Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum (WHAM)

WHAM – Small Museum, Big Ideas

Ronald Judd (2017)

Ronald Judd

Ronald Judd was born in 1928 in Simcoe, Ontario and is a lifelong resident of Norfolk County. Ron lives at Meadow Lynn Farm on the outskirts of Simcoe, a farm that was purchased by his father Fred Judd Sr., in 1946. The farm is now operated by Ron’s son Fred, daughter-in-law Sharon, and grandson Thomas and his wife Sarah making it a fourth generation farm.

As busy as Ron was with his dairy and cash crop farming, he was a keen supporter of many agricultural organizations. As a youth, he was a member of 4-H, both the Potato Club and the Dairy Calf Club. Later, Ron worked as a 4-H club leader sharing his knowledge and expertise with its young members.

Ron enjoyed match plowing and represented the Norfolk Plowmen’s Association at the International Plowing Match on more than one occasion, placing as high as 4th in the competition.

In 1950, Ron served as President of the Norfolk Junior Farmers and it was during this time that he met his wife Anne at a Provincial Leadership Camp. Many agricultural organizations have benefited from Ron’s service including the Norfolk Milk Producer’s Association, South Erie Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, and the Norfolk Co-op.

As a member of the Brant-Norfolk Jersey Club, Ron served as President several times and in 2011, he was honoured with a Jersey Canada Lifetime Membership. Ron has been a Jersey exhibitor at the Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show for more than 60 years and still enjoys exhibiting in the grain and vegetable classes.

Ron served two terms as Chairperson of the Norfolk Land Stewardship Committee and during this time he was instrumental in forming the Alternate Land Use Services (ALUS) pilot project as a joint initiative between the Norfolk Land Stewardship Committee and the Norfolk Federation of Agriculture. Through this association, he also became a strong advocate of No-Till farming as a method of soil conservation.

Ron was very involved in the local political scene. He served as a School Section trustee in S.S. No. 3 Woodhouse. He was a member of the Woodhouse Township Council for three years and served as Chairman of the Woodhouse Committee of Adjustment. When the Region of Haldimand-Norfolk formed, Ron became a member of the Regional Planning Committee. He served as a Regional Councillor for Haldimand-Norfolk representing Simcoe.

Ron’s community involvement is extensive. He is a lifelong member of the St. John’s Anglican Church in Woodhouse. He and his wife Anne were members of the Simcoe & District Horticultural Association with Ron serving as President. Ron was instrumental in bringing back a West & Peachey Alligator Tug to Simcoe and restoring it to its former glory. For this, he and the rest of the Alligator Tug Committee received a Norfolk County Heritage & Culture Dogwood Award.

Fred and Sharon Judd wrote, “The philosophy by which Ron has conducted community service is to never ask anyone to do anything that he would not do himself. Always do the best you can in organizations and be ready to let someone else carry on afterwards in their own way.”

Click through the gallery below for photographs of 2017 Agricultural Hall of Fame inductee Ronald Judd.

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