6 It’s Farming. And It’s Better. Better Farming | November 2023 Beyond the Barn NEW PROGRAM OFFERS DAIRY EDUCATION Ridgetown College recently announced a new Dairy Herdsperson Apprenticeship program to address the labour shortage on dairy farms. e program was established through a collaboration between Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) and the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, with an investment of $300,000 from the Government of Ontario. e Dairy Herdsperson Apprenticeship program will be o ered through distance education, with a small in-person portion, as an accessible training option for students who are unable to attend school full-time. “Ontario’s dairy farmers are everyday heroes who work tirelessly to keep milk and dairy products on the table for families across our province and country,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “Our government is proud to invest in a homegrown training program to help jobseekers get the skills they need to provide quality food to the people of Ontario for generations to come.” e course load includes 10 per cent class-time, which will be held at the Ridgetown Campus for one-week blocks each month over the two-year program. e courses will cover farm management skills such as milking practices, herd health maintenance, and basic maintenance of farm mechanical equipment. e remaining time in the program will consist of 5,520 hours of on-farm training, which can take place at a farm where the student is employed. “ is program is a great step forward to meet what students need, especially when balancing work and school. We are excited to be working with DFO on building industry expertise across the province,” said Brett Shepherd, director of the Ridgetown Campus. BF Winners from the 2023 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) were announced at a Celebration of Excellence, recently held at the Orangeville Fairgrounds. Participants competed in four di erent categories, including horse plows and di erent types of tractors. Scott omas of Elmwood scored 493 points to be named this year’s champion horse plow person, while Terry Linton of Roseneath scored 486 and is the reserve champion. e plowmen competed for their chance to represent Ontario in 2024 at the Canadian Plowing Championships in Wolfe Island in Kingston next August. Junior Champions are Austin Brodhaecker of Ayr (572 points), and Alex Cameron of Owen Sound (506.5 points). Ontario Championship Tractor with a Conventional Plow: Brian Davenport of Owen Sound (604.5 points), and Patrick Sanders of Alvinston (585 points) Ontario Championship Tractor Plowing with a Reversible Plow: Daryl Hostrawser of East Garafraxa (613 points), and Bob Campsall of Cannington (596 points). e six representatives were awarded special hats and coats to wear during the Canada-wide competition. e gi s were presented by Helen and Michael Craig in memory of Graeme Craig, a long-time director with the Ontario Plowmen’s Association. is year marks the rst presentation of the Brian Fried Memorial Trophy. is award honours the memory of Fried, a legendary plowman who represented Canada at the World Plowing Championships 10 times during his competitive career. e Brian Fried Memorial Trophy was presented by Fried’s son Nathan to Du erin County local Daryl Hostrawser. Other winners included: Austin McLeod of Cottam, winner of the Fred and Helen Davenport Memorial Award; Richard Elliott, winner of the John S. Mo at Memorial Trophy and the IPM Champion Antique Award; and Colin Doughtery of Scotland, winner of the IPM Reserve Champion, Antique Tractor. e 2023 IPM was held in Bowling Green in September. Next year’s match will return to Kawartha Lakes from Oct. 1 to 5. BF - Leslie Stewart IPM WINNERS NAMED IN ORANGEVILLE Anne Thompson photo Daryl Hostrawser with Ontario’s new Queen of the Furrow Mel Karpenko.
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