EDITORIAL

Rural people power

Rural residents viewing the fabric of their lives frayed by winds of change can either watch it shred in the breeze or get out the needle and thread.

The latter course can take some monumental effort - and creativity - but some recent developments province-wide suggest it won't be for naught.

Last March in Keene (population 207), 20 km south of Peterborough, area residents learned the town's Toronto Dominion Bank branch was to close after 95 years in business. Perhaps sensing the inevitability of the big bank's move, locals didn't stand and fight. Rather, they ran for an alternative.

Following a concerted letter-writing campaign - and engaging the local media - the town convinced Peterborough-based Kawartha Credit Union to open a part-time branch in Keene.

Wardsville-area residents conducted the same sort of drive when the local Bank of Montreal shut its doors, wooing Thamesville Community Credit Union to the old Bank of Montreal building.

Seeley's Bay, 40 km northeast of Kingston, stood to lose the services of its long-time family doctor due to his deteriorating health. Area resident Deb McCann spearheaded a community effort to attract new doctors to town, advertising in the Ontario Medical Association Journal, on the Internet, participating in the health ministry's annual "job fair" tour of medical schools and, says McCann, "trying to get as much media attention as we could."

Ultimately, she hoped Seeley's Bay would qualify for the health ministry's Underserviced Area program (UAP), which provides recruitment assistance and financial support to qualifying locales. That didn't happen, but McCann and her committee didn't give up. They arranged for a local developer to commit some unleased space in a new building for doctors' offices; the township came through with some money to cover the rent; in a spring when ice storm damage put holes in a lot of pocketbooks a direct mail campaign and charity auction raised close to $40,000, which was spent on equipping, furnishing and decorating the offices.

Two doctors opened shared offices on July 22, impressed as much with the community's spirit and efforts as with the opportunity for a change in lifestyle, says Seeley's Bay Medical Office manager Margaret Copeland, who moved into the community at the same time. The doctors have since acquired 700 patients.

Banks and hospitals are integral parts of rural communities. Keene, Wardsville and Seeley's Bay are but a few examples of how communities can cope in an era of corporate concentration and government restructuring.

© copyright 1998 Agricultural Publishing Company Limited.


back

OPINION

The joys of harvest

Fall is one of my favourite times on the farm. Not only are you reaping the rewards of a busy planting season, but you know that a well-deserved break awaits everyone once the combining and plowing are complete.

These past few months have been witness to some of the best growing weather we have seen in some time. Due to an early spring, as I write this mid-September our beans and corn are about ready to harvest. That's a terrific bonus - it means not having to battle early snowfalls in October or freezing temperatures.

I also love to see how various gardeners and creative people adorn their yards with the fruits of the harvest. My sister-in-law, Shelley, is particularly creative with her home-grown gourds and pumpkins, including various home-made scarecrows that are strategically placed among her flowers and trees. She totally embraces and celebrates the fall season - so much so, passersby slow down to take in all the eye-catching scenery around the farmhouse. Our children take great delight in the costumed figures, too.

The crisp mornings are almost magical with their low-lying mists and beams of sunlight washing over the bright reds, yellows and oranges of the changing leaves. As I wait with the children for the morning school bus, we can see our breath and feel the nip in the air and realize nature is getting ready for a long winter's nap.

The fall also brings with it our much-loved annual Metcalfe Fair. Rather than dying out with the times, our country fair has taken on new life thanks to the hard work of many volunteers. The fair has been carefully planned to blend both traditional events such as the annual 4-H competition, the various horse shows and home craft and baking competitions along with a smash-up derby, concerts and snowmobile drag races on grass. The various events serve to draw out a good mixture of people, and they, in turn, stay to take in all of the exhibits the fair has to offer.

As part of a family that earns its keep from farming, I take great pleasure in seeing all the school-aged children and city folk strolling through the agricultural displays and demonstrations. The milking demonstrations never fail to amuse the children, nor does the array of animals reaching through their pens for treats or pats on the head. Over the last few decades children have become quite distanced from the working farm, even in rural areas where the number of farms has declined. Where once the majority of our school's population came from family farms, this just isn't the case anymore. And this means fewer children understand or appreciate the genesis of their grocery items.

Not only does our fair boast an extensive educational exhibit on agriculture that's both fun and informative, it also showcases the evolution of farm practices from hot-shoeing horses to steam engines and antique tractors. The powerful and shiny new farm equipment never fails to wow the children, too, and they love nothing better than sitting in the driver's seat of a mammoth machine.

The children can also see and feel the majestic heavy horses in action as the proud animals prance past the grandstands with their wagons. I can't see those huge animals with their powerful necks and shoulders being any less awe-inspiring to the kids than the new tractors. It must lead the children to imagine how very different it was to work all day in the fields and forests with such gentle giants.

Country fairs such as ours play a vital role in educating people of all ages about the source of their food, in the past, present and in the future. We should do what we can as farmers to ensure their continued success. In the end, it will mean the continued success of our agricultural industries and a healthy, self-sufficient country.

Embrace fall's beauty everyone, and look forward to the welcomed winter rest!
Maggie Melenhorst is part of a family dairy operation in Kenmore

© copyright 1998 Agricultural Publishing Company Limited.


back