GBA 2021 - Summer Update

7 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Summer 2021 FoodCycler is a food waste recycler that processes your food waste in hours . About the si z e of a bread machine , it operates anywhere with a plug and reduces food waste weight / volume by 9 0 %, leaving you with a dry , sterile , and odourless soil amendment . No more smells , pests , or unappealing food waste in your garbage . Once processed , soil amendment can be used for gardening or transferred to a municipal green bin . Even if placed in the garbage , you ’ ve reduced your waste by 9 0 % and transformed it into a format that won ’ t decompose and release harmful methane gases . The Easy Compost Alternative for GBA Members WORRIED ABOUT BEARS GETTING INTO YOUR COMPOST PILE ? RATHER NOT HAUL SMELLY FOOD WASTE FROM PLACE TO PLACE ? WANT TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT BY WASTING LESS ? CONTACT GBA @ FOODCYCLER . COM TO CLAIM THIS OFFER OR VISIT THE GBA MEMBER BENEFITS PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION . The FoodCycler Plus package includes the Basic package , PLUS an additional Grinding Bucket , Bucket Lid & 2 extra Filter Sets ! The FoodCycler Basic package includes the FoodCycler , a single Grinding Bucket & a Filter Set $ 350 $ 450 PROTECTING OUR FURRY FRIENDS B ack in March, I received a note from Gwen Wilson, one of our McGregor Bay members, telling me about the sad story of losing their family dog Asher to blastomycosis (blasto). Gwen’s family was putting in a new septic system last fall when their three-year-old Kelpie contracted blastomycosis. Her story reminded me of what my wife and I went through in 2009 with our two golden retrievers, Hope and Harry. And as many families have been buying or adopting dogs during the pandemic, we felt that we should let people know about the dangers of this illness. Blasto is a fungal disease predominately found in humans and dogs, although it can also be found in other animals. Dogs are most likely to get it by digging in warm, wet, sandy soils and rotted wood near water, where the airborne fungal spores from the Blastomyces dermatitidis fungus like to grow. Our goldens contracted blasto when they discovered an old squirrels’ nest in a rotten log by the water’s edge. And while they did survive, it took a lot of money, time, and heartbreak to nurse them back to health. Educate Yourself Although blasto is prevalent in certain areas around the Bay, it can be here one day and gone the next, as it is transported by air. While there is no vaccine for blastomycosis, the best defence is awareness and early treatment. Those infected can become extremely ill, commonly with respiratory disease, and many will die without treatment. It’s important to recognize the symptoms and take immediate action. What to Look For: ≥ Poor appetite/weight loss ≥ Coughing, laboured breathing or respiratory disease ≥ Fever ≥ Depression or change in performance and drive ≥ Limping or lameness ≥ Skin lesions on the nose, mouth or paw pads, with or without draining ≥ Inflamed eyes ≥ Enlarged nymph nodes ≥ Swollen and painful joints What Can You Do? 1. Educate yourself and your family about blasto. 2. Speak to your veterinarian. 3. Take your pet to the veterinarian immediately if they develop any of these symptoms. 4. Consider health insurance: the treatment for blasto, even when caught early, is very expensive. Paws for Thought By Rolfe Jones, GBA President