HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1989-03-08, Page 45By Pat Livingston
Looking for a different type of holiday;
one that includes country style home cook-
ing, home-grown vegetables and meat,
fresh clean air and water? Yes. Well you
would certainly enjoy a holiday on a vaca-
tion farm.
River Pheasant Farm, R. 7, Lucknow,
owned and operated by Joan and Manfred
Dierolf, is one such vacation farm, and of
course their specialty is pheasant dinner.
The Dierolfs have been offering farm
vacations and bed and breakfast for the
past three years.
Joan thanks a girlfriend from Toronto,
who iT1. e �. or -making he -----
suggestion that they go into this type of
business. The idea was lodged in her mind
and when Joan noticed .an.advertisment in
the Sentinel for Ontario Vacation Farm
Association she decided to look into it fur- '
ther. With ` both of the Dierdlf childieuir
away from home, Joan felt she had the
time tombark upon •such a venture.
River Pheasant Farm is a 200 acre
valley farm including 40 rolling acres of
natural bushland with the Lucknow River
crossing through.
Joan and Manfred purchased the farm in
1975. The cathedral style home on the pro-
perty was built in its entirety by Manfred.
They have two guest rooms, a library,
diningroom, large field stone fireplace, in-
door barbecue and a uses room
downstairs for rainy days. Tney can easily
accommodate four adults and children.
The field stones in .the fireplace all come
from their own property.
River Pheasant Farm offers guests the
opportunity of taking part in feeding the
ducks, pheasants, chickens, dogs and cats,
or simply relax on the patio and watch the
planting or harvesting of crops.
In winter they offer cross-country skiing
and tobogganing.
At the time of this interview, Manfred
was out in the bush cutting wood and mak-
ing more trails.
Visitors to this vacation farm have come
from as far as Australia. They have had
guests from New Orleans, Michigan, Ohio,
Illinois with the majority hailing from
Toronto. Between Christmas and New
Years they had guests from Indiana. A
number of cyclists have stayed over,
preferring to travel county roads rather
than main highways.
In addition to overnight guests, the
D ero siavetrostedgroups-cf children fog
day visits, boy scout troupes, and girl
guides who camped out. The young people
come to learn about pheasants.
lheasari'tm
As the name woiildanii3ly,'t±bis vacation..
farm is also a:pheasant farm Manfred and
Joan keep 100 breeding stock on hand •
The River Pheasant Game Farm is a
registered member of the Ontario Game
Bird Breeders Association.
In addition to the regular farm vacation
offered, the Dierolfs offer hunting of
pheasants, chuckars and mallards.
Approximately 150 acres of the farm is
cropped in corn and mixed grain; the
harvested crop then used for feed. .
Pheasant recipes are available, along
with special seasonings for fish, game or
gamebird.
Joan enjoys meeting people and finds
the vacation farm to be a learning ex-
perience for her as well as her guests.
"Large meals are easier to fix," accor-
The Ontario Vacation Farm Association
is 20 years old. It was first formed by the
Federation of Agriculture and 10 years ago
became independent.
The association currently has 95 farms
listed throughout the province. Twenty
years ago the number registered was 23.
According to Sharon Grose, executive
director of OVFA, the association was
formed originally as a means to increase
farmers' income, sort of another cash
crop. An added benefit to running a vaca-
tion farm is for young mothers who enjoy
being able to stay at home with their
children and at the same time contribute
to the budget.
Being a vacation farm also results in in-
creased communiction between urban and
rural folks.
A visit to a farm vacation is an educa-
tional experience for children ,pf those who
were •perhaps born and raised on a farm,
but now have no family members actively
farming.
In addition to the monetary gain, the
host family has the opportunity to meet
new people. This is particulary important
for a farm family unable to take time off
for vacations.
Some funding for the OVFA is received
from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Food.
Members are asked to pay a $185
membership fee to cover expenses such as
printing of a directory listing, which is
available free of charge.
If you are interested in becoming an On- ,
tario Vacation Farm or if you would like a
copy of the directory listing, write to: On-
tario Vacation Farm Association, R. 2,
Alma, Ontario, NOB IAO. If requesting a
directory, please enclose a legal sized,
self»addrepsedd, stamped envelope (600).
Top, Joan Dierolf relaxes in front of the field stone fireplace that predonimates the living
room of their cathedral style home. Bottom picture is a view of the pheasant run on the
Dierolf farm. (Pat Livingston photos)