weakness to say that you need help, or that you have something that’s going on with you mentally, because we all go through that. We as a community need to be supportive of everybody in our community, so that it is a safer one, so that if it were me, I could come and say, ‘listen, I’m struggling.’”
A trip to the local emergency room when experiencing a mental health crisis, like a panic attack, can be a humiliating occurrence if the healthcare providers do not have the proper training and tools to help.
“So if you’re having a panic attack, you don’t want to be around everybody who’s in a waiting room in the hospital. So we need a little bit more ... privacy when you’re dealing with that; a quiet room, because that helps you calm, right? I don’t know if that actually ex-
ists. I’ve even recently heard that when people have gone into the hospital, it’s not a very compassionate welcome.”
She has heard of some people being sent to Goderich because they have an inpatient area, a floor where you can go for mental health care, but Mercer belives there is only a 72-hour window to stay before being discharged.
“My issue is that I don’t know if there’s a follow-up,” Mercer explained. “Because oftentimes people have said, if they go to emerg for mental health issues, like in a crisis, their doctor doesn’t know because it’s not then communicated to back to their physician, their general physician, who should know so that they can get that support.
“So there’s a whole bunch of things at play that make having a mental health issue very, very difficult when you’re in a rural area ... Just to bring it back to the farmers, if there’s not that support, and you’re putting yourself out there and then there’s no follow up. How do you feel about now having to retell the whole story that was traumatic, perhaps, right?”
Mercer highlighted the importance of mental health support groups and the need for empathetic and educated professionals.
Helpful tips:
Mindfulness and grounding techniques—Practices like mindfulness, deep breathing, and recognizing personal triggers can help farmers manage stress and mental health challenges.
Boundary setting - The importance of setting boundaries and saying no when needed to prioritize self-care rather than over-committing.
Accessing local support groupsGroups like Mental Health Matters and the Tanner Steffler Foundation provide community-based mental health education, resources, and peer support.
Finding understanding healthcare providers - The value of having a compassionate, non-judgmental primary care doctor who can provide referrals and follow-up care for mental health.
Utilizing online resources when internet access allows - While internet access can be limited in rural areas, online tools and virtual support could be helpful when available.
Community-based mental health organizations, such as Mental Health Matters and the Tanner Steffler Foundation, host engaging, stigma-free events to educate the public and connect people to resources.
Mental Health Matters: This organization provides mental health training and support to community members and promotes awareness and wellness.
Tanner Steffler Foundation: This foundation aims to enhance and improve mental health and addiction resources and support networks for youth ages 12-29 and their caretakers within Huron and Perth Counties.
Do More Agriculture Foundation
“The Do More Agriculture Foundation is the national voice and champion for mental health in Canadian agriculture and is changing the culture of agriculture to one where all are encouraged, supported, and empowered to take care of their mental wellbeing,” the DMA website says.
“Those working in the agriculture industry are among the most vulnerable when it comes to mental health issues. By collaborating with the entire industry and those working to address the state of mental health in agriculture, we can and will make a substantial impact.”
Country Life spoke with DMA Board Chair Lauren Martin about the organization and their current campaign, called #talkitout.
“Do More Agriculture began six years ago because some of our founding members also were experiencing suicide in their communities and they didn’t see any organization at that time really addressing the unique needs of farmers,” said Martin. “What we would like to see is a world where folks are worrying less about their mental health or dealing less with their internal mental health crises and are able to do more agriculture. And so our mission statement is reducing the stigma or championing the well being of farmers in agriculture.”
Martin said they are looking to reduce the stigma around mental health problems. They travel to various locations, like farm shows, to talk to people and provide resources, tips, and tools meant to help farmers and agriculture workers.
“We run campaigns like the talk it out campaign, which is just a reminder that talking about your mental health can be as simple as having a conversation about the crops or about the weather. That’s what the campaign is all about.” Martin said that a variety of stressors affect farmers.
“It’s multifaceted. So, a couple of things are the volatility of a farmer’s day to day. There are things they cannot control, like the weather, crop prices, sometimes prices of inputs, government regulations etc., etc., etc. There are many things they cannot control, yet those things they cannot control impact their livelihood. So in a very, very visceral way, they’re tied to uncontrollable circumstances which can lead to a lot of anxiety and stress.”
Martin touched on the feelings of isolation that Mercer had also discussed:
“We’re in small rural communities. And yes, while farming may happen kind of in a familial structure, like a family structure or a regular workplace structure with coworkers, a lot of those critical stress moments like harvest and spring planting are done alone in a tractor cab or in a combine.”
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Beekeeping: Ontario’s unsung agriculture
RACHEL HAMMERMUELLER
SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO - Apiculture, or beekeeping, has been part of human civilization for at least 15,000 years. It’s incredibly helpful that honey doesn’t go bad – archeologists have unsealed a jar of liquid gold circa 3500 BC. From hunting and gathering days, to ancient civilizations spanning the globe, to 2024, beekeeping is a cemented practice in human history.
On a local level, hobbyist and industrial-level beekeepers dot area fields of clover, lavender and gardens, to name a few. Agriculture, both crop and livestock, is part of what sustains communities in this part of the world. Beekeepers are among those ranks.
Country Life caught up with local beekeepers – self-expressed hobbyists –who got into it for their own reasons but continue for very similar ones; as they explain, it’s thrilling and humbling to work in harmony with nature.
