150 Years of Living off the Land
Interview with Kevin Rosien of Rosien Farm
Kevin Rosien purchased his farm from Jack and Gail Cameron at Lot 15 Concession 4 on the McLachlan Road (near McLeod Road) in 2015. Since then has been busy putting up new buildings and establishing his maple syrup business. Kevin is also operating a small butcher shop on the premises and making his own pork sausages. Kevin wanted his family to eat healthy, organic food and has expanded into strawberries, high bush blueberries and garlic. His vision includes plum trees, apple trees and apricot trees for his eleven acre “field of dreams”.
Click here to view an abstract from the Renfrew County land records.
You know those hot summer days you'd be just covered in chaff, you'd be hot and sweaty. There was always a little pond near down by the farm so after a good day haying you had a chance to go for a swim.
Kevin Rosien stands beside a large sap container.
You take a look at this field out front from us here, actually a little eleven acre field, and when I first saw it, I thought, yeah, I'm going to call that my field of dreams.
Rosien Farm sign
I think we probably take ours a bit further than necessary, but again, it's a real pride issue when you can hold it up to the light and you can see through it and you can see that beautiful golden colour to it.
Sap buckets dot the maple bush.
At this point it's just word of mouth. A lot of people where I work will get my maple syrup and friends and family.
The lid protects the sap from debris and snow.
A lot of people say, "How do you do it?" I don't see it as work. I came home from work today and I hopped on the tractor… it's more of a hobby than anything else.
The Rosien's log home (formerly the Cameron homestead) has been renovated extensively.
Looking Back
Undated newspaper clipping "Automation Comes to the Sugar Bush"
1994-0021 Peter Hessel collection - Farming file
Gathering sap near Galetta circa 1900
2002-0154 Charles Macnamara fonds