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ie wl THE PORT PERRY STAR Farm & COUNTRY LIFE TUESDAY, MAY 16, 1995 - 3 Pigs e They really do fly to ® exotic destinations By Stephen Leahy SPECIAL TO FARM & COUNTRY LIFE This is the nineties; and pigs do fly. Henry and Wilma deWolde's pigs frequently take charter flights to exotic destinations such as Australia, Mexico, Japan and Indonesia. About half of the 2,500 pigs they produce each year at their Bra-Ma-Rod Farm on Scugog's First Line and anoth- er farm in Utica are bought by hog farms from around the world for breeding purposes. Their success in genetically selecting pigs with minimum fat and high quality meat has brought awards after award at the Royal Winter Fair and other exhibitions. Part of their success in genetics has resulted from a computer program they helped the University of | Guelph develop. Swine Tyme |; is a database that details the complete pedigree for every pig along with all the relevant data on feed, weight, muscle to fat ratios, days to market and so on. The deWolde's son Rod, a former zoo keeper at the % Metro Zoo, is in charge of feed- computer determining what balance of foods keeps the herd in tip-top shape. Right now he is experimenting with the amount of feed sows that have recently given birth are get- ting. He figures that nursing a dozen or more piglets means they need a lot more food than their usual 1.5 kgs a day. "The sows are producing 22 to 27 kgs of milk each day. That's more than a dairy cow," he says. So to help them maintain that pro- digious milk output sows are now getting up to 9 kgs a day, and the : The deWolde's pigs of Scugog Township frequently take charter flights ing. He spends hours on the 14 aygtic places like Australia, Mexico, Japan and Indonesia. piglets are gaining weight fast. The deWoldes are also learning to become marketers. For the past few years they have been supplying a leaner, but bigger pig directly to Toronto's Chinese restaurants. More recently, they have gone retail and now offer a variety of freezer cuts directly to the consumer. "Ontario's best pork is sold to the export market," said Henry. Consumers don't know what top- quality pork tastes like, he said. The deWoldes believe that once they do, theyll go out of their way to get it. "We think our high quality, drug- free pork will be in demand," he says. But the future of hog farming is hardly guaranteed. During past 10 years the number of Ontario farmers has dropped from some 15,000 to about 6,000. And for most of the past year, the prices from the big packing plants has been extremely low. The deWoldes are always on the look out for opportunities to diversify. As Henry deWolde likes to say: "These days if you're standing still, you're moving backwards." oh) East Central Due to funding cuts our Peterborough locations are closed and all areas will be serviced from Port Perry this season. Summer hours will be in effect starting June 5th, 7:00am to 3:00pm. There will be no extended orders for Saturday and Holidays should be made on Friday or day previous. Tel: (905) 985-3831 or 1-800-263-3825 AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICES Cannington & hours so worker 126 Water Street, Port Perry, Ontario. LOL 1B9 {ALKER 1 > eet e Systems planning e Land cleaning °Root raking e Land levelling * Grassed waterways © Excavating ® Laser controlled installation re DRAINAGE INC. ELECTRIC 3 dustrial-Farm ¢ & Service Marine-In Sales Starters Alternator --r -- Drainage » Generators s » Regulators L.1.C.O. Member ~ ROY (705) 324-9500 - LINDSAY, ONT. Free Estimates Fax (705) 324-8469 NEVER NEEDS PAINTING! HI-POLYMER FENCING + Round or square posts/Round or plank rails. « Superior rail lock. No nails. No screws. « Won'trot, rust, splinter or break. aa, « Maintenance Free Guarantee. « Won't discolor or yellow. « Stays white for life. Aza pa aX s p oly OF - 7] fe a -- (i | e-- =f 0 a) ) ' § or. | ---- =] | \ a ---- NE pm ~-- Tg - a~> ] NN ------ Resons [| 281 Medd Rd., Port Perry 852-7437 Fax: 852-4732 Michael & Doug Wilson EXCELLENCE...IT'S OUR PLEDGE TO YOU Being a New Holland Service Excellence Dealer is worth all the hard work. I's worth making sure our shop professionals attend service schools regularly to keep their skills current. And, it's worth having the right tools on hand to make repairs. Most important, our hard work pays off in our commitment to you...keeping your Ford and New Holland equipment in top condition. Stop by our dealership soon and let us manage your service so you can manage your profits. MORROW FARM EQUIPMENT LTD. FORD NEW HOLLAND Fam-Industnal-Lawn & Garden Sales & Service SUNDERLAND, ONT, (705) 357-3121 ET ----- IF aaxaxaenxrs IVisaxilket at Port Perry Fairgrounds Starting Sat., June 10/95 « 8:00am to 1:00pm VENDORS WELCOME please call 985-8044, Whitney or Bill Cohoon