The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Stephen Rae of Ree's Farm on Eighth Lino stands in front of one of the 64-year-old trees that stili produces apples. The farm celebrates its 751h anniversary this year. -Rae's Farm to celebrate 75 years of family farming with free public corn roast Thse Canadien Champion, Tuesday, August 26, 2003-9 5UHeathyLfestyle And ravel Show SEPTEMBER 5 & 6,-2003 PRESMOTD l Metro Toronto Convention Centre *255 FRONT ST W TORONTO, HALL A, SESIDI THEi CN TOWER SHOW HOURS: Frdy11 6, Satrdy 10-5 SHOW FEATUUS: e Live entertainment - The Legends of the Stage 0Financial & tax planning seminars e Healtfi seminars VV 0 Retirement Housing Information * Travel information *Free bin?o - for fun & prizes 0 Companion Corner - Meet & Greet for Singles 9 Exhibitors offering products & services for your lifestyle 9 Samples, Prizes, Giveaways and more hW shm., rw WS h y CULLNOOD COA CHES By STEPHANIE THIESSEN The Champion A sathird genera- tion farmer who has been working the land for 25 years, Stephen Rae remembers when things were different. He remembers when a faim was a farm mistead of an enertainment centre. He remembers when a farmer could seil the faim iniis retirement years knowing it wouldn't be con- verted into a subdivision. Yes, there were the good old days. He remembers when less Jadvanced tecbnology meant he'd lie awake at night countirtg tise isours of rain, trying t0 determine wisetiser hed have to spray the crops ail over again. Thsis year, Raes Faim, 1315 Bnitannia Rd., il celebrating its 75tis anniversary. Celebration wil certainly be the order of the day September 7, when NU. Rae wil hold a birthday party at the faim. Hes mvîting tise public 10 visit tise faim from Il arn. to 4 p.m. for a free corn roast and entertainment including pony rides and clowns doing face painting and balloon animais. "Tise faim bas been bere for 75 years and thse public bas always been bere 10 support il," said Mr. Rae, 45. "This is my way t0 pay back thse public for their support." Anniversaries are a time for cele- bration, but also for reflection - a time of looking back and abead. realizing that for better or worse, notbing stsys tise same for long. As Mr. Rae celebrates, be said he's also facing tise fact that, as witb many family faims, Raes Faim probably won't be aiound long enough 10 see its 100th anniversaiy. He said be expects 10 seil itinitise coming yeais. Rae's Faimn encompasses 75 acres and grows apples, strawber- ries, raspberries and pumpkins. Eigbty per cent of tise fruit is for pick-your-own purposes, wbile the remaining goes 10 a wbolesaler. Mi. Rae's grandfatber bougisî 50 acres of thse land in 1928 and 50 acres ini1939. "My grandfaîiser started witis nothing. He staited as a young blred isand,' bie said. Mr. Raes father inherited thse faim, and by tise eaily '80s, Mi. Rae was partnering wiîis his father before completely taking it over in tise early '90s. "I'm tise type of faim thsaïs non- commercialized. People come when they dont want tise crowds. 1 flli that nicise," ise said. The faimn became a pick-your- own fai about 18 yeai-s ago when small fruit stores stopped needing 50 many apples - people werent baking witis tbem anymore, 50 they didn't need large quantities. "Times were changing, sO we had to change witi tise times.' Mr. Rae said bis grandfather would bave been quite surprised 10 see tise fai today, witb al tise chsanges development brings. There are new faiming techniques, new chemicals used t0 treat tise crops and a isost of other chsanges, many whicis Mr. Rae said lie sees as beneficial 10 faiming. But, be said, there are new trends emnerging - commercialism, for one - and bes not completely wilhing 10 conform. While farms like Cisudleighs offer stores, bakeries, tours and a bost of otiser activities. Raes Faim doesn't bave most of tisese îiings, lie said. I wenstishe otiser way," Mr. Rae said, namnig tise capital investment requiied for sucis endeavours as one of tise reasons. But, lie said, i's also because lie wants to speak directly witb bis customers and enjoy everytinig bands-on - sometbing tisat doesn't bappen witb 100 mucis growtb. "Were losing tise family faim. Ticyre running as businesses. Witis a lot of farms. you dont se tise owner. You lose tise famfly atmospisere." And tisen theres tise emerging image of faims as entertainment, especially initise faîl. Aithougis Mr. Rae said bes planning on integrat- ing some elemenîs like scisool tours, be refuses 10 go toc, far. "I'm not an entertainer. 1 grew up as a farmer. 1 like to planit and watchi i grow. But to chsange witis tise tunes, 1 bave 10 become an entertainer.'I So, tise faim now bas a straw maze and a play aiea - a happy medium between rejecting what peuple want and confonning. Mr. Rae said bes more tisan happy wiîb tise way tise faim il these days. I like tise way il is now, bhe said. "Theres one blred iselp initise sumî- mer and a couple initise fali. Il's just tise amount of worldoad Jecan carry. Wisat il is now is what I enjoy doing. I The only way a faimer can retire, Mr. Rae said, is 10 seil tise faim - sometising he expects t0 do initise next 15 years. He doesnt bave any eilîdren 10 carry on tise faim. 'TI tise last generation tisaïs going toise on tise faim. It's sad tisat wisaever 1 bult up will be gone wben I pass away." Mr. Rae said be expects tise faim will become a subdivision soon after il sells. Tise close proximity of tise land 10 iigbways 401, 407 and 403 make il a prime aiea for bous- es, be said. But tiseres a brigist side. Mr. Rae said ses alieady looknig forwaid 10 travelling and seenig parts of Canada ini the summer and faîl. For 00W, bes lied to bis faim. Raes Faim is located at 1315 Britannia Rd., east of Trafalgar Road, neai Britannia Road and Eigbîb Line. Stephanie Thiessen canf be reached at stlîiessen@Cimiltoii(-ana- diancharnpion.com. FORMERLY SCANNEL EXHAUST PHIFOH«MAPY S T, WW aME "THE lEST SOUNDOIM TOWM" upcks *a Buses * HV'sri _____ALL MAKES & MODELS