150 Years of Living off the Land
Interview with Doug MacLaren
Douglas MacLaren and his son Scott own a small Century Farm in Lochwinnoch on Lot 27 Concession 7. The soil there is heavy in places and sandy in others which allows Doug to raise his cattle and Scott to grow his vegetables. Doug loved the nicely marbled meat of his Highland cattle but felt that working with their long horns was getting dangerous. He sold his herd several years ago and purchased black Angus heifers which he finds quiet and tame. Doug has stayed small, choosing to have about twenty animals in his cow/calf operation. This interview includes a short video of Doug calling his cows and his black Simmental bull named “Cane” into the barn for a feeding. Doug grew up in Arnprior, but his farming roots run deep in McNab Township. Many people would remember Doug's Aunt Annie (his grandfather's sister) and Uncle Harry McGonigal who owned the farm in the 1960's.
Click here to view an abstract from the Renfrew County land records.
I started out with a cow/calf operation, a large one, that I bought from my uncle in the neighborhood of 20 head cow/calf, which, if everything ended up good, you ended up with 40 head of cattle.
Doug MacLaren looks out on his cattle from the granary .
I bought a black Simmenthal bull and I bought some black Angus heffers and now they are having babies. They have been for two years. This is their second year.
Doug McLaren outside the large cow barn which has a stone foundation.
See you can take the farm away from the boy but you can’t take the boy away from the farm. That’s the way it is.
The metal alleyway that Doug built protects him while working with the cattle.
So this year, I planted some oats because this year was going to be a dry year and the hay over there wasn’t growing properly because of the dryness.
Doug with his loader tractor which is stored in the barn.
Well, you have to stick your head out the door and see what’s happening here.
A beautiful December day at the farm.
Looking Back
Doug MacLaren circa 1965
Alexander MacLaren with daughter-in-law Doris Gertrude Jack (Grandfather and mother of Doug MacLaren)