A book signing is scheduled for April 23 in Zurich
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
A trio of authors and photographers from Ontario highlight family farms in their new book.
Bonnie Sitter, Telfer Wegg and Fred Helwig created Agriculture Today: A Portrait of Family Farms in Ontario, a 160 page book consisting of 319 pictures taken on farms throughout Grey, Bruce, Huron, Perth and Wellington counties, and other rural regions of Ontario.
The book includes up-to-date statistics on various ag-related items and spotlights one family farm from each county.
Farms.com caught up with two of the book’s creators to discuss their backgrounds and the project’s goals.
Farms.com (Farms): Outside of this book, what is your connection to agriculture?
Bonnie Sitter (BS): I grew up on the edge of the town of Exeter and my father was a poultry doctor. He sold Dr. Salsbury’s poultry medicines, diagnosed poultry, prescribed medicine, sexed chicks and vaccinated them.
He was also a commercial sprayer and I went with him to different farms. I helped whitewash barns and much of my childhood was spent helping him on farms. I learned how to do budding and grafting on fruit trees and sold the fruit on our front lawn.
Telfer Wegg (TW): I grew up on a dairy farm in York County and went to the Ontario Agricultural College. I graduated with a degree in animal science in 1962. My grandparents sold the farm so I went into teaching until 1996.
Farms: What can people expect when they pick up the book?
BS: It’s a real snapshot of what agriculture is like now. (Agriculture) wasn’t like this 50 years ago and it won’t be like this 50 years from now. It’s a real historical document, not just an educational document.
TW: (Readers are) going to see all the commodities mentioned with pictures showing how farmers operate. There’s quite a few factoids about how much (of our crops) are exported and marketed, and interesting facts about livestock.
Farms: As you toured the various farms, what stood out to you?
BS: How many talents farmers need. They have to be chemists, accountants and mechanics. They need to understand getting the equipment installed, keeping it running, dealing with government paperwork and knowing who to call when there’s problems. It’s very impressive.
TW: (Agriculture) is so related to technology now that I think it becomes a great career opportunity for young people.
Photos courtesy of Tefler Wegg
Farms: How have people without a direct connection to agriculture responded to the book?
BS: People in the city are so interested that 240 cows can be milked on a rotary milker each hour, but don’t have a concept of the effort and knowledge a farmer needs to perform those tasks.
Children love the pictures and (the book) brings back memories for some seniors.
TW: I had one friend from the city tell me they had all of their questions answered and some they didn’t even know they had. Many people are interested in agriculture but have no clue what some commodities look like or what some equipment it used for.
Farms: How can the book help the next generation of Ontario producers?
BS: A director from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture looked at it and said the book needs to be in every school. The Minister of Agriculture needs to buy the book and make sure it is in every school.
TW: Right now it’s a shame how agriculture is downplayed in high school. Guidance councillors think students don’t want to farm. Well, why not? I’m impressed with the young people coming into agriculture. Maybe there’s not enough of them but the ones that are (in the industry) seem to be pretty sharp.
Sitter, Wegg and Helwig will launch the book at a signing at Hay Hall in Zurich from 1-3 p.m. on April 23. Copies can be purchased for $45.