Where Did It All Start?Olde Furrow Farm is a 100 acre family farm located on Belcher Street in Port Williams, directly across the Jijuktu’kwejk (Cornwallis) River from New Minas in Kings County, Nova Scotia. This land has been farmed, hunted and stewarded since time immemorial by the original Mi’kmaq First Nations people whose care for the land is a lesson to all of us in modern times of a sustainable, balanced and honouring way of living with the land. Then the industrious Acadians arrived and changed much of the land to how it presently looks, most notably by creating the dyke systems which opened up fertile lowland to crops and livestock. The New England Planters arrived after the displacement of the Mi’kmaq and Acadians and these were the ancestors that led to descendants Earl and Myrna Webster (maiden name Bishop) who purchased the farm as it is now, in 1943.
There are some distinct characteristics of the land. There is dykeland, sandy and clay loam upland soil, and a wonderful old growth hemlock/pine ravine and brook running down one side to the tidal, muddy, river. There are several fields seperated by trees and blackberry canes, and the entire farm is surrounded by trees with many large oak trees adding to the beauty. There are several pairs of bald eagles nesting along the trees that line the river, lots of deer, pheasants, raccoons, owls, hawks, foxes and coyotes and many types of songbirds. |
The History Of The Farm
We have traced the ownership, so far, back to the Curry family who purchased the farm some time around the mid 1800's. Simeon Curry and his sons farmed this land and according to historical records he died in Cornwallis (as this side of the Cornwallis River was called then) October 18th, 1869. After Simeon's death his sons Albert, (born June 14, 1853) and Arthur, (born May 1, 1867) took over the land until their death in 1925 and 1938 respectfully. Yes, you have done the math correctly; it seems Albert took over the farm at age 16! Upon Arthur's death the farm was sold to Robie Kidston in 1938 who ran the farm for a few years and re-built the house as it is today.
We can see all the history of this farm in old maps that show several different houses that had been here, old roads that went into the ravine and along the river that are still visible, finding old pieces of dishes, bricks, coins, horseshoes and farming implements and all the old wells around the farm. This land has many stories in it.
Earl and Myrna (Bishop) Webster then bought the land in 1943, both can trace their farming ancestral roots back to the 1760’s with the influx of the New England Planter settlers after the Expulsion of the Acadians. They spend many years growing cattle, apples and vegetables, making a living for themselves and their five children.
Sadly, Earl Webster passed away many years ago leaving Myrna with five kids and a farm to run. With the help of her immediate family and her children, we kept the land producing beef cattle. Can you imagine the commitment she made to keep farming the land as a single woman fifty years ago? The frugalness and hard work was an everyday way of life for the whole family. We all played a part and took our turns in the barn and in the fields as we grew older. I tell you this to demonstrate the passion for this land that we now strive to continue.
Well into her elder years Myrna lived on the farm and enjoyed all the beauty that it holds, filling photo albums of apple trees and cows and tending her vegetable garden and roses. Her skills of making baked goods and preserves were well known and enjoyed amongst the family and her apple pies were particularly a thing of legend. Our family has a particular way of eating apple pie with a slice of cheddar cheese, if you haven’t tried it you should! She raised kids and took care of many grandchildren on the farm and is a huge part of what the farm is today, her heart and love for this land lives on in us.
Myrna’s oldest son David pastured cows and harvested hay on the farm for many years and still does today. He definitely carries the farming spirit on as he’s not a young man anymore but still does farm work with the energy and motivation of someone less than half his age.
In 2011 Donald Webster (Earl and Myrna’s youngest son) purchased the farm with his wife Deenie. Don gave the old Webster farm it’s current name “Olde Furrow Farm” and the family started growing a variety of vegetables that originally was only sold through a CSA program (Community Shared Agriculture).
The CSA model has only been around since the 60s, and was created as a reaction to industrial farming in Japan, Germany and Switzerland. It allows farms to have a close relationship with customers and provide them with weekly boxes of vegetables for an upfront payment. We were inspired by other local farms who were already doing their CSAs and ever since then it has been and continues to be the backbone of our farm.
In 2014 Courtney Madore and Adam Webster (Don and Deenie’s oldest son) took over all operations of Olde Furrow Farm and continue to today. Since 2015 we have sold vegetables through the Wolfville Farmers Market and now have our CSA delivered through the online market to families from the Annapolis Valley to Halifax.
We can see all the history of this farm in old maps that show several different houses that had been here, old roads that went into the ravine and along the river that are still visible, finding old pieces of dishes, bricks, coins, horseshoes and farming implements and all the old wells around the farm. This land has many stories in it.
Earl and Myrna (Bishop) Webster then bought the land in 1943, both can trace their farming ancestral roots back to the 1760’s with the influx of the New England Planter settlers after the Expulsion of the Acadians. They spend many years growing cattle, apples and vegetables, making a living for themselves and their five children.
Sadly, Earl Webster passed away many years ago leaving Myrna with five kids and a farm to run. With the help of her immediate family and her children, we kept the land producing beef cattle. Can you imagine the commitment she made to keep farming the land as a single woman fifty years ago? The frugalness and hard work was an everyday way of life for the whole family. We all played a part and took our turns in the barn and in the fields as we grew older. I tell you this to demonstrate the passion for this land that we now strive to continue.
Well into her elder years Myrna lived on the farm and enjoyed all the beauty that it holds, filling photo albums of apple trees and cows and tending her vegetable garden and roses. Her skills of making baked goods and preserves were well known and enjoyed amongst the family and her apple pies were particularly a thing of legend. Our family has a particular way of eating apple pie with a slice of cheddar cheese, if you haven’t tried it you should! She raised kids and took care of many grandchildren on the farm and is a huge part of what the farm is today, her heart and love for this land lives on in us.
Myrna’s oldest son David pastured cows and harvested hay on the farm for many years and still does today. He definitely carries the farming spirit on as he’s not a young man anymore but still does farm work with the energy and motivation of someone less than half his age.
In 2011 Donald Webster (Earl and Myrna’s youngest son) purchased the farm with his wife Deenie. Don gave the old Webster farm it’s current name “Olde Furrow Farm” and the family started growing a variety of vegetables that originally was only sold through a CSA program (Community Shared Agriculture).
The CSA model has only been around since the 60s, and was created as a reaction to industrial farming in Japan, Germany and Switzerland. It allows farms to have a close relationship with customers and provide them with weekly boxes of vegetables for an upfront payment. We were inspired by other local farms who were already doing their CSAs and ever since then it has been and continues to be the backbone of our farm.
In 2014 Courtney Madore and Adam Webster (Don and Deenie’s oldest son) took over all operations of Olde Furrow Farm and continue to today. Since 2015 we have sold vegetables through the Wolfville Farmers Market and now have our CSA delivered through the online market to families from the Annapolis Valley to Halifax.