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Local farms surrounding Tatamagouche that supplied cream to the Creamery21st century
Tatamagouche area of the North Shore (Northumberland Shore) Nova Scotia, Canada
Credits:Harry Thurston, Harrowsmith Magazine 1981, The Fat of the Land
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The farms highlighted here are only a selection of the small farms that once existed in the Tatamagouche area.The years preceeding the decline of dairying in the area serving the Tatamagouche Creamery saw continuous dairy farms along either side of Highway 6, stretching from River John,( on the way to Pictou in Pictou County), to Wallace and on to Pugwash (in Cumberland County). Many of these farms have a long rich history.Some now raise beef cattle, or sheep, or replacement cows for farms in other areas, and most produce hay crops, but too much good land is reverting to scrub and bush. Small 'retirement' houses replace the older farm house and the great barns, once so characteristic of the dairy farmers, are disappearing.
Here is a snapshot view of some the people and history associated with a few of the farms that once provided cream for the Tatamagouche Creamery.
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Satellite image of Windblown farm20th century
Highway 6 Brule, Nova Scotia, Canada
Credits:Land Registry Offfice, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada
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1. Windblown Farm and Tattrie Brothers DairyBenjamin Tattrie married Jenny in 1912 and lived in what Kathryn Tattrie, a granddaughter-in-law, calls the Home Place. The original farm was on the water side of the current Highway 6, a short distance beyond where Kathryn now lives. Originally Windblown was a mixed farm with a herd of twelve Jersey cows, many pigs and chickens, and a vegetable garden. Benjamin died due to an accident in 1937 and two of his children, Angus and Doug took over the farm.
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The 'Home Farm' at Windblown farm20th century
Highway 6, Brule, Nova Scotia, Canada
Credits:Ann Manicom
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Doug and Angus started a pure bred Jersey herd, buying the first cow from a neighbour, A.P. Semple, then expanding the herd through purchasing from well known breeders, including Arthur Malcolm of Brule. From this they built up a quality herd of 155 head of Jersey cattle of which 50 were milkers. Harold went on to increase the number of milkers and at one time the Tattries had the largest Jersey herd in Nova Scotia. Jersey cows had many advantages as they were smaller and took up less space, they ate less, calved easily and had a high butterfat content in the milk making them very popular with farmers.The brothers raised replacement heifers for their own herd and sold pure bred calves and heifers to Quebec and Ontario. During their farming years, the Tattrie brothers bought up various local farms, increasing their farmland to 300 acres. At one time 14000 bales of hay were cut from 100 acres - it was cut early so a second crop was fed to the dairy herd. Barley was grown on 125 acres, and this was mixed and fed to cattle and pigs. Angus and Doug operated Windblown farm as a partnership before turning it over to Doug's son Harold in 1976. Harold spent a few years doing deliveries for the dairy before it was sold, and managed his own farm until he eventually took over the entire property.
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Barn at Windblown farm20th century
Highway 6 Brule, Nova Scotia, Canada
Credits:Ann Manicom
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Angus never married. After serving during WWII he went to Guelph Agricultural College and trained as a butter maker. For a time he worked at the Tatamagouche Creamery but then left to start the Tattrie Bros. Dairy. Doug married in 1942 at the age of 22 and joined his brother to work the dairy in 1954.The Tattrie Brothers Dairy sold 'grade A raw milk'. Angus did the pasteurizing, presumably having learned the skills from his time employed at the Tatmagouche Creamery. They used their own milk but later brought in some from other farms such as those owned by Hector Semple, Alden MacLeod, Hiram Langille, Chainey Weatherby and Sheldon Gould. The milk was collected in cans.
Through the 1960's Doug and his son Harold did the deliveries, west to Tatamagouche, Malagash, Wallace and south to Earltown and east as far as Seafoam. They delivered to hospitals, schools, and restaurants, using Econoline vans of which they had two - Harold going off in one direction and Doug in the other.
Working at the dairy was had work and Kathryn, Harold's wife, remembers a 5:00 AM start to milk the cows and then by 9:00 AM loading the van for milk deliveries to Wallace and all points between. After lunch the van was loaded again and sent in the opposite direction for deliveries to Seafoam (toward Pictou). On her first day of married life, Kathryn recalls going through this routine , but at 10:30 PM there was a call from Seafoam Campground asking for more milk, so once again Harold drove out - returning after midnight!
Kathryn could recall the boiler room at the back of the dairy, a stainless steel vat for pasteurizing, a washer, a walk-in cooler and a bottler which could take 13 bottles a minute.
Toward the end, the Dairy experienced the pressures from advancing technology - the change from glass bottles to cardboard containers and then to plastic - all of which demanded new and different equipment.
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Tattrie Bros. Dairy calendar20th century - 1954
Highway 6 Brule, Nova Scotia, Canada
Credits:Ann Manicom
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This calendar probably sent out to customers in 1954, sending good will and showing smart advertising. The name of the dairy changed from Tattrie Bros. to Windblown Dairy, though Kathryn could not recall in what year.While the brothers passed on their farm to Doug's son Harold, Doug and Angus sold the dairy operation to Scotsburn Dairy in July of 1969. Doug 'went with the milk' and continued delivering for Scotsburn.
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Tattrie Bros. Dairy (later Windblown Dairy)20th century
Highway 6 Brule, Nova Scotia, Canada
Credits:Ann Manicom
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Prior to the dairy being sold, Windblown Farm milk was found in all the stores in the area. At their peak, the dairy delivered 3200 quarts of milk a weekend. The dairy building still exists but there is little to indicate it was ever the thriving business it once was when it sold and delivered milk, butter, chocolate milk, skim milk and eggs. Kathryn remembers the big jug of chocolate syrup that was used to make chocolate milk!13
Tattrie Bros. Dairy chocolate milk advertisement20th century
Highway 6, Brule, Nova Scotia, Canada
Credits:Ann Manicom
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Don and Margaret Beeler on former Malcolm property21st century
Highway 6 Brule, Nova Scotia, Canada
Credits:Creamery Square Heritage Society
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