PC42_Special Section, Circ under 9,999: Fort Frances Times - 2021 Agricultural Edition by Ontario Community Newspapers Association

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

FORT FRANCES TIMES C1

Farm to table in the Rainy River District. A special section on the challenges, innovations and success stories of a strong agricultural community.

A farm

is more than land and crops. It’s a family’s heritage and future.

Strong Communities by Lisa Teeple “Strong communities are built around local, real food. Food we trust to nourish our bodies, the farmer and planet” --Kimbal Musk Many days we hear or see the words ‘local food’. What does that mean to you? It can be different with everyone you talk to. To some, it refers to the local grocery store that they visit daily. Maybe it is the summer market garden, market stands or farmer’s markets. Could be the connections some have made with an area farmer to buy food from the source. There is no wrong answer really. Our district is a wonderful place. We have many sources

of local food. Beef, pork, elk, chicken, eggs, honey, maple syrup, garden produce, plus much more. Are you taking advantage of local, fresh, safe, nutritional, and ethically/ environmentally raised food? One place that can help source local food is Facebook. There are marketing groups that sell our district local products and encourages consumer to comment on the local delicious food. Our agriculture community takes pride in knowing they sell safe and healthy products to their district neighbours and friends. The impact on the environment is huge when you buy local food. Long distance trucking costs are eliminated as is

the fuel and environmental footprint. Local food arrives onto your shelves fresher and it is great knowing you are contributing to the economy of your Rainy River District. When you buy local you are joining in to support agriculture, which is one of the largest economic contributors to our district. It is a win/win condition. The farmer is able to sell their product and the customer knows where the food they feed their family comes from. Getting to know your local food producer instills conﬁdence in the district food chain. It also fosters friendship and district pride. It encourages our communities to come together. Working together to a common goal

of creating a safe, successful, strong and harmonious community. It allows a region to survive the tough times because its’ people are working together to help each other. Many in agriculture are also volunteers. They give of their time and themselves to work with other farmers and community members to make our district a better place. Do you volunteer? Have you ever thought you might enjoy volunteering? The camaraderie and sense of belonging to further a community cause or need is quite fulﬁlling. Our district has reason to be proud because we have numerous volunteers who year after year give of themselves to keep our

community vibrant and active. When you volunteer you are improving your community but also you are an example to the younger generation. Our lives move so quickly and allowing yourself the beneﬁt of volunteering feeds ones soul. Empathy, cooperation, listening skills, public speaking, conﬁdence, and a sense of worth is wonderful for our mental health. Mental health and wellness is important. Many in our agriculture community struggle to keep all the balls in the air. Commodity prices, weather, family struggles, family health, equipment costs/breakdowns, animal care and costs can all add up to feeling the world is pressing one down. Thankfully the

Agricultural community has come together to address these worries. We are letting our farmer friends and neighbours know they are not alone. There is assistance and programs in our district available. Sometimes it is as simple as having a neutral ear to listen, but professional and medical help is available too. You don’t have to be alone. Ask a friend to help you ﬁnd what you need online, or through local hospitals, medical professionals and clergy. It’s ok to ask for help. We all need a hand along the way. “Baling twine turns every farmer into MacGyver” –Unknown

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C2 FORT FRANCES TIMES

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Sustainable agriculture easy and achievable By Merna Emara Staff Writer memara@fortfrances.com Achieving agricultural and environmental sustainability is not a hard undertaking if famers have the tools and resources to help them research and adapt different practices. Lisa Teeple, president of the Rainy River Federation of Agriculture, said sustainable agriculture and farming is a way for farmers to provide food and products that result from creating food, grains and textiles without harming present or future generations. While simple in concept, part of it is having to understand how the environment, ecosystem, country and the world uses natural and farm resources, Teeple added. Because drastic change is not going to take place overnight, the first step is for farmers to educate themselves

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the province has an integrated program where farmers can apply for assistance in changing how they store manure and where animals water. It is a program that allows you to have some financial assistance in changing how animals are feed, watered and housed, Teeple said. Teeple added that sometimes all it takes is a small change in practice that makes a big difference. “You’re getting those producers who were not as easy to change their practice start to do it on their own,” Teeple said. “They start realizing it is something that isn’t difficult. It’s hard to change someone who’s set in their ways, but if you could have them read, learn and listen, they’ll do it themselves without even realizing they’re doing it.”

Sustainable agriculture and farming is a way for farmers to provide food and products that result from creating food, grains and textiles without harming present or future generations. - Lisa Teeple on what their goals are, what the environmental issues are and how to best avoid harmful practices. “If we don’t try to improve our farming practices to be environmentally aware – while remembering the economics of stainable farming, and how society looks at us, then we’re not going to be profitable. We need to have all of that blending together well and then still have a product that the public wants,” Teeple said.

Environmental Farm Plan The Environmental Farm Plan is a program of 20 years that is run by the Ontario

Soil and Crop Association. This program adopts an individualistic approach to each case and provides suggestions on how to make sustainable agricultural improvements. Teeple said this program has been an eye opener for a lot of producers in the region without it being a blame game. “It’s a very non-blame program in that if you’re not quite doing the exact best practice, it’s going to ask you how you propose to change your methods to make it the best practice,” Teeple said. “It then allows you to actually see where you’re lacking in doing the best practice.” For example, through the

Food Sustainability Teeple said both the environment and the health of the animals improved as

a result of the movement towards not having animals drink from area creeks and rivers. “We have realized that there’s a movement to stop doing it because of cross contamination between wildlife and cattle,” Teeple said. “Deer and moose carry certain diseases; beavers can cause diseases. If animals drink from a creek, it can impact the health of cattle, goats or sheep.” As a result, animals are drinking from more freshwater sources, which makes the products that they provide healthier. “We’re impacting the environment by keeping our animals away from the rivers and creeks,” Teeple said. “Then we’re getting healthier, and more vigorous cattle because they’re not getting affected by the wildlife.” Teeple said there are many programs available to those who want to make incremental changes. “Sometimes some people

will have two or three different programs going on at once,” Teeple added. “It comes back to safe and environmentally sustainable practices, which helps increase your profit. It’s a win-win all the way around to use these programs and to farm in a sustainable way.” That being said, advocates for agricultural sustainability are not reinventing the wheel. Many farmers have already been following these practices for years, Teeple said, adding that they just do it naturally because if they ruin their environment, they can’t grow future crops, or their animals will not live. “If they are not using the proper method, then they’re going to have sick animals, they’re going to have poor products and they’re going to have inedible meats,” Teeple said. “Our goal is to try to have everyone come on board. But the main thing is it’s happening.”

Haskap berries coming to the local markets

By Jocelyn Galloway Special to the Times jgalloway@fortfrances.com When Bryan and Bethany Kinsman bought their property in Devlin eight years ago, they had no idea that haskap berries would become part of their agricultural dream. It all began with the first purchase of bees, four years ago. “We’ve always wanted to beekeep since before we bought the property. Bees were always on our minds,” said Bethany Kinsman. “We always wanted a property that had some acreage. It wasn’t until we were looking into different kinds of plants that were good for the bees, we stumbled across haskap berries. They are an earlier bloomer.” “As we looked into it, we

realized it is still a newer fruit to Ontario and most of Canada,” said Bryan Kinsman. “The next biggest operation is down in Sudbury. So we thought, why don’t we look at starting this?” Good varieties of haskap berries have a fresh raspberry and blueberry flavour with a special zing, according to an article by the University of Saskatchewan. Haskaps have three times the antioxidants of a blueberries. Haskap berries grow on a globe-shaped bush that can grow five to seven feet tall. Traditionally, haskaps grow wild in low lying wet areas or high in mountains. They are a hardy plant that can withstand extremely cold winters of -40 C. Two years ago, the Kinsmans started planting their haskap berry bushes, which were imported from Saskatchewan,

something a lot of people haven’t seen in this area,” said Bryan Kinsman. “We’re going to have huge poles going up with a big bird netting across the whole field.” Birds are the biggest pests that threaten the haskaps. “Right now, we only have planted almost up to an acre and we already have over 1,000 plants,” said Bryan Kinsman. “When they fully mature, they can produce up to 10 pounds per plant. So, they are a pretty high yielding plant.” The Honey Berry Fruit Farm currently has eight varieties of haskap berries planted. Haskap bushes take about five years to fully mature. According to the Haskap Canada Association website, haskap berries makes great wine, spirits, liqueurs, juice, jam, spreads, tarts, chutneys and relishes, ice cream, yogurt, dried berries and powdered berry mixes. Last year, the Kinsmans already were able to pick some berries. They collected enough to share with family and friends and a couple of potential buyers. Although the primary focus is the haskap berries, the Honey Berry Fruit Farm has cherries, currents, gogi berries, plums and saskatoons planted on the property. Since the idea formed, the Kinsmans joined the Haskap

and the Honey Berry Fruit Farm was born. With the help of Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, the Honey Berry Fruit Farm received a $33,404 grant to help establish their berry farm on their 10 acre lot. The funds have provided the needed fencing and a tractor with a rototiller, making it a lot easier to work the land. Bryan Kinsman worked the land originally by hand with a rototiller. It took him nearly a whole summer to break up the clay in the soil in just two rows. Once they purchased the tractor with a big rototiller, he was able to finish the remaining rows in a day. “We’re also going to have

Berry Growers Association of Ontario and the Haskap Canada Association to learn and have the support of others in the industry. Recently, Bryan Kinsman took the position of media director on the Ontario board. The whole family has been getting involved. Bryan and Bethany Kinsman have three children between the ages of five and 10. The hope is the farm will provide summer jobs as pickers for them in the future. Their ultimate dream is one day turn their property into a commercial haskap berry farm. While the Kinsmans continue to grow more haskaps, they also want to grow their honey business with it. Already, they have a waitlist for their honey. Bethany and Bryan Kinsman will take orders as far as Thunder Bay as they both have family there. “By having the fruit, it can actually incorporate a sweeter tasting honey,” said Bryan Kinsman. In early spring, one hive can have over 10,000 bees. The Honey Berry Fruit Farm currently has 15 hives total. “Our two older kids have their own hives and collect money from the honey sales,” said Bryan Kinsman. “They have done a lot of work and have helped us out with the processing.”

