Spring planting keeps Elhaven Farms busy in South Easthope

Dave Meadows operates his 400-horsepower John Deere 9330 four-wheel-drive tractor while cultivating a 50-foot swath of land at a time near Harmony. The tractor’s GPS guidance system allows for precise fieldwork with no overlap, helping save time and fuel. Gary West photo

By Gary West

Working the ground on a cool but dry weekend in Perth County’s South Easthope Township meant dust in the air as farmers across the region busied themselves planting alfalfa, corn and soybeans.

For the Meadows family of Elhaven Farms, north of Harmony, spring planting season is one of the busiest times of the year on the family’s dairy and chicken operation.

David and Christine Meadows laugh when asked about the hectic pace of spring work.

“When isn’t it busy?” they said, echoing the sentiment shared by many farm families across Perth County.

With tractors cultivating, planting and stone-picking throughout the countryside, dust filled the air alongside the familiar scent of manure being spread on fields. Livestock farmers often joke that it is “the smell of money.”

For farms like Elhaven Farms, having access to their own natural fertilizer is especially valuable as ongoing global shipping issues and conflict in the Middle East continue to create uncertainty around commercial fertilizer supplies and crop-input costs.

We were lucky enough to climb into the buddy seat beside Dave Meadows as he worked the fields near the family’s dairy barn on Perth Line 29, also known locally as Pork Street. Meadows was cultivating land in preparation for seeding an alfalfa and tall fescue grass mix.

Farming in South Easthope Township, where crop yields are often among the best in the country, plays an important role in supporting the economies of Stratford, St. Marys, Tavistock and surrounding communities.

Today, Elhaven Farms milks approximately 125 registered Holstein cows using robotic milking technology. Including dry cows, heifers and calves, the family cares for about 325 dairy animals at any given time.

The Meadows family also raises more than 35,000 broiler chickens at a farm on Harmony Road. In recent years, the operation has expanded into raising dairy-beef cross calves as part of its beef operation, while Holstein bull calves are raised for the veal sector.

When she is not helping on the farm, Christine Meadows works as a teacher at nearby St. Ambrose Catholic Elementary School.

The couple’s sons, 19-year-old Luke and 17-year-old Jacob, are both heavily involved in the local 4-H dairy club and already share a passion for farming that may one day see them take over the family operation as the fourth generation to manage the land.

Dave and Christine Meadows took over the farm from Dave Meadows’ parents, Elwood and Carol Meadows, who spent decades building and caring for the dairy herd and farmland. Crop rotations at Elhaven Farms include corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and rye grass.

The success of Elhaven Farms would also not be possible without the dedication of longtime herdsman Dan Dunsmore. A local resident who first began working on the farm while still in high school, Dunsmore has now spent the past decade helping manage the operation alongside his wife, Vanessa, and their newborn son, Daniel Joseph.

Dave Meadows and Dunsmore are also known for lending a hand to a neighbouring farm family facing serious health challenges, helping with planting and harvesting alongside other local farmers.

“It’s just the right thing to do,” Dave Meadows said. “That’s what caring farming neighbours do when someone is going through difficult times.”