Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

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

Views: 986

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.

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

Saskatchewan produced record crop in 2025

Saskatchewan produced a record 41.9 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds in 2025, up 13.7 per cent from the previous year, the agriculture ministry said Dec. 19. The record is also 24.1 per cent above the five-year average. Agriculture minister David Marit said resilient and innovative producers were able to overcome challenges such as drought to grow this amount. Records were set for canola production, at 12.2 million tonnes, and lentils at 2.9 million tonnes. By volume for other crops, the province’s producers grew 12.7 million tonnes of spring wheat, 5.4 million tonnes of durum, 3.5 million tonnes of barley, and 1.8 million tonnes each of dry peas and oats. The ministry said Saskatchewan saw significant production growth in lentils, up 37 per cent, canola 16.7 per cent, barley 16 per cent, durum 8.5 percent and spring wheat 5.3 per cent. The estimates provided by Statistics Canada are based on a post-harvest survey of 7,198 farmers from Oct. 3 to Nov. 6. The province has a ta

Canadians called slow to embrace biofuel policy

Canadians farmers have had a hard time embracing biofuel policy the same way that producers south of the border have, says Shaun Haney, founder of RealAgriculture. He told the MNP Ag Connections Conference in Medicine Hat in November that as Canada continues to struggle to get its agriculture commodities into China, a shift of outlook is needed. At one time, scientists, agronomists and growers were extremely worried clubroot would spread across the Prairies and devastate Canada’s canola industry. “Canadian farmers have a hard time totally getting their head around and supporting it because people will often say, ‘I want the government out of stuff, I don’t want industrial policy, I don’t want nation building. We can’t create demand through government policy’,” he said. “But, that is exactly what the (Renewable Fuel Standard) is in the Untied States.” The U.S. sees 40 to 45 per cent of its corn crop going into ethanol, from which Canada has benefited. While Canada continues to focu

Team Alberta Crops Breakfast – Through the Eyes of an Intern

As the new communications intern at Alberta Canola, the Team Alberta Crops breakfast was my first time at an agriculture policy event. I come from an urban background with limited exposure to farming. Insights from presenters Milt Poirier, from QGI Consulting, and Neil Blue, a provincial Crop Market Analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, fundamentally changed my understanding of the agricultural industry. I no longer see Canadian agriculture as simply the production of farm products. Instead, I now view farming in the context of globally interconnected systems. These systems encompass the inputs that farmers rely on, the production processes, and the networks of processing and logistics. All of these systems are further shaped by external forces, including national and provincial policies, international trade rules, climate patterns, and technological innovations. Global Competition and Climate Challenge From Neil Blue’s talk, I learned that agriculture is a competit

The Future of Agriculture is Collaborative: A Vision for Stronger Partnerships

Taking on the role of Western Product Specialist at FP Genetics has been an exhilarating journey thus far. As someone passionate about agriculture since childhood, I’m excited to be part of an industry that combines science, relationships, and practical problem-solving. My primary focus will be to understand the connections between farmers, retailers, and the crops we nurture together. In my early days here, I dove into the fascinating world of epigenetics to uncover the secrets of how genetic traits impact plant performance. Each seed carries a narrative shaped by environmental factors and stress, and I’m dedicated to helping farmers understand their choices and the potential they hold. Working closely with Colin and Colette, my Saskatchewan and Alberta territory managers, has been both educational and transformative. We collaborate to first understand and then bridge the gap between our products and the retailers we support. Each retailer presents unique challenges and opportuniti

Women Farmers Drive Growth in Canadian Agriculture

Women are taking the reins in Canadian agriculture like never before. Statistics Canada reports nearly 90,000 female farm operators nationwide—up from 80,000 in 2021.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service