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Site Record
Metadata
Site Name |
Bruce Community Pasture |
Site# |
321 |
Description |
Bruce Community Pasture (BCP) was developed as Provincial Agricultural Rehabilitation Development Administration (ARDA) project. BCP was initiated around 1963 when Agricultural Representative, George Gear, thought about establishing a community pasture farm under ARDA. He called a meeting, inviting all relevant Bruce County organizations. This led to the founding of the ARDA County Committee, consisting of two county council members and five interested individuals. The Committee, along with the Minster of Agriculture, Hon. William Stewart, saw several sites throughout the county for the pasture farm. In 1966, land in Bruce Township was purchased. The ARDA County Committee was dissolved, and the Pasture Farm Committee was formed. The first Pasture Farm Committee members (1966-1970) included: Harold Wolfe, John MacKenzie, John Spitzig, Cam McAuley, Stan Trask, George Gear (Special Advisory), and R. Slade (Secretary). Land was purchased again in 1967 and 1968, and in 1970, 200 acres were further added. The land was purchased at $62 per acre, with the total acreage being 1400 acres. Approximately 200 acres of it was bush, and 100 acres of it was steep side hills with poor vegetation. The land was overall in poor condition and overgrown with thorn trees. The trees and some run-down buildings we bulldozed, two residences were severed, new fences were put up around 100 acre lots, potholes were drained, water was drilled and piped to every lot, and the land was worked and plowed. Finally, the farm was seeded to trefoil and timothy pasture. Costs associated with this initial land purchase and improvements were paid for by the ARDA program, which allowed $150 per acre for development. After this, the pasture farm paid, and continues to pay, its own way. Fees include entry fees for cattle (charged per head), which cover losses, veterinary costs, and drugs, as well as grazing fees (charged per pound). Farm workers are employed to maintain the land, fences, and buildings; care for the cattle daily; and rotate the cattle every few days. Throughout the years, the pasture farm has undertaken demonstration projects, including a 1991 project on erosion control. They carried this out with assistance from the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority and Ontario Hydro. The pasture farm was threatened in 1997 when the Ontario government announced they were selling all eleven of the province's pasture farms. In 1999, they put them up for sale for a combined $1 million. However, through effective lobbying, the committees for all eleven farms established the Association for Community Pastures. This newly formed non-for-profit corporation was able to purchase the land in 2000. Based in Guelph, the Association is governed by a board of directors that meets annually. In 2016, Bruce Community Pasture celebrated their 50th anniversary. Sources: Bruce Community Pasture. "Bruce Community Pasture history" [history]. [between late 1980s and 1990s]. A2022.019.004, Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre. Howe, Irene. "Bruce Community Pasture Celebrating 50 Years." The Bruce County Historical Society Yearbook, 2016, pp. 48-51. Township of Bruce Historical Society. "Bruce Township Tales and Trails with supplement." Tiverton: Township of Bruce Historical Society, 1997, pp. 38-39. |
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