10,000 years of Agriculture and Food in Southwestern Ontario

Drawing from extensive research saved by her ancestors and combined with her in-depth research into census and land records, archaeological findings, and historical texts, Kae Elgie tells the remarkable story of 10,000 years of food gathering and agricultural production on the 200-acre farm in Chatham-Kent where she grew up.

What began as an exploration of her own family history soon evolved into a broader narrative of agricultural, social, and economic trends stretching back to the end of the last Ice Age. Her presentation will explore how changes in the land and its use reflect deep shifts over millennia, from Indigenous food systems to the colonial and modern eras.

Elgie's compelling research culminated in her book, This Land: the story of two hundred acres in Kent County, Ontario, and her talk promises to inspire and fascinate anyone interested in agricultural history, genealogy, and the legacy of Southwestern Ontario’s farmland.  Co-hosted by Glencoe Public Library and Glencoe & District Historical Society.