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The Ultimate Power Berry Good varieties of haskap berries have a fresh raspberry and blueberry flavour with a special zing, according to an article by the University of Saskatchewan. Haskaps have three times the antioxidants of blueberries. Haskap berries grow on a globe-shaped bush that can grow five to seven feet tall. Traditionally, haskaps grow wild in low lying wet areas or high in mountains. They are a hardy plant that can withstand extremely cold winters of -40 C. According to the Haskap Canada Association website, haskap berries makes great wine, spirits, liqueurs, juice, jam, spreads, tarts, chutneys and relishes, ice cream, yogurt, dried berries and powdered berry mixes.

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

FORT FRANCES TIMES C3

Purity Seeds sale: new generation of farming

Dave Schraa and Larry Lamb are working together for the first year as per the sales agreement for Purity Seeds Limited. - Jocelyn Galloway photo By Jocelyn Galloway Special to the Times jgalloway@fortfrances.com When Dave Schraa happened to stumble across an online ad for the sale of Purity Seeds Limited, the daydreaming of running the farm began. After a couple weeks of the farm still on his mind, he finally brought the idea to his wife, Ceri Schraa. Purity Seeds Limited is a seed cleaning and farm supply outlet located in Emo, Ont. “It’s always been a goal, for myself and my family, to have a farm of our own,” said Dave Schraa. “I didn’t know anything about the Rainy River District, nor did my family,” he said. “So, we thought the first step to this whole process was a visit to actually see the farm, and meet and talk to Larry [Lamb]. Could we see ourselves living in the Rainy River District? Because if everyone wasn’t going to be happy – it’s off.” Dave and Ceri Shraa have three children: Mac, 17; Grace, 15; and Taylor, 12. After visiting summer of 2019, the Schraas were sold on the land, the community and the potential of owning a business that aligned with their vision and passions.

Larry Lamb established Purity Seeds in 1984. While waiting for cooperative weather to harvest a crop of trefoil hay, used to feed cattle, Lamb’s neighbour

suggested he harvest the crop for seed instead. Larry Lamb sent the seed to Winnipeg to be cleaned before he sold it. The process revealed to Larry Lamb the need for a local seed cleaning facility. “It was obvious that the distance from here to the next place in Manitoba wasn’t a viable option for local people,” said Larry Lamb. “We need a seed enterprise here to take care of that need.” Seed cleaning plants play an important role in the agriculture industry. At Purity Seeds, the process of sieving and cleaning the seeds removes dirt and chaff, and also separates the seeds according to size. This process leaves only the best seeds, which will produce the healthiest plants. By using clean seeds, farmers reap the benefits of improved crop quality and seeds running through their equipment properly. Also by having a local facility, the area is able to remain competitive in the crop sector due to having good local seed available and avoiding high transportation costs. Today, Purity Seeds still

remains to be the only Agriculture Canada authorized seed cleaning facility in northwest Ontario and serves farmers from Manitoba to Thunder Bay. In the last 33 years, Larry Lamb has processed and sold over 29 million pounds of seeds. “My preference has always been for the business to go to new owners who will carry on the business, increase it and do the things I didn’t have time to do,” said Lamb. “So, I am happy that they [Schraas] want to continue to grow the business.” In addition to establishing Purity Seeds, Larry Lamb has been a monumental leader in the farming community. Larry Lamb Farm was the first farm in the area to implement tile drainage, which resulted in a 40 per cent yield advantage. Larry Lamb was instrumental in helping neighbouring farms to do the same by coordinating grant applications and the purchasing of tile. Although it has been difficult to leave his legacy behind, Larry and Linda Lamb are looking forward to their wellearned retirement at their new lake house in Nestor Falls. Larry Lamb will still be involved with the business for the next year as needed, to act as a mentor to the Schraa family by showing them the equipment, introducing them to the locals and supporting them in anyway they need him. “Larry has a lot of knowledge,” said Dave Schraa. “That is why it was important for me to learn from him in this first year. I am sure he’s forgotten more than I know, so maybe I can glean some of that from him.”

Dave Schraa and his son Mac have recently made the trek to the region from North of Calgary, in the town of Carstairs, Alberta. They arrived at the 400 acre farm located on the Rainy River, South of Emo, at the beginning of April. With the support of investors, David and Patrick Boileau, the Schraa family have purchased and are running the operations of Purity Seeds Limited and Larry Lamb Farm. While Purity Seeds will keep its name, Larry Lamb Farm is now named Carpe Diem Farms Ltd. The phrase “carpe diem” means “seize the day”, a fitting name for the Schraa family’s new agricultural adventure. “It goes all the way back to when I watched the old movie ‘Dead Poets Society’,” said Dave Schraa. “I heard it [carpe diem] then and it always stuck with me. I thought it’s unique and I love the meaning behind it.” With their family home in Carstairs now sold, Ceri, Grace and Taylor Schraa are packing

up and will be making the move to join Dave and Mac Schraa by the beginning of May.

Dave Schraa isn’t new to the world of agriculture. He grew up on a 60-cow dairy farm near Orangeville, Ont. This experience lead him to take animal sciences at the University of Guelph, graduating in 2000. After graduation, Dave Schraa moved to the Lethbridge, Alberta. area where he farmed for four years, which led him to meeting his wife. Ceri Schraa grew up on a grain farm near Strathmore, Alberta. “Agriculture is all I’ve ever done,” said Dave Schraa. “I don’t know anything else.” For the last 10 years, Dave Schraa worked as a sales agronomist for Nutrien in Disbury, Alberta. He worked closely with the local farming community, providing advice on fertility, seed, crop rotation and crop protection products. As a certified crop advisor and crop science consultant, Dave Schraa plans to bring these services into the business with him. “With my background and training, I can add some agronomic guidance to farms in the area,” said Dave Schraa. “The agriculture industry in the Rainy River District is evolving, especially with the climate changing a little bit and more land being cleared and tile drained in the area.” A lot can be said about someone by looking through the photos on their cellphone. “Everybody has selfies on their phone. I have pictures of crops,” said Dave Schraa. “That’s what I love.” In the new business model moving forward, the Schraas and Boileaus plan to shape the operation to meet the seed demands for the changing market. Currently, Dave Schraa said the demand for Canadian agricultural goods are very high. To put it in perspective, he said at the same time last year, canola was traded for around $10.50 a bushel compared to now at $18 a bushel. “The Rainy River district is developing agriculturally with former forage/grazing lands and idle bush lots being converted to tile drained crop

The Schraa Family

lands,” said Dave Schraa. “I think there is a ton of potential.” As part of the business expansion, Dave Schraa and his investors are looking to purchase or lease croplands near Emo. Most of all, he’s looking forward to getting out and meeting the local

Dave and Ceri Schraa have three children: Marc, 17; Grace, 15; and Taylor, 12. Taylor Schraa is excited about being able to keep her horse at her home, and she insisted that if she’s moving, she also gets her own pig. - Submitted photo agricultural community. “Most farmers are genuine people, and you usually know where you stand with them,” said Dave Schraa. “They’re honest folks with similar interests to mine. So, I’m looking forward to connecting with them.”

At Carpe Dien Farms, Dave and Mac Schraa have been working hard since their arrival. - Jocelyn Galloway photo

Farming is the heartbeat of the Rainy River District. We recognize and respect the important role that agriculture plays in our district.

