The new year has arrived and corn harvest is finally complete.  Fair-weather days seem to be hard to find with grey & snowy skies more prevalent than Mr. Sun.  Bright side — days are starting to get longer but the nights are beginning to get colder.  With freeze-up, issues of muddy barnyards have disappeared but freezing water-bowls can be a problem.  Winter birds are enjoying the feeders and seed set out for them. Winter ag meetings are filling up the calendar, too, and thoughts of seed corn and soybean orders, pasture planning and farm maintenance are in everyone’s heads.  Seed catalogues are available to start ordering vegetable and flower seeds which is a promise of the spring to come.

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the hard work of our farmers and thank Ontario’s agri-food sector for the incredible bounty of fresh, safe & nutritious food we get to enjoy everyday 🙂  

NEWS!!!

The Wright’s family business was recently sold to Durham Farmers’ County Co-operative on Nov. 1, 2018 to realign in a changing market to keep the operation current and competitive and provide a larger support system and sales force.  This opportunity to amalgamate with DFCC was a good fit for the business and will benefit all parties, including the agricultural community of Blackstock and surrounding areas that Harold & Melanie have been proud to serve for over thirty-four years.

Wright’s Feeds ‘N Needs will continue to operate under the same name and brand that customers have come to associate with this location, maintaining its existing employees as well as the Shur-Gain livestock feed, farm, home and garden supplies that customers are accustomed to.

Harold and Melanie Wright plan to stay involved as managers of the business throughout the transition period and their mission and values that they stand by in the agricultural retail world will continue to be important to the success of this new venture.

DAY-OLD MEAT & LAYER CHICKS & TURKEYS POULTS:

Our 2018 Chick Days are complete — Please check back February 2019 for next year’s chick dates and pricing.  

DUCKLINGS, GOSLINGS, GUINEA HEN KEETS & PHEASANTS:

Our 2018 Ducks, Goslings & Game Bird Days are complete — Please check back February 2019 for next year’s chick dates and pricing. 

READY-TO-LAY CHICKENS:

Our 2018 Ready-to-Lay Pullet orders are complete — Please check back in February 2019 for next year’s dates and pricing for Ready-to-Lay Hens.

We can’t set an pre-determined date as it’s not an exact science for when our order will arrive.  Simply place your order with us and we will contact you when we know when delivery date to our store will be — You can decide then if this date works for you.  Unfortunately, we don’t carry birds over to after delivery date — Hens must be picked up delivery day.  ***Please note:  Our policy for any orders of six birds or less must be paid when ordering.

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BACKYARD BIRDS:

For feeding your feathered friends, we have all the bird feeders, feed, peanuts, suet and other backyard wildlife supplies to keep them visiting your back yard.  

Follow this link: ‘YOUR BIRDS & WILDLIFE’ to visit our page where you’ll find valuable information on both hosting and deterring backyard wildlife.

BACKYARD WILDLIFE:

For those who enjoy seeing deer graze on their property, Wright’s Feeds ‘N Needs manufactures their own custom Deer Mix that will attract deer to visit plus we stock whole corn, grains, deer & salt blocks.  **Watch for our custom deer mix to come back in stock in mid-late August — It’s only available during fall & winter seasons when there is less access to food for deer in the wild.

LAWN & GARDEN:

THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH  — with excerpts from gardening gurus Mark & Ben Cullen’s Newsletter

GARDEN HOW-TO VIDEOS:

Canada’s gardening gurus, Mark Cullen & son, Ben, had a great time shooting new videos in the garden.  Here are a few  gardening videos that will inform and entertain you — Check them out:

How-To Deadhead Annuals and Perennials

The Benefits of Mulch

Plant Selection for the East Side of Your Home

News and Events:

Are you looking to buy more Canadian Products?:

Uxbridge resident, Tyler Campbell recently created an online resource for those looking to buy more Canadian products. The “Made In Canada” website provides information about goods that are made by Canadian companies and/or manufactured within Canada. The site currently has about 234 listings spread across 16 categories–from grocery store items to furniture to car products. Visit madeinca.ca to find out if you’re buying Canadian.

Congratulations to Jordan and Alex McKay of Willowtree Farm for being named both Canada’s and Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers!

Brothers Jordan and Alex McKay were recently selected as Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2018 for their work at Willowtree Farm in Port Perry. Jordan and Alex developed unique ways to sell and use their produce in their year-round market and have designed the market to tell a story about buying local food. For more information, visit WillowTreeFarm.ca.

Video: The real dirt on farming in Clarington

The Clarington Board of Trade produced a a home-grown, engaging video to highlight agriculture in Clarington. Told by members of the Clarington agriculture community, the video describes the realities and rewards of farming as a business and as a passion. The video aims to inspire and encourage viewers to learn more about the importance of farming.  To view the video, visit youtube.com.

The Region of Durham Agricultural Strategy set for an update, with highlighted focus on current issues in the agriculture and agri-food sectors

Vibrant North Durham Strategy update

The Vibrant North Durham Economic Development Plan 2013 to 2018 (the Plan) was developed in partnership with the Region of Durham and the Townships of Scugog, Uxbridge and Brock (north Durham) to maximize opportunities to build a strong and resilient economy. An updated Plan and individual Township Action Plans are required to reflect the changing economic environment of north Durham, updated planning legislation, changes to workforce standards and new political environments. Over the coming months, staff will be reaching out to north Durham businesses and organizations to gather their input and feedback on updating the Plan.  To learn more, contact Stacey Jibb, Rural Economic Development Co-ordintor at Stacey.Jibb@durham.ca.

Durham Farm Connections Celebrate Agriculture Awards

For more information, visit DurhamFarmConnections.ca.

Input needed on new Agri-food Education and Event Centre in Durham Region 

The Durham Region 5 Million Trees Program is part of the Durham Community Climate Change Local Action Plan, with the goal of increasing forest cover in the region by approximately 2,800 hectares.  To be eligible, landowners must have 2.5 acres of non-agricultural land to plant.  Forests Ontario plants the trees at a highly subsidized rate and checks their survival at various intervals in the following few years.  Learn more about Durham Region’s 5 Million Trees Program.

The On-Farm Childcare Program, offered by Durham Farm and Rural Family Resources (DFRFR), is designed to provide quality child care for farm families who reside in Durham where at least one of the parents’ primary source of income is through a farm operation.  The program operates from May to September and allows parents to concentrate on farm work during peak times, without having their children in the workplace.  Learn  more about the On Farm Childcare Program.