Better Pork - October 2016

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Better Pork October 2016 23
MARY ANN – I tend to be more of
the “go for” – I help where I can. I
don’t manage the equipment. My key
role has been to help the neighbours
understand what the farm is doing.
Hours you spend in the barn per week?
STAN – Oh, eight to 10.
MARY ANN – I spend probably
around 20. It’s not necessarily the
pig barn. I spend more time in the ag
education barn.
Hours in the office per week?
STAN – Not enough.
MARY ANN – One to three. Today,
one of the most important things that
needs to happen (is bookkeeping and
record-keeping). It’s tough.
How many emails do you receive per day?
MARY ANN – On average, some-
where between a low of 10 and a high
of 40.
A large part of that is attributed to
the volunteer work we do in the com-
munity. Some of that is because we
have started a farm-gate marketing
endeavour. Some of the requests for
frozen lamb, beef, pork and chicken
come through the email . . . I bring in
a small flock of meat birds every two
weeks from the first of May through
Thanksgiving so the children visiting
can see the lifecycle of the chickens.
So those meat birds become part of
what I am allowed to raise (as part of
the Family Food Program, formerly
known as the Small Flock Growers
Program). Those chickens (from the
education program) are the ones that
are marketed – the ones we don’t eat.
Hours a day on a cell phone?
STAN – Five minutes, maybe 10.
MARY ANN – He doesn’t like the
cell phone. He never answers (it).
What about your smartphone?
MARY ANN – I purchased (an
iPhone) a few years back when I
was getting more involved in going
to other ag education (activities). I
love helping Ontario Pork with the
Pig Mobile (a travelling display for
students to learn about pigs).
We were ramping up our farm-
gate sales program. Not being able
to check the emails wasn’t working.
So, (now) I can check the emails and
leave a message on the landline (for
Stan).
Do I make the best use of it? No. I
don’t fully understand it yet.
How many text messages do you receive
per day?
MARY ANN – Yes, I have just
started texting. Actually, I’m begin-
ning to like it. Most young people
have got both thumbs going. I’m
Peter Pointer. I do like (texting) now.
I find I get responses quicker than
through email.
Hours a day on the Internet?
STAN – Five to 15 minutes, maybe.
Unless it’s too late, then zero.
MARY ANN – I would say no more
than an hour a day for the Internet
itself. And probably closer to a half
UP CLOSE