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Power to farmers as they get into harvest season

Welcome back to school and regular fall routine, everyone.
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This arrangement was entered at Rumsey’s Garden Show under the comical arrangement category and is a depiction of Helen Steen’s family: mom and dad and their nine children named.

Rumsey Record

Welcome back to school and regular fall routine, everyone. I hope you enjoyed the long weekend and for the most part the sun and warmth kept it nice for work or pleasure. As your son or daughter is headed off to post-secondary education, don’t forget to get them to fill out the application for the Rumsey Ag Society Scholarship. More information and the list of criteria can be found with Kendra Kiemele or Kent Holowath. Last year’s deadline was Sept. 25 and it is worth quite a bit, so check it out.

As I told you last week, the garden show was a success and each table had a display of beauty. This week I am able to give you the winning results. The total entries this year were 371 with 20 adults putting in 343 and 7 juniors putting in 28 entries. There were no six to 10 year olds who put anything in the show, which was too bad. The best Glad Spike, Glad Aggregate, Dahlia Aggregate and Best Dahlia were all won by Lorne McArthur. Diane McBride won the Novice Glad Aggregate and Betty Pennock won Best Begonia and Begonia Aggregate. The Rose Aggregate was won by Roy Ashcroft, Potted Plant Aggregate by Jill Brodie. Helen Steen won Best Tea Table, Pansy Arrangement, Arrangement Aggregate and seniors’ Arrangement. Carolin Schofer won back her own donated prize by having the best Lily Arrangement. Diane McBride won the Cut Flower Aggregate. Helen Steen won the Fruit Aggregate and Heritage Aggregate, a prize which was donated by the family of Mary and George Storch, her parents. Eleanor Richmond also did well by winning the Special baking first and Baking Aggregate. Andrea Webster won the Special baking second place.

The biggest pumpkin was entered by yours truly. Jill Brodie won the vegetable display of four with Eleanor Richmond winning the vegetable display of eight to 12 kinds. The Vegetable Aggregate was won by Ken Jensen with the Adult Show Aggregate first prize going to Lorne McArthur; second prize was won by Helen Steen. Most entries in the show was awarded to Lorne McArthur, who put in 68 entries. Gifts of the Garden, which was donated by Trident Exploration was won by Jill Brodie, Helen Steen and Andrea Webster. In the Junior Awards ages 11 to 15, there were a few winners to announce: Samantha McKee won the Flower Arrangement and Junior Aggregate first place, Abby Webster won the Baking Aggregate and the Junior Aggregate second place. The Garden show committee would like to thank all the award donors, because without them, the show wouldn’t happen, also, Sandy McNaughton and Starland County for designing and photocopying the many show books. The Ag Society members helped in a big way with prize money and moving tables to set up and disassemble the show.

The plan for next year’s show is to return to their usual day of the last Wednesday of the month of August so keep that in mind as you start your garden planning for next year.

The month of September is usually very quick around the community as everyone is quite busy in the fields bringing in the grain and greenfeed for this winter. Good luck to all the farmers and farm workers as they work long hours to complete this task. Be careful out there, everyone.

My Mom collected this small summary of what it means to be a farmer years ago and I thought I would share it with you:

I’m glad I’m a farmer.

Sometimes I’m angry about being a farmer. And disappointed. Elated. Puzzled. Worried. And, I suppose, every emotion in the book.

But I’m glad I’m a farmer.

Because I know what I am. And what I feel.

I feel I’m akin to my land and the things that grow on my land.

And the sky over my land and the water that falls on it and flows through it.

And the livestock that sustains itself upon my land.

And the buildings that shelter me and my wife and our children and the machines that help to make my land fruitful.

These are a bone-deep part of me.

As is sweat. Cloudburst. Drought. Repairs. Disease. Heartache. Market Losses. And Profits. Sowing. Reaping. And a hundred and one setbacks and successes, large and small, that other men may never know. But that I know. And am content with.

Not because farming is easy. It isn’t. Or because a farmer enjoys fame. He doesn’t. Or because a farmer like me is a wealthy man. I am not.

It’s simply because I know what I am. And I know what I feel.

I wouldn’t have me any other way.

Me……the Farmer.