Lessons In Farming

I'm a young farmer. I can say that now - especially since just a couple of weeks ago we moved out to one of our family farms. This is a house my great-grandfather built in the early 1900's, and is the farm where the dry cows and heifers are kept. My mom and dad are a few kilometres away at the farm I grew up in - where the milking cows are.

As I get settled on the farm, I thought I'd share some of my experiences. Along the way I'd invite any and all pieces of advice I can get - as I start my farming career.

Putting a live racoon trap in the barn is easy. Catching a racoon instead of a cat is much, much harder. All summer there was an influx of racoons around the farm so it is no surprise that a few have found their way into the warmth of the barn. I know there is at least one around, I saw him scurry away one night into the mow.

When you have a heated water bowl, test it before you need it. There are three water bowls that need to stay thawed out in order for all animals to have access to water. When we flipped the switch to all three - do you think any of them worked? Of course not. Luckily our electrician is a beef farmer and understands the urgency - so there is no need to run out with boiling water and hot towels. So far.

The idea that renovations takes twice as long as you expect them to is a lie. They take much longer. I'll leave it at that until we finish what will become the office.

I know that it may sound like I'm complaining -- I'm really not. It is great to be out of the city and onto the farm. City life is not for me, and I'm grateful to be here.

And if anyone has any tricks to catching a coon instead of a cat - I'm open to all ideas.

Comment

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

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by littlelamb on February 2, 2010 at 8:21am: Ahhh, the joys of farming...

Comment by Andrew Campbell on February 2, 2010 at 5:09am: You'll be happy to know I did catch him! I also caught a skunk though - so have taken a break from catching anything. The skunk was enough excitement for a while.

Comment by littlelamb on February 2, 2010 at 5:00am: We use peanut butter in the trap and got a coon. Not sure if the cats aren't attracted to it or not, but that day it worked for us. Now unless the three previous attempts caught my barn cat and he finally figured NOT to go in it and it was just luck or if the peanut butter worked. :)

Comment by Andrew Campbell on December 21, 2009 at 2:25am: The latest update is that after catching the same cat three times - he seems to have learned his lesson. Still no racoon though. May try moving the trap to a different spot.

Comment by rein minnema on December 18, 2009 at 12:07pm: Congratulation and good luck Andrew,
life is a learning curve, it will all fall in place.

Comment by Wayne Black on December 17, 2009 at 9:08am: The cat will not come back after you leave him in the trap for a few hours - unless it is domesticated (as compared to a "barn cat").
We used dog food (or cat food) and it was very successful... until the squirrel found out about it. the squirrel not only gets out, but it does come back.
Just leave a bit of cat food and as long as the same cat does not come back three times, you are good to go.

RSS

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

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

Meat Institute Pushes Back on Trump Processing Plan

President Trump has announced plans to allow farmers and ranchers to process their own meat as part of an effort to address concerns about concentration in the meatpacking sector.

AgriStability Deadline Extended to Oct. 1 for Alberta Producers

Alberta producers affected by excessive moisture this growing season have more time to enrol in AgriStability, while those already eligible for interim payments will be able to access a larger share of their estimated benefit sooner. According to the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), the Alberta and federal governments have opened late participation in the 2026 AgriStability program until Oct. 1 in response to wet conditions that have affected many farms since the original April 30 enrolment deadline. The interim payment rate for 2026 has also been increased to 75% of the estimated final AgriStability payment, up from 50%. AFSC said the change is intended to improve cash flow for producers facing financial pressure during a difficult growing season. AFSC CEO Darryl Kay said record moisture levels have left some producers unable to access fields or complete essential farm work, creating significant uncertainty and financial stress. “AgriStability is designed to

Map: August Weather Drier for Much of Western Canada

Western Canada saw a sharply uneven precipitation pattern over the 30 days ending Wednesday, with the driest conditions concentrated across Saskatchewan and parts of southern Alberta and Manitoba. As can be seen on the map below, large portions of southern and central Saskatchewan received less than 40% of normal precipitation during the period, with another broad area receiving just 40% to 60%. Much of southern Manitoba was also drier than normal, although some pockets received above-average rainfall. Alberta precipitation was variable. The pattern reflects a growing season finish that has been considerably drier across parts of the Prairies, particularly Saskatchewan, following wetter conditions earlier in the summer. In Saskatchewan, the lack of late-season rainfall likely accelerated crop maturation and helped fields dry down as harvest approached, although it may also have limited final yield potential for later-developing crops in the driest areas. In Alberta, comparatively

Saskatchewan Harvest Still Lagging Average Pace

The Saskatchewan harvest accelerated this past week but remains behind the previous year and well back of average. Thursday's weekly crop report showed the provincewide harvest at 11% complete as of Monday. That compares to 4% a week earlier, and the five- and 10-year averages of 25% and 21%. Last year at this time, 12% of the crop was in the bin. Harvest progress varied widely by region. The Southwest was furthest along at 27% complete, followed by the Southeast at 11% and West-central region at 8%. East-central Saskatchewan was 5% harvested, while the Northeast and Northwest were each just 1% complete. Warm daytime temperatures and cooler evenings helped crops mature across much of the province, while generally dry conditions supported fieldwork. However, rainfall, strong winds and periods of high humidity slowed operations in some areas. Later-seeded crops are now beginning to turn, with harvesting expected to expand soon, the report added.. Producers continued to focus o

Sclerotinia Fungicide Sensitivity Survey

Manitoba Canola Growers along with SaskOilseeds, Alberta Canola, Canola Council of Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) are currently funding research projects that evaluate sclerotinia for sensitivity to fungicides with different modes of action. Sclerotinia with levels of insensitivity and immunity to common modes of action, have already been identified in Manitoba through this project. With favorable conditions across the province in 2026 we need samples from across the province to understand how widespread this problem is and provide farmers with recommendations for fungicide stewardship and efficacy. You will receive fungicide test results from the samples you have submitted. Combined results with samples from across Manitoba and the other provinces will be shared publicly at the RM level. All other field information will be handled confidentially. Sampling and Submission Instructions From a single canola field collect 1-10 sclerotia from infected stems at crop ma

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service