Farming has always been a pivotal part of life in Great Village.
The pioneer settlers (both French and English) dyked and dug deep into the rich
soil, growing enough oats, barley, wheat and flax, potatoes, turnips, carrots
and parsnips not only for their own use, but also enough for export in the 19th
century.(1) It was indeed the earth that served the farmers so well, not only
in Great Village but all along the shore in both directions. Even today, when
winter arrives the farmers do not rest from their labours during the cold, dark
months. Rather, most of them spend days and weeks harvesting the alluvial
deposits, the rich marsh mud, and hauling great quantities of it to their
fields. For over a hundred years, this mud has provided some of the best
fertilizer in the world. It is transported by horse and cart, spread on the
open fields and left to lie until spring when it is pulverized by drags and
ploughed into the ground.
Farmland around Great Village
This harvesting and hauling is heavy, back-breaking
work, so in the mid-1890s several of the enterprising farmers in Great Village
came up with the idea of building a “Pole Railway,” a narrow-gauge line which
would extend from the mud flats on the Great
Village River to the farms on the adjacent hillside, approximately a
mile and a quarter away. This ingenious plan, which would have allowed an
immense quantity of mud to be transported at comparatively nominal cost, never
proceeded beyond the idea; but it demonstrates the entrepreneurial spirit of
the Village farmers, who have always been willing to experiment with new
varieties, breeds and techniques.
This open-mindedness exists even today: Mr. T.D. Blaikie introducing new farm
machines, converting many to modern threshers, and his adoption and promotion
of the Guernsey
breed; Barry Hill modernizing
his dairy operation with new feeding equipment; Messrs McLachlan, Lively and Forbes building windmills on their
properties to generate electricity.
Certainly, the coming of electricity to Great Village
is transforming not only agricultural practices, but all aspects of daily life.
The glory days of shipbuilding in the 19th century lured many men away from the
cultivation of the land, but the increased activity of that industry also
brought more people to the area, making the need for food even greater. The
result was the farms that remained got bigger, more specialized and more
prosperous. By the beginning of the 20th century there were a number of grand farms
in Great Village. Some of these farms specialize
in dairying: Mr. T.D. Blaikie,
the Hill brothers and several others have large operations ─
though every crop farmer also has a few milk cows. Large-scale dairy farming
requires substantial capital to maintain it, but the income it generates is
well worth the expenditure. Mr. Blaikie’s creamery has ensured that for nearly thirty years the farmers have
had a ready market for their high-yield Guernsey
milk.
Another area of specialization for village farmers is
fruit farming. During the last decades of the last century, a number of farmers
planted extensive orchards, or expanded those they already have, and have
experimented with new varieties of apples, pears, cherries and plums. No one
took up fruit farming more enthusiastically than Dr. J.L. Peppard, one of the
principal promoters of the “Pole Railway.” Though Dr. Peppard is no longer
alive, his legacy continues at Derry Farm.
Maple Syrup:
As the winter eases and the first thaws begin, many
farmers along the shore and especially in the nearby mountains, have a busy
spell with another specialty of the northern realm ─ when
the sap starts running in February and March the tapping of the maple trees
commences. For several weeks the sap is collected and one of the activities
most anticipated by young and old alike is a sleigh ride into the sugar bush
for a syrup party. The sweet smell of the sap as it is boiled down and the
syrup emerges is for some the surest sign of Spring, like early Mayflowers. The
children (and not a few grown ups) delight as the fresh syrup is poured over
flesh clean snow and voilà, instant taffy. The syrup is also made into
butter, sugar and cream. Larders and pantries are just bare of last year's
supply, so most folks stock up on the new season's crop. Many cooks think that
there is no better sweetener for their desserts, preferring syrup to molasses
any day. Maple syrup provides a number of farmers with much needed cash at a
lean time of year.(2)
The seed has been sewn in Great Village
since late May and early June. The farmers check the crops regularly, but all
they can really do now is watch the weather and hope for the right amount of
sun and rain ─ and hope there
will be no cold snaps. The Farmers Almanac predicts favourable growing
conditions and anticipates bumper crops for most grains and vegetables, so the
farmers are in good cheer.(3) Most of the farmers with beef cattle have long
ago taken their herds up into the mountains for summer pasturing and are
hopeful too that the grazing will be exceptional.
