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Clarence Alfred Hardy was born in Biddulph Township
in 1918, six years after his parents came to the
area. He began Lucan Public School in 1924, and
continued his education at Lucan High School.
He went on to serve his fellow farmers by involving
himself in numerous organizations.
He joined his brothers in a wholesale butcher
business, taking over his father’s work.
In 1939, he married Beulah Hodgins, a local teacher.
They raised nine children between 1940 and 1960:
Helen, Frank Jr., Bob, Tom, Gord, Ann Louise,
Julia, Bill and Cheryl.
In 1941, he joined the Air Force, and went to
the Ontario Agricultural College (now University
of Guelph) where he studied as a dietitian. Then
he served overseas from 1943 to 1945, doing his
part in World War II.
After the war, he returned home and built a slaughterhouse
on the north side of his farm, as part of “Hardy
Brothers Wholesale Butchers”. (By the 1980’s,
this business was carrying on with the third generation.)
Mr. Hardy expanded his cattle and cash crop farming,
developing a large, prosperous, multi-layered
business, all based in Lucan – Biddulph.
In the 1960’s, he demonstrated his foresight
by establishing one of the earliest feedlots with
1000 head of cattle and 1000 acres of land, including
pasture and crops. His operation became known
as Clarence Hardy & Sons “Auxsable Farms”
Mr. Hardy’s desire for excellence in his
beef operation led him to become involved in all
levels of organizations concerned with the improvement
of raising cattle. He was an active member of:
· Middlesex Cattlemen’s Association
(serving on the executive, and later as President)
· Ontario Beef Improvement Association
(Provincial Representative)
· Ontario Cattlemen’s Association
– formerly the OBIA (serving as president
in 1975)
· Ontario Cattlemen’s Association
Representative to the Canadian Cattlemen’s
Association
· Middlesex Soil & Crop Association
In 1982, he was Chair of the Dietician (Food)
Committee for the International Plowing Match,
held at Lucan that year.
While his cattle operation grew, Mr. Hardy gave
back to the community in many ways. Some of the
organizations he was involved with were:
· Masons
· Warden, Holy Trinity Anglican Church
· Middlesex County School Board (Board
of Education)
· Chair, Middlesex House League Hockey
· Local and Southwestern Ontario Racing
Pigeons’ Clubs (Serving as President)
In 1984, Mr. Hardy was given the Middlesex County
Farmer of the Year Award and received a Certificate
for Excellence in Farming.
Mr. Hardy believed that by working together,
farmers could improve the food that they provided
to the public, and thereby improve their lot in
life. He offered his time and talent to many organizations
in an effort to get “a better deal”
for farmers. He was a great mentor to the agricultural
community.
For his role in gaining recognition of farmers’
needs on many provincial and federal committees,
Clarence Alfred Hardy has been nominated by the
Middlesex Cattlemen’s Association and is
today inducted into the Middlesex County Agricultural
Hall of Fame.
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