By Ewa Chwojko-Srawley
As we prepare for Thanksgiving, the annual celebration of the harvest, we should take time to remember our agricultural past and pay homage to the farmers who provide food for our tables.
Larry Pegg and Jim Sellers are among the few farmers who remember when electrification was just reaching this part of Ontario. And they are still farming today.
“Farmers never retire,” they both agree, nodding. “It’s not just a job; it’s a way of life. The connection to the land runs so deep that walking away is unimaginable.”
Jim raises livestock and cultivates hay for their feed, while Larry is renowned for the Old Homestead Orchard.
Both come from farming families. The Sellers lived in Jackson’s Point and farmed the land where the Red Barn once stood, renting it from the Sibbald family. They were primarily dairy farmers. Then, in 1948, Jim’s parents bought a farm in Sutton and continued with dairy, managing about 60 cows; it was one of the few dairy farm in the Sutton area at the time.
“I was always at my dad’s side,” Jim recalls. “I learned as I went, from my father, and from my grandfather. My grandfather was a market farmer – he grew a variety of crops, and raised chickens, selling eggs. Farming is in my blood.” He adds, “Now I do beef farming. Dairy farming is very labour-intensive; better left to the younger generation!”
Larry grew up on a farm on Old Homestead. His parents took ownership in 1944, but the land had already been in the family since 1906. It was purchased from George Tomlinson by Henrietta Pegg (Weddell) and her husband Samuel. The tip-roof barn built in 1904 is still standing.
Like the Sellers, the Peggs were dairy farmers.
From his childhood Larry vividly remembers winter mornings, waking at 5:30 am to a freezing house, helping to feed and milk the cows before breakfast, then heading off to school. Winters were harsh. He recalls walking a mile to Belhaven on snowbanks so high he could reach the telephone wires with his hand!
Jim has similar memories. Up at about 6 am, two hours of work in the barn, then loading up the milk cans for the dairy. Breakfast came after that. At first, this might sound like a repetitive routine, but farm life is anything but boring. Plans change constantly. Weather is unpredictable, machines break down, and animals sometimes need urgent care. There’s never a dull moment!
Larry recalls that one of the biggest thrills of his childhood was watching a barn-raising. It was such a big event that he even took the day off school just to be there! A true community effort, everyone pitched in. He still remembers every step of the process as if it happened yesterday. Seeing the teamwork, skill, and sheer determination left a lasting impression on him as a young boy.
And the barn still stands.
Larry fondly remembers the close-knit farming families of the past, always there to help each other, and of course, celebrating together after the hard work was done. “We’d gather to make ice cream, hit the dance hall, and enjoy a good game of euchre,” he reminisces. “But it wasn’t all fun and games; we’d pitch in for tough jobs like threshing or clearing bushes and then unwind once the work was done. It was a time when community meant everything.”
Asked about the best part of being a farmer, they don’t hesitate: “First, it’s the freedom of being your own boss and being surrounded by nature. Also, no two days are the same.” But they add, “it’s not for the faint of heart. You’ve got to truly love what you do because farming is a demanding and hands-on job that keeps you on your toes!”
Larry became a farmer at the tender age of 17. After his father passed away, he left high school and took over the family farm without hesitation. He says, “From school desk to tractor! My mom lived on the farm, but I didn’t allow her to do the heavy work. I was very independent. She handled the domestic chores. Somehow, I just knew what needed to be done, but my older brother also stepped in as a mentor.”
Jim always knew he would take over the family farm. He says, “The best lessons came from working alongside my father. He passed down to me the knowledge he had received from his father. We did almost everything ourselves—building barns, fixing machinery, and finding ways to recycle and reuse. It was a time when you had to be a jack of all trades. I learned to rely on my own inventiveness.”
Neither Jim nor Larry have regrets about becoming farmers. Jim, whose farm may soon be surrounded by new subdivisions, isn’t sure if there will be a family continuation. Larry is passing his farm on to his son, ensuring that the land, which has been in the family since 1912, will stay in the family.
A lot has changed in farming since Jim Sellers and Larry Pegg began their careers – but that’s a story for another time.
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