The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

THE PORT PERRY STAR FARM & COUNTRY LIFE TUESDAY, July 11, 1995 - 5 Evans family has been farming since 1914 Attribute success to str by Stephen G. Leahy Special to Farm and Country Life ITH ALL the controversy around BST -- the drug that increases milk production -- GATT, and the new national milk pooling agreement, dairying is becoming more complex than ever. Floyd and Grace Evans of Evanshill Farms on Reach Road in Epsom recall when they bought their first farm in 1957, hard work and staying out of debt pretty well ensured success. ~ Grace recalls when they started out their monthly milk cheque only amount- ed to $300. But their yearly taxes were mere $175. Things do change. These days, Floyd says, dairymen not only have good genetics, high herd health and a knowledge of the markets, "good management and paying close __ attention to the little things" are crucial. 'The Evans clan are something of an institution in the Epsom-Uxbridge- Greenbank area. Floyd's father Wilfred was from the Sunderland area and in 1914 bought a farm on Marsh Hill Road just north of Reach Road which is now owned by Floyd's brother Ross. This first Evans farm, Evansridge, was primarily a beef operation but eventually Wilfred decided to pull up the many pine stumps with his pair of Percheron draft horses, and grow crops for the Holsteins he purchased in 1927. Floyd recalls using horses in the heavy snows of winters past to pull sleighs loaded down with milk three miles north to Regional Road 47 to get to the milk " "1s a good thing the milk truck comes right to the milk house these days because Evanshill has 60 high producing milkers in their herd of 250 to 2785. Evanshill is actually a three farm opera- tion comprising of 350 acres mostly along Reach Road and managed by son Robert, who is the leader in the 4-H pro- gram in Uxbridge. Robert, along with Mary and |g children Teena Cy and Scott, represents the next generation in the Evans' long agricultural history. The Evans grow all of their own feed and sell quite a few heif- | ers. Recently a number were i sold to cattle [T. dealer Ernie Kahn in Brooklin who shipped them to Puerto Rico. The Evans heifers | were sought aft- | . er because while |. tin "the average American animal might produce a lot of milk, they Gr says. "We breed for type -- good legs and good udders -- as well as for protein and volume." In his early days, Floyd worked for Roy Ormiston, Brooklin's legendary Holstein breeder. "He taught me everything I know about breeding," he says. As a - result, 4 substantial part of the Evans' income comes from heifer sales. As Ormiston helped a young dairyman many years ago, Floyd has been helping farmers across southern Ontario as part of the Farm Family Advisory Program for the past dozen years. This provincial agriculture program helps farmers with financial or other farming problems by and Floyd Evans with granddaughter Teena in front of the milk house don't last," Floyd at their Evanshill Farms on Reach Road near Epsom. ong family ties N ten to the farmer's troubles. "It's com- pletely confiden- tial," he says, adding that he is never assigned to a local farm. : Often helping a farmer means advising him to swallow his pride and sell off a piece "of land or machin- ery in order to lower their debt load. "I spend lots of time figuring out how to approach them." > Advisors like Floyd get paid a minimal amount for 'the hours they put in, but he says, "most people do it to ¥ TEE | help people". : | 1 Floyd and Grace are quick to "acknowledge their own success in farming is largely 'due to their strong family connections. In the early years they shared equipment and labor with Ross and Wilfred and later, their own sending experienced farmers like Floyd to help. "You meet some really good people in real difficulty," he says. Floyd will go over the books, visit bankers or just lis- five children provided lots of help. "We wouldn't be here without them," Grace says. GREAT DEALS ON GREAT WHEELS =o 1995 JEEP CHEROKEE 4WD WAGON.....c0ovenee 1994 GMC SUBURBAN SLE 4WD......c..cesmssssse GMC EX. CAB PICK-UP ....cvvesssssrsssnssnns GMC 1/2 TON 4WD PICK-UP...cccvvrunrnne 1993 CHEROKEE SILVERADO SUBURBAN......27,900 GMC 8 PASS. SAFARI VAN.wvvsrsrsssrn 17,700 DODGE RAM 1/2 TON PICK-UP... 13,900 1992 ISUZU TROOPER 4WD..ovsvnsnrsnsssrsns GMC SIERRA 1/2 TON 4WD PICK-UP... PONTIAC TRANSPORT 7 PASS. .vvvurus GMC 3/4 TON PICK-UP cvvvrrirsvsnsen 1991 CHEVROLET EX-CAB PICK UP............. 15,000 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER 8 PASS. AWD...... 14,500 GEO TRACKER SOFT TOP 4WD........... 10,500 "Serving Port Perry & The Durham Area Since 1976 USED CAR & TRUCK SPECIALS FORD XLT 1/2 TON PICK-UP uuuuissnsinnnns CHEVROLET 1/2 TON PICK-UP....counsueves GMC JIMMY 4WD GYPSY ouiermsmmssssssarennne 1989 FORD F150 EX-CAB PICK-UP sours GMC SAFARI CARGO VAN uous unnsssnsns 1988 GMC 1/2 TON PICK-UP coeuosnsrsnsssmsssssssessns GMC SLT 8 PASS. SAFARI VAN.....cousssissenns 1987 CHEVROLET ASTRO 7 PASS. cvvvvrsrsrsn 9,900 9.9% financing available on 1392 models and newer. Terms up lo 60 months on approved credit. No Payment for 90 days with 9 9% financing on approved credit PONTIAC BUICK LIMITED 10 Vanedward Drive, Port Perry 985-8474 Jo HN DEERE Square Bales or Round, You're in the best Shape with John Deere e See the productivity and hay- e Stop in and look over the quality leaders, the 435 and 535 Round Balers. e [ive round baler models, 750- to 2,000-pound bales. complete line of completely advanced John Deere balers. * See square balers with the hay control to produce bales Three 14x18-inch square that stack like bricks. balers, one 16x18-inch square baler. UTICA FARM EQUIPMENT LIMITED 1 2 MILES WEST OF MANCHESTER ON DURHAM 985-9701 A JOHN DEERE GOOD DEALS...AND A GOOD DEAL MORE oo dh al Ea a a a: a Re