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C4 FORT FRANCES TIMES

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Memories of a farm

Elizabeth Donaldson enjoys a cuddle with a piglet born at her son’s farm in Burriss.- Submitted photo By Elizabeth Donaldson Recently I went to the home of a son in Burriss where I was invited into the barn to see the new born piglets. I needed no urging as I like both barns and piglets. Being born and raised on a farm has left me with a deep love for the farm. I was born at the home of my parents on a rather isolated farm. Memories of farming here are few but I recall the haystacks, the chickens that my grandmother loved and my brother Eric and I walking in the furrow behind the plow pulled by the horses. Things changed when my father died, the farm was sold and my mother was able to buy her father’s property where she had grown up that was much closer to school and church. The small house that my father had built was put up on beams and we were all moved right in the house. My brother Alan remembered a cow tied on behind. When I see the big tractors and machines in the farmers’ fields now or a herd of cattle feeding around a huge bale of hay I think back to what it was in the early 1940’s. No electricity, no running water, no indoor facilities, poorly insulated buildings. Wood that was cut and chopped was the source of heat. Horses supplied the power that was needed for the heavy farm work. It was quite an undertaking for a widow with four young

children but we children thought it an adventure. One thing that was really different was the huge old two storey barn that my grandfather had built in 1916. The foundation was crumbling but there was plenty of room for all our livestock on the bottom floor with haylofts, granaries and room to store the machinery on the upper floor. Some cattle came with the farm and Mom was very happy with the purchase of Kate, our beautiful dappled grey Percheron. Later there was Duchess, daughter of Kate. Chief, a bright bay with black mane and tail, was used to pull the cutter and buggy. The horses were very important and received the very best of care. Years later when Mom’s mind was failing, I asked her if she remembered the names of her children. “Of course,” she said, “Kate, Duchess and Chief.” I did not correct her. The barn was a great place to play but the work in the winter when all the livestock was stabled was never-ending. The milk cows were in stalls fastened into metal stanchions and bedded down with straw. Cement gutters had to be cleaned out twice a day. Some of the calves were in loose pens and the young stock were in separate stalls. The cattle and horses were let out in the morning and if it was not too cold they would stay out in the shelter of the barn for part of the day but all were in the barn

at night. Every drop of water that the horses and cattle drank in the winter was pumped into a big trough by some child, often me. Only once did I ever touch the cold metal of the pump with the tip of my tongue! Some cows seemed to drink forever but the well house sheltered us from winter winds. Our lives revolved around the care of the animals the animals that were all named. We knew their different temperaments or personalities and moved easily among them. Daisy, an Ayreshire, was recognized by all as the boss cow. We were always going back and forth to the barn with pails of water or feed for chickens or pigs or calves. Milk was carried to the house to be separated. Often on a dark winter night we would be walking to the house or barn in the circle of light spread by the kerosene lantern. Sometimes I would wonder what was beyond that little circle of light. Even now I remember the feeling of urgency of the times we hurried home from school knowing there was a storm coming. Mom had started the chores but there was work for all. Hay was forked down from the loft and into mangers, bedding added to stalls, milking was done, oats for the horses, milk for the cats, feed for the chickens, gather the eggs. As it grew darker and darker the lantern was lit. Hurry, hurry. At the house, there was wood to be carried to the woodbox in the kitchen, extra piled by the door, water carried from the pump, slop pails emptied, hurry, hurry, light the oil lamps, stir the soup, shut out the storm. Make sure everything and everyone is safe for the night. Sometimes now when a storm is imminent bits of that emotion surface and I am right back in Box Alder. No matter what there was always the final trip to the barn before bedtime with the lantern to see if everything was as it should be. It was quite pleasant in the barn at night. The horses would give a little whicker of welcome. The cows, with the cats asleep on their warm backs, were lying down chewing their cuds. Of course all these creatures had to be fed. At first Mom had the help of a hired man who worked for us in the summer and went to the bush camps in the winter. He would put the hay up with the help of my brothers and seed the oats needed for the horses. When Alan was 13 he thought that

he and Eric could harvest the hay. They knew how to handle the horses and all of us were taught how to work and do a variety of things. It was my job to drive the horses while the boys loaded the dry hay onto the wagon. The hay was unloaded into the upper part of the barn with a big hay fork pulled up by horse power. It is slower working with horses and they have to have time to rest and feed and drink. Year round Chief was hitched to the buggy or cutter and the five gallon can of cream was taken to the LaVallee creamery. The cream cheque was the one steady source of income. My brothers took over the farming under the guidance of my mother. Our cousin Dave Loney, the same age as Alan, loved to spend some of the summer with us and he worked right along with the boys. The old machinery of my Grandfather Strachan often broke down but there always seemed to be someone to help

out. We had good neighbours. The summers were filled with the haying, getting the wood up for winter with Swede saw and axe, gardening, picking the wild fruit and preserving things for winter. Our cousins from Fort Frances often spent a week with us and, as well as helping with all the work they shared such delights as sleeping in the hay loft, swimming in the LaVallee River and riding on the hay wagon. Fall was harvesting and plowing plus the thrill of the big threshing machine coming and seeing the oats pouring into the gunny sacks. When I look back to those days I do remember the work and manual labour. We learned how to do things and also how to make things “do.” If there was a choice I usually opted for the outdoor and barn work rather than housework. It was always so dark on those long winter nights and we sat around our radio listening to “Fibber McGee and Mollie” or “The Lone

Ranger” and I remember the closeness of our family. Only as I grew older did I realize how very hard it was for my mother in those years. In about 1948 the electrical power that made a tremendous difference was being installed in the rural areas. My favourite thing was having a yard light as now our circle of light was much larger. More changes came when Alan bought our first Massey-Harris tractor from Garnet Cornell in LaVallee. In 1952 he married and took over the farm and we all moved on to different things, never forgetting our days on that farm. There is a quote –‘I consider it the best part of an education to have been born and brought up in the country’. While it may not be true for all it describes how I feel about the hardships and the good things of growing up on a farm in the 1940’s.

Tom Morrish, from Willow-Mor Farm, is giving a supplement bottle to one of the triplets born earlier this spring. Sometimes with multiple births the ewe won’t be producing milk enough for all of them and this way everyone gets enough to eat. - Submitted photo

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

FORT FRANCES TIMES C5

Focus on Farming Milk Producers

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By Rick Neilson Special to the Fort Frances Times rneilson@tbaytel.net Rick Borsma Rick Borsma arrived in the Rainy River District as a three year old when his family, like so many others, left Holland and came to the Rainy River District to become dairy farmers. Several sons and daughters of those who came are still farming in the district but Borsma has the distinction of being the last one still milking cows. Borsma indicated that his son Dennis, who works alongside him, will be taking the farm over. When bulk tanks came in there were about fifty dairy farms in the Rainy River District. Today there are five. Mark Husser Mark Husser whose dairy farm is one mile north of Barwick, has been clearing land and growing more crops in the last few years. “I will be 60 next year and I always thought that 60 is the magic number for me to quit milking,” Husser stated. “I can keep on with beef farming and growing some crops,” he reasoned. “The milk price hasn’t kept up with inflation. In 1980 it was 44 cents for a litre of milk and it is 80 cents now, while everything else went up five or six times. “The only reason we can make it is because we are milking more cows, and that is a lot more work,” Husser pointed out. When the family started they were shipping 429 kilos of milk. Today he ships about 1650 kilos. “I went to round bales and that made it a lot easier, and we went with free stall barn parlour milking and that was a big step too.” Husser explained. Those two changes made it easier to increase production. His system has the capacity to milk 16 cows at a time. The cows know when to come in, where to go and when to leave. “Dairy farming takes a huge number of

hours, with no time off,” Husser asserted. Like many dairy farmers Husser has trouble with his legs and back. When he has sold the cows and quota and is done milking, Husser plans to tidy the place up and just work less. Donald Martin It is going on eight years since Donald and Laverne Martin held an open house for the people of the district to come and see their state-of-the-art dairy barn on Elstead Road northeast of Stratton. “We are still trying to expand; buying quota as fast as we can. You don’t get much each month. The price is capped and the milk board has to distribute it to everyone who bids. Some months we only get 0.1 of a kilogram and some months, 0.2 . “Every dairy we lose here, the quota is distributed all across Ontario, so we don’t beneﬁt much. We are trying to work with the board to see if we can keep the quota in the area so that the next producer that leaves, the quota would stay here. “Producers are fortunate that milk transportation costs are paid by the milk board because with only ﬁve producers the truck is not full. The argument that local producers are making is to keeping the truck as full as possible to keep shipping costs down. “Other than that we are buying as much quota as we can,” Martin stated. The barn has 60 cows with the capacity to house 84. The Martin brothers are getting more into cash cropping. “This year we have about four hundred acres to plant and we do a lot of custom work, like corn planting and custom spraying. That is Laverne’s side of the operation.” From Donald Martin’s perspective, “The more land clearing the better.” The Martins are clearing their last thirty acres at the home farm and are hoping to tile all of that this summer and plant more corn. Donald Martin: “Dairying is a lot of hard work but also very rewarding and a great place to raise a family.”

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Cows attached to milking machine at the Gerber farm.

