Express_2011_02_11

The power of “good bacteria”

richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca

with the Hawkesbury area recycling

V ANKLEEK H ILL

committee.

The Cooter Muck Brewery has been

producing kombucha, beer, and wine and

“Don’t be afraid of good bacteria!”

experimenting with ways to make tasty treats

That is just one of the catch phrases Adam

and useful products from beneficial bacteria

Webster and Scott Russell use to promote

since 1990. “We enjoy working with our

their Compostgénie seeds.

Photo Richard Mahoney

invisible microorganism helpers, and teaching

Good bacteria is the basis of their Cooter

Pyramids? Not quite. Snow-covered piles of chipped trees are all that remain of a

our community about their benefits and how

Muck Probiotics, which is “reintroducing

wooded area in East Hawkesbury Township. The land has been cleared to make way

to harness them,” the company web site

people to awesome mirco-organisms”

for crops.

www.compostgénie.com says.

through the Vankleek Hill company’s

“In 2008, we decided to start making some

Forest loss forum

Compostgénie composting system.

of our products available to the public, while

They say the “superheroes included in

continuing our missions to create delicious

Compostgénie are naturally occurring and

newsroom@eap.on.ca

recommends that at least 30 per cent of the

and useful products and share them with the

healthy for people to be around – and they

landscape be maintained in forest cover to

A VONMORE

community, and to teach people how to make

produce better compost!”

provide for a multitude of environmental

them themselves.”

Since the inventors moved from Montréal

benefits – from wildlife habitat to water. The

The seeds are safe – Webster regularly eats

to Vankleek Hill last March, Compostgénie

Forest cover loss in Stormont-

forum will address the following questions:

the granules during promotional events.

has been growing in popularity. The line is

Dundas-Glengarry will be discussed

Why should a rural landowner keep a forest?

The seed mixture is really material left over

now sold at chains such as Home Depot and

at a forum February 24, from 8:30 a.m.

What can we do to preserve forests? What

from processing organic wheat, oats and other

Home Hardware as well as some Your

to 2 p.m. at the Avonmore community

support systems do government agencies at

grains. “We use it as a neutral material on

Independent Grocer stores.

hall.

the federal, provincial and municipal levels

which the beneficial microorganisms that make

The firm, which employs six, has visions

For more information on the meeting,

offer to private woodlot owners? Agencies

the Compostgénie system work can grow. It’s

of expanding to the United States, first to

sponsored by the Resource Stewardship

including Ontario Ministry of Natural

also absorbent, so it reduces moisture, which

Vermont and eventually San Francisco.

Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry Council

Resources, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture

helps the process along and prevents the odours

A $35,000 grant from the federal

and the SD&G Certified Forest Owners,

and Food, SD&G Counties, Municipal

some “swampy” organisms might produce in

government announced last week by

contact stewardship coordinator Jim

Property Assessment Corporation, Eastern

a wetter environment. We call them seeds,

Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MP Pierre

Hendry at (613) 933-7671 or

Ontario Model Forest, and Canada Revenue

because they hold so many sleeping organisms

Lemieux will help develop new products.

jim.hendry@ontario.ca.

Agency have been invited to attend. There

that wake up and grow when you add food

One of them is a cat litter additive, Littergénie.

Surveys conducted by local

will be a “listening panel” to hear the ideas

and water.”

“It takes about $50,000 to develop one

conservation authorities and others

and suggestions put forward by individuals

At the operation in Vankleek Hill’s industrial

product,” says Scott Russell.

show that the current amount of forest

and stakeholders. The event is open to

park, the mixture is dried and packaged using

He and Webster have lots of other ideas.

cover in SD&G is about 28 per cent and

everyone and is scheduled to run Ontario.

labour-intensive methods. The installation of

For example, they see the development of a

is declining at the rate of at least one per

Refreshments will be provide but please

new equipment lately “has made us 600 times

composting system that generates electricity.

cent per decade. Environment Canada

bring your own lunch.

more efficient,” says Webster.

There is no shortage of raw material,

He and Russell note that with the growth of

observes Webster. About 50 per cent of all

urban composting programs, their

the garbage produced is food.

Fiddle tour

Compostgénie will be a natural choice for city

They are also discussing the possible

dwellers.

launch of a regional composting program

chugs into

Vankleek Hill

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V ANKLEEK H ILL

Champion fiddler Scott Woods and

his band steam into Vankleek Hill with

their “All Aboard!” tour for a 7 p.m.

March 30 show at Knox Presbyterian

Church.

Tickets for the show that will help send

children to a Christian camp in Gracefield

are available at the Vankleek Hill

Scotiabank branch or by calling Leigh at

613-678-3404 or Verne at 613-678-2626.

Showcasing the talent of Woods, a

Photo Richard Mahoney

Canadian Grand Masters fiddle champion,

Cooter Muck owners Adam Webster (centre) and Scott Russell explain to Glengarry-

this is a two-hour fun-filled musical

Prescott-Russell MP Pierre Lemieux how their Compostgénie product works.

journey sure to delight audiences of all

ages.

Recycle costs stable

Scott Woods studied classical violin

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from age four. He also plays several other

H AWKESBURY

instruments, but his favourite is fiddle -

whether it’s classical, jazz, big band,

country, swing, Celtic, or old time music.

Taxpayers’ contribution to waste recycling services in the Hawkesbury area will remain

Scott Woods

His love of fiddling has been passed down

unchanged this year, according to estimates presented to Hawkesbury, Champlain and

through six generations of his family. Two-

somersaults and step dance while playing

East Hawkesbury councils.

time winner of the Canadian Open Fiddle

the fiddle. For seven years Scott was the

Municipal levies will total $357,534 this year, compared to $357,634 in 2010, Hawkesbury

Contest, two-time winner of the Canadian

musical director and played the part of Don

area joint recycling committee coordinator Robert Lefebvre related in a recent report.

Grand Masters Fiddling Championships,

Messer in Memories of Don Messer’s Jubilee

Expenditures are expected to decrease from $570,054 to $534,300, while total revenues are

and Canadian Fiddle Entertainer of the

which toured extensively in Canada.

anticipated to dip from $563,858 to $534,300. Municipalities’ shares, based on the number of

Year are perhaps Scott’s most-prized titles.

Scott Woods combines his superb playing

households, will shift slightly, with Hawkesbury’s portion going from $173,981 to $174,449,

However, he has won competitions and

ability with a wonderful sense of humour,

Champlain’s allotment rising from $133,272 to $133,398 and East Hawkesbury’s bill dropping

performed throughout Canada, the United

along with other talented musicians who

from $50,380 to $49,686. Total tonnage collected this year is projected to be 1,475, compared

States and Europe. Scott can turn

join him onstage.

to 1,408 in 2010. The per-household cost is expected to be decline from $34.30 to $34.27.

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