Meet the face of September in the Faces of Farming calendar
by Patricia Grotenhuis
Farming is just in the blood for some people, as is the case with Jim Patton, a sixth-generation farmer from near Alliston.
Patton was not always sure he was going to farm. He decided to attend the University of Guelph after doing a project on the importance of agriculture in his final year of high school. He graduated with a diploma in agricultural business, and returned to the farm.
Broiler breeder farmer Jim Patton
Once Patton returned to the farm, he began making changes to modernize the family’s business. Patton is featured as the month of September in the 2012 Faces of Farming Calendar, published by the Farm Care Foundation, because of his dedication to making improvements.
In 1998, Patton began keeping broiler breeder chickens. These are roosters as well as the hens who lay fertilized eggs that will hatch into chickens raised for meat. In 2000 he added raising pullets (young hens) to the farm. In addition to the birds, Patton also grows corn, soybeans and wheat. He makes it a point to go to as many industry conferences and workshops as he can, including a three-day training course at the University of Alberta and a no-till(age) conference in Cincinnati. He sets a personal goal to bring at least one idea home to implement on the farm from each event that he attends. This interest has also led him to the Innovative Farmers of Ontario association – where he now serves as a director.
Posted by FFC on September 19th, 2012 :: Filed under Broiler Breeders,Chickens,Education and public awareness,Environmental Farm Plan,Family vs factory farming,Farm life,Innovative Farmers of Ontario,Pullets,Uncategorized
Tags :: Canada, chicken, farm, Farmers, Poultry, technology