Kevin Martin Kevin Martin bought the Van Heist farm in around 2000 and bought quota from his dad. “Looking back, I would do it differently. I would have built a new facility. This is very manual, for feeding and everything. Martin milks about ﬁfty cows. “We are making it work. I have committed children who are willing to help me. Otherwise, I couldn’t do it,” he emphasized. “The high price of quota has kept dairy farming proﬁtable, but has it also caused the industry to bleed away from the Rainy River District?” he asked. “We have two daughters and two sons at home and they will all to have to decide what they want to do,” Kevin Martin said. At the age of 50, he is not ready to retire but he is quite open to changing if he found something that wasn’t quite so demanding. “I do have interest in mission work and this business wouldn’t go with anything like that. “If you want to be a dairy farmer you have to be committed to those cows. They have to be milked twice a day and they have to be looked after. If you don’t put your heart in it you can’t make it go. The margin is too tight. You have to enjoy it if you are going to do it. “I have doubled the quota from my dad. If my children were to take it over, they would probably have to do that again. I

don’t think milk prices have kept pace with inﬂation so that is a challenge. “It has made us a living and it is a good environment for working together, and I wish that for my sons and daughters,” Kevin Martin concluded. Jacob Jr and John Gerber Jacob Jr and his brother John Gerber, will have been in the dairy business for 10 years on May 5. Gerber Farms had sold their milk quota in 2003. Then, in 2007, the brothers were at Arnold Kaemingh’s to deliver some pigs, and Kaemingh showed them around the dairy farm. “We were impressed and on the way home we started thinking: Wouldn’t it be cool if we could start milking cows!” Jacob Gerber Jr recalled. “There was a good New Entrance Program coming out in 2009, so we applied but the bank backed out and we had to withdraw our application.” The next year the boys made a deal with CIBC and they applied again. “...And in January 2011, our application went through and we were successful in the ‘New Entrants Quota Assistance Program.’” “The lady on the phone said, ‘I am calling from the knee-cap’. “I remember being so excited. We could start a whole barn of quota, right off the hop! “They lend you a 12 kg (butterfat) quota for ten years. Every kg is about 25

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litres of milk per day,” Jacob Jr explained. The brothers are up at around four in the morning and in bed at 10. “...But we take a nap after breakfast,” he conceded. “Dairy farming is a good life. I would say it’s the best. It’s not about money; it’s about what you like doing.” Jacob Gerber Sr: “Dairy farming is a lot of work and it is good work; but the boys are not married. Who wants to have these guys who are going out so early in the morning?” The brothers are recent recipients of The Gold Seal Award for Excellent Quality Milk.

At West Fraser we are very proud to own and operate our Oriented Strand Board facility in Chapple Township. For the past 24 years we’ve enjoyed a great friendship and partnership with the people of the Rainy River District. They have been key in supplying ¿bre to the mill and, on the operational side, helping us to produce a world class product.

Thank You DeGagne Equipment would like to take this opportunity to thank all their valued customers over the past 69 years. As we say goodbye we would like to wish Scott McLeod a very Happy Retirement with 23 years of service.

Please help us welcome new owners Tompkins Outdoors effective May 3, 2021

THANK YOU

Barwick

to all who have been instrumental in our success and congratulations to the agricultural community for being dynamic and innovative leaders in this district.

C6 FORT FRANCES TIMES

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Storyteller and bee keeper By Jack Elliott For years Rick Neilson as agricultural reporter for the Times has been documenting the lives of farmers across the Rainy River District. Now here’s Rick’s saga. “I consider myself a story teller,” mused Rick over a cup of socially distanced tea on his front deck of Seven Bends Honey Farm on a sunny afternoon earlier this spring. My ancestors came into the District from Nebraska in the early 1900s, settling in the Pinewood River Valley. Originally they came to America mostly from Denmark, says Rick. It is ironic that Rick who took post secondary studies in geology and spent several years working on diamond drilling crews in BC, Ontario including the Rainy River District and Manitoba located his homestead at Seven Bends just on the edge of the only producing gold mine in the area, New Gold Inc. But the gold Rick seemed most interested in was the kind he harvested from his bees. Rick’s interest in bees blossomed when he

was working on the drills in Manitoba where he took a beekeeping course. “I guess I was a bit of a hippy,” chuckled Rick explaining he was the kid who was always interested in bugs and nature. Rick discovered his forever homestead in 1974 when driving Hwy 600 at Seven Bends a couple of deer ran across the road. Seems they were a good omen as Rick found the location was for sale, walked the property and closed a deal. He then headed back to the diamond drills in Manitoba to collect enough shekels to pay for his dream. Rick met and married Linda in Manitoba and they moved to Seven Bends east of North Branch in 1976. Here they have raised their family - two sons. Peter is still close to home, working at the OSB mill. Mark, a chiropractor, immigrated to Australia where Rick & Linda have visited twice…. And then there were the millions of bees. “I kept a large operation of several hundred bee colonies, marketing honey, queens and nucs,” detailed Rick. Nucs are started breeding colonies that are sold to other beekeepers each spring. In 2001 disaster

Rick Neilson struck when a combination of a bad winter, colony collapse syndrome, and a disabling back injury all combined to wipe out nearly all of Seven Bends Honey Farm bees. The bee colonies were eventually re-established but at a much reduced level. Honey and other bee products were marketed through craft fairs and locally, forgoing the larger commercial markets in search of better margins and clients who valued the natural products. Rick also for some years turned to other activities including maintenance and servicing of vacation properties around Nestor Falls, assisting other beekeepers, and offering

education opportunities to anyone wishing to know more about identifying and harvesting wild natural foods of the area. “There are many wild mushrooms that are edible and we are particularly fortunate with an abundance of chanterelles in this locale,” he said Rick was one of the original members of the Rainy River District Stewardship Council and is still active there explaining his interest in the District. With climate change, expanding cash crop production, and larger farming units when I asked how he envisioned the future of agriculture in the District it elicited a one word answer, “Prairie” Then he elaborated. I see the point of bigger units but it would be unfortunate if some areas don’t retain their natural state. It would be really sad if we lose the native species and diversification unique to the District, says Rick. Beyond bees, mushrooms, a good story, and concern for our environment Rick is a skilled chainsaw artists. In the home he and Linda built are a series

Rick beside one of the carved bedroom doors in his home. of carved wooden doors. The bedroom doors are hung on barn door track along the main hallway. “No way the kids could sneak in late undetected. The rumble of the doors on the track was a great security system,” chuckled Rick demonstrating

the alarm. So if you are headed across the back way of the Valley on Hwy 600 east of North Branch and you hit that twisty stretch, slow down. There’s Seven Bends Honey Farm. You’ll get a warm welcome and maybe a great story.

Out behind the barn The song “I Got My Education out Behind the Barn” is particularly true for farm kids. But I’m not sure the conclusion of the first line, “and it almost made a wreck out of me” is that accurate. Back in the pre- sex education days, the “Townies” with an air of superiority would put on a front about the worldly knowledge they had acquired through, movies, TV, and hanging out around the park or pool hall. Country kids considered the information and wondered why it didn’t jive with their own source of information on the mechanics of reproduction provided us by first hand observation of all the cats, dogs,

and other livestock we saw everyday out behind the barn. It was just the social mysteries of the human of the species we had more difficulty figuring out. But there was a rural answer for that. It was the 4-H Club. Stammering ones way through the 4-H pledge in front of strangers “…. for my Club, my Community and my Country” is a remembered terror, that once completed, wasn’t so bad, and did not cause one’s heart to stop beating. The lessons learned supposedly about showing livestock, or growing gardens, or reasoning out why you judged a group of cattle in a certain order were well learned even if you blushed red when the leader chided you to “speak up” and look the spectators in the eye. When the formal part of the Club meeting closed it was

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As Judy passed my heifer it bobbed its head. That right horn skimmed along her teeshirt, hooked under her bra and lifted her clean off her feet. My heifer quickly bobbed her head back down depositing Judy back on terra-firma none the

Everyone at Emo Drugs would like to thank our farmers for working hard every day to raise crops, livestock and for supporting our local economy.

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opportunity to put your new knowledge and socializing skills into practice. I vividly remember my second year as a 14 year old in the Dairy Club. My calf, a senior heifer, was a little hard to handle and had a set of short horns- scurs- as result of a sloppy de-horning operation. No points deducted as that was what the animal had when Dad had purchased it. I wouldn’t say the animal was hard to control but it did have a bad habit of bobbing its head up and down. As we lined our animals up as directed by the judge placing them, the little redheaded girl, Judy (Judy was well under five foot and might have weighed 90 pounds soaking wet) squeezed in between me and the next animal down the line.

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time to socialize. “Food! Great!” More cookies, cakes, and sweet drinks than you’d ever get at home. You stammered thanks when your host, the cute red-head with the freckles, absolutely insisted you have another chocolate cupcake and a refill of lemonade. And then as you’re ready to head for home, she hands you a bag. “Here’s a few more cupcakes. I made them myself,” she explains as you head out the door knowing you won’t see her again until next month’s meeting. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Let’s face it you are in love. Townies eat your heart out. The Fall Fair was the culmination of the 4-H year. All that work, and all those projects on display for the whole county to see and the

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worse for wear. The savage look I received said I wasn’t getting any more chocolate cupcakes. But personally the mystery of sex education only deepened. “How did you get one of those things unhooked?”

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

FORT FRANCES TIMES C7

Hops, and hops potential, continue to grow in district

By Ken Kellar Local Journalism Initiative reporter kkellar@fortfrances.com There’s still plenty of reason to be excited about hops in the Rainy River District, and the Rainy River Future Development Corporation (RRFDC) has taken steps to make it easier for producers to collect on their investments at the end of the growing season.

