Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Weagant Farm Supplies Celebrates 60 Years of Service In The Eastern Ontario Farm Machinery Business.

Rooted in Eastern Ontario history: Local farm business celebrates 60 years of service.

WINCHESTER, ON,  This month marks the 60th anniversary celebration of a staple in the Eastern Ontario agricultural industry, Weagant Farm Supplies. With three stores across the region - two in the Winchester area, one just outside Brockville – Weagant Farm Supplies invites the community to the anniversary celebrations this Friday, August 23.

Company history:

The late Fred Weagant started the business by opening a Cockshutt dealership in South Mountain, Ontario, in 1953. He and his wife, Anita, both worked in the business throughout the years and through many changes in the industry, including the sale of Cockshutt and Oliver Companies to the White Motor Company in the 1960s. In 1980, following a series of industry buyouts, Weagant Farm Supplies became a Fiat tractor dealership under the Hesston brand name. Finally, when Fiat bought out Ford-New Holland in 1993, Weagant Farm Supplies conducted business under the New Holland flag and still does today.

 

During this active period of mergers and acquisitions, not only did the Weagants manage to conduct business effectively, but they expanded and became more versatile. Fred and Anita’s eldest son, Bob, joined the dealership in 1970, followed by their son-in-law, Dave Black, in 1974. In 1976, the company built a new facility on County Road 43, Winchester. This store housed the White Farm Equipment line while the New Holland line continued in South Mountain under the direction of Dave Black until 1988, when the South Mountain business operations merged into the Winchester facility.

 

Laird Weagant, Fred and Anita’s second son, joined the business in 1980. Weagant Farm Supplies expanded again, opening a dealership in Brockville in 1983 that carries Kubota, Kawasaki, and several short lines. Topline Trailer & Equipment, which opened in 1993 south of Vernon, also carries Kubota and has a full complement of trailers.

 

Business today:

Bob Weagant, Laird Weagant and Dave Black, are the second generation owners of Weagant Farm Supplies. Both Bob and Laird are still very involved in the everyday operation of the business while Dave celebrated his retirement five years ago. Third generation owners are also part of this successful business: Stacey Weagant, Human Resources and Finance; Julie Baker, Office Manager; and Scott Weagant, Manager of Topline Trailer & Equipment.

 

Rooted in their rural surroundings, the business owners believe in supporting their community. To this end, Weagant Farm Supplies donates bursaries to local students, supports local trade shows and fairs, local hospitals, Canadian Club, Upper Canada Playhouse, local 4-H clubs, the Cattlemen’s Associations in the area, Junior Farmers, Heart and Stroke Foundation and a multitude of other farm related organizations and events. The Brockville store offered its facilities as the depot for distribution of generators by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs during the 1998 ice storm and was involved in the Hay West Movement a few years ago, providing both tractors and manpower to load the hay onto railway cars.

 

Weagant Farm Supplies has consistently supported the Canada East Equipment Dealers’ Association and was one of the founding members of Farm Fleet. They send out their own publication, “Farmfest News,” to some 22,000 rural route customers between Belleville and Ottawa and the Quebec border.

 

Weagant Farm Supplies currently employs 67 people in its three locations and believes the company’s strength is in its employees. Many employees have worked for the company over 25 years – Ault VanBokhorst (38 years), Elwood Giroux (32 years), Joe Vasey (30 years). Beth Winters, Pat Byvelds, Dale Countryman and Gary VanHoof have all been with Weagant Farm Supplies for 28 years.  

 

Celebrations

The company owners are hosting an anniversary celebration on Friday, August 23, 2 p.m., at the flagship store in Winchester, 11250 County Road 43. All customers and members of the community are invited to drop in, have a piece of cake, and celebrate the occasion. Invitations have been extended to the local dignitaries from the Counties of North & South Dundas as well as Leeds & Grenville, and to the company’s supplier representatives.

For more information visit the Weagant Farm Supplies website at http://www.weagantfarm.com

 

 

Views: 495

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Peavey Mart Closing 21 Stores in Ontario

Peavey Industries announced the closure of 21 stores in Ontario to streamline operations and ensure long-term sustainability, while emphasizing continued commitment to customer service.

More Opportunity for Saskatchewan High School Students in the Oil & Gas Industry

Three additional energy companies are partnering with Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre (Sask DLC) and Teine Energy to support the creation of new online oil and gas high school courses with work placements. Cenovus Energy, Vermilion Energy and Whitecap Resources have joined Teine Energy's commitment to provide support and industry expertise to Sask DLC's development of new Energy and Mines - Oil & Gas 20 and 30-level online courses. The four energy companies, each with operations in the province, are providing a combined total of up to $160,000 over two years to support the creation of the new courses and to fund a coordinator position to facilitate student work placements and industry engagement opportunities. "The energy sector is an important part of our province's strong and growing economy - both locally and globally," Minister Responsible for Sask DLC Everett Hindley said. "It is exciting to see Saskatchewan students will be able to learn about the career opportunities

Ag Data Transparent: Building a common language for agtech companies and farmers

As the use of digital agriculture technology increases, so does the importance of strengthening communications between farmers and agtech companies. This is the aim of Ag Data Transparent (ADT).  While presenting at EMILI’s 2024 Agriculture Enlightened Conference in November 2024, Todd Janzen, attorney and ADT administrator, shared the origins of ADT and the role the non-profit group plays in strengthening the agriculture data ecosystem in Canada and the USA. Janzen’s presentation was followed by a panel discussion that included Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) Board Member and Keystone Ag Producers President Jill Verway, GrainFox Chief Growth Officer Liz Pham, and ADT Board Member and EMILI Director of Agri-Food Data Dan Lussier.  To qualify for Ag Data Transparent certification, agtech companies answer 11 standard questions and submit copies of the contracts and data use agreements they ask farmers to sign. This application package is reviewed by the ADT Administrator to v

Take the Bull by the Horns

Bull sale season will soon be in full swing, meaning now is the time to determine the bull selection criteria and budget for purchasing your next herd sires. Considering that a bull’s contribution to the genetic makeup of a beef herd in a single breeding season is more than a cow may contribute in her lifetime–a bull may sire 25 or more calves per year while the average cow produces fewer than 10 calves–selecting genetically superior bulls is the quickest way to improve herd genetics. But how do you determine which bull is right for your operation? Match Your Breeding Program to Your Operational Goals The first step in identifying which bull or bulls are right for your farm is to clearly establish both the long- and short-term goals of your operation. These goals, along with the management practices and infrastructure that fit those goals, will determine the breeding programs and genetics required to achieve them. There are a variety of breeding programs available, and effective si

Agriculture minister gets taste of CCOVI research

Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness Rob Flack made his inaugural visit to Brock University on Monday, Jan. 13, using the time to learn about Canada’s premier grape and wine research, outreach and education institute.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service