Ontario beekeeping background
In Ontario, Beekeepers have hives of European honeybees (A. mellifera).
Coloured boxes, acting as a siren call of a flower to the bees, contain moveable frames to make it easy to harvest honey. This method, according to a research article in the Canadian Encyclopedia, didn’t come into play until it was invented in the United States in the mid-19th century. Before that, and currently in some countries, hives exist and survive in clay pots, logs, buckets and baskets.
Honey bee colonies mimic humans’, or rather more accurately, human society mimics bee colonies. To simplify it dramatically, there’s a queen bee, worker bees, and mates, known as drone bees. When one queen isn’t producing the eggs the hive needs to survive, she’s ousted in a medieval kind of way. It’s as cut throat and fast-moving as Game of Thrones
These ‘societies’ honey bees form produce and store honey to help the colony survive during winter months when flowers, especially in this climate, are hard to come by. Excess honey in these hives is where beekeepers come in.
“What I try to do is not interfere with them and let them do what they naturally want to do as a honey bee,” says Peter Hammermueller, a retired teacher-turned beekeeper who says he may have gotten into something simpler if he had known the learning curve and commitment involved in this hobby, but regardless, has no regrets.
Beginning his education five years ago through a beekeeping course from the University of Guelph and endless hours of mentorship from established apiarists, Hammermueller realized early on that the bees lead the way in this business. “The reality is, it’s nature,”
ing, queen issues, pesticides and various environmental factors. “Wasps are never the primary cause of colony collapse; a strong colony can protect itself.” However, Hammermueller mentions last summer’s unusual amount of wasps. Additionally, during the winter, bees routinely clean out their hive; call it an early spring cleaning. Hammermueller saw little evidence of that this year, and suspected European foulbrood, a serious disease for honey bees that will kill everything inside and seems to be making a comeback. Beekeepers must burn the hive and box to eradicate it.
along as it goes about its duties. For winter preparation this year, Chris and Patti are going to still use those black insulation wraps, but on the inner cover, they’re going to try placing popsicle sticks under the lid to leave it open a crack, allowing more air flow. From chatting with other keepers and research, Chris and Patti learned that it’s moisture that kills bees, not the cold.
Hive structure and pollination
According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, during midsummer a strong honeybee colony will house one queen, 60,000 to 80,000 worker bees (undeveloped, sterile females) and hundreds of drones (males). That queen could lay up to 2,000 eggs per day, and fertilized eggs develop into worker bees in 21 days. Some of those eggs can be developed in queen cells to become queens by being fed ‘royal jelly’ by the bees –which is a nutritious substance secreted from honey bee glands.
he says, speaking to the diagrams and literature you can find online – which are still great resources. But at the end of the day, “temperature, weather, seasons – they change a lot. The beehive is always surprising me, what they can do.”
Loss of hives
Take this past spring, for example. There were reports of many beekeepers specifically in Huron County who lost some or all of their hives. Popular theories are pesticides, wasps and climate.
Selina Siu from the Grand River Beekeepers Association in Waterloo tells Country Life that bee losses are usually localized. “It may be that a farm sprayed pesticides without informing beekeepers nearby, or the beekeeper did not keep up on mite treatments.” Siu continues that the latter has been occurring more the last couple of years because recurring early springs means varroa mites (an external parasite native to Asia) have longer breeding seasons.
Mark Gerchikov, the president of the Wellington County Beekeepers’ Association, Guelph Region believes anecdotally, the 2022-2023 winter was about average for bee mortality (statistics were still incoming for the 2023-2024 winter at time of correspondence). “Colonies perish for a range of reasons,” he explains in an email to Country Life He names a main factor as the varroa mite. “By 2000, [it] spread throughout North America. Our honey bees have not adapted yet. Beekeepers are getting better at helping the bees but it’s still the main reason for colony mortality.”
Gerchikov lists other reasons as: shortage of resources and inadequate feed-
Chris and Patti, two local beekeepers from Huron East, suspect excess moisture getting into the hives during the winter as the cause for the total loss of their hives this year. They winterized their hives the same way they do every year, using black insulation wrap, Chris explains. He continues that it being a winter with warmer days and also cold nights, that black insulation wrap attracted that unseasonably warm sun. When he opened the hives in February as usual to clean things out, he discovered pooled moisture inside. He mentions other local beekeepers had the same discovery. A lot of beekeeping is adapting to mother nature, and helping the colony
Honey bees derive food from flowering plants, the Encyclopedia continues. They gather nectar from blossoms and carry it back to the hive in the bee’s ‘honey stomach.’ ‘Pollen baskets’ on a bee’s legs carry pollen from the plants in pellets. Pollen is used as a protein source for adult workers and larvae. This act of foraging and pollination “provides a vital service to agriculture, a service estimated to be worth 10-20 times the value of the honey and beeswax harvested by the beekeeper.” Honey bee hives are moveable which allows for them to be placed closer to crops or orchards to benefit those plants, as honey bees will travel up to five kilometres.
The main reason Hammermueller took up beekeeping is to benefit his family’s gardens and orchards and, like Chris and Patti, they noticed a real lack of bees nowadays, and that now steady, familiar worry for the environment crept in.
