The Rural Voice, 2000-02, Page 28n 1846 thousands of
Irish immigrants
arrived in Upper
Canada to escape
starvation caused by the
"potato famine". Many
of those people were the
first European settlers
in Grey County and
some of them arrived
"with only an axe and a
handkerchief full of
potato eyes". Today
there is one family
which. eight genera-
tions later, is still
farming the same land
as their ancestors.
Clarence Wiley was
born in Euphrasia
Township about 70
years ago, and has been
farming ever since he
was old enough to help
his father. Clarence and
his wife Myrtle live just
off the Fourth Line, on
the farm that has been
in the family for most
of the 150 years since
first settled by Tom
Lanktree. The farm to
the south, across the
sideroad, which has also
been in the family for
many generations, is
home to the Wiley's son
and his family. That is
where the Holstein herd
is housed and where
Clarence takes one
"shift", in the three-milkings a day
routine. When asked about this
seemingly arduous routine Clarence
is quick to point out that when you.
are in the business of producing milk,
that is how to get more milk from the
same amount of feed — he figures
about 15 per cent more, During the
winter he does the afternoon milking
and the rest of the year looks after the
morning milking so he can work in
the fields — he is the chief combine
operator at harvest time.
When Clarence and Myrtle began
farming together 50 years ago almost
every 100 acres was a mixed farm
which supported a growing family.
Family, neighbours and community
were a very important part of rural
life, for economic as well as social
reasons. The need for co-operation
FROM FAMINE TO
LAND OF PLENTY
Eight generations after Tom Lanktree carne
to Grey County to escape the Irish Potato Famine,
his descendents, the Wileys have built
a model farming operation
By Greg Brown
Myrtle and Clarence Wiley (centre) receive the Agricultural Heritage
Award for Euphrasia Township from Bob Brassington (left), OFA
Regional Director and Wayne McCausland, Euphrasia mayor. Their
farm has been in the family for 150 years.
24 THE RURAL VOICE
and sharing led to "bees" — at
threshing time, for cutting wood, and
barn raisings. When the men were
working together the women would
have a chance to visit while preparing
the meals.
Sitting around the kitchen table in
their comfortable farmhouse while a
few snow flurries swirl across the
fields, the Wileys talk fondly of the
days when people took time to visit
regularly with their neighbours.
"Saturday nights we took the family
into town and could hardly get down
the street for meeting friends and
acquaintances." Sunday was a day of
visiting which included serving
dinner to whoever dropped in. The
Farm Radio Forum broadcasts were
another opportunity for people to get
together, have a good discussion then
enjoy an evening of
games and socializing.
They feel these
traditions are all but
lost in today's fast -
paced world because
people now have
different priorities.
The days of the
viable 100 -acre family
farm are also from
another era. Clarence
explains that about 25
years ago they started
concentrating their
efforts on the dairy
herd and cash crops.
Today he and his son
Brian farm about 1,000
acres, growing soya
beans, canola, corn,
wheat, hay and
pedigreed lawn seed.
Clarence has always
taken pride in the crops
he grows and his name
appears many times on
the hay crop trophy for
the Rocklyn Agricul-
ture Society. He feels it
is necessary to farm
more acreage now to
support the cost and
size of today's
machinery. The Wileys
have been a part of
many changes in
farming and rural life
over the decades, and
although there are some
of the old ways they
hate to see left by the wayside, their
willingness to keep abreast of
advances in technology is one reason
they continue to operate a thriving
farming operation. Due to the
complexities of a modern farm
business Myrtle and Clarence both
stress the importance of having a
good education, an opportunity they
did not have, in order to be a
successful farmer today.
Myrtle has a remarkable memory
for people, dates and places and has
many stories to tell of their years
together. She helped support their
farming operation by driving the
school bus for 27 years as well as
working in the fields, milking, and
looking after the house while raising
two children. Her bus routes took her
over some of the most challenging
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