A visit to the home-based shop/studio of local chocolatier, Ludwig Ratzinger, feels a bit like winning one of Willy Wonka's golden tickets. An experienced chocolatier, Ludwig recently set up his studio in the new straw bale home he designed and helped to build near Maberly. The studio is located in the basement of the home, where Ludwig works full time and on average produces from half to three-quaters of a tonne of chocolate per year.

When I visited his studio early last week a brand new semi-automatic tempering machine, which Ludwig purchased thanks to a grant from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation, was in full operation. Its fly wheel was spinning up a fresh, warm, velvety batch of sweet-smelling chocolate and pouring it from a spout, where Ludwig was filling a series of intricate, feather-shaped bar molds.

Made from “single origin noble grade cocoa beans” from South America, Ludwig’s bars are premium quality and are not your average chocolate bar. The process involves first creating batches of chocolate from raw blocks and pellets, which Ludwig imports from a Swiss company that offers South American cocoa farmers 50% more than other Fair Trade rates. Ludwig explained that as a result of the way the pods are harvested the raw beans are a higher grade than those used by commercial chocolate producers. “Each pod is first picked and left to sit in its pulp, where it ferments for a day and then is sun dried, which gives the cocoa its unique high quality flavour.” The pods are then bagged and shipped directly to Switzerland (sans middle man), where they are refined and then purchased by a host of premiere chocolatiers, of which Ludwig is one.

In his studio Ludwig mixes these imported raw batches in his special tempering machine, sometimes adding flavors of lime or mint. He explained that the tempering process allows the chocolate to go through the necessary crystallization process, which gives the chocolates their ideal colour, texture and density, and their bright, crisp-sounding “snap” when a piece is broken off the bar.

Once crystallization has occurred, the temperature of the mix is then raised to 32 degrees Celsius and the liquid chocolate is poured into a series of decorative plastic molds and left to cool. Prior to cooling, additional ingredients can be added; Ludwig incorporates high quality sea salt, caramelized cocoa nibs or barberries to create interesting and unusual flavors.

Later the individual bars are removed from the molds and packaged as either single or double bar offerings. Packaging is another area where Ludwig excels and he designed some of his own packaging. “I figured, since I am producing a premium product why not also make an effort to package it right?” The smaller sized 40 gram bars ($4.50-$5.50) are wrapped more simply, and the 100 gram double bars ($13-$15) are wrapped in silver/gold metal foil and encased in an aesthetically pleasing heavy paper pull sleeve and come with an explanation of the ingredients, the production process and suggested wine pairings.

A fourth generation pastry chef who hails from Bavaria, Germany, Ludwig came to chocolate making in 2006 after a successful eight-year stint as pastry chef at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa. “I decided to focus at home on chocolate making because it is a simpler, more immediate undertaking that requires less space and less equipment, and I have a lot more control over the production process.”

Ludwig has future plans for his chocolate products and is hoping to talk to a local brewery about making beer truffles. Ludwig sells his premium chocolate bars at Foodsmiths in Perth, Peches et Poivre in Almonte, Mrs. McGarrigles in Merrickville, Read's Book Shop in Carleton Place and at Seed to Sausage's brand new store in Ottawa at 729 Gladstone Ave. Local chocolate lovers can find Ludwig and his sweet offerings this Thanksgiving weekend on October 11, 12 &13 at the Perth Autumn Studio Tour. He will be a guest at studio # 7, the Brent Kirkham Studio located at 2486 Christie Lake Road and will be there each day from 10am-5pm.

The weather cleared just a bit and a warm front broke through the early fall chill at the Piccadilly cemetery on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 23. Before holding one of the final council meetings of the term in the nearby hall, members of council and staff of Central Frontenac Township joined with the family of the late Bill Snyder to dedicate a bench in his honour. Mayor Janet Gutowski spoke of the legacy left by Snyder, who died in February while still a member of Council, a position he held for 35 years. “Bill was dedicated to Hinchinbrooke and Central Frontenac Township and his beloved Piccadilly area. Bill was tenacious when he wanted to get things done, and he insisted that things were done properly. We won't see another like him,” she said.

A moment of silence was held to mark the occasion, then everyone walked slowly to the Piccadilly hall to carry on the business of the township.