Continued on page 13
Beekeeping: Ontario’s unsung agriculture
Continued from page 12
Investment
Beekeeping, at least at the hobby level, is not for making money. Based on these local beekeepers’ explanation of it, breaking even could be a goal at some point.
Equipment needed to start a hive includes a ‘nuc’, or a nucleus colony of bees. Nucs are frames of honeycomb that can be removed from a hive containing developing brood (larvae), honey or pollen. When hives get too big, beekeepers can split the hive and make a new colony in another box. If a beekeeper neglects to do this, the hive could swarm and leave the hive, where one would need a powerful vacuum to retrieve them and place them back in the box.
Additionally needed equipment includes: a ‘bee tool’ or ‘hive tool’ to crack open the hive, since bees will wax-seal the box closed; a bee suit to reduce stings; a platform for underneath the box to raise it up to avoid unwelcome scavengers like skunks; frames; honey supers, a box with frames hung in it; lids; gloves; honey extractor; smoker, to lull the bees into a relaxed state to allow someone into their hive to collect honey; and bees. The initial investment is looking at $150 to $300 per hive. The return on investment is somewhat immeasurable, however; at least according to Chris and Patti. They missed not having the buzzing around them in their yard when their hives perished this past winter. They started back up again with new hives this spring.
“Just going back and hearing the buzz and seeing the work [they do], to me, it’s awesome,” Chris says. He explains he doesn’t usually wear a bee suit, only gloves. The bees get to know them; they go about their business flying in and out of the hive as Chris and Patti extract honey. It’s almost a respectable nod to each other’s work. Stings tend to happen when bees get disturbed, like if a beekeeper bumps their box. According to anecdotal reports from multiple beekeepers online, bees seem to be more accepting of beekeepers harvesting their excess honey on sunnier days, rather than cloudier ones – seasonal depression comes in all shapes and sizes, apparently.
But like any livestock, there are certainly those cloudy days. Patti tells a story of striped zebra pants she made the mistake of wearing while working with the bees. Before long, thousands had covered her legs, attracted to it or defending their hive against it is anyone’s guess. Needless to say, she threw out the pants after twenty or more stings.
“They don’t want to sting you,” Hammermueller explains, although his medicine cabinet always has Benadryl inside. “If they sting you, they die.” It’s not like a wasp that can sting multiple times…You really shouldn’t get into
They’re there with the queen and want to take off. But one time I was up really high in a tree [trying to capture a swarm], it was almost like, ‘what am I doing?’”
What Chris and Patti have learned is to have patience. This summer, one queen of theirs didn’t seem to be laying any eggs. Chris’ first instinct was to buy a queen and replace her in the colony but he decided to wait, rather than interfere. Last time he did that, the colony killed her because there was already a queen which he couldn’t see.
ning out of products to make out of the beeswax (another by-product beekeepers can collect from the hives). Candles, lip chap and soap to name a few certainly provide new avenues for creativity. He will even slap honey on a bee sting because of its antibacterial properties. Fighting fire with fire, as they say.
Patti and Chris didn’t get into beekeeping for the honey, rather to help the bee population grow. The honey they get they happily share with friends and family.
beekeeping if you’re allergic.”
Another obvious investment is time. The seasons determine the work schedule. In the spring, once it gets about 10 degrees Celsius outside, the bees will become active. If it’s warm enough, beekeepers will remove whatever materials they used to insulate the hives in the winter.
Come July, honey is harvested. Sometimes a second harvest happens in late August or early September. Ensuring the bees have enough food to be strong enough to last the winter is crucial. Beekeepers like Hammermueller often feed the bees two parts sugar to one part water, and continue throughout the winter. Hives maintain a temperature of 20 to 21 degrees celsius year round, so bees are either cooling or heating it depending on the climate outside.
Hammermueller gives an organic treatment to the bees in the fall as the brood or larvae are being laid for the winter. Treatments, many of which are developed in Ontario and Canada, are often naturally occuring chemicals in the hive that increase that particular chemical to a really high level to kill mites in the larvae. Through the Beekeeping 101 course through the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, one can learn the basics. But as Chris and Patti say, the importance of finding a beekeeping mentor who has been doing it a long time is paramount.
Challenges
Swarming is a significant challenge. Especially in May or June, if it’s a good pollen run, the hives will grow to a population that’s too big. “They’ll naturally build swarm cells and new queens, and 60 per cent of the hive will leave with the old queen,” Hammermueller says. “You have to decide at that point, are you going to get rid of the queen cells, or split the hive?”
On catching swarms, Hammermueller and Chris have both captured their fair share. “It’s incredible,” Hammermueller says. “There are probably 30,000 to 40,000 bees all around, but they won’t sting you. They’re not interested.
“So with these ones [this year], I said I’m just gonna wait two weeks. I checked, and sure enough, they’re full of eggs. There’s a lot to it, but I think we make it more difficult than we have to…I think that’s the management side – to help them out when you need to help them out and not try to steer them in one direction…it’s a learning curve, but frustrating too, because it’s a lot of time and it’s a lot of energy and it’s a lot of money.”
Yet Chris marvels when he opens the box and sees the intricate, well-oiled civilization at work. For him, watching bees hatch, develop and work is a rewarding aspect to this investment.
These beekeepers all explain that you can’t brute force or manage the bees.
‘bee management’ is about taking the time and letting the hive lead the way.
