Lester, Jim and Michelle, and Leonard and Lena Ruby. The Rubys and Lesters, with stories and memories of farms and farming traditions past, present and future.

• Main Author: Jarvis, Dale
• Other Authors: Lester, Jim; Lester, Michelle; Ruby, Leonard; Ruby, Lena
• Format: Audio
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Work; Food; Knowledge of the land/water and environment; Foodways; Vegetables; Agriculture; Farming; Farmland; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/ich_nature/id/393

An Evening with Century Farmers: The Rubys and Lesters, with stories and memories of farms and farming traditions past, present and future. Recorded as part of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador's Seeds to Supper Folklife Festival, 16 August 2010, at Lester Farms Inc, 92 Pearltown Road, St. John's. Introduction by Dale Jarvis, ICH Development Officer, Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador; moderated by Kevin Aucoin of the Agricultural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador; interview with Leonard and Lena Ruby, and Jim and Michelle Lester; concluding remarks by Jo Shawyer of the Agricultural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. Dale Jarvis gives an introduction to the event as a part of the Folklife Festival; Kevin Aucoin (KA) provides a brief history of Westvale Farm (Ruby’s) and Fairmead Farms (Lester’s); Leonard Ruby (LR) shares his early memories about chores on the farm, at 7 years, he speaks about milking a cow and picking grubs off of the cabbage crops; LR speaks about the agriculture exhibition in 1939, the introduction of purebred animals and showing cattle; Jimmy Lester (JL) recalls his early chores and speaks about traveling around on the feed box mixing grain for cows; the first chore was raking hay on the farm in P.E.I. to send to NL for cows here; JL discusses evening chores as an older boy were milking and clearing land; KA explains the development of the Lester’s Farm Business between vegetable production and milk; LR talks about the equal sharing of responsibilities of the farm among 3 brothers: land, animals, and business; Speaks about dairy production as very involved, business person to handle the transport of product to town, and the land work was tough (during hay season all bodies were on hand to help); LR talks about making hay and the changes of technology; JL talks about the new marshmallow bales of hay; Lena Ruby (LeR) speaks about feeding the farmers and breakfast times; LR talks about the young boys who would be hired during hay season; ...