Geri Teeter was Drew Cumpson's neighbor for 11 years when he lived on Buck Bay in South Frontenac. She watched him grow up over the years and recalled him as “a wonderful young man who treated people exceptionally well, was always very polite and who just loved young kids.” Drew became a quadriplegic after suffering a body surfing accident while he was volunteering in Peru in 2011, and Teeter felt moved to do something for him. Months ago an Indiegogo campaign was set up to raise $35,000 to help cover the costs associated with a surgery to have Drew fitted with a diaphragmatic pacemaker, which will allow him to breath easier and could eliminate his need for a ventilator.

The campaign officially ended on August 27 after successfully raising $37,638, more than the initial $35,000 goal; however Teeter still felt the need to contribute to what she believes will be the ongoing medical costs for him and his family. With that in mind, Teeter and fellow members of the congregation of Cole Lake Free Methodist Church, Jean Freeman and Cheryl Silver, organized a bake/yard sale fundraiser on September 13. Members of the church and the local community donated all of the goods and a steady stream of visitors attended the event. The three ladies were thrilled with the generosity of the attendees, many of whom made generous extra cash donations to the cause. By the end of the day over $625 was raised. Those who missed the event and who would still like to make a donation can call Cheryl Silver at 613-374-3250.

North Frontenac Mayor and Frontenac County Warden, Bud Clayton, died on Labour Day Monday.

Clayton took ill while attending a conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario in London, Ontario on August 17. Kelly Pender, Chief Administrative Officer of Frontenac County, was attending the meeting with Clayton. He stayed with him in hospital as it became clear that the illness was serious, and Jackie Clayton, Bud's wife, rushed to London.

After ruling out a heart attack or stroke, the doctors at the London Health Centre began treatment for viral meningitis. However, his condition did not improve and he remained in intensive care in London until he died.

North Frontenac Township had a meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning at the Snow Road Hall.

Deputy Mayor Fred Perry, who was a fellow councilor with Clayton between 2004 and 2006, has been deputy mayor under him for the past four years, and he read out a short prepared statement.

He described Bud Clayton as “an extraordinary man” and said that Council and staff struggled with whether or not to go ahead with the meeting, but, “We all know Bud would say 'take care of business'”.

(The statement is reprinted in full at the end of this article)

During Bud Clayton’s tenure as mayor, North Frontenac has focused on long-term planning, one of his major concerns. He often talked with concern about prospects for the future given the size of the township's population and the demands being made on municipal governments.

He also had a gently ironic viewpoint about the relationship between township councils and staff. He would say that it is staff who make all the decisions and they let Council express their opinion once in a while, just to humour the politicians.

During his tenure as North Frontenac mayor he developed a close working relationship with CAO Cheryl Robson, Clerk Jenny Duhamel and the rest of the senior staff, and this was in evidence at the Tuesday morning meeting, as Duhamel had difficulty starting the business of Council and getting the meeting underway after Fred Perry read his statement.

Clayton took on the warden’s role at Frontenac County last December, after the controversial two-year term of Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski. He was involved in the hiring process of current County CAO Pender.

While never short of opinions, he had considerable political skills, and exerted a calming influence on both his own council and Frontenac County Council, managing to ride just slightly above the rifts between different members of Council.

This was particularly noticeable at Frontenac County Council over the past nine months.

Bud Clayton was also instrumental in the redevelopment plans for Pine Meadow Nursing Home, which are now over 50% complete, and he remained in the role of chair of the management board for the home until his death.

He was registered to run for a second term as mayor in the upcoming municipal election, and his death leaves Claudio Valentini as the only candidate in the race with just over a week remaining until the close of registration on September 12, although that will likely change.

Bud was a member of North Frontenac Council from 2001 until 2006, and ran for mayor in 2006, as the incumbent, Ron Maguire, had indicated he was not running again. On the day of the deadline, Maguire reversed course and put his name in. He won the election with a 400-vote advantage over Clayton. Betty Hunter, also a sitting member of Council, finished third.

After that, Clayton turned his back on municipal politics and threw himself into the Pine Meadow rebuilding project. That is, until September of 2010.

With only days remaining before the registration deadline for that year's election, Jim Beam was the only declared candidate for mayor. That's when Bud Clayton decided to try for a political comeback by throwing his hat into the ring.

When interviewed during the 2010 campaign, he explained why he was seeking office again.

“Leadership roles are ones that I've taken my whole life. All of my jobs have been in leadership or leadership training roles so I am comfortable seeking this position. I also felt that acclamation is not the way to go for a position where someone has to lead Council and represent the township to other levels of government, and I was in a position to step up to the plate.”

