Rockwood-area couple wins Ontario Outstanding Young Farmers of the Year award
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
by DIANNE FETTERLY
This year’s Ontario Outstanding Young Farmers award recipients are not only pleased by the honour, but say they’re surprised to receive such a prestigious award, given they’re simply doing what they love.
Dana and Adam Thatcher, who operate Thatchers’ Farm in Rockwood, are the 2013 winners of the Outstanding Young Farmers Award presented during the OYF annual event held March 25 - 27 in Guelph. The award recognizes young farmers or couples in Ontario who have demonstrated excellence in agriculture.
As winners of the Ontario regional competition, the Thatchers will compete in the nationals for the title of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers to be held next fall in Regina, Saskatchewan.
“The award means a lot for farming in general,” said Dana Thatcher. “Farmers are intelligent, hard-working people and any recognition they receive is valuable.”
There were about 30 nominees for this year’s award and Thatcher said she and husband Adam were shocked to learn they had won, considering how impressive the other five competing finalists were. “It was definitely a surprise . . . we are just doing what we love.”
According to Thatcher, the couple raises beef pork, lamb, chicken and turkey and sells meat from their 140-acre farm. They also rent an additional 300 acres to grow all their own feed and bedding for the animals.
Four-and-a-half years ago, they had a small, 200 square-foot farm gate store attached to their home where they sold meat. But with increased demand for their products, Thatcher said they converted another building into a butcher shop in 2009 so they could cut and wrap their own meats. And in 2012, they expanded again by adding a bake shop. They also sell eggs, homemade jams and jellies as well as locally-produced maple syrup and honey.
“We have a following of people who like our products,” she explained.
Thatcher said she does a lot of the baking herself, but with the demands of the farm and three young children, she recently had to hire a baker. The children aren’t quite big enough to help out too much yet. The oldest, Sophie, is five, while William is four and Thomas is one-and-a-half.
The couple run the farm themselves, but Thatcher says Adam could use an extra set of hands around the farm as well, since he spends a considerable amount of time away on business and dealing with other commitments. Adam is a delegate for the Ontario Sheep Marketing Association, while Dana is on the board of directors for the nearby Guelph Farmers Market as well as the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association. Both were formerly involved with the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association.
Adam’s grandfather was a hired farm worker and that’s how he gained an appreciation for the profession. His parents purchased a farm in 1989, but both worked off farm. And while Adam was only in Grade 8, he began working around the farm. He later attended agricultural college with a desire to farm full-time. Dana on the other hand, doesn’t have a farming background, but says she really enjoys it.
Runners-up
This year’s OYF award runners-up are Mark and Sandi Brock of Shepherd’s Creek Farm near Staffa.
According to their bio, posted on the OYF website, the Brocks began farming part-time after Mark’s family bought a broiler breeder operation. The couple expanded by purchasing a neighboring farm, intent on improving the soil and, in turn, crop yields. They currently operate over 1,500 acres of land, primarily rented, and also manage 150 breeding ewes. They grow several crops on their farm including winter wheat, corn and soybeans.
As well, Mark is highly visible in the agricultural community. He is second vice-president of the Grain Farmers of Ontario and involved with the Grain Finance Protection Board and the Canadian Grain Council.
Other finalists include: Kingston-area dairy farmers Chris and Brianne Brown of Beslea Farms in Yaker; Niagara winemakers Curtis and Heidi Fielding of Fielding Estates Winery in Beamsville; Ian and Deb McGregor of Braeside in eastern Ontario, who operate a produce farm; and Collin and Tanya Walker of Walkhavern Farms Ltd. in Stayner, who run a 1,150-acre dairy farm.
To compete for the outstanding young farmers, nominees must be 18 to 39 years of age and two-thirds of their income must come from farming. They are judged on a number of factors such as livestock or crop production, soil conservation practices, management practices and community involvement. BF