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

AAFC cutting 665 positions

The cuts are part of the prime minister’s promise to reduce the public service

Canada And Ontario Investing $20 Million To Protect Local Farmers And Agribusinesses

The governments of Canada and Ontario announced they are investing up to $20 million through the new Market Diversification and Trade Resiliency Initiative to help farmers, food processors and agribusinesses sell more Ontario grown products around the world. Officials say the Initiative will fund a variety of projects to increase competitiveness for farmers and agribusinesses and support their expansion into new and international markets as part of the provincial government’s plan to protect Ontario’s agribusiness sector. As part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, this investment supports the province’s Grow Ontario Strategy to give farmers and businesses the tools they need to build long-term resiliency, create good-paying jobs and stay competitive in the face of tariffs and economic uncertainty. “Expanding markets for Ontario food products ensures farmers and food processors have more reliable export opportunities,” said the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister

Northern BC canola farmers remain cautious as Chinese tariffs set to ease

Canola farmers and business leaders in northeast B.C. are welcoming the expected relief from easing Chinese tariffs, but say the industry still faces uncertainty going into this year’s growing season. “A deal doesn’t mean a sale,” said Les Willms, who grows between 1,300 and 1,500 acres of canola each year at his family farm in Rose Prairie, north of Fort St. John, B.C. Like many farmers in the Peace region, Willms is watching closely to see whether a new deal announced last week between Canada and China leads to renewed demand and a rally in prices in the coming weeks. Under the deal, China is expected to lower tariffs on some Canadian canola products by March 1. In exchange, Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese-made electric vehicles in the country at reduced tariffs. It follows months of uncertainty after China imposed retaliatory tariffs last year in response to Canada’s decision to slap 100 per cent duties on Chinese EVs. “Hopefully we'll get some cargos going into Asia,” W

Carney's Canada-China deals are the product of months of diplomatic hustle

The agreements Prime Minister Mark Carney brokered over the two days of his Beijing visit are the result of months of diplomatic work and cultural knowledge, international relations experts say. Carleton University international affairs professor Fen Osler Hampson said Carney "would have not gotten on the plane" without knowing first he had "something big, some big bacon to bring back home." "The team supporting the ambassador would have definitely been working overtime on this one." On Friday, Carney announced China had agreed to lower agricultural tariffs in exchange for some access for Chinese electric vehicles to the Canadian market, and that Beijing had agreed to eventually loosen its visa requirements for Canadian visitors. A day prior, he oversaw the signing of agreements touching on finance, pet food, lumber, oil and green technology. Asia Pacific Foundation vice-president Vina Nadjibulla said the agreements are the product of "an iterative process" of discussions between

Province celebrates evolution of agriculture at 49th annual Ag Days

The Manitoba government is welcoming thousands of producers, manufacturers, processors and retailers from across Canada, the United States and internationally to celebrate the evolution of agriculture at the 49th Annual Manitoba Ag Days, taking place this week at the Keystone Centre in Brandon. “Manitoba farmers and agri-businesses are innovators who continue to adapt to challenges such as climate variability and market fluctuations,” said Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn. “Ag Days provides an important platform to share knowledge, showcase cutting-edge technologies and strengthen Manitoba’s position as a leader in agricultural excellence. Our government is committed to supporting this vital sector through strategic investments in research, innovation and sustainable practices.” The three-day event will showcase the latest in agricultural technology, equipment and research, with speakers from across the world presenting throughout the exposition. A new vendor’s market will highligh

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service