Farm Tour marks its 10th anniversary

March 11, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
Farm operations in King and New Tecumseth welcomed visitors of all ages Saturday for the 10th annual Farm Tour, run by the Schomberg Agricultural Society.
From crops and wine to dairy cattle and horses, the seven participating farms offered a variety of sights and sounds. Many visitors learned a great deal about this area’s agricultural operations.

Winsong Farm

Winsong Farm, owned by Bill and Winnie Stott, showcased their horses’ intelligence, curiosity and delightful sense of humour as they opened the arena to visitors.
Front and centre were Kyle, an Appaloosa; Blue Executive, a thoroughbred and Pax.
When the Stotts acquired Lusitano weanlings, they began teaching them games and tricks and they’ve been performing for years at various fundraisers. The acts include horses sitting on bean bags, square dancing on horseback, retrieving, pushing a ball and playing baseball.
The crowd thoroughly enjoyed the antics.

Rexlea Jerseys

Rexlea Jerseys is a family operated jersey cattle dairy farm outside of Schomberg.
They milk between 40-50 cows and have 120 animals in all.
The Sheardown family has been involved with jerseys since 1912, with roughly half of the current herd tracing back to the original cow James Sheardown purchased.
Along with the milk production, Rexlea markets genetics around the world. Descendants of Rexlea animals can be found in South America, Europe, Japan and Ireland.
Rexlea regularly exhibits at the Royal?Winter Fair and are very involved with the dairy industry.
There was a steady stream of visitors who got a first-hand glimpse of these animals, and some calves as well.

Bajar Greenhouses

Founded in 1973 by owner Tony Bajar, the Bajar Greenhouses produces ornamental plants, providing high quality plants and annuals to retail and wholesale florists. The 120,000-square-foot operation uses hundreds of greenhouse fans and is one of the few nurseries in the area that specializes in Reiger begonias and zygocactus (Christmas cactus). They also provide a variety of seasonal products and poinsettias at Christmas.
The beautiful bounty inside the greenhouses literally stretched as far as the eye could see.

Holland Marsh Wineries

The 22-acre Holland Marsh Wineries on Keele Street harmoniously infuses the tradition of European winemaking with the finest quality of grapes grown in the Holland Marsh. The unique composition of the soil in the Marsh gives the grapes an unparalleled distinction from any other Ontario location.
Owners Roland and Norie Nersisyan bring the highest quality of wines and service to everyone who walks through their doors. They are committed to operating their business in an eco-friendly manner.

Baker Ridge Farm

Baker Ridge Farm in Bradford West Gwillimbury just north of Schomberg is known for its animals and Christmas light display.
They have a sheep flock of roughly 150 ewes, 85 beef cattle, goats, llamas and horses. Dan and Karen Baker also cash crop 1,200 acres of wheat, soybeans, corn and hay. The farm is also home to Morgan Baker, the 2013-2014 Schomberg Fair Ambassador.

Maple Lawn Farm

Established in 1837, Maple Lawn Farms has been home to the Mills family for more than seven generations. The farm is certified organic and specializes in organic grains, pasture-raised beef, chickens, turkeys and eggs.

Dunkerron Elevators

Dunkerron Elevators, a cash crop and grain elevator operation, is owned by Ernie and Daina Wienecke and family. They cash crop 3,000 acres, growing corn, wheat, soybeans and coloured beans.
The elevator receives and stores grain from about 75 to 100 local producers who bring their grain to Dunkerron to be dried and stored until they sell the grain to the elevators. Dunkerron then markets the grain to the end user. They are able to store up to 20,000 metric tonnes of crop at the elevator.