As Hammermueller explains, some new beekeepers are in the hive too much because they want to see what’s going on. You have to trust the process and take nature as it comes.
Honey products
With challenges come rewards. Hammermueller estimates in his five years of beekeeping, he’s harvested about 2,000 pounds of honey, which he sells at local shops in the county. He’s run-
African and European cave paintings indicate 15,000 years ago, people harvested honey from wild honey bees, the Encyclopedia writes. It continues that Egyptian records indicate as early as 3,000 BC, bees were being kept for honey production; religious texts spanning multiple cultures mention beekeeping; and, Romans levied taxes on honey, which means honey had at least some significant value to society. Ontario specifically has a blooming population of beekeepers. As environmental concerns thicken and our agricultural yield becomes more and more top of mind, it makes one consider tipping a hat to these creatures that give the English-speaking world phrases like ‘worker bees’ and ‘busy as a bee.’ As these beekeepers can attest to, they’re just helping out as the bees do the work.
Contributed photos
European honey bees (A. mellifera) are the predominantly farmed bee in Ontario. They make an excess of honey in their hives, which can be harvested by beekeepers.
DJ Wassenaar and Matt Bergmann Outstanding Young Farmers
Wallenstein sheep farmers also nominated for 2024 Ontario award
GUELPH - Partners, DJ Wassenaar and Matt Bergman, of Haybury Farms Inc located at Jarvis were named Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2024 at their regional event held near Guelph on Aug. 22, 2024. Matt grew up on a dairy farm and started farming for himself at the age of 23 working an off-farm job and using his farm land to pay the farm mortgage. DJ was a born farmer and agriculture was a major focus from a young age. Coming from a beef farm, his initial interest was in beef which evolved into growing crops.
In 2018 with 500 acres of rental ground to their name, they needed to maximize every acre so they looked at field management and row crop farming a little differently than traditional farming. Their focus was towards profit per acre. They decided the best way to maximize hay acres was rotation with organics.
They decided to do 25 acres of organic corn as a trial to see if it worked on their ground type and if they could manage and handle the extra work-
load that went with it. By maximizing the premium on IP beans and acre contracts for organics, this allowed them to become profitable in row crop farming.
Increasing to 400 acres of organic corn and soybean rotation in 2019 lead to the creation of Claybank Organics. In 2021 they expanded into northern Ontario/Algoma District, purchasing a farm to grow straight timothy hay for overseas
JASON FERGUSON
N E W O W N E R S H I P
customers.
Now in 2024, Claybank Organics farms 1,000 acres a year of organic corn, soybeans and hay. Haybury farms 3,200 acres. They have gone from farming with borrowed, leased, and rented equipment, to having and maintaining their own fleet both in Jarvis and the Algoma area. They each use their strengths to run and manage the farm business. Matt manages and
makes most of the crop input decisions. DJ is the face of the farm and handles sales and customer relations while constantly chasing new opportunities.
The Ontario Region of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers Program were pleased to showcase two diverse and impressive operations at the 2024 Regional Event. The other nominees were Romy and Ryan Schill of Circle R Livestock Ltd/Revolution
Wool Company of Wallenstein.
National OYF board member, Richard Stamp’s comment on the event was, “Both finalists, Romy and Ryan Schill along with DJ Wassenaar and Matt Bergman are real leaders in many aspects, of Canada’s exciting and diversified agriculture industry. The future is in good hands. The event hosted by Barn Swallow Fields at Thatcher Farms was a great celebration with
a full house of Alumni, family members and dedicated sponsors. What a great celebration event it was!”
Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ program is an annual competition to recognize farmers that exemplify excellence in their profession and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture. Open to participants 18 to 39 years of age, making the majority of income from on-farm sources, participants are selected from seven regions across Canada, with two national winners chosen each year. The program is sponsored nationally by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, CIBC, John Deere, Bayer, Sollio Agriculture, Meridian Manufacturing and CN with media sponsors Glacier FarmMedia and WS and video sponsor, Bamboo Shoots. It is supported nationally by BDO.
Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2024 will be chosen at the National event in Lethbridge, Alberta from November 27-Dec 1, 2024.
S A M E B U S I N E S S
Contributed photos
DJ Wassenaar and Matt Bergman, of Haybury Farms Inc located at Jarvis were named Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2024.
Romy and Ryan Schill of Circle R Livestock Ltd. of Wallenstein were runners up for the 2024 Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers award.
Protection of farmland is top issue across Canada: HCFA president
Country Life reached out to leaders of local agriculture federations for their take on the top issues facing agriculture today. The following article is derived from an email interview with Huron County Federation of Agriculture President Murray Workman.
Country Life: What is the top issue facing the agriculture industry in Canada today and what needs to happen to improve the situation?
Workman: It is hard for me to speak for everyone, but I think the top issue is protection of farmland across Canada. Farms continue to be seen as prime land for development, as flat clear areas are more easily developed than rougher or rockier terrain. There are also a lot of added costs involved if re-purposing vacant buildings or grouping together existing properties for redevelopment. As to what can be done, I think we need to help developers with these extra costs. An example of this would be covering the costs of added sewer work needed for intensification, more cranes in cities, better mass transportation systems such as light rail, all these things help protect farmland.
Country Life: At a local level, what does the federation find farmers in this area most concerned about and what actions is the organization taking in response?