Quite a few of the farmers take this time after
planting to repair, renovate or build barns and outbuildings. The Hill brothers
and William Peppard have been the busiest this year with barn construction. William Bowers has also announced
major renovations to one of his big barns, to commence in a few weeks. The
Village farmers are constantly improving their properties and operations; the
bustle it creates is a heartening counter to the growing number of memorial
services for the lads who will never return. The farmers also actively
patronize Mate Fisher’s blacksmith shop, getting their horses re-shod for the lighter summer
work. One of the farmers keenly concerned about his horses is Mr. Bowers.
Harvest
Excursions:
Though the summer is just underway, yet already many
farmers have turned their thoughts to preparations for the harvest. Indeed, in
farming, as in domestic chores, it is necessary always to be thinking about the
next season. In spite of ample harvest work in Great Village
and its surrounding communities, for decades young men in the area have
participated in Harvest Excursions to the West. A special Excursion train is
put together in Halifax
and as it rolls into each community along the way it picks up the men and women
who want to venture to Manitoba, Saskatchewan and beyond
to earn cash helping with the immense Western grain harvests. The excursionists
often stay until late October. The fare from Londonderry Station to Winnipeg is $10.65. If
one wishes to go further it is 14 a mile. The Harvest Excursion trip
is an adventure in itself. There are no sleeper cars on the train so each
person carries his or her own blanket and food. Each car is equipped with a
stove at one end, so the passengers can make tea. This year Eugene Robinson,
Walter Chisholm and Firman Barnes are talking about doing the Excursion. If
they are able to find work in good places ─ not
everyone is so lucky ─ they will be
able to earn quite a good wage, though the work is extremely hard and
demanding. Many young men do the Excursion because it offers a relatively
inexpensive way to travel and see Canada. And hard work never hurts
anyone, especially the young.
Exhibitions:
Harvest time also brings the Exhibitions. Crops and
stock are always attended to with care, but the keen edge of friendly
competition, which comes to a head at the Exhibitions, keeps the farmers of the
village lively about their work. Great
Village farmers actively participate
in Exhibitions in Truro and Halifax. Some even venture to the National
Exhibition in Toronto.
They are consistent winners with their produce and animals (and village ladies
frequently bring back ribbons for their baked goods, flowers, paintings and
needle arts). This success has given Great
Village a good reputation well beyond Nova Scotia's border.
Exhibitions are grand social gatherings and offer ideal opportunities for
farmers to exchange ideas and learn about new practices, and the competitive
side keeps everyone striving to better their results.(4) The other event which
gathers farmers in force and sparks the competitive fire is the ploughing
match. These matches take place all around the county, the biggest being in Truro in October. These
matches provide farmers with the chance to exhibit their mettle and to check out
the latest machines and techniques. Some of Great Villages best plough masters
are Messrs. John and James Peppard and J.H. Morrison.
Farming continues to be a vital, pivotal part of life
in Great Village. The many large, prosperous
farms in the area attest to the hard work and expert practices of the farmers
and to the rich soil and generally favourable climate of the region. Farming,
the first work of the first French and English settlers, continues to thrive
and everyone believes it will do so for the rest of the century. And surely it
will if future farmers are as innovative and dedicated as the current crop.
Notes
1. In 1878 the Truro Daily News reported: “Mr.
Alex C. Peppard of Great
Village threshed 582
bushels of wheat from 4 bushels sewn; variety ‘Golden Drop.’ This crop grew on
13/4 acres of ground, which gives very nearly 15 bushels from 1 [bushel sewn], and
over 33 bushels to the acre” (November 27, 1897).
2. Maple syrup, sugar, butter and cream were some of
Elizabeth Bishop’s favourite foods. She delighted most in receiving maple gifts
from her Aunt Grace during her years in Brazil. The area around Great Village
is still known for its maple products, which are exported around the world.
3. Harvest began in Great Village
late in August 1916, delayed somewhat because of inclement weather early in the
month. Hay was the first harvest, and it was a bumper crop. In September they
turned to the grains and had a bountiful yield. October brought the potato
harvest, another good crop. October also saw the mountain-pastured cattle
return. As the Truro
Daily News reported, “Grazing must have been excellent this year judging
from the prime condition of the bovines” (October 18, 1916). The rest of the
root crops were harvested as fall progressed, turnips being the last dug in
November. Late in August a storm swept over the area creating extra high tides
which broke dykes in several places on the marsh. The damage it caused kept the
Village farmers busy for some weeks with repairs.
4. Exhibitions continue to be important events and
forums for the agricultural industry in Nova
Scotia.