Longtime residents of Milton have fond memories of idyllic times choosing a pumpkin or picking strawberries and other fruits and flowers at Andrews Scenic Acres on 10th Side road in Halton Hills.
In the summer, as visitors drove close to Andrews, the fields were often filled with the glorious sight of vivid gladioli as far as the eyes could see. In the fall, a Haunted Forest was available for children to explore near to the play area. Sometimes wonderful music would play there especially to entertain the Mexican farm workers and visitors who would dance and enjoy the vibes.
Farming came naturally to Albert William Andrews. Born in 1943, he grew up on a mixed farm in Norwood, Ontario. He met his wife Laurie at the University of Guelph. Married in 1968, the couple had 3 children.
Bert’s lifelong dream of farming came to fruition when they found 98 available acres on 10th side road in Halton Hills, Ontario.
Bert recalls: “The farm was owned by a land speculator and was pretty decrepit. We rescued that land and brought it back to agriculture. We moved to the farm in 1980. The first year we planted 2 acres of blueberries, 5 acres of raspberries, four acres of strawberries plus sweet corn which we sold at Milton Farmers Market. Our dream was unfolding and we grew to nine farmers’ markets a week. We ran school tours and many special events. The crop acreage grew and in 1999 Scotch Block Winery began as a sister business.”
Bert became a long standing board member of Halton Federation of Agriculture. He was on the Halton Agricultural Advisory committee, working with local and provincial offcials in improving tax situations for farmers. He was a founding member of Farmers’ Markets Ontario.
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