Workman: We are concerned that we are going to create more negative interactions between farmers and nonfarmers moving forward. We would like to see development aimed at less desirable land, cities intensify and build up as much as possible, and continued planning by cities and municipalities to prevent the fracturing of farming areas with residential lots being added amongst farms. To try to spread awareness of our issues, we host a MP/MPP meeting, where we bring commodity groups and local municipal leaders together to go over issues.
Country Life: Labour challenges are affecting many industries, including agriculture. How are farmers in this area faring in
terms of ability to recruit and retain workers compared to other areas of the province? What are the key challenges in this area?
Workman: It is always a challenge to find help. I always encourage kids to enter the agriculture field. There are lots of good jobs, and lots of entry level opportunities as well. One of the larger concerns is the lack of veterinarians working with the larger animals, especially in more rural areas. Long wait times for horses or cows to see vets is a real worry for farmers.
Country Life: Loss of farmland to urbanization and industry is an area many farm leaders have expressed concern about on a national and province-wide scale. Is it something you see as a problem locally? What needs to be done?
Workman: When it comes down to it, only five per cent of Ontario is really good farmland, so we really should question the development of it. It’s about planning, consultations, and more planning. I don’t want to see so much planning that nothing ends up getting done, but do we need rules and plans in place so as not to cause future problems with
development?
Country Life: The provincial government introduced and reversed policy several times in the past few years on issues such as Greenbelt development, provin-
feel further changes to the government’s approach are needed?
cial planning policy and unilateral changes to the Official Plans of some jurisdictions, which caused a lot of turmoil in the agricultural sector. Have things settled down in the policy department or do you
Workman: We are still very concerned. I am sure there are cases where endless so-called red tape is a problem, however, there will also be very legitimate reasons for blocking or stopping development that unilateral changes will allow to proceed. As farmers, I feel we are at the mercy of city developers. Improved transit, decreased congestion, great services, and outdoor spaces make it so people want to move into cities, not continually out to sprawling suburbs. On that, we need a very good long-term plan that limits sprawl. We need investment back into these cities. Developers need to be encouraged to redevelop existing spaces, some sort of incentive to cover the extra cost of redevelopment as opposed to new development. Somehow, we need to grow our cities and towns as much as possible, while at the same time limiting their footprint as much as possible. I think things have calmed down somewhat, but the more large construction cranes we see in urban centers, the better.
Mental health care is important for farming communities
Continued from page 10
Martin added, “The stigma, too, around the culture of agriculture, where we’re seen to be tough, we’re seen to be resilient, and we’re seen to be able to do it all ourselves. That’s kind of inherent in the culture of agriculture. Well, that too doesn’t really permit folks to ask for help as easily, but that’s what we’re looking to change. That’s the culture in agriculture that we’re looking to change.”
The overall goal of the “Talk It Out” campaign is to normalize discussions about mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding it in the farming community.
DMA has an additional resource specifically for the agriculture community called “AgTalk.”
The DMA website says AgTalk provides a safe and anonymous space where individuals 16+ can connect, share, and receive support from a community of peers who understand their unique experiences.
If you can’t ‘talk it out,’ DMA encourages you to ‘type it out.’ “With 24/7 clinical modera-
tion, this platform ensures a secure environment for open discussions on mental health in both English and French,” the website said.
From the DMA website: Awareness
Awareness, education, and breaking the stigma are the first steps to making a real and lasting impact on our industry. We strive for an industry in which everyone understands what it means to be truly healthy.
Community Community is more than just a physical place; it is also a sense of belonging and being a part of something more. We aim to create a community where people can connect and find relevant and accessible resources.
Resources
Mental health services and support are hard to access in rural and remote locations. We aim to help bridge the gap in farmers’ access to those supports and services and their support networks throughout Canada.
Contributed photo
Huron County Federation President Murray Workman says incentives are needed to help developers with the costs of infrastructure needed to build in urban areas, in order to help preserve farmland for the future.
RACHEL HAMMERMUELLER
PERTH COUNTY - Even in small towns and rural areas, the reality is there is going to be the presence of what our society deems a crime, and the response of police. When it comes to Perth, Huron County, or beyond, many may not realize the complexities that come with responding to the needs of their community by first responders and police. It’s important to understand what OPP are responding to in a local sense – because regardless if it hits mainstream news – it’s still happening in this community.
Police Constable and Community Mobilization Officer/Mental Health Liaison with Perth County OPP Jillian Johnson spoke with Country Life about the specifics of rural policing in this area, from relevant resources to top crimes in Perth County.
Specialized units
While the OPP polices the entire province, Johnson explains Perth and surrounding areas are unique because they have very isolated areas mixed with more densely populated communities.
“We have to be prepared to respond to both [types of places],” Johnson says. For example, if someone gets lost in a forest versus an urban area, there are specific resources deployed throughout the province.
There’s aviation services, supplying helicopters and planes – ideal for searching for missing persons or suspects in dense wilderness areas, along with the K-9 Unit local to Perth.
The Tactics and Rescue Unit is deployed in a situation where there might be someone at risk contained in a building, and can offer safe resolutions, Johnson explains.
This landscape also has large bodies of water, so the resource of the underwater search and recovery unit is paramount. Instantly recognizable in this area are the OPP ATVs and snowmobiles which are part of the Perth County OPP fleet.
