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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2006 THE NEW TANNER 13 Second Hand Shop ?????????????????????????????? ?????????? ????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????? Open Tuesday - Saturday 11-5 CASH OR CHEQUES ONLY PLEASE. great new stock! great LOW prices! ????????????????????? ??????????? TO ENTER CONTEST visit www.ckcoverings.ca WIN 2 Movie Tickets NATIVITY STORY Thursday?December 21 Galaxy Theatre?Guelph This year catch the Christmas Spirit ... DEADLINE: Dec 16 20 Winners / 40 Tickets ENTER your name into ... C.K. Coverings CONTEST ROCKWOODThe Miller Several Rockwood and area farmers are already pre- paring farm machinery for the annual Farmers Parade of Lights, which will be held on December 14 of this year. The event draws over 10,000 spectators from all over On- tario every year. Our participants are off to a great start again this year. Spectators can expect to see some very exciting floats on the 14th, says Kevin Murison, one of the event organizers. This will be the fourteenth year that farmers from the surrounding area converge on the village at seven oclock in the evening with vari- ous pieces of decorated and festively lit farm equipment. The fl oats vary in size, (some up to 20 feet wide) and shape depending on what piece of farm equipment is selected by the 20-25 participants. The parade is strictly for fun, says Murison. There is absolutely no advertising, fundraising or fees associated with it. The parade has come a long way since our first year when a number of lo- cal farmers got together and drove through town with no set route or legal con- siderations, says Murison. We now have an organizing committee that ensures that the parade occurs in a safe and well organized fashion, complete with Police escorts and proper permits. Murison says the floats themselves have also come a long way, with some of the farmers starting a month ahead to assemble their many By Rebecca Ring Peter Hannam, co-owner of Woodrill Farm Enterprises and Woodrill Ltd., was in- ducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame this fall, at the Royal Agricul- tural Winter Fair. His farm, crop supply and elevator business is located on Hwy. 7, between Rockwood and Guelph. Last year, Woodrill Ltd. established a second lo- cation in Marsville. He owns them with his son, Greg, and Jim Timmings. Hannams claim to fame is spreading soybean produc- tion throughout Ontario and dedicating funds and time to its promotion. He and 12 other farmers started First Line Seeds in 1982, which grew, processed and sold varieties of soybean seeds adapted to shorter growing seasons. When they began, there was no soybean produc- tion in Ontario north or east of London. Now, it is one of the largest crops grown in the province, with about 2.15 million acres compared to 685,000 acres in 1980. Last year, 75,818 metric tonnes of soybeans were produced in Wellington County alone. In 2004, the farmers sold First Line Seeds to Monsanto Corporation, a US giant in agricultural chemicals and genetically engineered seeds. With funds from this sale, Hannam set up the Hannam Soybean Utilization Fund (SUF) at the University of Guelph. It funds research into new uses of soybeans. Collision on 124 A 33-year old man from Guelph/Eramosa Twp. has been charged with impaired driving after an OPP offi cer, responding ta a report of a collision on County Rd. 124 found the driver of a 1995 GMC Safari had been drinking. Police said the Safari had struck the rear of another van that was turning into a drive- way on the road, formerly Highway 24 on Saturday, Nov. 25 about 6:40pm. In- juries in the collision were minor. Sexual assault A 36-year-old Guelph man has been charged with sexual assault and sexual interference following an incident which happened in Erin Township on Tuesday, September 26. OPP Offi cers went to the home in Erin Twp. on that date when a 12-year old girl reported she had been sexually assaulted while she and a girlfriend hitch-hiked and were picked up by an older man. Wellington OPPs crime unit investigated and charges were laid. The Guelph man is sched- uled to appear in Guelph court on January 8 to answer to the charge. Area farmers already preparing for parade strands (20-40 per fl oat) of Christmas lights and decora- tions. Along with the show of lights, spectators will have the opportunity to view a range of farming equipment from yesteryear and today with antique and modern equipment involved. Santa and Mrs. Claus will ride in style as usual for the fi nale of the parade atop a massive combine. Murison points out that a sample of the beautifully lit parade fl oats can be enjoyed at the groups website www. rockwoodfarmersparade.org. The website also contains exact directions to Rockwood and the exact parade route. WELLINGTON OPP REPORT SOYBEAN SAVVY: Peter Hannam, a pioneering soybean producer and promoter, was inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame this fall. He is shown here with soybeans ready for shipment. He grows and processes them on his farm, Woodrill. Rebecca Ring Photo Eramosa soybean pioneer inducted into Hall of Fame He also established Project SOY (Soybean Opportunities for Youth). It awards prizes of $2500 to undergraduates for designing new uses for soybeans. Projects ranged from surfboards to Canadian Irish Cream. The SUF takes these projects to a higher level, awarding research grants to graduate students or faculty. Research includes using soy- beans as an alternative home heating or vehicle fuel (bio- fuel), and in auto-parts such as foam insulation, seats and bumpers. Hannam says Any- thing made from petroleum products, like polypropylene or nylon, can be made from plant products. During the sale, Monsanto gave an award to First Line Seeds for its innovation in bulk handling. Previously, soybean seeds were packaged in 25 kg paper bags. Most farmers needed 1500 to 1800 bags, which was inconvenient and produced a lot of packag- ing waste. First Line Seeds instituted a program where farmers could pick up or have seed delivered in bulk. In the fi rst year, 40% of their seeds were sold in bulk. Now, all seed companies offer bulk handling. Hannamsays Be- cause we were spread out across the province, we could Continued on page 19