2010 Calendar

New 2010 calendar features faces of Ontario's farmers.

Seven generations ago, Scott’s family immigrated to Canada and have been farming ever since. Scott and his son Brett are egg farmers who also raise crops and beef cattle on their farm in Perth County. Both are avid hockey players who enjoy travelling, music and time with their families in cottage country.

In her community, Janet is known as the girl who drove a combine to her own wedding! She works with her parents on the Ottawa Valley farm where she was raised and together they grow soybeans, corn, wheat, canola, sunflowers and flax. This busy mother of two also takes karate lessons and is pursuing her black belt.

Josh raises turkeys and crops near Windsor in a partnership with his dad and cousins. Together they share the same values and commitments of the five generations of their family who farmed there before them. Josh is an avid golfer and a very proud new dad to year-old Julia.

Robin and her husband Don take great pride in being responsible and caring chicken farmers on their farm in Norfolk County where they also grow cabbage, cauliflower and other crops. Besides the daily chores, it’s not unusual to see Robin working land or driving forklift. She and her husband have two teenage daughters who share the same passion for agriculture.

Meet Bryce. This newlywed raises purebred beef cattle farm with his family on a farm in Northumberland County. Bryce is an avid sportsman who plays volleyball, soccer, hockey and golf. He also volunteers at his church.

These six siblings (clockwise from left) Carolyn, Kathryn, Eric, Elaine, Sharyn and Glenn - were raised on a dairy farm in Durham Region and are all still active as farmers or as rural volunteers. They are proud to be members of a family whose farming heritage in this province dates back 200 years. They enjoy time spent time spent together on the farm with their spouses, children and parents Frank and Donna (front cover photo)

Mike and his brother Joe both studied agriculture after high school before they began farming together in Middlesex County. Mike is a father of three who grows many types of crops including black beans, peas and sweet corn. When he isn’t farming, he loves to travel and cross country ski.

She may look young but don’t let her age fool you! LaDonna is a full time, dedicated pig farmer who loves working with her parents and siblings on their farm in Perth County. Her favourite parts of her career include caring for the newborn piglets and driving tractor in the fields. When she’s not in the barn, LaDonna spends time cooking and volunteering for many agricultural organizations.

Shawn, his wife and four young children farm with his parents in Eastern Ontario, where they grow many specialty crops like soybeans for tofu, azuki beans, malt barley and milling oats. Making environmental improvements to his farm and protecting it for future generations is important to Shawn. He is extremely proud of his family’s care of the soil, water, woodlots and wetlands on their 800 acre property.

As a farmer and a mother of five young children, Nicole doesn’t have a lot of time to herself! She and her husband raise dairy goats and many other types of livestock on their farm in Wellington County. In what little free time she can find, Nicole enjoys making goat’s milk soap and working with her dogs.

Blair is a crop farmer in Bruce County. When he wanted to propose to his long-time fiancée, he plowed the words “Will you marry me?” into one of his fields and then hired a helicopter to take her over the spot. (Fortunately, she said yes!) Blair is also a member of a unique tractor square dance group that performs across Ontario.

Jason and Christina farm on Wolfe Island, the largest of the Thousand Islands, where they grow 1,000 acres of crops with help from Jason’s family. Thirteen years ago, the couple also began raising bison and now have a herd of more than 130. Both are active in many local and provincial organizations and were recognized for their achievements when they won the 2009 Ontario Outstanding Young Farmer award.

Lisa was raised on a beef cattle farm in the Ottawa Valley. She now lives on a cash crop farm near Guelph with her husband and three boys. A lot of Lisa’s free time is dedicated to volunteering at her sons’ school. She also enjoys her garden and her kickboxing classes.