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Peterborough County is made up of mostly rural towns and villages and it owes a great deal of its creation to its farmers for establishing the roots of our society and our way of life today.

The Peterborough County Agricultural Wall of Fame was formed in 2015 to recognize the work and accomplishments of its past and present agriculturalists and to preserve and record their contributions to help inspire future farmers.

Four new inductees were added to the wall at a ceremony Sunday at Lang Pioneer Village near Keene. Each inductee or their descendants was presented with a special citation plaque detailing their accomplishments; a duplicate of each plaque is also on permanent display in the Agricultural Heritage Building at Lang Pioneer Village.

The 2022 inductees included two couples and two individuals — Dr. Bill and Mary Belch, Peter English, David Nelson and Roy and Christina Sanderson. A short introduction to each was included in a previous column, however the full list of their contributions are included below.

Dr. Bill Belch (1927-2022) and Mary (Gray) Belch (1934- )

Dr. Bill Belch was a surgeon who served the community for more than 50 years. He grew up on a farm on the 6th Line of Cavan and his wife, Mary, was raised on a farm in Virginia.

Together they founded the Peterborough Buffalo Farm which at its peak had 350 head on 1,000 acres. They played an important role in protecting a part of Canadian history through bison and were known internationally for their breeding stock.

The Belches purchased their first 44 young Prairie Buffalo in February 1969 from Elk Island National Park in Alberta. Dr. Belch travelled by train with the bison, bringing them to their farm on Sherbrooke Street in North Monaghan Township.

The Belches developed a market for federally inspected bison meat by selling directly to consumers and local restaurants. They supplied meat for festivals and events including Ontario Place, the CNE and a dinner for Queen Elizabeth at the National Arts Centre.

Mary began selling bison meat at the Peterborough Farmers’ Market in 1988 and continued for more than 20 years.

Dr. Belch was a founder of the Canadian Bison Association and became national president in 1991. He assisted in the development of a grading system, protocols for safe handling and expansion of markets.

He was named the Grand Bisoneer of America and received international recognition of his lifetime dedication and service to the bison industry. In 1996, Bill and Mary received the Canadian Bison Association’s Myrt Lenton Memorial Award.

The Belchs were nominated by Bernadette and Don Caza.

Peter English was raised on the family farm, Enghill Holsteins, a Master Breeder herd, near Hastings. He was an outstanding Peterborough 4-H member. In 1967 he graduated with an associate diploma in agriculture from the Ontario Agricultural College and was a member of the winning Royal Agricultural Winter Fair livestock judging team.

After graduation Peter joined the Holstein Journal, the most influential dairy publication in the world, as associate editor. In 1987, he became partner in the Holstein Journal and in 1991 became sole owner and publisher along with serving as livestock advertising manager.

The Holstein Journal provided accounts from auctions, show reports, herd profiles, association news and breeder advertisements from Canada, the USA and beyond. Until 1990, the Journal was the official publication of Holstein Canada. After 81 years, it ceased publication in 2019.

The Holstein Journal was Peter’s life. He attended some of the greatest events impacting the Canadian Holstein industry from million-dollar sales of famous cows to growth of the worldwide export market.

Peterborough was always home to Peter. He was a strong supporter of local Holstein breeders. He never missed a Peterborough County Holstein Show or Twilight Meeting and ensured these events were covered in the Journal.

He was a longtime member of Holstein Canada using the Enghill prefix. In 2008, he received Holstein Canada’s Certificate of Recognition. In 2015, Peter was presented the Supreme Dairy Show’s International Friend Award in Quebec. Holstein Canada recognized his life’s work at its 2019 Annual Meeting.

He was nominated by Suzanne Atkinson, Jim Coveney and the Peterborough County Holstein Club.

David Nelson farmed his entire life near Keene in Otonabee Township, first on his family’s dairy farm and later, on his own adjoining farm.

He was a Peterborough 4-H member, winning the Dairy Award and was a Peterborough County Junior Farmer. He was an active member of Peterborough County Federation of Agriculture and Peterborough Soil and Crop Association.

In addition to farming and a career as a draftsman at General Electric, he served in local politics for 44 consecutive years. He was a township councillor, deputy reeve and reeve. He sat on county council and served two terms as Peterborough County warden.

He was a champion of Lang Pioneer Village Museum. From 2003 to 2018 he was active in the museum’s advisory committee.

He was a member of Keene United Church. He served on township committees for seniors affordable housing, recreation, the Historical Society and the Keene Pumpkin Festival along with the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority and the Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation.

He received many honours including a Public Service Award from the Peterborough Civic Hospital’s Board of Governors in 1988, a 2016 Certificate of Appreciation from Otonabee South Monaghan Historical Society, Keene Lions Club Helen Keller Fellowship Award and the 2018 Martha Kidd Heritage Award.

His dedication to the community was recognized with a tractor escort at his funeral.

He was nominated by his children Stephanie and Jason Nelson.

Roy Sanderson (1904-1981) and Christina (Bulmer) Sanderson (1904-2002)

Roy and Christina Sanderson were both raised on farms in Smith Township and were married in 1924. Christina joined Roy on the Sanderson dairy farm on Chemong Road where Portage Place Mall is now located. Roy delivered milk and eggs by horse and buggy or cutter to customers around Peterborough. They also maintained five tourist cabins and made maple syrup.

When the farm was expropriated in 1951, they purchased a farm in Bailieboro in South Monaghan Township. The farm was unproductive, had been impacted by soil erosion and extensive work was required on outbuildings along with a house to be built.

He had a vision for the property including contours on the slopes and strip farming the land. With the guidance of Frank Paterson (agricultural representative) and Tom Lane (University of Guelph), a farm plan was designed and implemented in 1953. The Sandersons transformed their farm of “bog and bulrushes” into a beautiful and productive property.

They hosted many tours showcasing new practices. Their contour farming practices with crop rotation were featured in several agriculture publications and textbooks. They also installed the first DeLaval pipeline in Peterborough County.

In 1970, the farm was incorporated as Sandercrest Farms Ltd. When the herd was sold in 2014, the Sanderson family’s dairy farming heritage was one of the oldest in Peterborough County.

They were active in many organizations including the County Milk Committee and Beef Improvement Association, Peterborough and District Co-op, Peterborough County Federation of Agriculture, Keene and Peterborough Curling Clubs and the Masonic Lodge.

The Sandersons were nominated by John and Thelma Sanderson.

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