East Central Farm Show returning to Lindsay fairgrounds

DAVE FLAHERTY, LINDSAY POST

Farmers from all over central Ontario will converge to the Farmers' Mutual Exhibition Building at the Lindsay Fairgrounds next week. The 30th annual East Central Farm Show, presented by the East Central Soil and Crop Improvement Association, will take place Wednesday, March 3 from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Show manager Don Oliver told The Lindsay Post there would be 146 exhibitors at the show this year. He said 2,500 people attended the show in 2009, a number he would like to see grow. The East Central region covers the City of Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough, Haliburton County, York Region and Durham Region. The show will feature a wide variety of displays including farm machinery, credit unions, feed dealers, insurance companies and seed dealers amongst others. Admission is $5, or free for those with a 2010 Soil and Crop memberships.

Soil and Crop memberships can be purchased for $15. Oliver said benefits of having a membership include entrance into other farm shows, four newsletters and access to bus tours and demonstrations across the province at no charge. The East Central Farm Show began in 1981 at the Manvers Community Centre then moved to the Fenelon Hall in Cambray in 1983 before moving to the Morrow Building Peterborough in 1992. The last three shows have taken place in Lindsay. Oliver said the move has allowed for more exhibitors and made it easier for people from York and Durham to attend the show.

He said he believes they have a good buzz surrounding the inshow.
"Everyone is looking for optimism for farming and agriculture in general," Oliver said.

More information on the show can be found at www.regionalscia.org/ECFS.html. - dflaherty@thepost.ca

This March Break:

Get a Head Start on Your Job Search

We will be offering free student workshops to make sure that you have all the right tools to kick off your job search. Preparing for summer employment NOW will give you a leading edge in what can be a competitive time in seeking summer employment.

Be sure to contact VCCS and get registered.

March 15 1-4pm
Start Your Summer Job Search
the basics of looking for a job

March 16 9-12
Student Resume Development

March 16 1-4
Student Myers Briggs (w Deb Csumrik)

March 17 1-4pm
Success at Work for Students
(or how to not get fired)

March 18 9-12
Cash Register Basics for Students

Can't make it this week? Register with VCCS and learn more about our Summer Job Service.

Home Depot voices committment

By LISA GERVAIS, LINDSAY POST REPORTER

KAWARTHA LAKES-The Home Depot has confirmed that it is committed to coming to Lindsay.
Senior real estate manager, Sylvain Rivet, in a letter to City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Ric McGee and members of council, dated Jan. 25, writes "I would like to reassure yourself and council of our plans to locate a Home Depot store in Lindsay and specifically on the Mason Homes site.
"We look forward to working with council and staff over the next year to finalise the approvals needed to open our store."
Home Depot penned the letter after receiving the Ontario Municipal Board ruling which reaffirmed council's decision to support the Mason Homes commercial proposal.
"We are pleased with the positive outcome of this hearing, and the support which the city gave to Mason Homes through this process," Rivet said in the letter that will be tabled at today's council meeting.

'Sweet' funding helps local dairy expand

By Catherine Whitnall

Kawartha Lakes This Week

Kawartha Dairy in Bobcyageon has received $620,000 from the provincial government for expansion project

'Sweet' provincial funding helps local dairy expand. MPP Rick Johnson, Mike Crowe, director of operations at Kawartha Dairy, and Blake Frazer, general manager of Kawartha Dairy show off cones of the dairy's ice cream on Friday (Feb. 5). The Province gave Kawartha Dairy $620,000 to help the company expand its ice cream production. Lance Anderson (BOBCAYGEON) Funding for an expansion project is a real sweet deal for one long-time Bobcaygeon business.Founded in 1937 by Jack and Ila Crowe, and still family owned and operated, Kawartha Dairy recently received $620,000 in support from the province’s Rural Economic Development Program to help complete a major expansion project. Costing roughly $1.2 million, the project will see new technologies installed to improve production and material handling, food safety and quality control. After completion in the spring, the project will not only retain 86 existing positions, but also create 10 new jobs, as well as increase demand for milk from local farmers. “Kawartha Dairy ice cream is really an iconic brand,” explained general manager Blake Frazer, noting items produced at the Bobcaygeon fascility are loved by both area residents as well as visitors. The company’s main focus has been to “grow that brand” out of the Kawarthas and into the GTA and beyond. As a result, the business has outgrown its current facility, as well as production. One of the key aspects of the expansion project is to install automated equipment. Currently, ice cream tubs are filled by hand, which is not only labour intensive, but also “quite a science”, noted Mike Crowe, director of operations and the third generation to work at the business. “This is our largest projects to date,” said Mr. Crowe, adding it’s “hard to express the gratitude” he feels toward the support from the province, local dairy producers, the City of Kawartha Lakes and Ward 13 Coun. Pat Warren. “As a family member, I’m hoping to see this continue.”The equipment will also afford the business the opportunity to “co-pack” products with other companies.“Improving production at Kawartha Dairy will result in more milk produced by local dairy farmers, provide more jobs for local workers and give consumers more reasons to shop locally,” stated Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Rick Johnson, who is also the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “The McGuinty government is proud to support partnerships aimed at strengthening and growing rural economies.”Planning for the expansion began in 2008 with the project kicking off in November. Mr. Crowe hopes to have construction, which is already underway, completed in three months in order to maintain a seamless flow of products when the “busy season” kicks in at the end of April.

Check Out What's Happening at VCCS this February 2010

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