Other areas of expertise include the forensic identification unit – which comes to Perth to assist with more major and violent crimes – and breath technicians, who are qualified to use equipment to test for impairment of drivers, for example. Alongside this are drug recognition experts.
Members of OPP who are interested in joining these specific teams can take courses offered by OPP. There
are also scenes of crime officers – or as Johnson calls it, junior forensics – where a member goes to minor crime scenes and collects evidence.
Members of the police force knowing community members can make the work easier, Johnson explains. “Many of our officers live locally, and get to know people outside of work…in a tight-knit community, information spreads fast, and people are always looking to help out. While our communities have grown, and become more diverse, the smalltown feel remains.”
The difference between rural and urban policing, Johnson describes, besides the obvious landscape features, is that police have the time to engage with the public in positive ways. “We are not [always] responding [from] call to call to call. Some days are like that, and other days we can take the time to engage with people. We also have a unit that is dedicated to crime prevention and community engagement. [It’s] the best part of the job, if you ask me.”
Johnson says educating young people through Perth OPP’s School Resource Officer is also key.
Auto theft rising
The most prevalent type of offense in Perth County, considering both criminal and non-criminal in nature, is property crime, specifically, break and enters and auto theft. This includes theft of not just cars and trucks but ATVs and farm and construction equipment. This takes up the majority of OPP’s time and
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resources locally, Johnson says. Seven out of 10 vehicles stolen have their keys inside them, she continues. “Seventy per cent of the time, especially in Perth County, auto theft is a target of opportunity.
“A specific example of something that happened in one of our communities is someone had stolen a vehicle, crashed it, and ran on foot from the stolen vehicle. The officers came in, contained the area, and as we were calling for K-9 [unit] … we had them contained in one area, and we got a report that nearby another vehicle had been stolen. It had the keys left in it, and the suspect had stolen another vehicle and had gotten away from our containment. That vehicle was so easy for them to use to escape at a time where we could have held a person responsible, and they could have faced the punishment of the initial vehicle theft, [and] resulted in them stealing another vehicle, putting people at risk on the road – which is a huge problem that people don’t think about.”
Johnson explains that vehicle insurance claims are skyrocketing not to mention the risk to everyone on the roads.
In 2022, more than 105,000 vehicles were stolen across Canada, Johnson says, “That’s one every five minutes.”
The amount of time it takes OPP to investigate and hopefully recover stolen property is substantial. There’s the collection of video surveillance, statements, DNA and fingerprints if available. There’s the time to put out zone alerts, call in forensic identity officers, and put evidence into CPIC (Canadian Police Information Centre). That doesn’t account for finding the vehicle, responding to any injuries, or finding the suspect.
Auto theft increased by 524% between 2018 and 2023 in Ontario. According to Johnson’s research, SUVs are the most popular vehicle to be stolen, specifically models 2019 or newer.
Since she joined the police service in this area in 2013, Johnson says the majority of types of crimes in Perth have stayed relatively consistent. But technology is enabling for everyone. When it comes to auto theft, it’s a problem that’s creeping ever-faster into this area – especially higher-end vehicle theft, Johnson adds. She recommends people slow that wave of crime by recognizing that key fob signals can be hijacked remotely to start the vehicle.
Johnson recommends keeping vehicle keys in RFID bags, which block the remote-start signal so it can’t be overridden.
Outside of auto theft, intimate partner violence is another big issue locally. Assault, sexual assault, mischiefs, criminal harassment, frauds and scamming, and impaired driving are also prevalent locally.
Local resources and programs
There are a large number of programs the OPP Continued on page 17
Contributed photos
From left: Listowel Detachment of Perth County. OPP Const. Jillian Johnson takes photos at a scene of Mischief (copper wire theft) in the area; an OPP officer on an ATV. Below: Members of the OPP Auxiliary – a group of volunteers who work alongside OPP officers.
Law enforcement tailors response to rural realities
Continued from page 16 utilize and want the public to use, too.
Project Safe Trade are specific parking lot spaces where people can safely exchange goods sold online so buyers don’t have to come to a personal residence. Spots for this exist at the OPP detachment in Listowel, Sebringville, and across from the West Perth municipal office.
CanSafe is an online registry where people can let police know their home or business has surveillance cameras. When someone goes missing, for example, time is of the essence; police can access CanSafe to utilize local video footage rather than going door-to-door.
Safeguard Ontario provides training based on the principal of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Its a free service conducted through the Perth OPP’s auxiliary members who visit homes and businesses, assess the design of a property, and determine ways in which that property can be made safer and less-targeted for crimes like property theft.
Project Lifesaver is a signal bracelet that can be worn by someone prone to wandering so police can find that bracelet if that person goes missing.
Arguably the most familiar resource to the public is Crime Stoppers, which Johnson said is community driven. “It relies solely on the community tak-
ing that initiative to provide information, and it is 100 per cent anonymous ... it’s a great tool, because it’s an opportunity for community members to take an active role in keeping our community safe.”
Outside these resources, of course there is 911, the nonemergency number 1-888-3101122, or online reporting at opp.ca.
First responder mental health
“A lot of people forget the toll that this job can take on officers…day to day, you never know what you’re going to experience,” Johnson says when asked about another prevalent concern in the community when it comes to policing: first responder mental health.
