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J t durhamronion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN 4- October 4,2006 4- Page A7 A CLARINGTON COMMUNITY Fall into fun at Knox Pumpkin Farm Claringtofl's To advertise in this feature contact the This Week Inside Sales Team 905-579-4400 "KRACO"-*- CARPENTRY & CONTRACTING Complete Carpentry Service • Custom Built Homos • Renovations • Additions * Designing William & Rudy Kraayvanger 905-623-1101 Want To Swim Faster? Just Add Water! Clarington Swim Club Fall Registration Will Take Place On The Following Dates/Times: October 4th, & 6th 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. Clarington Fitness Centre October 5th 4:30-6:00 Courtice Community Centre For more information, or to register t>y phone please call 905"-697-312,4 Visit us on Uns» ait http:/ /clarington «wim clutj-tripod.com/ Chock out our now Youth Fl triste* program proudly nponsoicid by: Reaching Your Goals Freedom 55 Takes Careful Planning Financial That's Why We're Here to Help. • Individual life insurance •Disability insurance •Business insurance •Travel insurance •RRIFs, LIFs & Annuities •GICs & mutual funds •Group insurance •Group retirement plans •Mortgages •RRSPs & RESPs QUADIIUS Duniiiiis Inmlimml Smvlcos ltd. A Weed ul thn Plan Dwight and Dcria Hickson l in.iml.it Smully .mil Invvslniviil Itqucsvnl.itlvv» 5 King A vu., Nuwc.istlu (905) 987-5372 otintry Heat ** Chimney i nf INDOOR ENVIRONMENT IS OUR BUSINESS Sales, Service and Installation for All Heating & Cooling Solutions: Gas, Wood, I'mpane, Oil, I'd let Goo-i harm,il Systems • Hot H'.ifv/ on Pcmjnd • In-Hoor I tenting • Chimney Sweeps • Wi l l Inspections • Mnsomy Repniis visit iis i"' innv.c/id.v.i >(l ( <n#uh Rtl *J RN*4 ( ofount; ffovlnmi ( u/huui* X ISttl HttfM'i Tel: 905-372-0223 Fnx:905-372-022 Mary McCain brought Hunter and baby Darcy to the Fall Festival at Knox Pumpkin Farm for their first hay ride. The festival includes games, face painting, a barn, full of animals and loads of pumpkins. Hardships and early settler life BY CATHERINE VIVIAN Special to The Statesman HAMPTON-Before Elliot's Mill (Hampton) was completed in 1841 men would make long journeys to what was then called Myers Mill to have their wheat turned into flour. The journey was a long and arduous one made by navigating the streams and Lake Ontario by canoe. Often, if a storm came up, the men could be land bound until it cleared, making what was' at best a two-week journey much longer. While they were gone, women would use large coffee grinders they had brought with them to grind the wheat for flour or corn for mush or Johnny cake (corn of that time was called hominy and had a harder husk to the kernel) if they didn't have a coffee grinder they used a hol- lowed-out stump and pounded the wheat/corn till it was fine. Hampton's first women settlers settlers were second-wave United Empire Loyalist (they left after the revolution in America was over as opposed to those who were forced out). They forged out a life for themselves with only a very few supplies. An anecdote about one female settler's- meeting with an area native reports the native woman knocking on the settler's door to ask for flour. When the native is turned down she barges in, finds the flour, and separates it into equal portions for everyone in the room. She then takes her share and leaves. • These are just two examples of how area women dealt with the hardships of daily life. A weekly look at the communities that shape Clarington All month long the facility is open to the public BY JULIE CASHIN-OSTER Special to The Statesman HAMPTON - It's October and that meansthe fun has begun ' once again at Knox Pumpkin Farm. Every year at this time the small pumpkin farm just north of Courtice comes alive. Located north of Mitchell's Corners at 6325 Enfield Road, this historic farm offers lots of fun for the whole family. Young and old alike delight in the offering of fall activities, which include a corn maze, farm animals, a straw jump, a story reading room, wagon rides out to the pumpkin patch, a photo station, scarecrow making, face painting and pony rides. "The genuine farm atmosphere, coupled with century old trees that frame a property filled with - hundreds of orange-hued pumpkins pumpkins and fall activities all add up to the ideal family outing" said Jennifer Knox, who manages the farm along with her father Kenneth Kenneth and husband Ian Kruis. A third-generation family farm, it is the invaluable help of family and friends that keeps the operation, originally a dairy farm, going strong. "Many people have strong ties to this property," said Kenneth Knox, "and