Haass family named Farm Family of the Year
Brian Haass helped organize the Farmers Feed Cities campaign
Brian Haass was self-effacing after his clan was named 2018 Farm Family of the Year by the Peterborough County Federation of Agriculture (PCFA) and Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
“It’s been humbling,” the patriarch said Monday during a break from harvesting corn at the 1,600acre Wallace Point Road farm in Otonabee-South Monaghan Township he runs with wife Katrina, their children Jessica, Taylor and Tanner, his brother Neil and sister-in-law Diane and their grandson, Levi.
The fourth-generation farm also harvests winter wheat, beans (adzuki, IP, and soy) and recently expanded into custom work, spraying, and trucking in the area surrounding Peterborough. They also provide hydraulic service to local farmers and businesses.
The work is quite difficult, but rewarding, said Brian, who was quick to point out how much he enjoys having his seven-year-old grandson on the farm.
The family is getting by and having fun at the same time, he said.
“It’s a lifestyle … it makes you feel good. You may be out there late at night, but it doesn’t really matter.”
Brian’s grandfather started farming in Oshawa when he moved to Ontario in 1929. His parents, Ed and Eva, relocated the farm to Peterborough in 1969. Over the years, they focused on farming types including dairy, cash crops and beef.
Today, the operation remains family-run, with one employee who is not a Haass. Everyone provides input when it comes to decision-making, Brian said, pointing out how he believes that is key to the operation’s success. “I think that’s important.”
Another vital ingredient is work ethic, he added. “If you try hard, you can achieve anything.”
The award will be presented at the Peterborough County Federation of Agriculture Annual Banquet on Friday at the Peterborough County Agricultural Heritage Building at the Lang Pioneer Village Museum near Keene.
Chamber and federation officials cited the family’s active involvement in the farming community, including serving on the board of directors of PCFA, Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Peterborough Agricultural Society.
Brian also helped to organize the Farmers Feed Cities campaign and was a member of the advisory board for the new heritage building at Lang.
Those efforts are “part and parcel” of being a farmer, he said, explaining how the family gives back as much as it can. One of the things he enjoys most in the industry is its great sense of community. “Everybody helps everybody.”
The family has also twice hosted both the Peterborough County Plowing Match and the PCFA’s annual barbecue and are regular participants in the annual plowing match as well as in parades in Peterborough, Millbrook, and Keene, a press release states.
The farm has earned the Growing Your Farm Profits and Canada-Ontario Environmental Farm Plan certificates from the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association.
It has also received multiple awards, including the BMO Peterborough County Farm Family of the Year through the Peterborough County Plowman’s Association, and the DeKalb Yield Masters Club Award, officials stated.
NOTES: Lang Pioneer Village Museum is located at 104 Lang Road in Otonabee-South Monaghan Township.… For tickets to Friday’s Peterborough County Federation of Agriculture annual banquet, contact Karen Jopling at 705-927-5677.