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Bradford Witness Agriculture
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History of WI activities recounted on anniversary

"Mrs. Austin Zoeller, vice president of the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada, speaking last Wednesday night at the 50th anniversary of Bradford Women's Institute said, 'There is no other organization like the W.I. in the whole wide world.' She recalled the W.I. was born on tragedy--the death of a child from drinking impure milk. Mrs. Adelaide Hoodless, the founder of the W.I. was the mother of the child. Mrs. Zoeller told how the secretary of the Farmer's Institute, Erland Lee at Stoney Creek, Ontario, promoted hearing a woman speaker against the wishes of his all-men organization. Mrs. Hoodless, that speaker, made a dynamic speech. Lee told the men after if they believed it important to have an organization to learn how to feed their animals, then it was equally important their wives had an organization to educate themselves on how to feed their families."

George Jackson

Farmers on the warpath

"About 50 Holland Marsh farmers are suing the Townships of West Gwillimbury and King, claiming damage to crops in August because of flooding. The farmers served notice of their intentions through their lawyers last month, saying the two municipalities neglected to clean the Schomberg River, and that the pumps at a pumping station didn't work during the heavy rain of August 16. The petition signed by the farmers was sent to the councils by their lawyer Norman Borins of Toronto. It states that because of the failure of the pumphouse much of the land near or level with the river was covered with water. King Mayor Margaret Britnell said the township has no obligation to the farmers because the cleaning of the canal and pumping operations are under the jurisdiction of the Holland Marsh Drainage Commission. Council agreed to receive the letter and send it on to the commission. West Gwillimbury council has referred the matter to the township's insurance company, Frank Cowan Company Limited."

John Slykhuis

Public visits research centre

"Visitors from as far away as Idaho came to the open house at the Muck Research Station in the Holland Marsh last Friday. A steady stream of farmers, growers, salesmen and students toured the nine-acre site loaded with exhibits and test crops. The research station has served the area since the late 1940's, testing various crops, fertilizers, and chemicals used on muck crops. The station is headed by senior muck crops specialist Matt Valk, with Edo Knibbe as the agricultural technician, and staff members Fred Weening, Dave Walton, Eleanor Wall and Maureen Evans. The annual open house was blessed with warm, sunny weather."

John Slykhuis

Harvest time

"Mary Novosad uses an old wooden wheelbarrow to carry two bushels of potatoes from her garden in Bradford. This is a time of hard work as she and her husband, Steve, grow several types of vegetables behind their Morris Road home."

Bradford Witness

The harvest

"The Toronto Telegram, now defunct, ran this week's photographs in the 1950s, showing the Holland Marsh harvest. Even then the marsh was prized for its productivity and the great opportunities for employment it provided. The photos are included in a collection at the Simcoe County Museum in Midhurst."

Bradford Witness

Retirement party

"Leo Catania (centre) accepts congratulations from his wife, Wilma, and his former boss, Jack McInally, at his retirement party last week. Mr. McInally holds a plaque with model inspection tools which was one of the gifts Mr. Catania received. He was director of the farm products inspection service of the provincial Ministry of Agriculture."

Bradford Witness

4-H winners

"Three of top winners at the South Simcoe 4-H banquet in Beeton pose with their awards. Left to right: Marianne Reynolds, high Beeton 4-H member, Carol Rintoul of Tottenham, top novice judge, and outstanding junior member; and John Rutten of Loretto, top swine club member in South Simcoe. At rear is Bill Brethet, a leader of the 4-H Dairy Club."

Bradford Witness

Milk deliveries

"Remember when milk used to be delivered this way? Herbert Fraser used to do the rounds for the entire town of Bradford back in the 1940s and 50s until about 1956. His daughter, Mrs. Doris Church, who submitted these photos, recalls that her father would get up at 2 a.m. to feed the horse and load the wagon. The dairy in town at that time, Cousins (south of the Royal Bank, now Ingoglia's), provided all the dairy products for Bradford. In winter, before the town plowed any of the roads, the sleigh would be pressed into service, Mrs. Church said. Mrs. Carol Lund, Mrs. Church's daughter, is the little girl in the photo."

Bradford Witness

Students harvest 'for the fun of it'

"'For the fun of it.' That's the reason Grade 9 student Sandra Smith gave as she and about 180 other young people from Bradford District High School (BDHS) pitched in last Wednesday to help six Holland Marsh farmers with the harvest. Sandra and her co-workers came to the rescue after hearing that many farmers are behind in their work because the wet summer and fall limited the use of heavy harvesting machinery. The students worked free of charge and earned the gratitude of the farmers, including Jack Van Es who asked some of them back on Saturday to work for pay. Walter Yarmoluk said the students harvested about $2,000 worth of onions for him, focusing mainly on land still too wet for machinery. Mr. Yarmoluk said he has never experienced such wet conditions in 32 years of farming, from 1938 to 1955 and from 1962 to the present. This year he lost three acres of carrots and two acres of beets because of the rain. The project had to be approved by the Simcoe County school board superintendent, according to Carrol Good, guidance teacher at BDHS. It was considered an emergency situation that is not likely to be repeated this year, she said."

Jim Dalziel