Community shows great interest in history of farming
Organizers were hoping to attract 100 people. In the end, more than 150 crowded into Station on the Green for a presentation on the history and evolution of farming in the Creemore area. The Tea and History event produced by the Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society (PHAHS) focused on five local families who have been working the land for 5 or 6 generations.
The program featured presentations by Jim Algie, a journalist who covered the agriculture beat for the Owen Sound Sun Times and Sun Times photo-journalist Willy Waterton, as well as a panel with representatives of local pioneer families.
The Miller family emigrated to escape the potato famine in Ireland. John Miller’s great, great grandfather worked as a postmaster in Markham for several years to scrape together money to buy the original family farm on Fairgrounds Road. In 2011, John Miller and wife Marie launched Miller Dairy, which today produces more than 800,000 litres of milk annually. Miller said the business was born in response to a need.
“We may have been a bit naïve as to how much work would be involved but we knew we had to do something different than just sell our milk at commodity prices to a big operation,” he said. “Just like all successful entrepreneurs we started working and didn’t stop until we succeeded.”
Today son Shawn manages the dairy operation while John looks after the dairy herd and farm operations.
The Millsap family also came from Ireland, originally settling in Avening before moving up the escarpment to Mount Zion. Today they farm more than 1,200 acres. John Millsap, the fifth generation of Millsaps on the land, runs a beef operation with his brother David. John said there is a lot of uncertainty facing farmers these days.
“I don’t know what tariffs will do,” said Millsap. “The recent droughts in the U.S. have kept prices strong for Canadian producers but who knows what comes next.”
He said expansion and efficiency are key to the survival of the family farm.
The Metheral family has been farming in Dunedin area since 1866. In the 1970s, they became widely known as big players in the sheep industry, establishing an abattoir which they operated for 21 years. Neil Metheral said the price of land is making it very difficult for farmers. “When we wanted to expand the land was too expensive so we had to rent. The government should never have allowed people from the city to buy up farms.”
Neil and wife Jean are both in their 80s and say if they were just starting out now, they would not choose farming as a career. Their sons continue to work the family farm.
Irish immigrant, Samuel Flack established the family farm just outside Creemore in 1848. Russell Flack and his brother Ron are now the sixth generation working the land. Russell said theirs is one of the smaller farming operations with 195 acres owned and 250 acres of rented land. They raise Black Angus beef cattle to 800-900 pounds before they are sold to other farms for final finishing.
“The market is strong right now, and I hope it stays there,” said Flack. “Farmers always believe that tomorrow will be better.”
Brooke Timmons lives in the original farmhouse on the 100 acres that his great-great-great grandfather established in the mid 1800s. He works a full-time job off the farm, taking care of chores on evenings and weekends. Several years ago, he entertained a very attractive offer to sell his land, “but after a lot of soul searching I concluded this is where I’m supposed to be.”
Timmons said he has lots of hopes and dreams and plans for the farm. He intends to stick it out in hopes that his young daughter will take it over one day.
Bonnie MacPherson photo: Farming panel from lef, John Miller, John Millsap, Neil Metheral, Russell Flack and Blake Timmons.
