Outstanding in their field
Warner family of Ronbeth Holsteins near Keene makes Top 10 Ontario farming families list
The owners of a local dairy farm were named one of the Top 10 outstanding farm families in the province by the Ontario Plowmen’s Association.
Ronbeth Holsteins is located on County Rd. 2 between Keene and Hastings.
It’s run by Dean and Carol Warner, along with their daughters Lacey Warner and Stephanie Murphy and Murphy’s husband Camron.
The family was selected from more than 80 Ontario families for the award.
They were chosen for their contributions to the community, their volunteerism and their involvement in the agricultural industry, stretching from local to international.
“It’s a very big honour and it’s very humbling,” said Carol, an Adam Scott Collegiate graduate.
Dean and Carol accepted the award at a ceremony during the International Plowing Match in Harriston on Saturday.
The Warner family has operated the farm for more than 150 years. Stephanie and Lacey are the sixth generation to farm the land.
Ronbeth Holsteins was established in 1939, by Dean’s grandfather, Gordon Warner.
After losing his herd of Holsteins to tuberculosis, Gordon decided to start over with a purebred herd of Holstein cows.
He then combined the names of his son and daughter, Ronald and Elizabeth, to create the moniker Ronbeth.
In 1954, Ronald and his wife Mary bought the farm from his parents.
They then farmed the land with their kids, one being Dean.
Dean took up farming full time in 1978.
He married Carol in 1985 and the couple welcomed Lacey a year later.
Two years after that Stephanie was born. That’s also when Mary and Ronald retired from farming.
Stephanie and Camron met at Peterborough County Junior Farmers and married in 2012.
Ronbeth Holsteins is well known in the dairy and Holstein industry for milk production and breeding of top quality Holsteins.
It has a long history of selling breeding stock and embryos in Canada as well as to more than 10 countries worldwide.
The family has quite the resume when it comes to volunteerism, too. They’ve been involved with groups such as the Peterborough County Junior Farmers, Peterborough County 4-H Association, Ontario Holstein, and the Peterborough Milk Committee.
Dean and Carol are also active in the medical community, and are founding members of the Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Association USA/Canada. Their daughter Lacey suffers from the illness.
Although their days are filled with farm chores, Carol said volunteering has always been important to the family.
“I just think it’s our way to give back and say thank you for the support that we get,” she said.
Carol said receiving a Top 10 nod was the highlight of the year, though they didn’t expect it.
“None of us do it for recognition, but it’s always very nice to get it.”