Local food is the new rage

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AWARD WINNERS OTTAWA VALLEY SEED GROWERS' MARCH 14, 2007

01 Brian, Robert Nation Valley Potato Growers' Trophy for the Championship Exhibitor of Potatoes Won byVogeldale Farms, Leeds County accepted by Max Vogel Presented by Daryl Acres	02 Gail, Jim, Susie, Grahame Class 1 Alcyon Oats - won by Barclay Dick & Son accepted by Jim Arbuckle, OVSGA Director Class 4 Sable Spring Wheat – won by Grahame & Steve Hardy, accepted by Grahame Hudson Class 8 OAC Championship Soybeans – won by Marc Bercier, Accepted by Susie LeSauteur
03 Brian Hudson, Bob Dick Barclay Dick Challenge Trophy for the best exhibit of Red Clover Won by Bruce & Brian Hudson, Carleton County accepted by Brian Hudson Presented by Bob Dick, OVSGA Director	04 Susie, Jim Lanark Mutual Insurance Company for the most points in the pedigreed Classes   Won by Marc Bercier, Prescott County accepted by Susie LeSauteur Presented by Jim Lowry
05 Gail, Grahame Robertson Associate Trophy awarded to the Champion Exhibitor in the Pedigreed Coarse Grain Classes Won by Grahame & Steve Hardy, Dundas County accepted by Grahame Hardy Presented by Gail Harris	06 Phil, Graham SECAN Trophy most points in Pedigreed Wheat Won by Grahame & Steve Hardy, Dundas County accepted by Grahame Hardy Presented by Gail Harris
07 Brent, Phil Bishop Farm Seeds Plaque Exhibitor winning championship in the Barley Class Won by Mount Airy Farm, Leeds County, accepted by Joe Modler Presented by Brent Cochrane	08 Gary, Keith Mrs Ed Wallace & Issac Wallace Challenge Trophy for the Championship Hay Exhibit Won by Gary Gordon, Frontenac County Presented by Keith Lackey, OVSGA Director
09 Brian, Jim Hal Botham Memorial Trophy warded annually to the Championship Exhibitor of Forage Seeds Won by Bruce & Brian Hudson, Carleton County accepted by Brian Hudson Presented by Jim Arbuckle, OVSGA Director	10 James, Keith OVSG challenge for the Champion exhibit of Haylage Won by James Foster, Lanark County Presented by Keith Matthie, OVSGA Director
11 Jim, Daniel E.H. Wallace Memorial Trophy for the Champion exhibit of Soybeans Won by Daniel Lillico, Dundas County Presented by Jim Arbuckle, OVSGA Director	12 Daryl, Max synAgri Trophy for Championship open & 4-H ear of Corn Won byVogeldale Farms, Leeds County accepted by Max Vogel Presented by Daryl Acres
13 Dave, Don Embrun Agricultural Co-Op Trophy for the Champion Exhibit of Shelled Corn Won by David & Allen Hess, Grenville County, accepted by David Hess Presented by Don Lortie	14 Lois, Mack, Trevor Mack & Lois James Award for the most points in the 4-H section field crop classes Won by Trevor McDiarmid, Dundas County Presented by Mack & Lois James
15 Gary, Bob Hay Quality Competition (Class 49 First Place won by Gary Gordon, Frontenac County Presented by Bob Dick, OVSGA Director	16 France, Bob Second Place won by Ferme Gascon accepted by France Gascon Presented by Bob Dick, OVSGA Director
17 John, Keith Special Export Hay (Class 50) 1st cut won by Rob Nanne, Twin Peaks Farm, Lanark County accepted by John Nanne Presented By Keith Matthie, OVSGA Director	18 Cecil, Keith 2nd cut won by Cassbrae farms, Prescott County accepted by Cecil Cass Presented By Keith Matthie, OVSGA Director
19 Melanie, John John Posthumus Award for the most points in the 4-H section Life Skills classes Won by Melanie Briscoe, Renfrew County Presented by John Posthumus

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     THEY SAID IT:       

"When people stop me on the street the first thing they want to know is when the (U.S.) border will open for live cattle over 30 months and for breeding stock."

--John Newman, North Gower beef farmer and executive member of the Ontario Cattlemen's Association.

OPINION 

• Local food is the new organic  Go to story
  Say you’re standing in your local grocery store in Peterborough looking at two kinds of apples. An organic apple from British Columbia and a conventional apple from Northumberland County. Which do you prefer? If you’re like me, you prefer the locally grown fruit. Most people do.

