Those Weathered Boards Remind Me - A Poem By J.P. Marentette

I consider myself lucky to have grown up on a farm near Comber, Ontario. I am now an elementary school teacher at Jack Miner Public School in the town of Kingsville, Ontario. Although teaching is now my profession, I have many fond
memories of life on the farm. About five years ago, I wrote a poem about the old barn that is still standing on our family farm. I regret that I was not able to share it with my father, Wilfrid Marentette, before he passed away at the age of 93. My father was a lifetime farmer and the barn was an important part of his life. The farm was worked by my brother Norman, who has since retired. Today, the land is rented out and the barn stands mostly empty. I am sure there are many people that can relate to the sentiments expressed in the poem that is titled, “Those Weathered Boards Remind Me.” I hope that it will bring enjoyment to many readers and perhaps even bring back special memories of their own.

Those Weathered Boards Remind Me

Out in the country

South off Highway 2

Half a mile down a side road

A farm comes into view

There stands the homestead

The place where I was raised

And the old barn that’s still standing there

Really shows its age

The boards are worn and weathered

Time seems to have a way

Walls, once a brilliant red

Are faded now to grey

To a person from the city

Or a stranger driving passed

The barn has little meaning

A mere relic from the past

In this barn Dad made a living

As milk flowed from the cows

And the sweat of many a man

Raised hay into the mows

Though I was just a little boy

When the milking chores were done

As years went by and I grew older

It was a place for fun

With ropes for swinging, beams to climb

And forts built in the hay

Days spent in this rural playground

I treasure to this day

And the one day from my childhood

That stands out most of all

Was the day Dad bought my pony, “Prince”

And helping to prepare his stall

The barn stands mostly empty now

No chores are done today

There are no men hard at work

Or children as they play

The weathered boards are still standing

Sometimes, when I close my eyes

Scenes from the past flood my mind

And it’s then that I realize

To most who see it, it’s just an old barn

Of its value, they have no measure

But these scenes are a part of our family’s story

And it’s these scenes I’ll always treasure

By: J.P. Marentette

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by OntAG Admin on March 23, 2013 at 3:47pm: Nice poem.

RSS

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Map: Prairie Dryness, Drought Little Changed in May

Abnormal dryness and drought across Western Canada were little changed in May compared to a month earlier. The latest monthly update of the Canadian drought monitor shows 19% of Prairie agricultural lands were being impacted by abnormally dry or drought conditions as of the end of May. That is 2 points higher than the end of April but slightly below 21% at the end of March and sharply below 47% in February. Much of the Prairie Region received below to well below normal precipitation in May, with the Peace Region, south-central Saskatchewan, and southern Manitoba recording less than 25% of normal. On the last day of the month, however, a large storm system in Alberta produced 40 to 80 mm of precipitation alone. In east-central Alberta up to 300% of normal monthly precipitation fell in the one day. Significant rainfall was also recorded in western regions of Saskatchewan but at lower levels than in eastern Alberta, the monitor said. Temperatures were generally below normal across

U.S. Soybean Ending Stocks Steady

U.S. soybean ending stocks – both old and new-crop - were left unchanged in USDA’s June supply-demand update on Thursday. For 2026-27, USDA made no changes to the U.S. soybean balance sheet this month. Estimated production remained at 4.435 billion bu, up 173 million from 2025-26, while the crush was held at 2.75 billion bu and exports at 1.63 billion. With no changes, forecasted 2026-27 U.S. soybean ending stocks were left steady from May at 310 million, modestly below the average trade guess of 314 million bu. The USDA also kept the 2026-27 season-average farm price unchanged at $11.40/bu, up from the 2025-26 estimate of $10.40. For old-crop 2025-26 soybeans, the USDA raised crush by 20 million bu, citing stronger soybean meal exports and domestic meal use, while soybean oil use for biofuel was also increased. However, exports were lowered by 20 million bushels based on available U.S. Census data, offsetting the increase in crush and leaving ending stocks unchanged at 340 mi

Only Modest Adjustments for Old-, New-Crop U.S. Corn

The USDA left its 2026-27 U.S. corn outlook virtually unchanged this month, with the only supply-side change a 3 million-bu increase tied to a higher import forecast carried in from the old-crop balance sheet. In its June supply-demand update on Thursday, USDA left 2026-27 U.S. corn production unchanged at 15.995 billion bu, while all major demand categories were also steady. Feed and residual use was held at 6.1 billion bu, food, seed and industrial use at 6.955 billion, including 5.6 billion for ethanol, and exports at 3.15 billion. With no change in use, the small increase in 2026-27 beginning supplies carried directly into ending stocks, which were raised 3 million bu from May to 1.96 billion, slightly above the average pre-report trade guess of 1.942 billion. The season-average farm price was unchanged at $4.40/bu. Corn futures were trading about 7-8 cents/bu lower this afternoon, following the report’s noon hour EST release. For old-crop 2025-26, USDA also made only mo

Don’t miss June 12 deadline: Share your feedback on the Beef Cattle Code of Practice

Public comment period nearing close on proposed updates to national beef cattle care standards.The Beef Code outlines expected and recommended animal care practices for beef cattle. The public comment period is an opportunity for anyone who has an interest in how beef cattle are raised in Canada, including consumers, veterinarians, food service professionals, and producers, to review the draft content and share feedback. Feedback gathered through the public comment period is critical and helps determine the content of the final document. Strong producer feedback from all regions of Canada is an important step in this process. The Beef Code is meant to drive continuous improvement in animal welfare and is built to be scientifically informed, practical, and reflect societal expectations for responsible farm animal care. The Code uses an outcome-based approach that focuses on achieving successful standards while allowing for flexibility in how these outcomes are met rather than dictati

From the Government Desk: ABP keeping up momentum

Spring is always one of the best times of year in this business. Calving is underway, seed is going into the ground, and there’s a sense of momentum heading into the grazing season. This year, that momentum also includes a few policy wins worth noting. Strychnine is back in 2026! After its approval was pulled in 2023, producers have been searching for a useful option to control infestations of Richardson’s ground squirrel. If you’re impacted, you’ll know why this is a meaningful development. The rollout is still underway, with initial access expected toward the end of May. For some, that timing will miss the most effective spring window, which is frustrating. There is expected to be another opportunity later in the summer, but it won’t fully replace what many producers were hoping for this spring. That said, getting this approval across the line was no small task. This was very much an Alberta-led effort, with strong collaboration between cropping groups and ABP to build the case. A

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service