Past Events, 2001
Grenville Cattlemen's Bus Trip
August 22 & 23, 2001
This year's Grenville Cattlemen Annual Bus Trip took 38 people
aboard a Healy coach on a two-day jam-packed excursion of St. Jacobs and
area as well as points in between.
First stop on Wednesday morning was the Hastings County Plowing Match
and Farm Show. Over 250 exhibits as well as Nutrient management displays
and demos, family centre and horse drawn and antique tractor plowing kept
the group busy until the bus gathered everyone up. The next stop was Galton
Farms Feed Lot, a family run finishing facility feeding approximately
1200 head of beef cattle. Arthur Schickedanz and Andy Skinner guided us
through their operation. Arthur provided an optimistic view of the future
in beef in Ontario. An unexpected surprise of pastries and refreshments
followed. Our tour left the feedlot bound for the hotel at St. Jacobs.
We arrived just in time to get back on the bus for dinner in quaint Drayton
- north of St. Jacobs. Dinner was served by Kirks Catering in a lovely
century home owned by the Kirk family and was served country style. Platters
of beef and turkey with all the trimmings satisfied our farmer appetites.
Because we were running late for the theatre the hostess generously invited
us to return for desert after the play. And so we strolled to the theatre
to be entertained by the antics of a newlywed banker and his head clerk
in the British farce "No Sex Please - We're British". The play had most
every in stitches from laughter. It seemed no time at all before we were
strolling back to the home style deserts and coffee at Mrs. Kirk's.
Thursday was a free morning to tour the OLEX and Farmer's Market
and outlet stores all within walking distance of the hotel. The bus picked
everyone up at 12:00 and took a short tour of St. Jacobs with a stop at
Picards Peanuts before heading to Elmira. At Elmira we picked up
our tour guide. He gave us a glimpse of the Mennonite way of life and
many beautiful farms in the area. We also stopped at one for a brief while,
where the ladies displayed their beautiful quilts available for sale.
We then visited the site of the last remaining covered bridge in Ontario,
also known as "The Kissing Bridge" at West Montrose. The bridge was built
in 1881. A short drive from there we were met at he Elora Crop research
centre by Rick Upfold who escorted us through the field test plots.
Soybeans, alphalfa, canola, corn and weed management and testing were
some of the 800 acres that his department oversees. Rick described some
of the objectives and benefits of this type of Agricultural research.
We also got some insight as to how their machinery is obtained and maintained
and how the different departments interact.
Overall the trip was informative and fun and an exhausted but happy group
arrived home late Thursday night.
