EASTERN ONTARIO: Dairy family quits, opens elevator, bridal store

By Connor Lynch

LANSDOWNE — The Grier family decided last year that it was time for a change. None of their adult kids wanted to take over the dairy farm, so 47-year-old Tracy Grier took the opportunity to pursue her passion, and 46-year-old Jamie decided to start something new closer to home.

Tracy is opening a bridal store called Limestone and Lace in Kingston this September, while Jamie will be opening a grain elevator not far from the family farm at Lansdowne, east of Kingston, in time for this year’s harvest.
Alongside the dairy operation, the Griers will continue to operate a cash crop farm and Seed Solutions, the seed business they have been operating for over 20 years. Dairy farming has been part of the family business since Jamie’s family’s been on the property, since 1842, as far as he knows.

But their kids weren’t interested in milking cows, so last fall out went the cows, along with the farm’s quota.

Milking the cows was Tracy’s job and passion, but wasn’t her only one of either. “You can milk cows and still like fancy things,” she said. “Now is my time to hang up the milkers.” Before the animals went out the door last November, they were milking 40 Holsteins in a tie-stall operation.

The elevator, meanwhile, will only take corn and soybeans initially, but will have on-site drying with 4,000 bushel an hour capacity, 600,000 bushel dry capacity, and 16,000 bushel per hour unloading capacity, Jamie said.

It will be run under their seed business and largely managed by Napanee-native Taylor Earle, who’s been working with the Griers on the project. The elevator will be hosting an open house on Sept. 19 at 1992 County Rd. 3, Lansdowne, Ont.

For more info about Tracy’s bridal store, visit limestoneandlace.com.