Renfrew County Agricultural Wall of Fame Inductees
On March 24, five people were honoured for their agricultural contributions and community involvement, and inducted into the Renfrew County Agricultural Wall of Fame, from left, Margaret and Welland Crozier, Allan James, and Ian and Lynn Clelland. Courtesy Connie Taffert photo
RENFREW – On March 24, the Renfrew Armouries was the place to be for anyone agriculture, with a “happy hour” scheduled for 6 p.m., followed by a banquet and the induction service. This year – five people – Ian and Lynn Clelland, Welland and Margaret Crozier, and Allan James were inducted into the Renfrew County Agricultural Wall of Fame.
Welland and Margaret Crozier were nominated by the Renfrew County Plowmen’s Assocation. Welland was born in Renfrew and raised on the family farm in Admaston. Margaret was born and raised in Calgary for 23 years and them moved to Renfrew where she married Welland in 1974. They have two children, Jared and Natalee.
Welland operated a dairy farm from 1951-1999, after which to 2012 he raised beef after getting out of the dairy business, then from 1999-2013 some cash cropping until he sold the farm in 2013.
In the meantime, Margaret kept busy at the Renfrew County Senior Games, a shuffleboard medal winner in 2005, silver in 2010 and 2011, gold in 2012, silver again in 2013, and bronze and another silver in 2014. In 2011, she was part of the Eastern Regional Games Champions.
The Croziers have both been involved with a number of organizations and associations. Welland’s was in 4-H (1951-1960), serving one year as president; in Junior Farmers from 1955-1970, as president from 1964-1965; a Renfrew County Fair Director from 1955-1985; in the Holstein Club 1958-1990, as its president from 1973-1974; a Federation of Agriculture director for 20 years; a Soil & Crop member for 20 years; as Renfrew County Plowmen’s Association Director from 1988-2015, and president of the Plowmen from 1998-2000. Welland and Margaret hosted the County Plowing Match in 1989. In 1993, he was involved with the International Plowing Match (Walkerton) and sat on the Lands Committee, and again in 1994’s International Plowing Match in Renfrew County where again he sat on the Lands Committee.
Margaret was a 4-H Leader from 1985-1990 and served as Renfrew County Plowmen’s secretary/treasurer from 2002-2006 and treasurer only from 2007-2008, as well as a Renfrew County Fair committee person. In addition, she has been a Champlain Seniors 55 Plus member since 2001, serving as treasurer from 2006- 2016.
Both have been volunteers involved in the community, contributing in many ways. Welland helped get the rink up and going at the Northcote Community Centre, on the Rosebank Cemetery Board, the Admaston Millenium Committee 1999, and received an Ontario 15-year Volunteer Service Award in 2003. Margaret also volunteered at the Trinity United Church, on the United Church Women (UCW) kitchen committee for 40 years and its secretary for four years, in addition to sitting on the Funeral Committee. She too helped out at the Northcote Rink as a canteen helper, and in the Northcote Community Association. In 2004, she received a 10-year Volunteer Service Award.
Allan James was nominated by the Renfrew County Soil & Crop Improvement Assocation. He was born in Almonte and attended school at Ramsey #12 School in Ramsey Township in Lanark County. He updated his education by taking courses provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture.
His agricultural contributions include over the years of his farming hosting Ontario corn variety trial plots for Agri-Canada and KCAT and his farm is a weather station monitor for OMAFRA for rainfall and heat units. Chronologically, his involvement in organizations and associations include the 4-H Dairy Club in Almonte, Appleton Junior Farmers, the Renfrew County Soil & Crop Improvement Association and the Cobden Agricultural Society, a member and director of the Heritage Farm Antique Club and the Vintage Iron and Traditions of Eastern Ontario. He hosted Hayday for Renfrew County Soil & Crop in 1991 and the Renfrew County Plowing Match in 2006. In 1998, he started the Renfrew County Antique Tractor Square Dancing for fairs and for plowing matches held local and internationally as well as for local fundraisers.
Allan started farming at the early age of 13 on his family farm on the 1st Line of Ramsay Township in Lanark County. In 1956, his family purchased the home farm on the end of the Queens Line in Ross Township. Allan and his new wife moved to the farm in 1957. Here he milked Holstein cows and cultivated the land. He loved agriculture and sought new and innovative ways to improve his farm abilities. While still milking cows, he started a beef herd and then later become a feedlot operator. With health problems appearing, he sold off the beef herd and moved onto cash cropping. He has a passion for antique tractors and has his own private collection with the Massey Harris ones being his favourites. Many of these tractors are also used in the tractor square dancing.
Lynn and Ian Clelland were nominated by the Renfrew County 4-H Association and Renfrew South District W. I.
Lynn was educated at Admaston Public School and Renfrew Collegiate Institute to Grade 13, then went on to receiver her Bachelor of Arts and Science, at the University of Guelph. Lynn helped on the family farm as a child and is a past Junior Farmer member. In addition she had 4-H Leader training. After graduating from the U of G, she worked as a home economist for OMAF. In 1977, she received her Bachelor of Education at Queen’s University and began teaching at Fellows High School for seven years and then to Renfrew Collegiate Institute until her retirement in 2013.
She worked on a Trillium Grant for the restoration of SS # 2 School into a Living Museum where Grade 3 students can visit and get a feel for historic schooling. She also sings in a Ladies Barbershop Group called “Just for Fun.”
Lynn was a member of the Renfrew Collegiate Institute Riffle Team, during which time on the team she won the Strathconna Award.
Ian’s resume includes public and high school education, and then a Bachelor of Science. Ian was a city boy until he met Lynn in 1973. They bought their beef farm in 1984 and he designed the Passive Solar house which they built in 1987 and now reside in.
Their agricultural contributions included: the Clellands own and operate a beef farm and Lynn is involved with the local Food Grains Project in Admaston, and on the Renfrew County 4-H Board of Directors. She has been a Renfrew County 4-H leader for over 20 years and was a developer of several Renfrew County 4-H Clubs. In 2013, she received the Syngenta 4-H Ontario Arbor Award and is President of the Renfrew County Farm Safety Association.
Ian has been a Renfrew Agricultural Society Director for 15 years, a Renfrew County Cattlemen’s Director and past secretary, a livestock evaluator in Admaston/Bromley Township and a 4-H leader for over 15 years.
Lynn’s community involvement includes being on the Renfrew Victoria Hospital Board, on committees within the Grace United Church –an Elder, Presbytery representative and Vacation Bible School helper. She has served on many committees with the Balsam Hill Women’s Institute and taken executive positions within Renfrew South District WI. She has been a domestic science judge for local fairs and is a member of the Renfrew County Agricultural Water Quality Leadership Group.
For the last 20 years, Ian has been the Grace United Church treasurer (over 20 years), the Admaston Pastoral Charge Central treasurer and the Renfrew Food Grains Project treasurer; is on the Renfrew and Area Health Services Village Physician recruitment committee, treasurer of the Admaston Cemetery board, and has been director of Admaston Cemetery for 1985-2013, taking over the management of the cemetery in 2012. He was the 2013 Citizen of the Year for Admaston/Bromley Township and helper with the Admaston School rink.
