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
newsroom@eap.on.ca
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
newsroom@eap.on.ca
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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