Gryphon Hill Farms

About Us:

Gryphon Hill Farms was purchased by the current owners in late 2012. At the time of purchase, the 100 acre property had no formal name. The property is a mere 300m wide, and spans approximately 1.6km in length, being accessible by well travelled gravel roads at each end, called Big Lots and Hirtle road respectively. Thirty acres of the property included an active albeit tired Christmas tree operation on Hirtle road. The remaining property consisted of cut over forest, two natural spruce / hemlock stands, and the site of an old farmstead that was completley taken over by an impenetrable forest of alders on Big Lots road. It took two years to clear away the alders in order to expose what remained of the farmstead. The foundation ruins of a house, barn and possibly one other outbuilding consisted predominantely of cut granite blocks. There was a field, and what may have been cattle trails. There was also an old apple orchard. The owners were able to trace the history of the farmstead property through registered deeds as far back as 1878. The records did indeed make reference to farm animals. Owners back then appeared to have lived out their lives on their farmstead. When no longer able to manage due to age and frailty, the right to live on and/or manage the farm would be formally passed on to a younger family member or chosen individual, while stipulating specific conditions for the now elderly tenants, to continue to live in comfort their home; conditions would include such things as prepared meals, chaperoned use of horse and wagon, and in one particular case a yearly barrel of apples on an elderly gentleman's birthday! Today there are three enterprises that the owners are engaged in, Christmas trees, a developing sugarbush for maple syruping, and a Haskap (honeyberry) berry orchard.