Farm life

South Bay farmers earn place on agricultural wall of fame

George Emlaw has farming in his blood. He grew up on a farm in South Marysburgh. One of eight children, he helped his twice-widowed mother, milk cows to sell dairy to the Black River cheese factory, and collect eggs so she could trade them for groceries.

He also went to Sunday school, which was where he met Sandra.

Sandra, who lived in Milford, was a serious girl. She took church seriously, strongly devoted to her faith. She took school seriously. She was going to become a teacher. And she was certainly not going to be one of those girls who married a farmer.

But when they reached high school, George became irresistible. A charming young man, and popular with the other girls in the school, Sandra felt lucky that he wanted her.

Despite the fact that he would play hooky to get in a game of billiards. Despite the fact that George wanted to be a farmer.

“It was all that he knew, and all that he said he ever wanted to do,” says their daughter, Vicki. “Except for one day, he said something like, ‘oh, I would have liked to work on one of those lake boats’.”

Despite his chosen profession, love won out

After high school, both George and Sandra left South Marysburgh. She went to teacher’s college in Peterborough. He went to the Kemptville agricultural college. They both intended on coming back to the County. It’s where they belonged.

Sandra and George Emlaw at home on the farm in South Bay.

Once they’d returned to South Bay, Sandra got a job as a teacher in Picton, then later lobbied for and worked at a kindergarten in Athol. She worked until she had her first child, Aynsley, then began supply teaching. Once she’d had her third daughter, she stopped working outside the farm.

Meanwhile, George was building a herd of purebred Holsteins, experimenting with techniques he’d heard or read about to find the right fit for his dairy cattle.

He was one of the first farmers in the area to use a milking parlour, a setup that greatly improved time and yield for milking. He was also among the first to see the benefits in storing manure slurry for fertilizer.

The Emlaws were also philanthropic with their farming and their time. In the ’60s, during a drought in Manitoba, they grew feed to send to farmers there. And for the past 14 years, the couple have been organizing a local group in South Marysburgh that grows food grains for areas of the world experiencing famine.

Sandra has been president of the South Bay United Church’s chapter of the UCW, organizing dinners and events for the community.

“They lived in the centre of the community, and they worked to help each other,” says Vicki’s husband, Tim Noxon. “And it’s a community that’s been going on like that for 200 years.”

This Sunday, the Farmtown Agricultural Park in Stirling will hold its 10th annual ceremony to induct farmers in the area to its agricultural wall of fame. The Emlaws have been chosen as one of those inductees—the only ones from Prince Edward County this year.

Even after years of work, George is humble about the recognition.

“It’s always good to be recognized by your peers, and I’m very flattered,” says George. “I know there are very many people out there that are just more than worthy to receive it for Sandra and I. All the people that have helped us in the past.”