Farm history
A Long History
Louis with his daughter Diane on an Allis Chalmers B Tractor
Noëlie and Ferdinand Fiola purchased the homestead in 1922. They remodelled the house with additions to raise their 18 children.
Noëlie, a hard-working woman, she whipped and shaped butter every week and sold it to the covenant. The original homestead included a few sheep. Noëlie used the wool to hand make socks and other clothing for her children. In years of drought or when the grasshoppers would destroy the harvest, the Fiola family survived in large part because of Noëlie’s hard work.
In 1956 Ferdinand sold his farm to his son Rosaire Fiola. Rosaire and his wife Dora (Née LeBrun) ran a dairy farm on the land until 1988 with their 8 children.
In 1953 Louis Fiola (brother of Rosaire) and Jeanne (Née Hacault) established themselves on the NE corner of the section 14-9-7E where they raised 9 children. The farm started as a small dairy farm and later converted to commercial cattle farming until 1985. They also raised chickens, rabbits and maintained a large garden to support the family.
In 2012, Joey Fiola and his wife Christel Lanthier moved into Louis’ family homestead. In 2013 they purchased 60 acres of Rosaire Fiola’s homestead including the family home and barn. Louis Fiola’s grandson Joey, now runs the farm on 120 acres, harvesting hay, small amounts of grains (oats and ancient grains) as well as raising a small flock of specialized sheep and pasture chickens.
Just as the Métis had historically done, Joey and Christel grow red fife wheat and raise sheep using rotational grazing and manure fertilizer.
