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TOMPKINS COUNTY
FARM CITY DAY
1999 Host: Ainslie Farm
"Ainslie" is a Scottish
name meaning "In the Meadow"
Rob Ainslie's grandfather, James (J. Stuart)
Ainslie Sr., came to Tompkins County to farm
in 1929 with his wife Elizabeth and two children,
James Jr. and Elizabeth. The Ainslie's had been
Land Grant farmers in Canada until the Dust
Bowl at the start of the Great Depression. J.
Stuart's maternal grandfather and great grandfather
were already farming in this area, and he bought
the farm next to his family's: the 245 Hayts
Road farm Rob Ainslie currently operates.
James (Jim) Ainslie Jr. grew up, married Shirley
Hughes, a "city girl" he met while
attending Cornell University, and returned to
the farm. At that time Ainslie farm was a small,
diversified operation. J. Stuart raised Hampshire
sows, sheep and feeder lambs, and also had a
small herd of Angus cattle, as well as peach
and apple orchards. Jim turned to dairy farming
and built a 70-cow herd. He was one of the first
farmers in the area to move from stanchions
to loose housing, a bit of a revolutionary concept
at the time. The Ainslie's raised four children,
Susan, Mary, Jim Jr., and Rob. While Jim ran
the farm, Shirley kept the farm books and was
the School Lunch Director for the Ithaca City
School District.
Rob Ainslie followed his father's example,
attending Cornell University to study Agribusiness
and returning to the farm. Ownership of the
farm was transferred from Jim to Rob in 1995.
Rob also married a "city girl," Judy
Singer, who works in Plant Breeding at Cornell.
Ainslie Farm milked 150 cows, producing over
900 gallons of milk a day, and received the
Dairy of Distinction award. The farm, overlooking
beautiful Cayuga Lake, grew timothy hay and
alfalfa, corn and soybeans on 500 acres, 250
owned and 250 rented. Rob contracted with George
and Julie Holmes, who have a 1,400-acre farm
just outside of Trumansburg, to handle Ainslie
Farm's cropping. Calves born on Ainslie Farm
went to the Holmes' farm at about 6 months of
age and return just prior to freshening, when
the cow, referred to as a heifer, is about to
give birth to her own calf. Ainslie Farm also
provided employment for three people.
For more information, call CCE Tompkins
County
at (607) 272-2292
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