Canada 150 Farm Family program!
Posted: January 23, 2018
Categories: GoodFoodBites
The Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance (GHFFA), with support from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), celebrated Canada’s 150th birthday by recognizing the significant contribution of farm families who have been farming consecutively in the Golden Horseshoe for the last 150 years or more. This information has been taken directly from the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance website.
Some families will still be on their original farms and others may have moved locations due to urban growth and development. Continuing the farming tradition for 150 years or more takes a lot of dedication and commitment, striving to always improve, lots of risk taking and very hard work. The families that applied to the program received a specially designed 150 farm family sign for their farm and was recognized at events in the year. Families represented the regions of the Golden Horseshoe, which includes the Regions of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, York, and the Cities of Hamilton and Toronto.
Celebrating Farming Families!
York Region recognized 17 of their local 150 farming families on October 12th at an exciting event following a Council meeting regarding the region’s new agri-food strategy.
Halton Region recognized 37 farm families, with 35 in attendance, at a special celebration dinner on September 20th. Each Halton Farm Family also received a Canada 150 vase from Glen Williams glass artist Carl Nesbitt that were specially commissioned!
On October 26th, The Region of Durham celebrated with 40 farmers for the 150 Family Farm Program. They have identified 136 farmers to date whose families have been farming for at least 150 years! See the article here for full details.
On November 18th, the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance (GHFFA) paid tribute to 37 families who have been farming in Peel for 150 years or more. In these families, there were 3 different Caledon council members present. Wayne Innis, father to regional Coun.Jennifer Innis was appreciative to recognize the many generations of his family at the celebration. Find further detail information on the celebration here. He quoted,
“In the early 1800s, our family settled in the hills of Adjala and began farming,” he said “We are grateful that our father Murray and all our grandfathers before him choose to call this community home,” Really it is them that deserve to be honored and the generations yet to come.”
Hear from some more folks in the Canada 150 Farm Family Program through this great video!
- Wayne Emmerson, Chariman and CEO, York Region, 5th or 6th generation farm family
- Dino Basso, Commissioner, Corporate Services, York Region
Farmers points
- 6th generations
- Farm dates back to 1836
- Farming in Mount Albert for 157 years
- Have the fortune of being married to a 3rd generation Holland Marsh farmer
- One farmer is in the 7th generation of his family in farming