During that campaign, he said that mending fences with Frontenac County would be one of his priorities if elected, along with promoting long-term planning in North Frontenac. It's fair to say both of those goals have been advanced considerably over the last four years, and the opening of the Robertsville ambulance base in early August of this year is a fitting symbol of an improved relationship between the township and the county.

The statement that Deputy Mayor Fred Perry read out at the Sept. 2 council meeting follows:

In Loving Memory of Mayor/Warden Bud Clayton

We are very saddened to hear of our recent loss of our friend and colleague Mayor/Warden, Bud Clayton, and we would like to express our sincere condolences to his family.

Bud was an extraordinary man.

He loved people and was a committed husband and father.

He was dedicated, realistic, community-orientated and he touched so many hearts.

Bud was a forward thinker and for the betterment of our community, he initiated North Frontenac Council's first documented Strategic Directions.

He valued our beautiful area and he loved to fish and hunt.

While we struggled with whether or not to go ahead with this meeting, we all know Bud would say "Take care of business".

He made people smile and brought laughter to their lives.

He was always there to give a helping hand to anyone and he had such a positive attitude.

He made sure everyone knew they were special and how much they were appreciated.

Could everyone please stand and join me in a moment of silence in loving memory of Bud.

Words cannot express how sorry we all are.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Jackie and their family during this difficult time.

He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and his community.

Thanks, Bud, for everything - you were our great Leader!!!

One of the sad parts of Bud Clayton's passing this week won't hit for another year or so. When the Pine Meadow Nursing Home redevelopment project is complete and the ribbon is cut, he won't be there to share in the accomplishment along with a handful of other people who wouldn't let the project fail, even though it took over 10 years of strategising, cajoling and lobbying to get it to the building stage.

Funnily enough, in all the time I covered Bud Clayton's political career, it was the way he handled a funding issue over Pine Meadow while he was mayor of North Frontenac that led to the strongest attack I ever launched against him. And the way he handled that attack told me something about the kind of guy he was.

When Bud became mayor in 2010 he knew he was on shaky ground in continuing as the Chair of the Pine Meadow Management Board. He said at the time that as soon as the redevelopment was approved he would resign from the board. However, 18 months later he was still the Chair of the Management Board and the financing of the redevelopment was slipping away. The only way to salvage the project was for someone or some entity to provide a loan guarantee.

Instead of going to Addington Highlands Council for the loan guarantee Bud went to North Frontenac, and instead of presenting the request and stepping out of the room Bud stayed in his seat, argued in favour of a motion to provide the guarantee, and then voted in favour of it.

I felt I had no choice but to take him to task for what I thought then, as I do now, was a breach of the Municipal Act. The editorial I wrote was pretty harsh.

At the next meeting of North Frontenac Council, I was feeling a little uncomfortable. It is usually a bit frosty at the next meeting after I write that kind of editorial. I sat down and looked at Bud, who looked away. The first item of business, it being early June, was a motion for the township to declare Seniors' Month.

“It is seniors' month," Bud said, looking over to where I was sitting, “so remember out there, be kind to seniors this month.”

Everyone laughed at that, and that was the end of it.

Glenburnie ON – With great sadness, the Township of North Frontenac and the County of Frontenac received news yesterday that Warden and Mayor Bud Clayton passed away on Monday September 1, 2014. Bud was 75 years of age and is survived by his cherished wife of 53 years, Jackie, two sons and beloved grandchildren.

Bud has been involved in municipal politics in the Frontenacs since 2000, when he was elected as a Councillor for North Frontenac Township. Elected Mayor of North Frontenac in 2010, Bud became a member of County Council the same year and took on the role of Warden in 2013.

“Bud was an extraordinary man. He loved people and was a committed husband and father. He was dedicated, realistic, community orientated and he touched so many hearts. Bud was a forward thinker and for the betterment of our community, he initiated North Frontenac Council’s first documented Strategic Directions,” says Fred Perry, Deputy Mayor of North Frontenac Township. “He made people smile and brought laughter to their lives. He was always there to give a helping hand to anyone and he had such a positive attitude.”

“As a member of County Council, Bud was always articulate in his discussions and worked hard to ensure that residents across Frontenac County received value for their tax dollars,” says Deputy Warden of Frontenac County Denis Doyle. “He always carefully listened to his peers and was pragmatic and logical in his approach to solve issues and create an atmosphere of continuous improvement and team work between staff and County Councillors. Thanks to Bud’s efforts over the past four years, the Frontenacs are a better place.”

Information regarding a funeral service is not yet available.

