Happy Holidays from Cornell Farms

Changes for the Cornell Family
2024 was another year of change for the Cornell Family. Kim's Mom Jeannine has moved into Rainycrest Home for the Aged in Fort Frances. She is now in a wheelchair fulltime and she loves all the action and activities around there. Kim and Pat are still in the basement with Gordon living upstairs. We eat supper together almost every night which is great. Gordon drives into town every few days to visit Jeannine.
Pat's Mom Joanne died unexpectantly this summer so has been change for the Clysdale family as well. Pat's sister Marie has moved in with Pat's dad Earle while her sone Earle and his wife Bella and their two children settle into her house in Mooretown.

Farming...

Farming activities at Cornell Farms - calving, planting, harvest, markets, etc. continued as usual. Our crops this year weren't as good as usual but our calf weaning weights were up and our breeding rates were almost 100%. We even had the gangway rebuilt just in time for our Kim Churchill barn concert. Kim is a musician from Australia who was booked to play at Cornell Farms a couple of years ago but then COVID hit and the concert had to be cancelled. This was Rebecca and Kelsey's first experience hosting a barn concert - it takes at least three days of work which surprised them.

Farming.....
Garnet continues working as the Environmental Superintendent for New Gold - Rainy River Project. Michelle is back at Shoppers Drug Store as the Manager.
Rebecca is working part-time as a large animal veterinarian and playing a key role in the operation of Cornell Farms. Kelsey is very busy with the meat part of the business as well as the Chair of the local Abattoir Committee. She organized a successful local foods fundraising dinner this fall for the abattoir with 300 people attending and raising over $55,000. It was a great event.

Family...
Kim continues to travel throughout the region for Farmers' Markets on top of all his farming duties. He has finished his term as a member of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Board. Pat continues to work as a Justice of the Peace based in the Fort Frances Courthouse and continues as the Local Administrative Justice of the Peace for the Rainy River and Kenora Districts. Pat is active at the church as a lay leader, Choir Director and contributes to the church Facebook page. (check out Knox United Church, Fort Frances).
(Remy, Charlotte and Aiden at the piano)

Traveling...
There was quite a bit of travelling this year for some of us. Pat and her sister Marie travelled to Arizona for 10 days of fun. They even managed to stop in Las Vegas about one week before the Super Bowl game to see a U2 concert in the Sphere - it was spectacular!
Pat's parents, Joanne and Earle, along with sisters Helen and Brenda arrived in May to take part in the Kim Churchill concert. It was great having them here.
Kim, Pat and Gordon travelled to Saskatchewan for Jeannine's sister Elaine's funeral. On the way back they stopped to visit Jeannine's brother Lorne, wife Agnes and family in Whitemouth, Manitoba. It was great to see all the family from out there.
Rebecca joined some veterinary friends for a trip to Mexico City to participate in the Day of the Dead celebrations and Kelsey, Rebecca and Remy had a few visits to southern Ontario to visit friends and family. Kelsey's parents made it up to Cornell Farms in early December for a visit as well.
Garnet and Michelle went to Cancun for a friend's wedding while the two sets of grandparents were on babysitting duty back at home

Traveling.....

Pat was down to Mooretown in late July when her Mom was hospitalized. We were all back there again in mid-August for the funeral. We are so grateful for all the Clysdale sisters and Dad for all the care Mom received. Hundreds of people attended the visitations and funeral to celebrate Mom's life. It was beautiful and reassuring to know how much Pat's Mom was loved and respected.
Our whole family was back down to southern Ontario at the end of August to celebrate Pat's niece's wedding with a community party at sister Helen's family farm. Garnet, Michelle, Charlotte and Aiden turned it into a family vacation taking in adventures at Frankenmuth and the African Lion Safari. Rebecca, Kelsey and Remy visited friends and family.