“We all know that [there’s] stigma with mental health;
Senator Rob Black takes agricultural journey from Calgary to Whitehorse
OTTAWA – Senator Rob Black recently travelled to western and northern Canada to gain a deeper understanding of Canadian agriculture from coast to coast to coast.
As Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and one of only a few ‘AGvocates’ in the Senate of Canada, Black, a resident of Centre Wellington, emphasizes the importance of listening to farmers and producers from across the country so that he can better understand their ongoing issues and bring those concerns back to the Senate chamber in Ottawa.
In July, Black travelled to Calgary, Alberta, Whitehorse and Yukon, and toured numerous farms and agricultural facilities, and met with farmers and producers from across these regions. While traveling through the Alberta countryside, Black toured the OH Ranch Historical Site, a local tree farm, and a malting barley grower, and met with Calgary Stampede board members and stampede athletes and participants. He also toured the new SAM Centre and BMO Centre on the Stampede
we’re working on reducing that everywhere ... All across the board, everybody is trying to do what they can, especially when you look at suicide statistics when it comes to police officers [and] other first responders, it’s really frightening.”
One initiative of the OPP is their peer support program, through which each detachment has officers identified as peer supporters who check in with other officers, especially after major incidents, who can debrief and talk to them appropriately. Johnson said she’s seen positive movement in this area of policing since she started, for example, training new officers includes mental health education.
But there is undeniably still work to be done.
For more information on first responder mental health or to access resources as a first responder, visit www.bootsontheground.ca.
Community involvement
When one thinks about policing, they may picture uniforms out in cruisers and slapping handcuffs on a robber – but people can request police attend events as speakers in their community – no criminal activity needed.
According to Johnson, Perth OPP are really aiming to get involved with the agriculture community as well. Currently, Perth OPP are looking for more auxiliary members and volun-
Grounds – two exceptional facilities showcasing both Alberta, and Canada’s rich history.
During his time in Alberta, Black said, “it became abundantly clear that farmers are indeed the stewards of the land, diligently working to ensure soil health and reduce degradation.”
In Whitehorse, Black attended and spoke at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s 2024 summer meeting.
The conference presented the opportunity to better understand current issues in Canadian agriculture, while hearing directly from industry members. Moreover, Black had several industry meetings on the
fringes of the conference to discuss issues specific to their industries.
In collaboration with the Yukon Agriculture Association, Black and two of his Senate colleagues, Senator Pat Duncan (Yukon) and Senator Mary Robinson (Prince Edward Island), had the opportunity to tour several farms in the territory including a grain farm, a horse and beef ranch, a chicken farm, and a local flour mill.
“The Yukon has unbridled potential,” stated Black in a press release issued after the trip. “Due to climate, shortened growing windows, lack of government funding, permafrost, and isolation among other factors, agriculture in the Yukon faces serious barriers to reaching its full potential.”
Remains optimistic
Despite these challenges, Black remains optimistic that the needs of Canadian agriculture can be addressed through informed policy and dedicated support, ensuring a prosperous and sustainable future for all regions.
Black said he looks forward to bringing these issues back to Ottawa through the fall.
teers. Volunteer opportunities range from a ride-along with police for training during a 12-hour shift, learning how to use equipment, to assisting in events like toy drives.
Perth County OPP hosts Coffee With a Cop, which they hope to continue next year as a casual way for members of the public to sit down with a police officer and ask questions. They try to run a citizens police academy, a nine-session program with different guest speakers from different OPP speciality units, once a year. In North Perth, OPP have run a session on human trafficking with someone with lived experience and a session on hate crimes, both which were well received, Johnson says. Looking to the future, Johnson hopes to run education sessions on substance abuse, mental health, sexual consent and intimate partner violence. These sessions are “a way to proactively, maybe prevent some things, but also spreading the awareness of what issues that we’re seeing and what resources are available and what people can do in the community to help.”
For minor crime reports, report online at opp.ca. To speak to an officer, call 1-888-310-1122.
To see upcoming events, visit Ontario Provincial PoliceWest Region on Facebook. For emergencies, crimes in progress, or to report an impaired driver call 911.
Contributed photo
The K-9 Unit can be deployed when there’s a missing person or the OPP are looking for a suspect in a dense area.
Senator Rob Black
Lavendar Works Co. brings creativity and entrepreneurship to Huron County
RACHEL HAMMERMUELLER
HURON EAST - Just over the border from North Perth, in the sprawling fields of Huron County, sits Lavender Works Co., a lavender farm and boutique owned by Julianne and Gary Terpstra.
Beginning in spring and running into midsummer, the signature coloured blooms of the historically-coveted plant illustrate why the colour at the paint counter of Canadian Tire is named after it. Even the shape of the plant draws people in, according to the owners. The flowery depiction on their business sign is to thank for many passersby who have u-turned to check out the works.
According to Julianne and Gary, and made obvious by their described movement of their homemade products, hundreds of people walk through the flowery fields each year – and that number is steadily growing as word spreads, as they explain during a tour for Country Life in early August.
This could be down to the fact that there’s no cost to be among the blooming, fragrant flowers; or that it’s difficult to ignore 2,000 seemingly luminous plants while driving through the expected wheat, bean, livestock and corn fields familiar to this neck of the woods.
Guests come from near and far, as they explain; they come from Huntsville, Toronto, the Caribbean and Europe.
