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0% rie ahd AC He APs RIE ERR BAY rp r---- FARE = A WY POI "ERRY TAR = SECOND bell SECTION a = TI - ¥ plants grow. s 74S Sd Despite all the mechanization and modernization , the trick is still to make the LW Va Farming... long hours, hard He stands leaning on a split rail fence, the straw hat tilted back on a deeply-tann- ed forehead. A red hanker- chief hangs half-way out of the pocket.of hig faded and i patched blue 'overalls, and he's. twirling a pitchfork, all the time chewing lethargi- cally on a length of straw. If that's your view of a farmer, you haven't been to the rural regions lately. Visit the tobacco farms of Don Frew and Sons, for example, and on most any day you'll likely find them in the glassed-in cab of a trac", + tor, complete with radio and stereo tape; or in oné of a fleet of trucks, transmitting over a two-way radio com- munications outfit under the dash; or operating a $70,000. ultra-modern grain dryer that more than slightly re- sembles . something you might find at Cape Canaver- al; or at home at a desk, under piles of ledger sheets, with calculator in hand, balancing books and steering an agricultural ship through the stormy economics of most any businesses today. "The day of the country hick," says Frew, "is over." "You've got to know not only when to drop the seed in the ground, but everything else in operating a farm--just like you do in any other business. When you're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in equip- ment, land, crops, and everything else needed to operate a modern farm, good economic judgement and Mrs. Frew at the radio base station--the_kitchen. work and a love for the land know-how is as important as witching a rainy day or interpreting the haze on the moon into inches of rain the next day. Throw in with that the skill of operating heavy equip- ment that would make some construction crews envious, mechanical ability in keep- ing the many vehicles and equipment going, as well as knowing when ol' Bessie's ready for milk, and you've to got today's farmer. But perhaps the most necessary ingredient is hard work, long hours, and a love for the land. "You've got to like it. You'd never make it without that." Like many farmers, Don's rE a 4 earlier days on the farm were a struggle. He began in the early 50s, growing tobacco for someone else, then buying a farm near Brantford in 1953 with bor- rowed down payment. He bought that first farm, com- plete with equipment and buildings, for less that the cost of one of his new tractors. "When I look at it (the tractor) today, I can't help but question if it's worth it," says Frew. He recalls breaking even (continued on page 21) i Wa a Sie . -- NE Ros we - reir oT . IR ---- ea IE Ca i n= crc , rs the number of farm workers needed. Machines are better, not because they are cheaper than wages--but because farm labourers are hard to find, says Frew. Above is a crew working on the tobacco-tying end of . "Modern corndryer: It can be operated by one man. the operation. Ri