OPINION 

• Farmers asked to carry too much risk Go to story
  It is very difficult to avoid the natural instinct of doing what we have always done. In the past our fathers depended on the free market to provide for their families’ reward for hard work and innovation. Canadian Agriculture has become the hallmark of efficiency the world over. Our product quality is never in dispute. Given this stellar track record, why is Stats Canada reporting the worst consecutive years on record for our Agriculture sector?

 ARTICLES 

• Weather forecast doesn't always beat flip of the coin   Go to story
  Didn’t the weatherman say July was going to be warmer than normal? What’s going on?

• 24 people sick after eating cheese curds made from unpasteurized milk Go to story       A Russell County farmer found himself at the centre of an investigation after about 24 people developed bacterial infections from eating unpasteurized cheese curds made by a mobile cheese maker. Eight people consulted a physician.

• Woman dies in tractor rollover at Prescott area hobby farm Go to story
  Bonnie Robertson, 56, was killed when the tractor she was driving rolled over on her parents’ hobby farm on County Road 2, four km east of Johnstown, near Prescott.
   

• Choice farmland hits $4,000 an acre and more Go to story              
  Eastern Ontario farmland prices continue to creep upwards – rising between one and two per cent every six months — with top prices for the best farmland reaching $4,000 an acre and higher.

• Consumers want locally-grown food more than organic, Farmers Forum survey says Go to story              
  Would you prefer an imported organic apple or a local conventional one? An informal Farmers Forum survey found that the vast majority of people would choose the local product over an organic import.

• U.S. border to open for more Canadian cows-- but when exactly? Go to story  
  Beef farmer John Newman say he gets asked the same question everywhere he goes."When people stop me on the street the first thing they want to know is when the (U.S.) border will open for live cattle over 30 months and for breeding stock."

• New CAIS is coming but Ontario wants more Go to story  
  Federal agricultural minister Chuck Strahl met with farmers at meetings across the province in July, announcing an agreement in principle for a replacement to the Agricultural Policy Framework.

• Second big cattle shipment heads to Russia  Go to story  
  A second large shipment of Canadian cattle is expected to be in Russia, following a two-week journey. A shipment of 1,500 open and short-bred heifers were headed to two Russian farms as breeding stock.

Stories for our subscribers:
 

• $34,000 is top price at national red and white sale
  Norwood fairgrounds last month saw Canada’s first national red and white Holstein sale, reflecting increasing interest in colour preference.
   

• Innovator makes hemp bricks                                                           When eastern Ontario farmers plunged into hemp production a decade ago and then promptly jumped out, Grant Moorcroft stayed on with the dream of developing a hemp industry in Ontario. The problem, he explains, "is that the industry has little or virtually no infrastructure" and limited market.

• $500,000 cow wins Ontario open show          
  Nobody was surprised when Penlow Outside Georgette was named grand champion female at the Ontario Summer Show in Lindsay. She walks like a queen and has an udder a banker would love. A three-time All Canadian, she produced 16,112 kilograms of milk, 728 kilograms of fat and 502 kilograms of protein in her last lactation.
   

• McMillans dominate dairy classes, Enright sweeps the beef
  Three siblings sure made the dairy classes at the Eastern Breeders 4—H Showcase a family affair. As if Northumberland County’s Emma McMillan didn’t have enough to celebrate after winning the honour of grand champion showperson, she and her brothers, Ethan and Morgon, were named the top three competitors in the conformation class. Ethan, 15, was named grand champion, Emma, 17, won reserved champion and Morgan, 18, earned honourable mention.

• Mixed reaction to 8-billion BSE lawsuit
  Gloria Donneral, of Sunderland, was surprised to hear of the $8-billion class action suit against the federal government for the alleged mishandling of mad cow disease. But she’s going to climb on board.
   

• IPM will feature 82 acts on eight stages                               
  Jan Gravell coordinated the Festival of the Islands for 15 years, but after whittling 178 acts to 82 for the International Plowing Match (IPM), she says anything she’s done before now looks like a "backyard barbecue."

• 'Green' cheese plant on stream at Picton
  The Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company is building a 4,200 sq. ft. cheese factory in Prince Edward County. Production of small batches will begin in November and is expected to continue for several months until the plant works the gremlins out of the system.
   

• 40,000 chickens killed in fire       
  A fire at Burnbrae Farms, north of Brockville, left 40,000 chickens dead and over $1-million in damages.

• Pigeon on a plate? Starts at $40     
  Could hundreds of pigeons flying around an old barn be a good source of income? Joanne Brunet and her family at Gabru farm, east of Ottawa, hope it will. After hearing about this new way of farming, Brunet and her family decided to visit some pigeon farms. They liked what they saw and jumped in. "We were curious, we wanted to see if we could improve our income through pigeon farming," explained Brunet.