By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot

When I walked into the new dairy barn at Gordon’s Roxburgh Farms near Thedford the first thing I detected was the sweet smell of corn silage.
Growing up a dairy farm it’s one of the smells you never forget. It’s rivalled by fresh hay, fresh chop (that’s going way back), cold milk in the bulk tank and the molasses in calf starter. 
There are the other smells of course ... the not so pleasant ones. I didn’t smell many of these at the Gordon barn partly because it was a cold winter day but also because their cross-ventilation system was doing its job. Oh, the joys of a new barn where even the traditional smells of dairy cows with all their odorous output is muted as fresh air is cycled through the barn every few minutes.
The Gordons estimate 2,000 people came through the barn during their open house and many commented on the good smell of feed from the bunk. If it smells good to humans, it’s going to be a gourmet meal to cows. 
It was just one of the many good things a new barn can offer besides the more important attributes of technology, efficiency and cow comfort.
Many non-dairy farming folk get to see modern dairy farms at Farm and Food Cares wildly successful Breakfast on the Farm events. I would encourage families to also  take advantage of new dairy barn open house to witness just how modern and progressive the industry has become. Moreso to look at the cows ... they are so calm and content in these new facilities. Seeing it would quiet concerns about those who only hear the words “factory farming” and associate that term with evil. Seeing them might even hush the voices of the animal rights activists. ◊

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In love with a new fence

Compelled by a new mini horse that couldn’t feel the faint shock through it’s shaggy coat and the realization that the pasture fence my dad and I installed 10 years ago needed some fine-tuning, I took a deep breath and hired a professional,

Since I was laying down the big bucks (fencing is expensive!) I decided to do it right. A new pasture was added to allow the old pasture to rest, the fencing around the old pasture was updated and a paddock (or sacrifice yard) was created to keep the horses out of the grassy pastures on wet spring and fall days. 
I love, love, love the new fencing by Central Huron Fencing of Blyth. The installers were fantastic, the shock will knock your socks off and it looks fantastic.
Best of all, I have way less stress.
There were many worries before this decision. I didn’t want to keep the animals locked inside on wet days but oh, the mess they made when they decided to kick up their heals. A paddock solves that problem. Escapees are maddening and dangerous but a reliable shock  alerted shaggy pony that focussing on “the green grass on the other side of the fence” has consequences. Having only one pasture lead to serious over-grazing and I couldn’t allow it to rest — a second one allows for rotation.     
So, ya, I love my new fence and the peace of mind it provides. ◊