Geoff Gillon, the executive director for the RRFDC, explained that among other developments in the field of growing hops in the district over the past few years, the organization has purchased equipment to help ease the workload of current and future hops producers. “As a matter of fact we just purchased a hops harvester and baler,” Gillon said. “Hops are brand new in the area, brand new being three years in the making. It’s something the Development corporation has done, working in partnership with the Emo Ag Station.” Back in 2017 the RRFDC and Emo Agricultural Research Station (now known as the Ontario Crops Research Centre - Emo) installed the hops yard to test whether or not our area could grow the potent crop. Hops are a vital ingredient in craft beer making, especially as craft beers and IPA’s proliferate

the market. Different kinds of hops, in different forms like dried pellets or fresh, are added in the brewing process at different times to influence the flavour and aromas of the finished product. The first batch of hops grown at the station were harvested in 2019 with help of Lake of the Woods Brewery out of Kenora, a local beer brewery that has made public statements that it is hoping to help source more ingredients from within Northwestern Ontario to help support the economy. That batch of hops was also quickly turned around into a limited run beer. “They made what they call a ‘wet brew’ right out of the hops,” Gillon said. However, 2020 would prove to be a write off as the COVID-19 pandemic forced all hands involved. Even still, Gillon said the RRFDC learned plenty over the years they were working with the Emo

Ag station, particularly when it came to harvesting the hops. The oils in the hop buds themselves are essential in the brewing process to give the beer their unique citrus notes, and hops plants need special equipment to harvest without damaging those oils, which became evident during Lake of the Woods’ visit. “When we did the wet brew we realized they picked all of the hops by hands,” Gillon said. “It took a long time. They got enough as far as bushels or bales to go and make that beer. In 2020, because of COVID we didn’t do anything but in the process we found out how hard it is to pick the hops.” There are currently three hops producers in the district, Gillon said, and so the plan at the RRFDC was to purchase the harvester and baler so that other producers could in turn make use of it when it came time to harvest their own crop. “When the fall comes we’ll

rent it out at cost to the people who are building hops yards,” he explained. “Hopefully down the road we’ll sell it by tender to have somebody to do that kind of stuff in the district. That’s what we’re hoping.” Th hope, Gillon said, is to have another source of revenue for agricultural producers n the district. The hops yards themselves take up little space compared to other cash crops – hops grow vertically up to wires suspended on tall poles – and increase the diversity of what can be produced and sold to help bolster the local economy, as well as producing a crop that has tasty implications for beer fans in the district. The hops themselves are already intricately tied to local municipalities. “Aside from the hops harvester, all of the other costs come from the municipal government support of the RRFDC,” Gillon said.

“We used some of that money to stimulate this hops harvesting.” The yards themselves have proven to be popular in the district. In addition to the two other yards currently in the area, Gillon said he’s had conversations with “two or three” other people who he said has expressed interest in a yard of their own. It helps that craft breweries large and small continue to pop up in and around the region, Manitoba and Minnesota, which means there are potential opportunities to sell these hops to interested parties, a necessity for any producer who isn’t planning on sitting on mountains of hops come the fall. “There’s been a demand for hops,” Gillon said. “It’s just another project we try to do to help expand the economy and make it more diverse.”

Above, it looks like everyone is having breakfast at the same time. These cows and calves are a mixture of Black Angus and Charolais breeds.

Springtime at Dead End Ranch Dead End Ranch is owned by Melissa and Dale Teeple where they raise Black Angus cross Charolais cattle, sheep, horses and also operate Teeple’s Family Bees.

Above, Sam Teeple is admiring the new calf from his cow, Snowy.

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This lamb’s name is Archer and he is a mixture of Rideau Arcott cross with Dorper.

Right, this cow looks to be sharing a smile with the camera and why not, a sunny day, a new calf sleeping in soft bedding, what could be better?

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Together we are growing the Rainy River District. If you would like to become a member, get involved, or have a concern, please contact Member Service RepresentaƟve, Bernie.Zimmerman@ofa.on.ca or (807) 275-7912 T: (807) 274-3276 | info@rrfdc.on.ca

C8 FORT FRANCES TIMES

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Pandemic drives up the demand for local meat processing

By Jocelyn Galloway Special to the Times jgalloway@fortfrances.com Since the pandemic began, the demand for local meat processing services have increased. “I would say it comes down to food security,” said David Donaldson, processing manager at Rainy River Meats. “There were points last year... people would come in for burger and they’d say Safeway or Cloverleaf were right out.” Donaldson said before the pandemic, Rainy River Meats had already seen an increase in sales. There would be times when Dryden’s meat inspector

could not make it to the Rainy River District Regional Abattoir, forcing the Ministry to send someone from Southern Ontario to fill the demand. “The ministry decided to hire an additional inspector who is closer to Rainy River to allow the ministry to meet inspection needs based on operational demands of plants in both Dryden and Rainy River,” said Christa Roettele, spokesperson for Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs. In Ontario, through the provincially inspected meat plants, 812,543 red meat animals were slaughtered in 2020 compared to 800,613 in 2019 and 22,227,221 white meat animals were slaughtered in 2020 compared to 22,049,134 in 2019, according to the Ministry of Agriculture,

These pigs at the Neilson farm have lots of space to roam as they pasture for the summer.

By Natali Trivuncic Staff Writer ntrivuncic@fortfrances.com Have you ever looked at the bacon on your plate and wondered what the pig that it came from looked like or what it took to raise that pig? If so, you might be surprised that it actually takes a lot of work. Trish Neilson has a farm just north of Stratton where she raises pigs for meat. Neilson said she purchases piglets from Gerber Farms in Fort Frances that are around eight to 10 weeks old and raises them over the span of six months. They are then sent to the abattoir to begin the next chapter of their life as sausages or ham. “We just raise them over the summer, pasture them and feed

Food and Rural Affairs’ website. This comes to a total increase of 190,017 animals from 2019 to 2020. For personal use, meat does not need to be inspected. But in order to sell it, the meat has to be inspected by an OMAFRA Food Safety Inspector. Inspection services are provided locally out of the Rainy River District Regional Abattoir. From there, the meat can be processed. Meat processing is the preparation of the meat, including custom cutting, wrapping, dry aging, sausage and more, depending on the needs of the customer and the abilities of the processor. Some of the meat processing stores in the area include: Sunset Meats, Rainy River Meats, Greensides Meat Processing, and Cloverleaf Grocery.

Both Donaldson and Paul Peters, owner of Sunset Meats, said they saw an increase in local farmers selling their meat independently, since the pandemic began. “We cut and wrap year round, yes for farmers, but I think it has increased due to COVID,” said Peters. “More farmers are selling to the public in town and there is more buying of bulk meats.” Tourism used to be a sales factor over the summer months, so sales have shifted from steaks and sausages for weekend barbecues to locals purchasing a quarter or half cow, said Donaldson. Meat processing stores have not closed, as they are considered essential services, but Donaldson said he does worry about the potential business impacts of a staff member catching COVID-19.

He said he feels fortunate that everyone on his staff have remained in good health. Rainy River Meats is already seeing a slight increase in sales from last year, even with the loss of the Kenora Farmers Market. Donaldson said he predicts there will be a continuation of custom work for farmers going into the summer. “Last year, we were booked up pretty solid for a long time,” said Donaldson. “People are booking further ahead and planning a little better. So, I would think that we’re going to do as much and possibly more.” Sunset Meats saw more demand for their services as well. “Our business has increased,” said Peters. “During this COVID thing... we’ve sold a lot more packs like meat packs. I think due to the fact that people are

staying at home and they’re probably doing more home cooking. I think that is a big part of it.” While locals remain close to home during the pandemic, they are also looking for “home-grown” products and experiences said Peters. He has seen an increase in people raising their own livestock and poultry for home use or to give away to family and friends. “I just appreciate all the customers we have that come here locally,” said Peters. “Overall we’ve been pretty blessed.” For more information on inspection services, contact OMAFRA’s Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or ag.info. omafra@ontario.ca.

Raising pigs 101: your guide to good meat

them a little extra and sell them in the fall for meat,” Neilson said. Neilson also has other animals from cows and chickens to name a few but said that pigs are a little more maintenance because they are only there for a short period of time. “Pigs are in and out, you don’t care for them all winter. We only raise 25 pigs at a time,” Neilson said. “They’re more intense because you’re feeding them twice a day. We don’t do the self-feeder, we feed them a hog grower that we buy from Emo Feeds and then the rest of the time they’re just pasturing and drinking water.” Neilson said unlike her cows who roam around all over the farm, the pigs are kept in one

area but still have plenty of grass to eat and room to lay in the sunshine. “With pigs it’s not so much the cold but they get sunburned so easily in the summer,” Neilson said. “We give them all sorts of reasons to stay out of the sun, but they invariably will get sunburned.” Nielson said they have recently just had white pigs, but that it is nice to have reddish-brown or black pigs because they do not get sunburnt as easily. There are many different types of pig breeds for farms. From the Duroc pig which is reddish-brown in colour, to Large White pig, Berkshire pig and Hampshire pig. It may not seem like it, but pigs are very sociable animals which is what makes them so enjoyable to have around, Neilson adds. “They can be really friendly and when they get really big and they’re happy to see you, they’re like big dogs. They’ll see you coming and then they just come running out of the pasture, so you see 25 pigs all coming running towards you at one time. It’s kind of scary,” Nielson laughed. We are proud to be farmers and raise our family in the Rainy River District. We love what we do and try our best to produce top quality products, while looking after both our livestock and our land.

