Roy and Christina Sanderson were both raised on farms in Smith Township and were married in 1924.  Christina joined Roy on the Sanderson dairy farm on Chemong Road, where Portage Place Mall is now.  Roy delivered milk and eggs by horse and buggy or cutter to customers around Peterborough. They also maintained five tourist cabins and made maple syrup. 

When the farm was expropriated in 1951, they purchased a farm in Bailieboro, South Monaghan Township.  The farm was unproductive, had been impacted by soil erosion, and extensive work was required on outbuildings and a house to be built. 

Roy envisioned the property, including contours on the slopes and strip farming of the land.  With the guidance of Frank Paterson (Agricultural Representative) and Tom Lane (University of Guelph), a farm plan was designed and implemented in 1953.  The Sandersons transformed their farm of “bog and bulrushes” into a beautiful and productive property.

They hosted many tours showcasing new practices.  Their contour farming practices with crop rotation were featured in several agriculture publications and textbooks.  They also installed the first DeLaval pipeline in Peterborough County.

In 1970, the farm was incorporated as Sandercrest Farms Ltd.  When the herd was sold in 2014, the Sanderson family’s dairy farming heritage was one of the oldest in Peterborough County.  

Roy and Christina were active in many organizations, including the County Milk Committee and Beef Improvement Association, Peterborough and District Co-op, Peterborough County Federation of Agriculture, Keene and Peterborough Curling Clubs, and the Masonic Lodge.

Nominated by John and Thelma Sanderson