In the back corner of our farm lies the remnants of a former RCMP close quarters training building called a Battle House. With walls 3ft thick, buried below ground level, and a catwalk, this building was used for years for RCMP members to train on their shooting.
This was actually only 1 of 2 Battle Houses on the property, and this is just a glimpse of the history of this farm.
We are making efforts today to restore this building to its former glory, for some to-be-determined uses.
Our farm is located in Almonte, Ontario on a 20 acre piece of land with an interesting past. It started life as a farm at the turn of the 1900's, but in the late 50's it was purchased by the Government of Canada and used by the now-defunct Department of Communications, who at the time, was responsible for the CBC.
On site was a two-storey radio building which housed workers running and maintaining the radio equipment on site. Radio towers reached into the sky and large ground-based systems spun in the fields. Remnants of these towers still exist on the property today.
Once the RCMP acquired the property, they began training on site. Sprinkled around the property you will find the remains of climbing walls, training tunnels, rope structures and water ditches. The former radio site building was turned into a Battle House and construction was completed on the second Battle House which remains on the property today.
Today, we're turning this amazing piece of land into our own while retaining the history it brings to the area.
In 2021, we began planting hops, with a 0.5ac test area to understand how the plants reacted, how they grew, and what we need to do to create the best product possible.
We will continue to expand and grow the yard moving forward as we learn and perfect our product.
You can follow along with us on our Instagram or Facebook pages for regular updates and happenings.
Our farm is a proud member of the Ontario Hop Growers Association.
Find out more on their website.
