Small Farmer's Journal

Where have all the bees gone? Many who care deeply are searching. Clues are floating to the surface. I see parallels with the human condition of late. Not to suggest that we live in colonies which are collapsing, but rather that if we did live in colonies or clusters or like-minded swarms we would be better insulated against what seems to be heading our way. We actually live tod...

Despite a search through my collection of dictionaries I could not find the word “bran sack.” Yet that is what my father and other farmers of his generation and my husband’s generation called the burlap sacking that grain was sold in at the local grain stores. Today a true grain store with mountains of fragrant smelling bags piled up to the ceiling is as rare as the burlap sacks.

This event could not be held if it weren’t for the volunteers and sponsors that make it all possible. With sincere gratitude to the many and generous individuals who helped bring our 2008 Plowing Contest from the beginning to end, I want to say “Thank you.” To all my plowing friends, I say “See you next year and bring a friend.”

My own woodlot has suffered from past “poor practices.” My neighbour told me that he had purchased the property in the early 1940’s. The winter he acquired the land he also bought a truck. He proceeded to cut enough trees off the property to pay for both. His next plan of action was to pasture cattle in the woodlot. The woodlot was pastured into the 1970’s.

When the dairy herd was sold in 1976 the decision had been made to lean heavily on horses for our mixed-power diversification. Equipment drawn by a Farmall C or a Ford 8N could be handled by a pair of horses. The trailing and ground-driven implements which required a forty or fifty horse-power tractor presented a dilemma. We chose to keep these tools and to employ three horses a...