Over the weekend, Marilyn Crawford died after a battle with cancer.

From what I've been told, she had been dealing with cancer for several years, but apparently was able to do some travelling with her husband and co-conspirator, Buddy.

For those who don't remember, she was a founding member of the Bedford Mining Alert and a major force in the revamping of the Ontario Mining Act as it is applied in Southern Ontario. She went on to become an activist for justice in mining, particularly the impacts of mining on women around the world, as a board member and co-chair of Mining Watch Canada in Ottawa.

The truly amazing thing about changes to the Ontario Mining Act, which came about a few years ago, is that groups like the Bedford Mining Alert and people like Marilyn, Mary Louks, Maureen Towaij, Peter Griesbach and Frank and Gloria Morrison and others played a direct role in bringing about reform.

It all started for Marilyn, and most of the others mentioned above, when they noticed that trees had been cut down, trenches had been dug and stakes were up all over their property. That's when they found out that they did not own the subsurface rights to their properties. They also found out that the prospectors who had laid claim to the minerals underneath had a lot of rights to use the surface in order to access their mining claims.

The first meeting of the Bedford Mining Alert took place in 2000. From that point on, the outrage they each felt turned into iron resolve. Everyone played their own role, and they did not always agree on tactics or even goals, but each of the people mentioned above was part of the change that took place.

For her part, Marilyn Crawford studied the Ontario Mining Act. She became so well versed in the act that when ministry officials came to meetings in Bedford and elsewhere in Eastern Ontario, they found themselves being instructed on some of the details of the act as they defended ministry practices.

When the mining act was changed, the initial goal of Bedford Mining Alert members, which was to protect the interests of landowners who did not own their subsurface rights, had been accomplished. Those lands cannot be staked any more.

But long before those changes and others came in, Marilyn's interests in the impact of mining on individuals moved her in many new directions and brought depth to her politics.

She was a resource person and a part of the struggle over uranium exploration in Algonquin and Land Claim territory in North Frontenac in 2007 and 2008.

Although she initially used the resources of Mining Watch Canada, an Ottawa-based not-for-profit that works with groups in Canada and around the world to help with her own case and that of her neighbours, Marilyn ended up joining the board of Mining Watch and was co-chair between 2008 and her death last weekend.

Ramsay Hart, the Canadian program director at Mining Watch, originally met Marilyn from the other side of a hiring table when he was being interviewed for the job he has held for five years.

He said this week that, “Beyond her role as board member she has been a great resource person for me whenever I have had questions about the mining act. She was also a very caring and warm person and wanted to make sure that the staff were doing well.”

He said that Marilyn developed educational material for schools around the Mining Act and made presentations to students.

“She always took a strong interest in the various ways the mining industry is privileged over the people who live on the land that they use for its resources,” he said.

This brought her attention to the plight of women and Aboriginal peoples around the world as they are subjected to international mining interests, a large issue, far removed from the interests of rural landowners in Southern Ontario.

As a political activist, Marilyn could be hard on those she opposed, and even on those she was working with. She was always clear about the specific change she was seeking, and did not generally alter her goals in order to get along with others. Many of the people she worked with had their own agendas and strong personalities as well, so she could be a polarizing figure, and she made and lost friends along the way.

My memories of Marilyn Crawford were of a mutual benefit situation. When she needed publicity for something, when she had a goal in mind, she called and was always upfront about what she was looking to get out of a story in the Frontenac News. When I was looking for information, she was a resource. She always shared whatever she knew or pointed me in the right direction. And she was a lot of fun. She had a sense of humour about politics and about the internal politics of the people and groups she was involved with.

Peter Griesbach, one of her first allies from the very beginnings of the Bedford Mining Alert, who went on to play a role with the Federation of Ontario Cottage Association and through them the Adivsory Panel on Changes to the Mining Act, put it this way: “Marilyn kept on with her mining rights activity long after many of us were done and had moved on to other things. I think she, and her husband Buddy - he played a role in everything she did, made a real difference - even though she was fighting cancer for a number of years.”

Aided by a donation of over $5,000 from a group called Groupies.com Community, Drew Cumpson's Indiegogo campaign now stands at $37,638, enough so he will make the $35,000 he was seeking even after he pays the debit and website fees to Indiegogo.

In a post marking the success of his campaign, Cumpson not only talked about the operation he is now working to organize, but also about making sure others who need a diaphragmatic pacemaker to help them breathe on their own can get one through the Ontario Health Insurance Program and not by having to launch fund-raising campaigns.