by everyone pitching in day after day, we're able to offer the public a glimpse of life on a farm - as it was a century ago, as it is today, and as it will hopefully be a century from now." The farmhouse was built in the late 1800s by Jordan Van Nest to replace a log cabin that was just south of it. The farm barn was likely built in the 1860s. The stone house on the hill is circa 1850, and was relocated from one mile south of the farm in 2004. John and Jenny Knox, now both deceased, purchased the farm in 1945. Ken Knox, along with daughters daughters Elizabeth and Jennifer and her husband Ian Kruis, are the current owner-operators. "It's hard to make a living farming today, so everyone at the farm works off-farm jobs to help pay the bills," said Ms. Knox. Farmer Jenny, aka Jenny Knox, was raised on the property and dreams of a successful future for the farm and other small farms in Ontario. In her professional professional career, she works in public affairs for Ontario Power Generation Generation Pickering Nuclear, where she teaches science, conducts . tours and delivers presentations. . Ms. Knox sits on two advisory committees for the Municipality Municipality of Clarington, the Clarington Agricultural Advisory Committee Committee and the Local Architectural Architectural Advisory Committee. Committee. Farmer Ian, aka Ian Kruis, grew up on a little farm in Brantford, where he became a 4-H leader of his local sheep club. After graduation from the University of Waterloo, he became a French teacher for the Brantford Board of Education. Mr. Kruis is a French special education teacher for primary grades at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bowmanville. He is a director of Durham Farm 'Many people have strong ties to this property and by everyone pitching in day after day, we're able to offer the public a glimpse of life on a farm.' -- Kenneth Knox Fresh, of the Canadian Blonde d'Aquitaine Committee and on the planning committee for Farm Connections. Farmer Ken, aka Ken Knox, grew up on the farm, buying it from parents John and Jean in- the 1970s..Mr. Knox has much experience in the teaching field as he was a trainer for the 4-H and Ontario Junior Farmer organizations organizations in his younger days. Mr. Knox loves pouring cement, buying horses and dreams of the day he can find lime to take up woodworking and drive a 12- horse hitch. The most recent addition is Farmer Bella, aka Isabella, born this July to parents Ian and Jenny making it a fourth-generation family farm. The Knox family grows pumpkins, pumpkins, gourds and squash, Indian corn, popcorn, corm, wheat, barley, barley, soybeans and hay. Originally Originally a dairy farm, it was con- For . more on this story & WATCH VIDEO durhamroglore.coin verted to beef in the 1980s. The cattle are Blonde d'Aquitaine, a breed originating in France and the current herd is 100-head. Other residents of the barn include Perche- ron Heavy Horses, a talking turkey, sheep, ponies, pigs, kittens, peacocks, guinea hens, chickens and a llama. Pumpkins were first grown on the farm to supply canning pumpkins for the Stokely Van Camp canning factory, which has since closed. The Knox sisters began selling those pumpkins at the end of the lane 25 years ago. Twenty acres of pumpkins are grown each year. The Knox farm belongs to and supports many groups and organizations within thé Ontario agriculture and Durham Region/ Clarington communities, such as the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Agriculture, OATI, Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association, Durham Farm Fresh Marketing Association, Ontario Corn Producers Producers Association and the Clarington Clarington Board of Trade. This October more than 130 school classes are visiting the farm, with the operation being overrun during the evenings as well by group tours. "Our school programs are curriculum-based and are available available for all primary grade levels throughout the year" says Jenny Knox.- The Knox Pumpkin Farm is only open to the public for the month of October. For families prolonging their stay at the farm, a hotdog lunch is available. On Saturday, Oct. 14, a gate fundraiser will be held with a portion going to Kerry's Place Autism Services. Admission on weekends is $5 for children ages 2-15. On weekdays, weekdays, the cost is S3 for children ages 2-15 (no face-painting or wagon rides weekdays). Admission Admission includes: straw jump, corn maze, face painting, Boo Bam, wagon rides, and pedal tractors. Additional Activities: Pony rides $3, Family photo $5. For more , information call 905-263-2930 or point and click www.knoxpumpkinfarm.com.