By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot

 

While it’s somewhat incongruous that the majestic Bald Eagle is a dedicated carrion eater, I am thankful for it and the chicken farmers that make viewing of these stunning birds so accessible in Huron County.
    Growing up I never saw Bald eagles because in 1970, there were less than 10 breeding pairs in Ontario. Today, the population is strong with a CBC article stating more than 2,600 Bald eagle nests were recorded last year. These raptors are now thriving and have been removed from the Species at Risk list, which it was on for over 50 years. 
    I see them regularly over my farm on the banks of the Maitland River in Huron County. They like to feed on fish, aquatic birds and small mammals such as amphibians and reptiles. Deer carcasses are a major source of food for them in Ontario’s winter.
    These juveniles (pictured), estimated at three to four years old, have developed a taste for chicken. Dead chicken. Given the number of chicken farms in Huron County, some of which stockpile manure on fields until they can spread, it’s no wonder Bald Eagles flock to this area for an easy meal. 
    I’m not sure what risks (if any) this poses from an ecological standpoint but from a photographer’s viewpoint, it’s COOL BEANS. This pair were roosting right beside the road.
    It’s also so rewarding to know when farmers change their ways (in this case, farmers stopped using DDT insecticide) species CAN recover and thrive once again. ◊

 

How Deep for Your Farming Routes Go?

I was very keen to meet Luke Hartung after his uncle encouraged me to write a story about the seventh-generation farmer. His ancestors were some of the first settlers in Perth County and from father to son, the urge to farm has manifested in each generation. 
    In our family, the family farm was taken over by the daughter and her farmer husband as the second generation and is now being succeded by our son for the third generation. My father was a more-recent immigrant so we don’t have the history of the Hartungs but we do have the same feelings and drive, I would say.
    Farming is a calling. You can call it a business and it is. You can call it “what you know”, and it’s that too. But the land and the animals call to one or more caretakers in each generation to “take care” of that farm during their sojourn on earth.
    Imbedded in the soil are the memories of the mother/father and grandmother/grandfather’s work before them, creating a thread of purpose that is woven into genealogical energy and pride for the job set before the new farmer. My son may not feel it yet as in his youth he strives to put his mark on the farm and find his way ... but he will recognize it later. I know because I do. The call to be stewards and raise families on our “patch of sunshine” never grows silent. It just flows from one generation to the next. ◊