OUR HISTORY
A place where farming blends nicely with history, specialization, diversification and a unique sense of vision.
To listen to Heath's father George Taylor is to appreciate the lengths this family will go to succeed. George Taylor, a fourth generation farmer - and proud of it - has a wealth of knowledge and experience, and a desire to go beyond conventional livestock or cash crop farming. He’s never afraid to try something new, always willing to share his many ‘secrets of success’, and yet he holds a great deal of reverence for the past, all the way back to his Great Grandfather, who homesteaded Purple Hill Farm in 1853. Although he’s unsure of the origin of the name, it is definitely front and centre of the family business, as well as a tremendous source of pride.
“We know the farm was homesteaded first and called Purple Hill Stock Farms,” says Taylor, often referring to his Great Grandfather, Samuel Taylor. “First he had shorthorns here, and he even put a team of horses on Queen Victoria’s stagecoach, so that was quite an achievement.”
A place where farming blends nicely with history, specialization, diversification and a unique sense of vision.
To listen to Heath's father George Taylor is to appreciate the lengths this family will go to succeed. George Taylor, a fourth generation farmer - and proud of it - has a wealth of knowledge and experience, and a desire to go beyond conventional livestock or cash crop farming. He’s never afraid to try something new, always willing to share his many ‘secrets of success’, and yet he holds a great deal of reverence for the past, all the way back to his Great Grandfather, who homesteaded Purple Hill Farm in 1853. Although he’s unsure of the origin of the name, it is definitely front and centre of the family business, as well as a tremendous source of pride.
“We know the farm was homesteaded first and called Purple Hill Stock Farms,” says Taylor, often referring to his Great Grandfather, Samuel Taylor. “First he had shorthorns here, and he even put a team of horses on Queen Victoria’s stagecoach, so that was quite an achievement.”
ORIGINAL AUCTION HALL - NOW PURPLE HILL COUNTRY OPRY
The auction hall, built in 1992 from trees from the Purple Hill Stock Farms bush. Situated where the original Purple Hill Loyal Orange Lodge No. 817. George, Bill and Heath (auctioneers) were on a cattle trip to Western Canada and saw 2 intriguing Auction Barns in Alberta at Fort McLeod and High River, they came home and starting cutting saw logs for their own Taylor Auction Centre. Now, many years later, it has evolved into a Country Music Opry and popular wedding venue and replaces the old lodge built in 1880, that owner George Taylor’s father donated to the Fanshawe Pioneer Village in London Ontario. Heath Taylor's grandfather, who was on the board at the time the village was established, donated the original hall “Because a lot of people danced in that hall, we built this hall as an auction building then people started asking about holding dances and weddings here.”
The auction hall, built in 1992 from trees from the Purple Hill Stock Farms bush. Situated where the original Purple Hill Loyal Orange Lodge No. 817. George, Bill and Heath (auctioneers) were on a cattle trip to Western Canada and saw 2 intriguing Auction Barns in Alberta at Fort McLeod and High River, they came home and starting cutting saw logs for their own Taylor Auction Centre. Now, many years later, it has evolved into a Country Music Opry and popular wedding venue and replaces the old lodge built in 1880, that owner George Taylor’s father donated to the Fanshawe Pioneer Village in London Ontario. Heath Taylor's grandfather, who was on the board at the time the village was established, donated the original hall “Because a lot of people danced in that hall, we built this hall as an auction building then people started asking about holding dances and weddings here.”