Neilson adds that pigs are also very trainable, and it is just a matter of encouraging them to have good manners, something that took Neilson and her husband time to perfect. Neilson said they also have some water that overflows so that the pigs can have a mud bath. Neilson jokes that their pigs are like teenagers because they like to sleep in in the mornings and lay in the sun in the afternoon. With summer fast approaching, Neilson’s piglets should be arriving soon. Neilson said the meat from the pigs she raises is leaner meat and therefore tastes very different because they are pasture raised. “It tastes different because they eat a lot of grass and they’re outside a lot,” Neilson said. “That tastes different than pigs that are completely raised in a barn just on commercial hog grower. You kind of get a taste of what you’re expecting your pork to taste like and how its raised certainly has an impact on what it tastes like no question about it. Neilson said the goal weight

Ross Donaldson is giving this ‘runt of the litter’ a bit of help till it gets a bit bigger and stronger. The Berkshire cross piglet will only drink a couple of ounces at a time and feedings are spaced out throughout the day. of the pig differs for person to person, but they try to get their pigs between 200 to 220 pounds, adding that this results in about 180 pounds of meat. “There’s so many things you can do with pork. It’s just so fun talking to the customers about what they’re going to do with it,” Neilson said. “There’s sausages you can make out of

it, ground pork that you can do so many different things with and then you’ve got your pulled pork and your hams and bacon. There’s so many different products you can turn it into.” A few acres of grass, some sunshine and a mud bath are the essentials to raise a happy and good tasting pig.

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

FORT FRANCES TIMES C9

Technological advances improve agriculture By Merna Emara Staff Writer memara@fortfrances.com Technology now plays a very vital role in our daily lives. Using it has become second nature, from connecting with family and friends to selfparking vehicles. But technology has grown exponentially in many sectors that drive the economy, such as agriculture. Agriculture utilizes different forms of technology that could be used to help with tasks such as farming, calving, seeding and harvesting. Kim Jo Bliss, manager of Emo Research Station, said they use technology in their everyday operations.

Bliss said now they are able to watch the cows on their cellphones – something that would never have crossed her great grandfather’s mind. “It’s quite amazing how much agriculture is using technology, even weatherrelated applications,” Bliss said. “Weather is a big and important part for every season. There’s a reason we need good weather, as much as we need rain every now and then. We really rely on a lot of technology in deciding if we should cut hay today, because if it’s going to rain in two days, it’s probably not going to be good.” Bliss said relying on technology is a growing trend because they are trying to work smarter, not harder. “We’re not lazy, but we’re doing a good job because we have the ability to make use of equipment and technology,” Bliss added. Technology in agriculture goes beyond using cameras to monitor animals and weather applications. Brielmann Agriculture, owned and

managed by Timo Brielmann, uses big equipment for tillage, spraying and harvesting. Prior to putting the seeds, they prepare the soil using tillage tools in order to have a crumbly surface. “We have two machines called air seeders, one is 50 ft. wide and the other is 60 ft. wide. They use air and it blows the seed into the drill,” Brielmann said. “And the drill distributes it into the ground properly at a certain depth. The machine is capable of that. It’s a pretty big unit.” After seeding, they do the combines. Brielmann Agriculture has two combines, a 40 ft. wide and 45 ft. wide. “They’re both on tracks with four-wheel drive, so we can get through the mud,” Brielmann said. “Then there’s always the grain cart, and it’s pulled by a big tractor. It can load up the trailers on the road, so it takes the grain from the combine and puts it in the trailer.” As much as he enjoys operating and riding the big equipment, Brielmann said, he is always cognizant of how fancy it can get. Brielmann said sometimes the equipment does not work when the computer and the piece of equipment itself are not syncing, leaving you frustrated because you cannot get anything done. “Then you miss the window of time in which you have to

Above, one of two combines used on the Brielman farm accompanied by the grain cart pulled by a four-wheel drive tractor on tracks. Below, GPS is used in the equipment to cover the exact acreage without overlapping.

“He’s covering the exact amount of acres and not overlapping,” Brielmann said. “I can switch guides really easy because it’s pretty much just hitting a button and letting the tractor drive on its own, and turning it around at the edge. And it actually has a little beeper. If you get close to the edge of the field, it will beep and say, ‘Warning, end of field coming’. That’s pretty cool.” Brielmann said the technology does not substitute the work people do. The most convenient thing is that one person can do more work, Brielmann added. With it being hard to hire for positions, Brielmann said, this technology comes in handy especially when they have to

The trucks were lined up waiting for the

Spring Cattle Sale Even in the midst of a pandemic, farmers will still get it done. It was a good sale out at the Stratton sales barn as the Rainy River Cattlemens Association held their first sale of the year. Due to heightened COVID-19 numbers across the district the sale was closed to the public, but a large volume of cattle and money crossed the sales barn floor as thousands of head of cattle were sold. A bright, sunshiny day also meant the cattle in the pens surrounding the barn got to enjoy the weather. The next cattle sale is scheduled for August 28. – Ken Kellar photos

get things done,” Brielmann said. “We have to keep things simple, yet fancy enough to do what we need it to do. It’s a balance.” Coupled with the technological advancements are safety features, Brielmann said. For example, the person operating the sprayer has to hit the park brake button if they want to get off. Otherwise, the ladder in the front does not go down and you psychically cannot get off the machine. Brielmann said he has a GPS on the equipment that helps the person operating it drive for longer without getting tired.

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get work done within a short window. “Technology is not taking away jobs from the district,” Brielmann said. This just supplements when I can’t find someone. [The technology] helps me out.” Despite the immense advantages they bring, technological advances also have their share of prescribed downsides. Even though technology helps with everyday tasks, Bliss said the problem is that they have become very reliant on it. “It becomes very challenging right now when there is an issue,” Bliss said. “You say ‘Oh, how did I do this prior to having a camera,’” she chuckled.

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C10 FORT FRANCES TIMES

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Tile drainage projects weather the year of COVID

By Ken Kellar Local Journalism Initiative reporter kkellar@fortfrances.com You might drive by a field and not even know its there, but rest assured that tile drainage is making a big impact on how business is done in the local agriculture sector. Tile drainage, for those not in the know, is the practice of installing a large system of pipes or tubes beneath a field used to grow crops in order to control water levels to allow those crops to grow more efficiently. The name comes from the original practice of using ceramic tiles to create the channel for water to flow, but modern advances have made PVC plastics the more common and efficient material to use for the drainage pipes.

The Rainy River Future Development Corporation (RRFDC) has been all in on tile drainage projects in the district for several years now, helping to increase the yields of farmer’s fields which in turn injects more money into local economies. RRFDC executive director Geoff Gillon noted that the organization has seen several projects completed in that time, with more to finish this year and in the future. “Kind of like a snowball going down a hill, the more people see what’s going on and say ‘oh, those guys are doing this so we’ll do it.’” Gillon explained. “We’ve got lots of smaller farms that are doing 50 to 100 acres. When I look at what we’ve done, a lot of things we do they come and they go, but the tile drainage, across six projects when they’re

completed is 11,618 acres that will be tiled, and they’re basically distributed from Alberton to Dawson, with Dawson having over 7,000 acres there.” The tile drainage projects are also a significant investment in the district, according to Gillon. He explained that the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) provides $500 per acre to a producer who wants to tile their field. Since the cost is roughly $1,300 per acre to tile, and the NOHFC money is a reimbursement, Gillon said there’s been roughly $15-million invested by local farmers into these tile drainage projects. “The producers of the district have invested their own money of $9.2-million,” Gillon said. “That’s not counting machinery, storage bins, ditching, some of them had to put main lines in for the water distribution, that’s not part of the the per acre. I figure that’s another $5-million. If that was to have been built in Fort Frances, we’d all be going ‘oh my goodness.’ It’s a huge project, but it’s spread out over the whole district. It is a significant investment by the

agricultural community.” One of the boons of the tile drainage installation is that it hasn’t been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic like a majority of other projects have been. The installation of the drainage pipes is generally handled by one machine and doesn’t need to involve a large team like other construction projects, meaning that installation has been able to continue through 2020, and could continue in 2021 despite lingering lockdown orders. There’s also very little potential risk in having the tilers come do their work. “Even with COVID the tilers were able to come over and work,” Gillon said. “One tiler from Manitoba has been given permission from both governments to come and go. They get here and they rent a camp and all they do is go to the camp and go to the fields. They’re not wandering around and doing anything, no public gatherings or anything like that. So they were able to tile last summer and we expect they’ll be able to tile this summer.” With six projects approved and underway, and a seventh

tile drainage project coming through the NOHFC, Gillon said there’s still room for other producers in the area looking to expand their viability for cash crops to get in on the action, so to speak. “The big positive news on our point is, if you look at the new NOHFC, they’ve separated out tile drainage as a specific application,” he said. “That leaves us the expectation the NOHFC is prepared to accept a few more applications over the

next couple of year.s That all depends on if we complete the ones we have and if there are enough producers. To do an application to NOHFC we need roughly 1,900 acres in a project and anywhere from six to 12 producers. From an economic development agriculture point of view it’s been a real success for the district. Now our hope is that someone somewhere will start to use that local grain, we just have to keep our fingers crossed and keep working.”

