Animals...

An impressive number of livestock is raised on the farm. In 1946, there are 150 Holstein cows including 90 dairy cows, 300 Yorkshire pigs, 3,000 chickens, 1800 hens and 60 draft horses.

Sister feeding hens, 1945. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

Hen, undated. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-Y3-E

Pigsty, undated. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

“Since 1912, the Farm has been raising pork on a large scale. We have already kept up to 500 when we utilized the two levels of the pigsty, and the pigs were put out to pasture. At that time, we went with our horses to collect wastes in town, that is to say when we proceeded methodically, I meant economically. At that time, we also supplied the Motherhouse and in the we butchered for lard/bacon; nowadays vegetable fat is more important and also being vegetarian for health.”

Chronicles of the Saint-Charles Farm, 22 March 1948. Transcription.
Archives of The Grey Nuns of Montréal, L071, H

The filly, Fifine, with her grandmother, Nellie Blonde, 1928. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

Sisters in the field: Sister Rose-Aimée Gamache, s.g.m., to the left, undated. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

Sister Olivine Champoux, s.g.m., feeding the sheep, 1911. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

Cow n°17 born the 8 February 1948, circa 1948. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

Saint-Charles Farm’s animals, in Chez nous (Our Place) (extract)/Sister Flore Barrette, s.g.m., [195-196-]. Film 8 mm. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, F054B

...Women and Men

Some thirty Nuns and farmhands work there permanently.

Sisters living on the farm, 1945. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

Sisters and employees in the field, undated. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

“Conditions are very good for harvesting of grain; the grain is heavy with plenty of yield, the new machine is working marvellously. We have more difficulty with the second cut of hay, it is not going well; the clover turned black in the field. Next year we will need to have a silage cutter and put the grain in a silo. It is also said that alfalfa makes very good silage with molasses added at the time of siloing. This is another machine that costs a few hundred dollars but will pay for itself in no time. It is also the custom now to cut the hay dry and blow it into the hayloft. We have reached the point where we can no longer find men to put the hay in the barn… it is hot…  it is difficult and must be done manually… down with manual labor, we now need mechanisation everywhere…”

Chronicles of the Saint-Charles Farm, September 1940. Transcription.
Archives of The Grey Nuns of Montréal, L071, H

Sister Flore Barrette, s.g.m., 1938. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, G-page 43d

Sister Flore Barrette, s.g.m., 1938. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, G-page 43e

Sisters driving a buggy, undated. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

Sisters in the field, undated. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

Sister Marie-Louise Fourcaudot, s.g.m., and Sister Rose-Aimée Gamache, s.g.m., undated. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

Madeleine Bourgault and Ovila Brouillard (employees) with the horse, Carlot, 1945. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Saint-Charles Farm (Montréal, Côte-de-Liesse)’s Fonds, L071-F

A Prosperous Farm for Almost 50 Years

Animals, Women and Men

A Model Farm

Departure

A Prosperous Farm for Almost 50 Years

A Model Farm