As we are getting this May edition out to press, there is still snow (albeit fresh snow) on the ground and there is a general impatience for spring. 

But if the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain. Oh goodness, am I still allowed to say that in this day and age? I meant, if spring won’t come, then leave to see some spring! I was lucky enough to escape the ice storm in early April with my friend as we took a road trip to Illinois for a drainage conference in Urbana. By Sarnia, the freezing rain was just rain; by Chicago, it was 68 (°F) and sunny! 

So, that’s why you’ll see a big story about an incredible tour I got to do with LaVerne Weber of Grade Solutions. He is doing irrigation through drainage tiles in northern Illinois, see more on page 26. What I love most about his story is that all this innovation happened after he retired, and from a different industry. 

It goes to show that you never know what will happen next; things are always changing. For better or for worse, life takes you on a hard path to get to where you are going. 

There is a lot of fear around the (even more so from the Americans I met last month!) and what impact it will have on people and on a global economy. As this issue goes to press, we are gearing up for a federal election and likely some more big changes in Canada as well. This may be another one of those times, like the pandemic, to stay calm and be kind to each other. For Matthew Van Ankum, he felt a call to join the political conversation in a more public way and his story is on page 40. 

Catching up with the columnists, businesses and people that were featured in the May 1995 issue for the Blast from the Past story on page 17 was fun, but just goes to show that nothing lasts forever, not even a barn. The stories here in the Rural Voice are often just the positive highlights of someone’s story, but there are tragedies that we are less likely to discuss in print until after we have recovered from them. 

 Heritage Builders and B&M Construction no longer build barns, but they’ve pivoted their businesses. Like Korb Whale and his talk at the Shur-Gain dairy meetings this winter about pivoting to “future-proof” your farm on page 38.

And we have a beautiful story about flowers by Jeff Tribe on page 23. Flowers are the ultimate sign that nothing lasts forever and that we must savour what we have now. 

Next month, as we go back decade by decade, we’ll be visiting 1985. And I know this was a very hard decade that shaped a generation or two, so I want to do it justice. Word on the street is that one of our readers may have taken a load of manure to a bank in Chesley and you know I want that story! If you lived through the farm interest crisis and have a story to tell, please get in touch with me (as soon as you can) and I’d love to include your perspectives in the article for the June issue. You can call the office email me at [email protected].

Also, we are aiming to have a birthday party for the Rural Voice at the Lion’s Park in Blyth in the afternoon of Saturday, June 21. We’d love to see you there for some cake and connecting! You can RSVP online at bit.ly/ruralvoice or call the office.
OK, and one final request. I’ve tried a few leads and local archives but we are apparently still missing all of the Rural Voice issues from both 1975 and 1976. There may have been someone that inadvertently took a big binder of them from the Repository in our office and I would just love for someone to find it and bring it back. I won’t be mad, I promise. Or if anyone knows an avid collector or hoarder that has the issues from these years, please be in touch. There will be a reward. Hmmm… I’ll take you out for lunch at the Boot! 

I hope you enjoy this issue and we’ll see you next month!  ◊