"Hills Native Foods celebrates 50 years of business"

A local, family-run business has just celebrated an epic milestone.

Hill's Native Foods celebrated its 50th anniversary yesterday as Community Awareness Week got into full swing, with community members coming in droves to congratulate the family while enjoying a delicious and free - bowl of corn soup and homemade corn bread for lunch.

Scott Hill, whose family owns the business, says they wanted to thank the community as part of their anniversary celebrations.

"I appreciate our community as much as the community appreciates me," Hill said, as a number of community members enjoyed a delicious hot bowl of corn soup and corn bread at the Townline Road business headquarters. "It's our way of saying thank you."

The long-running business is a family affair.

It was started by his mother, Louise, in 1965.

As a youngster, Hill says he remembers working hard to help his family prepare the corn.

"We had to shell (the corn) by hand," he said, recalling one fond childhood memory of shelling the corn by hand while watching T.V. with his sister.

He helped his mom deliver the corn to stores and by the time he turned 18, he started learning the ins and outs of the lyeing process.

Mechanics have allowed the business to evolve and shell exponentially more corn than they used to by hand, Hill says, which in turn, has allowed them to expand and supply even more white corn to the community.

Over the years, Hill's Native Foods has become well-known for supplying lyed white corn to the community, to restaurants and other local suppliers.

Lyed white corn is one of the main ingredients in traditional Haudenosaunee corn soup.

The white corn supplied by Hill's Native Foods is locally grown and produced.

Hill's Native Foods farms the corn, shells it and lyes it before it makes its way to a number of local restaurants and stores.

Growing up with the business, Hill says, it taught him the value of hard work. "My parents grew up in tough times, instilling that work ethic in me."

He's humble about the business's success and he says he owes its success to the community.

Hill's product can be found at the following locations:

• Townline Variety and Gas
• Route 54 Gas and Variety
• Red Indian Mini-Mart
• Big Six (gas and convenience)
• Sit N Bull Gas

It is supplied to the following restaurants:

• Erlind's Restaurant
• TnT Fast Foods
• Village Cafe
• Parkway Plaza Diner