The Rural Voice, 1980-04, Page 15George Wilson, a Milverton area beef farmer stands
beside a barn across the road from his home farm
where some of the Wilson beef herd is kept.
(Photo by Ranney)
Raising your own
George Wilson finds the cow -calf business satisfying
Anybody who can accumulate five farms,
own 550 acres of land and rent ap-
proximately 400 more must be either a very
innovative beef farme, good manager, or
both.
George Wilson of R.R.1, Newton in
Perth County must have these qualities as
he has managed to do all of the above.
Mr. Wilson originally came from
Medicine Hat, Alberta where his family
ran a mixed farming operaton. In 1937, on
the advice of an uncle, Jack Petrie, the
family moved back to Ontario. His uncle
bought the farm where George lives now,
on Highway 19 north of Milverton. George
rented the farm from his uncle until 1944
when he bought it, for $7,000.
That 100 acre farm is where Mr. Wilson
started his beef cattle operaton, keeping
about 25 or 30 cows. At that time, he used
to sell the calves. he didn't finish _them.
Mr. Wilson has three sons and the family
just farmed the 100 acres on the home farm
until 1961 evhen the boys were showing a
real interest in farming and Mr. Wilson
decided to buy the farm across the road.
After buying that farm, they expanded
their beef operation, moving up to about 50
cattle.
ANOTHER FARM
In 1965, he bought another farm where
his one son Ernie now lives. In 1970, the
Wilsons acquired a fourth farm where
another son Reed runs a farrow to finish
hog operation.
Most of the calves continued to be sold
until 1973 when the Wilsons acquired
another farm on the fifth concession of
Mornington Township which was fixed up
as a feedlot to finish the calves. All the
cattle are finished there now. A pit silo 4U
x 70 is filled with corn silage and the cows
feed themselves out of it.
There are cattle in all of the barns,
except Reed's hog operation.
After the calves are weaned, they go
over to the farm on the fifth concession
where they are finished and then go to
market. In the Wilson operation, cows
freshen all year round. They never have
the bulls closed up. Usually cows are
brought to the home barn to have their
calves. When the calves are a month or six
weeks old they are taken across the road.
Most of the doctoring for the calves is
done by the Wilsons themselves.
SOLVE OURSELVES
"Anything we can solve ourselves, we
do it," Mr. Wilson said.
His son Ernie is the one most interested
in the cattle and although he had been
away for four years, digging ditches, he's
now helping out with the farming again.
Another son Earl drives a truck for Erb's
Transport, but helps out with some farm
chores at night.
Although Reed is interested in the hog
end of the operation only, it's a part of the
operation that George had all his life.
He said there was a time when there was
money in hogs.
"From 1973 to 1977. when the beef
prices were low, I had quite a job making
enough money out of hcef to carry on. The
hog operation helped to carry the beef.
"Now I guess it would be just the
opposite. If 1 didn't have the two things, I'd
be out of luck," Mr. Wilson said.
He bought as many farms as he did
because his sons showed a interest in
farming.
THE RURAL VOICE/APRIL 1980 PG. 13