“I have reached my goal of $35,000 and am now working towards trying to get things organized for the surgery. As someone who is setting out to improve the lives of others as well I plan to work towards getting this surgery covered by the government as it has been said to be available through them. One of the major things that I feel needs to come out of this is set all Canadian patients that meet the requirements for this surgery do not have to pay the large amount of costs associated with this.

“Many ventilator dependent people are unable to speak as there are certain aspects of the ventilator that prevents you from speaking in some cases.”

The Indiegogo campaign ended yesterday.

New partners in farming, Jonathan Davies and Xiaoeng Shen, opened their Long Road Ecological Farm just last year and the business is quickly catching on. The farm is located south of Harrowsmith at Murvale. This is the first season that the two have been offering up their organically-grown market veggies for sale at the Frontenac Farmers Market's two new locations.

Recently at the Friday market, which takes place every week from 3 to 7pm south of Harrowsmith, the two had for sale not only the usual market veggies - cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, beans, greens and other fresh organically grown produce, but also their pastured, organically fed meat and eggs plus a number of other unique specialty items that include Chinese dim sum-style dumplings, steam buns, sweet egg tarts and more, all home made from their own organic produce.

Both men, who did not farm prior to opening the business, have farmers in their families. Jonathon, who hails from Alberta, had relatives who farmed. He studied arts, taught English overseas and worked for a number of not-for-profit organizations in Toronto prior to opening the business.

Xiaoeng, who grew up in China in a small rural village near Wuhan, said he watched his mother farm there from a young age. He left China and studied geomantics and engineering at the University of Calgary, which was where the two met. Johnathon said that it was while they were in Toronto in 2013 that he and Xiaoeng took a four-weekend workshop last year with FarmStart, an organization that runs out of Guelph, Ont., which offers workshops all over Ontario to those interested in learning more about farming. The two were looking for a business venture where they could both enjoy more physical outdoor work. “After that workshop we took out a space at the McVean Incubator Farm, a community farm located in Toronto where we had a chance to grow our own produce and learn from a number of farmer mentors there,” Jonathan said.

It was after that that the two decided to get into farming full time and purchased the property where their business is now located. “We knew that we were both really keen and being young and strong, we knew we were able and willing to put in the hard work involved.”

Long Road Eco farm is located on a 36 acre property and they are currently farming one acre as a market garden. Signs on Road 38 now mark the farm and when not selling at the Friday and Saturday markets they sell directly from their farm gate from 9am-7pm. Currently they are also experimenting with growing shitake mushrooms, which they hope to be offering up to customers as well. So far the business is steadily increasing, with many customers now returning either to the farm gate or the farmers' markets. While farming is the businesses primary focus, Xiaoeng is also offering dim sum cooking classes at the farm. For more information visit www.longroadecofarm.ca.

For the past six years the Procter sisters Becki, Theresa and Katie have swum across Sharbot Lake every year from the dock at Sharbot Lake Provincial Park to the sandy shore at Oso beach in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. They all agreed that this year's swim offered up “the best weather ever. ” Perhaps that was the reason why their father, Mike Procter jumped in and joined the ladies in the water for the stretch between the two islands before the trio finally touched down and walked up Oso beach to the applause of a crowd of well wishers. The three-kilometre swim took the women 1.5 hours to complete and is a challenging one. Becki admitted they would be feeling the effects of their exertion for sure the next day. The swim was made easier this year because the water was “amazingly calm, relatively warm and with just a few cold spots”.

The 2014 swim so far has raised over $800 for the Canadian Cancer Society. The sisters each live and work in different parts of the province but they grew up in Sharbot Lake. One year they missed the local Relay for Life event and felt that they wanted to do something on their own to contribute, so they came up with the idea for an annual swim fundraiser for cancer. “We wanted to do something for the CCS and always wanted to swim across the lake so we thought an annual swim would be a great way to get together with the family, swim the lake and raise some funds for the CCS,” Theresa said when I spoke to the trio at the beach just as they arrived. During the swim the sisters were accompanied in a boat by their parents. They were met on the beach by Katie's husband Greg and their three-year-old daughter Abigail, along with their brother Luke from Lindsay, Ont., his wife Beth and seven-month-old son Timothy. who made his first appearance at the beach to congratulate his three aunts. The non-swimming family members came armed with towels, food and cheers of encouragement and congratulations for the three swimmers. Those who might still want to donate to the 2014 Swim of Hope can do so online at

http://convio.cancer.ca/hopeswim2014.