GOWANLEA LTD.
11400 Highway #12, Sunderland
Owners: Jim and David Smith and Family
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- this farm just south of Blackwater was purchased by Jim and David's grandfather in the late 1940's. Their father, R.J., turned it into a thriving dairy farm.
- in 2004, Jim and David decided to convert the farm from a dairy to a grains and oilseeds operation - "we both wanted to continue farming but in a less demanding way".
- they now grow corn (1,577 acres), soybeans and wheat on 2,600 acres, 2,000 acres of which they rent, in the Townships of Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge, and the City of Kawartha Lakes.
- their state-of-the-art, on farm elevator, which is run on an economical diesel generator, is used to receive, dry and store their grain. They also buy and sell grain with their local neighbors.
- their investments in modern technology, particularly GPS, which they use for land mapping, planting and spraying, and a new tillage tool, which has maintained corn yields while reducing costs associated with soil preparation, have significantly increased farm productivity - "50 or more people would have been needed 50 years ago to farm what the two of us do today".
- the brothers are very optimistic about the future for their cash crops, especially given the increasing interest in renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel and improved commodity prices.