facilitate regarding agricultural plastics. The first step is raising awareness of compacting everything and the need to get municipalities on board. “First we have to familiarize our producers and farmers of what the compactor does and how it changes the environmental footprint in our landfill,” Teeple said. “There are two ways that farmers are getting rid of the plastics.” Some are burning the plastics and the others are hauling them to the municipal landfills, two practices Teeple deemed not good for the environment. “If we can have these

plastics put into a compactor, compacted and then tied in big cubes of plastic, then there are programs that we can avail ourselves of where they will pick these up,” Teeple said. “It’ll then be taken to a processor or recycler and they would be able to be used again.” Teeple said sustainable practices require education around familiarizing local farmers on what compactors can do for them. “Change is slow and we’re willing to accept,” Teeple said. “There is an awareness in agriculture of our impact and how we need to be sustainable. We’re making positive change in our environment.”

Pilot project targets agricultural plastic waste By Merna Emara Staff Writer memara@fortfrances.com There is a global movement now to decrease the use of plastics that would otherwise end up in landfills. This includes plastic straws, shopping bags and plastic cutlery. However, in certain circumstances it can be hard to make changes pertaining to plastics usage, especially in agriculture. While completely slamming the brakes on plastic usage is a future goal, properly disposing of them is a first step in the right direction. Lisa Teeple, president of the Rainy River Federation of Agriculture, said the farmers are still using hay wraps. However, they are using a net wrap instead of twine to roll the hay bales, Teeple added. “This a better way of wrapping it tighter,” Teeple said. “It also helps keep the rain

Sp±in g

and animals away from it and improves the storage of your crop.” The disposal of bale wrappers inspired a pilot project in order to better educate farmers in the Rainy River District on ways to best recycle plastics. Bernie Zimmerman, a member service representative with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, said they have two compactors in the region. A compactor’s job is to bale loose plastics into dense bales, which could be delivered to a local collection point prior to consolidation for transport, according to a fact sheet by the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA). A single compactor costs about $900. This includes the compactor itself and the shipping costs and participating in the pilot project itself. Support and resources will be provided to

make the bale. The only cost that will be levied on farmers will be the purchase of the compactor itself and any indirect costs related to making the bale and dropping it off. “We’re working with two producers with two compactors to try and educate the [farmers] and make this option viable for the producers to be able to keep plastics out of the landfill,” Zimmerman said. “Agriculture only makes up about five per cent of the waste plastic but it’s unfortunately the most visible because people drive by and see it out in their fields.” One compactor can compress 500 hay bales into one single 1,000-pound bale ready for market. Although a pilot project is under the works in order to develop and consolidate bales from northern Ontario. For the time being, compacting bales is more environmentally friendly

than burying, burning or dumping them in the landfill. According to a report by NOFIA, agriculture in northern communities is a key economic driver in the provincial economy. With about 12,220 jobs and $589 million in GDP, the agricultural sector continues to grow with northern farm receipts increasing from $182 million in 2006 to $206 million in 2017. However, this growth is coupled with an expected increase in plastic waste from agricultural practices. Annual recoverable and recyclable agricultural plastic waste is estimated to be about 819 tonnes and is expected to increase to 941 tonnes by the end of 2022. The Rainy River District accounts for about 95 tonnes of agricultural plastics. Teeple said the Federation of Agriculture has two plans of action they are hoping to

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

FORT FRANCES TIMES C11

Development of the Rainy River Valley By Jack Elliott There were not always people in the Rainy River Valley. By 20,000 years ago The Laurentide Glacier was two miles thick and it and earlier repeated glaciations had scraped and scoured the Rainy River Valley and its surrounding regions down to the bedrock of the Canadian Shield. Then the climate warmed and it began to melt. Colonization of the region began. The History Museum of Canada (https://www. historymuseum.ca/cmc/ exhibitions/archeo/hnpc/ npint01e.htm) provides an extensive base for the various theories on how and when the First Peoples made their way into the Americas. It is a history shrouded in the mists of time with more tantalizing clues being discovered as DNA delves into our genetic origins and science reveals the history of climate fluctuations It is likely that the first people to colonize North America were just moving across the Bering Land Bridge from Asia when Lake Agassiz started to form. Archeological Geology studies have identified that a great glacial lake formed over much of what is now Manitoba, Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Northwestern Ontario. When it started melting the southern high water shoreline, the Herman lake stage (335 metres (1,099 ft)), the highest shoreline of Lake Agassiz formed through what is now Herman, MN, some 430 km ssw of Rainy River, ON. The Rainy River Valley was under water. This was about 13,000 years ago. Over the next several thousand years the Laurentide Glaciers contracted and expanded several times closing and opening the drainage of Lake Agassi to the variously the northwest, the east and the south, and merged with what was Lake Ojibwa that ran along the Southern boundary of Northern Ontario emptying down the Ottawa valley into the St Lawrence Lowlands. As the ice continued to melt Lake Agassiz finally flushed into Hudson’s Bay about 8,500 years ago. Details of Lake Agassiz history make fascinating reading on Wikipedia. As the lce Sheet melted huge deposits of soils were deposited from moraines at the edge of the glaciers, sediments in the water, and eskers, the remains of river beds that once flowed across the ice itself. Overburdens of a hundred feet are not uncommon in the Rainy River Valley, while sediments in the Red River Gumbo around Winnipeg, MB are over 1000 ft deep in areas. Shorelines of the Lake as levels changed have been extensively mapped Even as Lake Agassiz formed and repeatedly receded and expanded it is unclear how quickly this area of the continent was colonized by the

Road building courtesy of the Tenner Collection

first peoples. It took a long time for the land to recover from glaciations. Climate swings were dramatic from droughts of decades and centuries, to very high and low temperature swings again lasting decades and centuries. Huge bogs in northern Minnesota provided little in the way of food resources. Great herds of gazing animals that populated the central plains grasslands and provided resources to the first peoples seem to not have extended east much beyond the Red River Valley. Early cultures to colonize the Rainy River Valley have been called the Laurel and Blackduck Cultures. Where they came from and what happened to them is speculation. Identified more by the pottery they developed than by any particular clan or tribe they appear to have spread into the area. It is speculated the Laurel Culture is of the Algonquin origin which colonized from the east and southeast established the Mounds at the Long Sault Rapids on the Rainy River at and around what is now KayNah-Chi-Wah-Nung National Historic Site of Canada. The Blackduck Culture appears to have developed by peoples moving in from the south and west of Yankton or Sioux peoples. Their burial mounds were similar but lower and longer. There are oral traditions and histories of these two and perhaps other cultures trading, co-existing and warring with each other over the centuries. By the time European explorers and fur traders reached this area, the current Ojibwa peoples were dominant here, to the east and west and northward into Manitoba, while the Sioux dominated to the south and west. Certainly this was at the centre of an extensive trading network with artifacts from obsidian from Yellowstone. copper from Lake Superior and shells from the Gulf of Mexico identified at archeological sites. For centuries the rich resources of sturgeon that had developed in the Rainy River and the harvesting of wild rice and other plants and animals provided food resources that supported vibrant, thriving cultures, at mainly seasonal and semi-permanent settlements in the Oak Savannahs along the Rainy River. Some agriculture

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of the combination mixed planting of corn, beans, and squash are in evidence as far north as Lockport, Manitoba. Then the Europeans came. The disturbance of Indigenous Burial Mounds and Ceremonial locations by relic hunters has damaged and desecrated many historical sites and resulted in the prohibition of continued de-excavation of these Native American treasures. Hopefully ongoing dialogue will result in the reopening of site investigation with the proper care and respect these sites deserve. There are thousands of years of history here, the knowledge of which will enrich us all. The exploration of the country by both the French fur traders from Quebec and the English through the Hudson’s Bay Company had a massive impact. It brought valuable goods and technology to the Native Peoples, but it also brought diseases and alcohol, scourges that devastated and very nearly wiped out Indigenous Peoples. Settlement by Europeans was mostly limited to traders, and their Métis offspring. Major European or white settlement did not really happen until the prairies from Manitoba west were opened to agriculture and the rich timber resources of the Rainy River Valley were recognized. Prior to the arrival of the railroad in 1902, most white settlers arrived by CP rail at Rat Portage and then by steamboat across Lake of the Woods and up the Rainy River. Homesteads sprang up mostly along the River. First Nation peoples who were friendly to, and welcomed the white settlers were marginalized, dispossessed of their lands and forced/coerced onto reserves at Manitou Rapids and Couchiching. Sites they had once held and lived at seasonally and semi permanently all along the River were taken over by white settlers and only recently has the ownership and protection of some of these sites been restored to the First Nations With the arrival of the railroad in 1902 sawmills at Beaver Mills then Rainy River sprang up to harvest the massive stands of White Pine covering the Valley. Europeans poured in, many from across the Atlantic, but also a large influx from the

