Seager Wheeler once said: "The soil is ours to make or mar and we should aim to leave it, when the time comes for us to pass on - in as good or better condition than when it came under our hands."
I believe Seager did this, because as I look at the soil on the Wheeler farm I find 10 to 12 inches of rich topsoil, mellow and easy to seed into.
Seager Wheeler ( 1868-1961 ) was probably the most famous farmer in the history of the Canadian Prairies. He was best known as an international prizewinner in wheat competitions and author of numerous publications on progressive farming techniques. Yet he was also known as a part time inventor of farm implements and a developer of new grain and horticultural verities.
The Seager Wheeler Historic Farm Society was established to promote agriculture and horticulture. The former superintendent's house from the Rosthern Experimental Farm has been moved onto the Wheeler farm to become the interpretive center, gift shop, coffee shop and dinning room. The old barn has been restored with a new loft floor, shingles and a paint job in it's original gray color. Future renovations includes Seager Wheeler's seed cleaning plant, including some of his own seed cleaning equipment. The area around the Wheeler house is ready for the extensive annual and perennial English flower garden.
The aim of the society is to have a farm site that will give us the opportunity to see what agriculture was like in the first half of the century. This will be complemented with what is happening now, and show future trends on the farm.
On June 3, 1995 the Seager Wheeler Historic Farm Society held the second annual Seeding Trends '95. The day was very successful with numerous activities and demonstrations, including: horse plowing and seeding, gardening seminar, PFRA shelterbelt planting and a direct seeding demo with eight, farmer owned and operated, pieces of direct seeding equipment. There were also slide presentations on Bertha army worms and wheat midge as well as Seager Wheeler's life story.
There is still much work to be done on the farm site. The society plan to have it open to the public in 1996. The Seager Wheeler farm brings together the history of Saskatchewan agriculture, rural life, soil conservation and management, progress and the future of agriculture. If you would like further information on the Seager Wheeler Historic Farm Society call Larry Janzen, chairman, at (306) 232-5588.