Ayah Victoria McKhail –
Bob and Elaine Taylor have been setting their alarm for 2 a.m. every Saturday for as long as they can remember. The proud farmers are septuagenarians who live on Ceder Creek Farm in Rockwood, Ont., in Wellington County, but there’s a good reason why they bring their bounty to the city every weekend. “Generations of my family have been involved with St. Lawrence Market since approximately 1895. It all started with my great-grandparents, George and Sarah Switzer. The tradition was passed down to my grandparents, Frank and Lillian Taylor, and it carried on with my parents, Marne and Margaret Taylor,” Bob explained.
Steeped in legend and lore, the Saturday Farmers’ Market was established in 1803. When Bob’s great-grandfather first joined, he’d catch a train to the station; unload his goods; and haul his produce to the Market by horse and wagon. At the time, the Market was comprised of mostly sheds and participation was limited to York Township farmers. “In those days, it was breast poultry, eggs, apples, as well as butter in the summer months, which he’d have on offer,” Bob said. Maintaining this tradition is something Bob and Elaine have done ever since they got married in 1979. While they had cattle, hogs and poultry in the past, currently, their 117-acre farm, produces a range of heirloom and gourmet non-GMO vegetables and potatoes, with their son, Harlan Taylor doing most of the growing. The farm is also known for featuring several kinds of cut flowers, which are distributed to local markets and flower shops.
On a recent afternoon, two distinct types of potatoes: Irish Cobbler and Bauer Gruen Rotes Auge were popular selections among customers, with Gray Ghost squash, which makes a delicious soup, generating interest as well.
“These days, such specialty crops and homegrown squash are especially popular at the Market, in addition to lettuce,” Elaine shared.
In years past, she’d have a variety of baked goods available, too. “I’d bake everything from pies, to cookies and scones. Seasonal specialties like pumpkin pie in time for Thanksgiving and hot cross buns and braids at Easter were always coveted,” she reminisced.
Being a part of the Farmers’ Market has been a meaningful experience for the couple. “Over the years, we’ve met so many wonderful people and it’s been so uplifting to interact with them,” Elaine said. And at a time when there’s a growing emphasis on shoring up the Canadian economy and supporting local businesses due to threats emanating from south of the border, Bob thinks it’s important for customers to be mindful of what they’re purchasing. “When you buy from local farmers, you help them survive and succeed.”
And that’s exactly what the sprightly couple, who show no signs of slowing down, intend to do, noting how farming grounds them in place and time, connecting them to the Earth’s wonder in a profound way. “We feel really blessed to be able to do what we do; there’s a spiritual element to it, denoting a connection to God, and it’s just so serene to be in nature, among the trees with birds flying overhead as you nurture everything you’re growing.”
Now that the Farmers’ Market will be moving to the new St. Lawrence Market North Building at 92 Front St. E., on April 5, Bob’s looking forward to this new chapter, and he doesn’t seem to mind putting on the coffee in the wee hours of every Saturday morning. “We hope to continue to be a part of this great family tradition for as long as we can.”