U.S. Many U.S. Settlers came up from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota following the frontier harvesting of their own White Pine forests that were now mainly gone… used up in the construction of U.S. Midwest towns and cities, following the Civil war, cities like Chicago and Milwaukee. Some settlers came in from the Dakotas and Nebraska when they were blown out of there by extreme drought conditions that occurred in the late 1800s. On October 7, 1910 a massive forest fire that had been burning for much of the summer in Minnesota destroyed most of Baudette and Spooner, Mn and jumped the river destroying mills and lumber in Beaver Mills and Rainy River. Many lives particularly of settlers west of Baudette - were lost, but the long term economic loss was the huge stands of White Pine across the valley. Lumber harvesting for the next two years was frantic as record breaking amounts of fire-killed timber were harvested to salvage some of the resource. But after two years it was basically over and the lumber industry faded from the Town of Rainy River. The stump farms of the Rainy River Valley with the harvesting or burning of their timber resources turned to agriculture for a subsistence income. Horse power continued as the major source power in the forestry and on the farm. Good quality horse hay was a cash crop harvested loose in the summer season, and stored in barns, often located close to the rail line. In winter a hay press, a stationery wire tie bailer would travel around, compacting the hay that was loaded in box cars, and shipped east to feed horses in bush camps. It was a rare source of cash money. Cream and cheese factories were located across the Valley and many a family subsisted on what they grew themselves with the cream cheque and perhaps a pulpwood strip providing the only cash money. The population and economy of the Valley continued to expand through the twenties as more immigrants from Europe moved into the area. The Depression and the Dirty Thirties ironically gave the valley another boost as homesteaders blown out of the dust bowls of Saskatchewan and the Dakota’s came looking for relief from the droughts. By the end of the thirties basically every quarter section had a home on it. Times were tough, but at least you could grow enough to feed your family and cut enough firewood to heat your home. Hard up yes, but not the desperation of the dust bowls or our cities. Then WW II came and things changed again… dramatically. Young men and women left in droves to join the war effort

Family and small farms are vital to our economy and well being.

either in the factories or the armed forces. Many made the ultimate sacrifice and many who survived returned home only briefly. They had seen the wider world and were off to explore it. Farms were deserted or left underutilized. A wave of post war immigrants many from Holland and Germany arrived to spur the development of the dairy industry. They came from societies where land ownership was only a fanciful dream. Here it was a reality and they worked hard and succeeded. Programs like ARDA bought up surplus vacant farmland encouraging marginal producers to seek other

restrictions have prevented the export of cattle to the U.S.- once for foot and mouth disease and once for mad cow. Both were devastating. The Rainy River Cattlemen’s Feeder Sales and the Rainy River Abattoir were both established to help covercome such obstacles. Still beef farmers all face the same problem, “How to support the capital cost of a modern operation without some off-farm income support? A definite challenge.” Growing cash crop cereal grains and oilseeds has always been a challenge in the Rainy River Valley. Several attempts going back into the 20s and 30s and again in Binder with sheaves courtesy of the Tenner Collection

employment opportunities and allowing other farms to expand their land base to make an economic unit. Dairy farming thrived but has steadily declined since the late 80s when changing markets and production quotas moved much of that industry to southern Ontario. From several dozen dairy farmers we have now dropped to a handful. All of the milk processing plants are long gone. The production of beef post WW II has steadily increased with cow calf operations expanding from a typically 20-30 cow herd to operations of 100 or more head of breeding stock. Many of the operators were former dairy operations, others expanding local farms or their descendants, still other transplants from southern Ontario or across the Atlantic. Our isolation places special challenges on the livestock industry. At least twice border

the 70s to improve surface drainage were only marginally successful. Mother Nature with seasonally heavy rains in June or at harvest time spelled ruin for many a grain crop. Bumper crops of cereals, flax, and canola all suffered from seasonal deluges. More recently massive investments in tile drainage, machinery, and infrastructure have provided a major boost to the certainty of being able to successfully grow a wide range of annual crops. Agricultural economics, ongoing climate change, international borders, population migrations, and resource industries will all play a major role in the continued growth, prosperity or decline in agriculture and the Rainy River Valley. We are just the current occupants of this few seconds of geological time here. Who will be the next colonists of the Rainy River Valley?

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C12 FORT FRANCES TIMES

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Cock-a-doodle-doos and don’ts of having backyard chickens

Spry said she has seen the trend to have backyard chickens grow in the last few years. In 2016, the Town of Fort Frances passed a bylaw allowing residents to raise backyard chickens, with some restrictions. No roosters are allowed although if you still have a rooster from 2016 you can keep it but not repurchase another. There are also rules governing coop size, location, food and

By Natali Trivuncic Staff Writer ntrivuncic@fortfrances.com No longer do you need acres of land to house chickens. Now with sleepy eyes you can stumble to your backyard in the morning to get fresh eggs for breakfast. Backyard chickens have been a growing trend in recent years with more people looking to incorporate a farm-to-table way of life. Leanne Spry, owner of Spry Farms, said having fresh eggs readily available is not the only great aspect to having chickens. “Chickens are also lovely little pets and they’re pretty low maintenance,” Spry said. “I would suggest that anybody who wants to have a little flock go out and get some. They may not be for everyone, but I think they’re great.” There are many different breeds of chickens, but they can all be separated into three general categories: laying, meat producing and dual-purpose, which are the best as backyard chickens because they are hardy and self-reliant. Spry said chickens can manage well in small spaces which is why they are suitable for backyards but that if you plan to let them roam free, do not be attached to your flowerbeds because they love fresh dirt. Spry adds that some breeds can stay in their coop all winter long, as long as they are dry and free from draft. “I love Silkies, they are the perfect chicken to me,” Spry said “They have small eggs, but

manure storage. Also, you cannot slaughter the chickens yourself or sell their eggs. Laurel Mose who works at Emo Feeds, said chicks have been in demand and they have had a significant increase in orders compared to last year. “I think with everybody staying at home they’re finding different hobbies,” Mose said. Mose said they started selling ready to lay chickens as well as

chicks for those who want to skip raising the chicks and get right to laying, but adds that chicks are still more popular. They have over 1,000 orders for chicks and chickens set up and that is only for one week, Mose added. Whether you want their eggs or company, raising chickens has proven to be an interesting and rewarding undertaking.

Waylon and Henry Spry love their chickens, especially a Silkie named Princess Peach. they last all year round even when our other girls slowdown in the winter months. I also really enjoy Buff Orpington. Those are my top two and both are winter hardy, so they do pretty well in our climate.” Spry said it is also important for the chickens to have calcium supplements, adding that oyster shells are good for them or you can even feed them their own eggshells. This helps them to have a nice hard shell on their eggs. Like getting a cat or dog, Spry said you have to make sure that having chickens is what you really want. Spry said you should have a backup plan if you decide chickens are not for you whether that is re-hosting or eating them, but she stressed the importance of not setting them free in the wild. “There needs to be a certain level of commitment that people take when they take on a bird because they’re living beings, you’re responsible for them. You took that responsibility,” Spry said.

Leanne Donaldson from Devlin has had chickens for 15 years. “We live on a small farm and it just seemed like a good way to have our own eggs,” Donaldson said. “I think they’re healthier. You know exactly what they’re eating.” Donaldson said they get new chicks each year and sell around 10 of the older ones, adding that they usually have 30 chickens all together. While this is a little more than someone with a regular backyard could host, Spry said it is important to have at least four chicks. “They’re meant to be in a flock, not solitary, not a pair,” Spry said. “They’re not meant to be alone, and they keep each other company. They will warn each other if there are predators and keep an eye out for each other.” Spry said they can cost anywhere from $3 to $10 a chick, adding that the most expensive part is the feed and the coop, depending on how elaborate you want it to be.

Purity Seeds Limited is a Seed and Farm Supply outlet, growing much of its own products. Purity Seeds Limited produces certified soybean seed as well as cereal crops. It is the only Agriculture Canada authorized seed cleaning facility in Northwestern Ontario. Distributors for NorthStar Seed - we carry a complete line of NorthStar annual and perennial forage seed products including alfalfas, legumes, grasses, annual cover crops and lawn seed blends. Custom blends at no extra charge.

CHAMBLY BARLEY, 6-row

HAYMAKER OATS

BOURKE R2X SOYBEAN

• Highest yielder at Lakehead University Agricultural research station • Good Straw yield • Excellent supplies

• “The” forage oat (Limited supply)

• 2400 HU • Straw strength is great with pods high off the ground • 106% of check in MB yield guide • Orders are booking fast

ARBORG OATS • Dual purpose oat • Outstanding yield • Good supply available

8044 Hwy 602, Emo, ON P0W 1E0 | Cell (807) 707-3717 | Office (807) 482-2420 dave.schraa@purityseeds.ca | www.purityseeds.ca

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