A healthy 90 plus attend Wellness Day

Dundas Soil and Crop Imporvement Association of Dundas County hosted the annual  Seed, Forage and Agriculture Show March 6, at Matilda Hall.

Perrenial Premier Exhibitor award winner Francis Henderson of Terrdale Farms was once again awarded the title.

Terrdale Farms took home numerous awards including;  Premier Forage Exhibitor, Champion Forage Exhibit, Reserve Champion Forage Exhibit, Champion Haylage Exhibit, Champion Dry Hay Exhibit, Premier Seed Exhibitor, Champion Corn Silage, Champion Cereal Exhibit, First Place, Wheat in Field Crop Classes and Champion Special Shelled Corn Bin Classes.

Reserve premier exhibitor was Ian and Tracy Porteous of Ayrporte Farm. They were also Reserve Forage Exhibitor.

Tracy told The Leader, that they had a decent growing season last year, resulting in the produce submitted for judging at Friday’s show.

“For us, we grow IP (identity protected) beans so we had none of the mould problem that ocurred throughout much of Eastern Ontario.

“Hay, as always, it was a challenge to get it off dry,” she added.

For corn, she said they experienced a good season having adequate heat units.

“In the end, we got everything off in good time. We had a good fall. There was lots of opportunity to get the crops off in the fall, because the snow didn’t come until later.”

Tibben Farms Inc. picked up the Champion Shelled Corn and Champion Soybean Exhibit awards.

Dave Chambers of Riveredge Farms won the Champion Ear Corn Award.

Olivia Mudde was Premier 4-H Exhibitor.

This year’s baking contest featured apple pie.

Of the eight pies entered in the contest, that of Amy Tibben was selected the winner in a blind taste test by guest judges South Dundas mayor Evonne Delegarde, North Dundas mayor Eric Duncan and John Roosendaal of the Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association.

Asked what’s so special about her apple pie, Amy said, “The crust – I think.” 

She went on to explain that she uses and old-fashioned shortcrust. “It’s an old recipe – butter, flour, sugar and water– the butter makes it better.”

The prize winning apple pie filling was half McIntosh apples and half empires. Amy explained that she really loves Macs but, at this time of year they are a little soft, so she chose to add the empires. She also baked the pie, immediately prior to the contest, so the filling was still warm when the judges had a taste.

The happy judges all agreed on the winner, though admitting that the competition was close, with only a few points separating the top pies.

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  “This is just a great show,” said director Walter Learning, “with wonderful, wonderful characters. Norm Foster’s Hilda’s Yard is very much a heart-warming show as well. I have directed a number of Norm’s shows […]

The Williamsburg detachment of the South Dundas Fire Department was called out to the Dunbar Recreation Centre at 2:45 a.m. on Saturday, October 8th only to find that the fire and the hall were too far gone for saving.

According to South Dundas Fire Chief Chris McDonough, “the building is a total loss.”

He told the Leader that the cause appears to be a wayward cigarette butt: “We’re thinking it’s the planter. A cigarette was disposed of in a planter at the front of the hall.”

He says that this was probably done on Thursday night during the election poll as this was the last night the building was in use.

When asked if it made sense for the fire to take so long to ignite, he said that because of the peat moss it probably “smouldered for quite some time” burning down before spreading to the building.

McDonough said that a similar situation recently occurred at the Iroquois Civic Center. A cigarette was discarded in a planter causing ignition. No damage was reported in that instance.

The fire in Dunbar also spread to a neighbouring garage door, but luckily it was spotted and fire fighters were able to extinguish the fire before any substantial damage could be done.

In terms of the Dunbar Recreation Centre, which is owned by the municipality of South Dundas, Manager of Parks and Recreation Don Lewis said nothing was salvageable.

The centre contained a kitchen, stage, dance floor, recently purchased tables, chairs and a storage room filled with supplies.

Lewis said that the building had recently undergone some changes with a new roof in 2008, as well as the addition of a handicap ramp in June 2011.

The centre is used frequently for baby showers, weddings, and even a weekly coffee club.

Lewis says it will be up to South Dundas council as to whether or not the building is replaced. He pointed out that the building was covered by insurance.

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