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PAGE A-2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2004.
On the farm
After life in the city, woman returns to farming
Milk anyone?
Preparing for one of two daily milkings, Lisa Stevenson of Belgrave, sets up the Double 10
parlour milking machine that she helps operate on her parents' farm near Brussels. (Elyse DeBruyn
photo)
By Elyse DeBruyn
Citizen staff
Experiencing independence and
life away from the family farm is
exactly what one local woman did
before making the decision to come
back to the farm.
Lisa Stevenson of Belgrave, was
born and raised on her parents' dairy
farm, just outside of Brussels on
Moncrieff Road and after
experiencing independence in the
big city while attending college, she
realized farm life is what she
wanted.
As a child. Stevenson was a big
help on the farm and enjoyed doing
the daily chores.
She said when she and her two
sisters, Heather and Lorraine, were
in public school, they would get off
the bus, change into their barn
clothes, eat supper and head out to
the the barn 'for chores. Homework
came when they got back inside.
Although she enjoyed working in
the barn, the cheerful woman, now
24-year-old, didn't always have the
urge to be a farmer. In fact she went
to Lambton College to pursue a
career with children.
"My parents wanted us to get an
education to fall back on, in case we
didn't want to farm," said
Stevenson.
She graduated from Lambton
College with a diploma in Early
Childhood Education, but realized
farming was in her blood and farm
life is what she wanted.
"When I was at school. I missed
getting up in the morning to milk. I
think it (farming) is definitely a part
of you and you should never let it
go."
Stevenson said she is glad that she
completed school before coming
back to farm because she was able to
be on her own, learn how to be
independent and experience city life.
The hired man that worked for
Stevenson's parents, Jim and Evelyn
Blake, had quit, meaning her parents
were in need of some help.
Now, four years later, Stevenson is
working with her dad every day .
doing the daily chores, milking and
monitoring the cows through a
computer system.
"It actually surprised everyone
that I came back to farm. Everyone
thought it would be my sister
Lorraine because she loved it."
She said Lorraine is now a city girl
where she works as a personal
trainer, but she does help out on the
farm when she is home.
Her other sister Heather, stops by
two mornings a week to help.
Stevenson's husband, Chris, also
helps out at the Blake farm before
and after work during the busy
months in the summer. He works at
McGavin's Farm Equipment.
"Chris has been a huge supporter
in my decision to farm and thought it
was a good idea to stay. He just loves
farming as much as I do.
Although the couple has one acre
at their Belgrave home, they have
hopes of running their own farm
someday.
She said now that she is back, she
sees how hard farming actually is
and how hard her parents worked to
get where they are now.
"Their dedication and hard work
got them a long way from where
they first started. If you see hard
work then you learn hard work and
you want to continue that on," she
said.
Although she and her husband
love almost every aspect of farming,
she thinks it would be a huge step if
continue running the family farm.
"We're still young. For now we'll
continue working on the farm and
we'll see what happens in the
farming industry before committing
to anything," she said.
As much as she loves farming and
if given the option, probably
wouldn't trade her job for anything,
she said she sometimes feels
degraded by others.
"People don't look at this as a real
job for me. Sometimes I feel like
people are looking down on me
because I'm a female farmer
working at my parents' place."
She said even though she does
everything she can to get the job
done, sometimes women are just
physically weaker.
She said while her parents were
away in Florida, the alley scrapers
that clean in between the stalls in the
barn, malfunctioned and quit
working.
"Since I watched my dad fix it
many times, I knew exactly what
was wrong, but I had to call Chris so
he could help because it was heavy."
One of the best part of working on
her parents farm is the time she
spends with her father in the barn.
"I'm really close with my family. I
really like talking to my dad when
we're milking."
She said one of the great benefits
of working on her parents' farm
Continued on A-3
they were to continue running her
parents' farm in the future.
"It's a huge step to commit to if
you want to carry on the business."
She said her parents haven't made
any decisions regarding who will