Some plan a specific excursion, some find Gary and Julianne by accident. Bridal photography, proposals (two on one night, Julianne says), motherdaughter dates, and their reserved sunset picnics are all examples of what goes on in this sleepy little section of
Lavender Works Co. sits on Newry Road between Newry and Brussels. Owned by Julianne (left) and Gary Terpstra (right), the beautiful fields of purple blooming lavender attracts hundreds of visitors from all over the county and the world.
the county. And, of course, visiting the fluffy white and grey pup Willow – a fan favourite mascot of the farm.
The greenhouse and boutique There’s a helicopter landing pad for a truly elegant arrival, but that’s not to sell short the comfortable, at-home feeling of sitting in an Adirondack and reading a book surrounded by one of a traditional English herb garden’s most ocular features.
On the property there’s a newly minted greenhouse – an addition inspired by Gary’s idea of departing from a
typical structure, and having a space to propagate and sell tropical and citrus plants. The large glass windows and decorative fountain also make for a good photo opportunity – which Julianne comments is a popular occurrence.
There’s also the boutique – which was originally housed in the garage for the first two years of business but now sits in a refurbished structure housing rows of hanging lavender and multiple different products – made locally or the 11 different items by Julianne herself. There are her signature lavender sa-
chets, now made with wax; essential and body oils, lavender-infused honey, a large line of soaps, lotions, bath salts and aromatherapy gift boxes, and Julianne’s signature soap – the first one that started it all – lavender lemongrass; all hand-made.
“Unfortunately the whole reason I got into it in the first place was I just wanted to get my hands in the dirt,” Julianne says about her business. “But the branding side allows for creativity. The response we get from people is so encouraging and so amazing, it’s the sacrifice I’m willing to make to not be out in the field as much, and concentrate on products.”
Julianne thought about this venture later in her career as an insurance broker, which although made her happy, also tied her to a desk. It’s clear she’s no longer sat in one place.
Continued on page 19
Rachel Hammermueller photo (above) Contributed photo (above right)
Lavendar Works Co. brings creativity and entrepreneurship to Huron County
Continued from page 18
Farming and creating Lavender Works Co. has been open for five years, and in that time the Terpstras have been constantly collaborating on where to take it next.
Open May to December to the public and throughout the winter for the workers as they plot new products, Lavender Works Co. is a changing landscape. Come spring, lavender plants begin to bud. Native to the Mediterranean and popular in sunny climates like the south of France and California, lavender loves dry summers and full sun.
In the springtime, there’s a light pruning of the plant along with the hope that there won’t be a need to irrigate. Weeding is a continual reality until a plant gets established (usually by year three). Come July, Gary and his team of three summer students – one being their son Jack – begin to hand harvest bundles of lavender to be hung in the back of the boutique and cutting for the still to make essential oils. A quarter of the field is left out from the harvest so visitors can continue to enjoy the lavender.
The essential oil is collected using a complex-looking copper machine imported from Portugal which takes five lavender plants to produce a minimal amount of liquid.
“Just like farming, you always have to adjust to the conditions you get that year,” Gary says.
“Last year was most challenging because of the drought – there were six weeks without rain in the spring.”
Spring is that key time when lavender begins to produce oil. Harvest needs to be finished by August, so the plants have time to have regrowth to protect
themselves for the winter.
Julianne explains they are at their limit in terms of the amount of plants, because they have to cover and sandbag everything down for the winter.
When asked about how they kickstarted this entire “hobby” that grew into so much more, Julianne explains that it came down to doing a lot of online research, seminars, touring other lavender farms, and trial and error.
Every year seems to be different – a
reality anyone working with the earth to grow something could understand.
This year, for example, their crop is two weeks ahead of schedule.
Living in the country, they say, meant that they were fortunate to have land that’s been in Gary’s family for over 40 years. With the help of Gary’s farming background, they planted 300 lavender plants and everything “snowballed from there.”
moment to consider but it doesn’t take long. “It evokes memories for people… and I knew it was one of the most beloved flowers.”
A gardener and farmer themselves respectively, Julianne and Gary’s business surrounds them with hobbies that exercise a wide-array of skills: cultivation, branding, creativity.
“Even just working on the logo and product labels,” Julianne said when explaining the versatility of lavender and the opportunities it creates. “The colour and shape is very creative. It’s beautiful to look at.”
Although they’re at their limit for the amount of plants to tend to, that doesn’t mean the business side is slowing. In fact, expansion is in the works. Julianne and Gary plan to plant a peony garden which should be in bloom in about two years; expand the tulip portion of the test plot this coming spring; and, expand their already far-reaching product line. Julianne is working on diffusers, body scrubs, and potentially the early stages of lavender liquid soap.
Lavender, like any planting or business, takes a lot of planning and looking to years in the future. Their humble beginnings in 2019 and welcoming buyers into their garage in 2020 has led to returning customers each year, visiting the Old World plant which appears in ancient texts and now, modern-day Christmas gifts.
“It’s surprising how many people come every year, who come out and chill, relax…we try to make it comfortable,” Gary says as Julianne chimes in, “...we try to make them feel welcome.”
Visit Lavender Works Co. at 44702 Newry Road, Brussels or online at lavenderworks.ca and at Lavender Works
Contributed photo (top) Rachel Hammermueller photo (bottom)
