Outback Tree Farm

The Norwell LEAF program went on a trip to Outback Tree farm outside of Listowel. Here we helped Tim and Christine Diebel prepare a load of Christmas trees for the Palmerston Lions Club. We took the trees down to the end of the property to roll and load. Tim and Christine have owned the farm for 24 years and have over 100 acres -80 workable and 22 in Christmas trees. They rent 58 acres to a cash cropper. They showed the class that a good tree has full branches, is green, and has a straight top. They have over 22000 trees on the farm and are harvesting and planting more each year. They have lots of equipment and the farm requires lots of hands on labour. They have a roller and a shaker to shake the snow off the trees and an atv so they don't have to walk back and forth across the farm. For Christmas trees they get $3000 dollars per acre (gross) and they donate $3 dollars from every tree to the Listowel library - $1500 dollars last year. Thank you Outback Tree Farm for your time. We learned a lot about Christmas trees and we were very happy to help.

Mapleview Agri

On November 14 the Norwell LEAF class visited Mapleview Agri. This family business is a veal farm located outside of Palmerston. They also manufacture their own milk replacer and sell across Canada. Mapleview Agri is run by the Keunen family. Brian and Joanne are joined by their son Aaron in the business. Brian runs the milk replacer side of the business and Aaron runs the research barns. We learned many facts and interesting information about veal calves, including the differences between milk fed veal and grain fed veal. For example, milk fed veal is 500lbs when sent to market and grain fed veal goes at 700lbs. A veal calf finishes on 1 ton of grain and 35kg of milk replacer. I actually took a lot away from this trip. Entering this trip I thought veal was little baby cows and that they got slaughtered at a young age. But I learned that they are not that small after all, they actually grow to be quite large and are treated well throughout their lifespan. I found this trip to be very interesting and educational.

Ontowa Dairy Farm

On Friday November 2nd the LEAF class went to Ontowa Farms in Elmira. Ryan & Lori Martin run this farm with Ryan’s brother and father. They have 105 milking cows and 120 young stock. They also have 100 steers and sell them at 1500lbs to the market. Thanks to biotechnology Ryan can use sexed semen to get only female calves. Ontowa Farm has an 8 year old barn and a parlor milking system. Ryan watches his cows so he knows when they are sick or in heat before the activity tracker system does. There is a huge difference from his new barn and his old barn. He talked a lot about making wise financial decisions on the farm. They could not build a barn and buy quota at the same time. The calf barn is facing south so it gets winter sun but not high summer sun providing a comfortable year round housing and better health results for the calves. Ryan saves money by doing many jobs himself such as welding, cement work and lumber. With their 285 acres of corn, alfalfa, wheat, and oats they produce 85% of their own feed. The cows lay on sawdust because it helps provide comfort and keeps them healthy. I enjoyed how nice the main barn looked and how clean it looked. It's clear that they care about their cows. LEAF would like to thank Ontowa Farms for letting us tour their farm and learning how they do their job.

Clovermead Dairy Farm

On October 31, the LEAF class of Norwell went to Clovermead dairy outside of Drayton. Korb Whale runs the family farm and is the 7th generation to do so. The class learned a lot about Korb’s freestall barn and how he uses the manure from the cows to run his anaerobic digester. His digester creates electricity out of cow manure and food waste. He uses the electricity to power his farm and sell access to the grid. We would just like to thank Korb for his time and the amazing tour of his farm. It was a great example of sustainable agriculture.

Royal Winter Fair

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair takes place every November in Toronto. The Royal offers everything from agriculture, local foods, and equestrian competitions from across the country. Whether you’re a guest or exhibitor you’ll never get bored as there is so much to do and see. Every year, 300 000 people come to the Fair to celebrate the best of the best foods, livestock, and horsemanship. It sure is an eye opener into the world of agriculture.

As a student from the LEAF program I really got a wide look at some parts of agriculture. The most interesting thing about the Royal is that everyone has a different background in agriculture. It is really unique to take a look at what different parts of Canada have to offer. Something that stood out to me was the cooking class that we did with chef Anna Chen. Our goal for the class was to make cabbage dumplings with plum sauce. It was very interesting and unique to learn how to properly cook cabbage and how to properly make a good dumpling. I enjoyed learning about Anna’s background and why she cooks the way she does. She told us what her schooling was like. It really goes to show how someone can still work in agriculture but be in a more food based job.


What I have taken away from my day at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is what my meaning and view of agriculture truly is. To me, agriculture is the study and life of animals, crops, and people. Agriculture takes hard work, passion, and responsibility. Everyone has to learn how to work hard and efficiently with others to get the job done on time. It’s not just farmers who are a part of the agriculture industry. There are so many jobs that surround the industry which really opened my thoughts too. At the Royal I talked with a few people from Quebec who were there for 4H competitions. I asked what agriculture means to them. What I liked most of what they said was that it’s not just the money and jobs that are interesting. It is also the families, the history, and the legacies of agriculture. The passion that people have for their jobs and way of life is truly something amazing. I will always remember my time at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair as it has opened my eyes and thoughts to what agriculture is all about.