4-H Careers in Agriculture monthly club update
By Evi McCutcheon
DUNNVILLE—The Careers in Agriculture 4-H Club recently met with Clarence Hessels and Jake Elgersma for a tour of Hessels Farm Supply in Dunnville. Clarence Hessels told us about his farm supply business and the pathway he took to establish and build the business. Jake Elgersma told us about his business, Gralex Agronomy, and his partnership with Hessels Farm Supply. Clarence told us about what jobs are offered at Hessels Farm Supply and what he looks for when hiring employees.
We then did an experiment to test the quality of no-till soil versus heavily tilled soil. Jake had two chunks of soil – the same type of soil, taken from fields directly across the road from each other, but one of those fields was no-tilled and the other was heavily tilled. Jake put each chunk of soil in a container of water. The no-tilled soil held together while the heavily tilled soil quickly began to dissolve.
Jake explained that minimally tilled soil will do a better job withstanding erosion than heavily tilled soil. He said that both fields would yield well, but the no-tilled soil was healthier and hardier against natural elements such as drought, wind, and erosion, which is crucial if you are looking to pass the soil down to the next generation.
Jake also showed us his soil probe, used to take soil samples for analysis at A&L Labs to determine the levels of organic matter, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, sulphur, calcium, and acidity, so you know what you need to add to your soil. Clarence then gave us a tour of Hessels Farm Supply. He showed us the grain inventory room, where seeds are stored in both bags and totes.
He showed us the phase 3 chemical storage warehouse where fertilizers and pesticides for field crops and some greenhouse crops are stored. He showed us the scale where grain coming in on trucks is weighed, the unloading pit, the elevator, the fertilizer storage bays and tanks, the field equipment, and the solid and liquid fertilizer trucks. He also showed us the workshop where field equipment is fixed. Clarence explained that he only buys used field equipment so that he can keep his workers employed during the winter months, having them do maintenance work on equipment.
Visiting Hessels Farm Supply was a great learning experience for the Careers in Agriculture Club. From touring the grain elevator and warehouses, to learning about soil health, to hearing the inspiring story of how Clarence Hessels built up Hessels Farm Supply from the ground up, I think everyone in the Careers in Agriculture Club went home having learned something new and fascinating. Our next meeting was at W. J. Heaslip farm equipment dealership on May 7, after publication, where Katherine Hedley was to teach us about the job opportunities that the company offers.
4-H Pizza Club update
HALDIMAND — The 4-H Pizza Club held its fourth meeting on April 17, 2024 at Canfield Community Centre. The recipes that we made that week included pizza pockets and a decadent chocolate-chip dessert pizza. We prepared the pizza dough for our club achievement day with the Cloverbuds that was scheduled for May. Our club also trained for the Haldimand 4-H “Go for the Gold” competition, which will be in the near future as well. It was a fun and exciting meeting enjoyed by all!
—Submitted by Rachel Iacurti.
