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WELCOME TO HOP HILL STABLE Part TwoOctober 2010
By Nadine Abrams
We want to take you back to Hop Hill Stable again to talk a little more about the hexagonal barn, tack room, and circular paddock construction. “We have looked back to the [original use] of our land as a traditional farm for inspiration,” says Jewett. The farm was first settled by Nimrod Case in 1850. Case and his family grew hops, a key ingredient in the making of beer, which led to the logical formation of the name Hop Hill. While use of the land at Hop Hill has changed from the Case homesteading days, Jewett is committed to preserving the human history of the site and references to its first settlers. “Protecting and preserving the environmental health of the property is really no different then what we do to ensure we protect the cultural history of the site. I see them as intrinsically linked,” says Jewett. The Case family homestead once stood where the tack room is now and some of the original brick of that home has been incorporated around the door and in the foundation. The original masonry stove is at the heart of the tack room. The stove is so efficient that once lit, wood is only added once or twice in a 24 hour period. It keeps riders warm even on the coldest of winter days. The wood for the stove is stored just outside the tack room doorway on the original barrel racking rails salvaged from the old Joseph Seagram Distillery in Waterloo.
Stay tuned for the final article in this series on Hop Hill Stables. We will be discussing how the farm manages their manure and how you, like the Jewett’s, can secure funding to help you with your farm projects. Contact your local Conservation Authority as they may be able to provide further funding and technical assistance for your environmental project. Not sure which of the 36 Conservation Authorities you should contact, check out the provincial map and contact listing on the Conservation Ontario website. This article has been prepared by the Healthy Lands for Healthy Horses Steering Committee, which is comprised of representatives from the Horse Facilities Council, Uxbridge Horseman’s Association, Ontario Trail Riders Association, Equine Guelph, University of Guelph, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario Equestrian Federation and various Conservation Authorities. Funding for events organized by this committee has been provided by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association from the Nutrient Management BMP Demonstration Grant funding project. For more information please visit: Healthy Lands for Healthy Horses website. |