Harold Lunn has a “to do” list every day

Harold Lunn has a "to do" list every day

It was not easy to get Harold to sit down and talk for a few minutes about what keeps him moving.  He would only meet during the evening as he was too busy during the day.  At 91, Harold is a going concern.  Last weekend he finished his third cut of hay, neatly stacked his winter firewood in the back room and harvested 20 large bags of potatoes from his garden which are now stored in his root cellar.   He has already stored hundreds of squash, turnip and onions there as well.  Most evenings Harold prepares a traditional dinner of meat, potato and vegetable most evenings while running the farm since the loss of his wife Lillian. Where does he get the drive?  He will tell you he has a reason to get up each day because he has work to do! 

In 1942 Harold and his brother purchased the 100 acre farm and original stone house on the 5th line of South Monaghan where Harold has spent the last 70 years.  His brother moved on shortly thereafter, and Harold found his life partner Lillian and was married two years later. Times were tough and the pair was anxious to generate cash to pay for this investment, so they put aside 20 acres and planted produce which would generate cash quickly.  Their crops included tomatoes, potatoes, beans, beets, corn, onions, squash and cabbage.  In the remaining acres they produced grain and hay and raised cattle.  They began selling their produce in Peterborough at the farmer’s market, where they operated a stand for 66 years until their retirement in 2010.  At first much of their output was purchased by retailers for resale in their stores, but eventually it was retail customers who bought their product.  

It was not just produce they sold at the market.  Lillian had her own line of products.  Each week she prepared approximately 50 baked items for sale including bread, pies and squares.  She also made jams, preserves and relishes which sold out each week.  Lillian also produced custom orders, canning beets and making chili sauce for customers who were too busy to prepare these items themselves.  Harold and Lillian shared a work ethic that was the backbone of their partnership. 

Despite their traditional way of life, the Lunns had a very modern relationship.  Lillian was the financial manager of the household and she ran a tight ship.  A very modest soul, Harold did not mind deferring to Lillian at times, saying “I just work here”.  The Lunn household was always busy.  Harold and Lillian had a warm and welcoming attitude that drew people into their home.  Besides their 6 children, Lillian often had extra mouths to feed.  The family opened their home to troubled girls from training schools (they would be in group homes today) and they often had farm help living with them.  Daughter Nancy remembers having to do a head count to see how many places to set at the dinner table many evenings, and dinner always included a home-made dessert.  

Harold has slowed down a bit these days.  Instead of planting 2,000 tomato plants, this year he only planted 200.  There are fewer potatoes and squash as well.  You might wonder what Harold does with all of this produce.  Besides selling it at the Millbrook Farmers’ Market, he has a produce stand at the gas station in Hiawatha outside of Keene, and he also continues to go “peddling”.  This means going door to door selling his vegetables, which he has done for decades, covering areas in Bailieboro, Ennismore and Warsaw.  He now limits this activity to established customers who tend to be farmers like him.  With the price of gas eating into his profit, this is more of a social outing than a business arrangement, but Harold is anxious to get back to this activity particularly now that most of his harvesting is done.  He has a regular route which he visits every 3 weeks or so during the fall and winter.  It is reminiscent of the modern “Community Shared Agriculture” program, where consumers sign up with a group of growers and receive a portion of their output each week.  These days Harold supplements his product with produce from other local growers and includes some local apples as well. 

When his wife Lillian passed away, Harold’s family worried that he would fade without her by his side, as often happens with couples who share so tight a bond.  They need not have worried.  The fact that he is still going strong despite this huge loss is evidence of his strength of character and his “can do” attitude.  That might be the key to Harold’s amazing energy.  He honours her memory by continuing to live the life they built together.  With a positive outlook and a constant “to do” list, Harold embraces each day.

It was not easy to get Harold to sit down and talk for a few minutes about what keeps him moving.  He would only meet during the evening as he was too busy during the day.  At 91, Harold is a going concern.  Last weekend he finished his third cut of hay, neatly stacked his winter firewood in the back room and harvested 20 large bags of potatoes from his garden which are now stored in his root cellar.   He has already stored hundreds of squash, turnip and onions there as well.  Most evenings Harold prepares a traditional dinner of meat, potato and vegetable most evenings while running the farm since the loss of his wife Lillian. Where does he get the drive?  He will tell you he has a reason to get up each day because he has work to do!

In 1942 Harold and his brother purchased the 100 acre farm and original stone house on the 5th line of South Monaghan where Harold has spent the last 70 years.  His brother moved on shortly thereafter, and Harold found his life partner Lillian and was married two years later. Times were tough and the pair was anxious to generate cash to pay for this investment, so they put aside 20 acres and planted produce which would generate cash quickly.  Their crops included tomatoes, potatoes, beans, beets, corn, onions, squash and cabbage.  In the remaining acres they produced grain and hay and raised cattle.  They began selling their produce in Peterborough at the farmer’s market, where they operated a stand for 66 years until their retirement in 2010.  At first much of their output was purchased by retailers for resale in their stores, but eventually it was retail customers who bought their product. 

It was not just produce they sold at the market.  Lillian had her own line of products.  Each week she prepared approximately 50 baked items for sale including bread, pies and squares.  She also made jams, preserves and relishes which sold out each week.  Lillian also produced custom orders, canning beets and making chili sauce for customers who were too busy to prepare these items themselves.  Harold and Lillian shared a work ethic that was the backbone of their partnership.

Despite their traditional way of life, the Lunns had a very modern relationship.  Lillian was the financial manager of the household and she ran a tight ship.  A very modest soul, Harold did not mind deferring to Lillian at times, saying “I just work here”.  The Lunn household was always busy.  Harold and Lillian had a warm and welcoming attitude that drew people into their home.  Besides their 6 children, Lillian often had extra mouths to feed.  The family opened their home to troubled girls from training schools (they would be in group homes today) and they often had farm help living with them.  Daughter Nancy remembers having to do a head count to see how many places to set at the dinner table many evenings, and dinner always included a home-made dessert. 

Harold has slowed down a bit these days.  Instead of planting 2,000 tomato plants, this year he only planted 200.  There are fewer potatoes and squash as well.  You might wonder what Harold does with all of this produce.  Besides selling it at the Millbrook Farmers’ Market, he has a produce stand at the gas station in Hiawatha outside of Keene, and he also continues to go “peddling”.  This means going door to door selling his vegetables, which he has done for decades, covering areas in Bailieboro, Ennismore and Warsaw.  He now limits this activity to established customers who tend to be farmers like him.  With the price of gas eating into his profit, this is more of a social outing than a business arrangement, but Harold is anxious to get back to this activity particularly now that most of his harvesting is done.  He has a regular route which he visits every 3 weeks or so during the fall and winter.  It is reminiscent of the modern “Community Shared Agriculture” program, where consumers sign up with a group of growers and receive a portion of their output each week.  These days Harold supplements his product with produce from other local growers and includes some local apples as well. 

When his wife Lillian passed away, Harold’s family worried that he would fade without her by his side, as often happens with couples who share so tight a bond.  They need not have worried.  The fact that he is still going strong despite this huge loss is evidence of his strength of character and his “can do” attitude.  That might be the key to Harold’s amazing energy.  He honours her memory by continuing to live the life they built together.  With a positive outlook and a constant “to do” list, Harold embraces each day.

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One Response to Harold Lunn has a “to do” list every day

  1. Ken Greenberg says:

    Thanks for the story on Harold and Lily. It is right on the mark. Great folk. Sorry to have lost Lily a couple years ago, but Harold just keeps on peddling!

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