Introduction: The Generations that Shape Us

Each one of us has a story. We all come from somewhere and we are all shaped by our family history and the generations that came before us. As a family, we, the Davisons, feel blessed to be able to look back on our history with mostly pride and admiration. Here is a peek into our story.

Tom and May Davison—otherwise known as Uncle Tom and Auntie May—immigrated to Canada from England in 1927, and in 1933, settled on the land we farm today. Times were tough and, although the new land presented fresh opportunities, Tom’s and May’s days were spent doing what they had to do each day to make it to the next. With great tenacity and sheer hard work, they paved the way for what we enjoy today. Auntie May was not known for her cooking skills, but she will forever be remembered for her hospitality. Whenever a Davison child needed a quiet place to think or a safe space to let down their guard, they would head to the old farmhouse (now the Farmhouse Café) to see Auntie May. Out would come cookies and tea. The tea was always served in the child’s very own fancy china teacup. It was a time for relaxation and conversation, a connecting point, bridging the gap between generations and ideas. Tom and May never had any children of their own, but when Tom’s brother, who immigrated with him, died, the couple was good to his son and daughter, Bob and Pat Davison.

In his teenage years, Bob, known today as Grandpa Bob, spent a lot of time in the orchard helping his Uncle Tom. At the age of 17 he took over the farm when Uncle Tom passed away from cancer. He had to learn, often through trial and error, how to grow apples and run the business. At the age of 20 he married Dora, and together they raised six children—Joyce, Linda, Tom, Sharon, Erica and Nate—and built a reputation of being true to their word, having a good work ethic and extending hospitality to all. Dora, known by everyone as Nana, has the amazing gift of being able to use a little to produce a lot. She was known for being adept at both cooking and baking, and her kitchen seemed to produce an unending supply of apple slices to feed harvest crews, skillfully prepared soups to satisfy the hungry crowds at lunch time and hearty meat pies to end the day off right. Nana and Grandpa Bob have always had an open door policy, welcoming in anyone who knocks for a coffee break and a visit.

Tom grew up watching his mom and dad work hard to put food on the table. Despite the back-breaking work for small returns, he too fell in love with the land and being a part of the miracle of producing quality food. After high school, he went to college in Alberta to study agriculture. There he met a young woman named Tamra, who was studying fashion design. The two were soon married. After being away from the farm for a few years, they wanted to go back and work the family land. At the time, the farm did not bring in enough income to support two families. Tom and Tamra therefore decided to use their education and skills to try their hand at direct-marketing their own produce, and so Davison Orchards Country Village was born in 1985. What started out as a “honk for service” apple stand has morphed into a thriving agri-tourism business complete with kids’ play areas, a petting zoo, tractor tours, and a bakery and café where the farm-grown produce is sold as pies, soups, jams and much more. As the farm grew, so did their family. Tom and Tamra were blessed with four children: Leah, Laura, Danica and Lance. The kids grew up helping on the farm in different capacities and learned from a young age the value of hard work and hospitality. Tom and Tamra’s hospitality did not stop with opening the doors of their farm however. Tamra is an amazing cook and is always blessing others by inviting them into her home. Everyone is welcome: whether it’s Walter Gretzky or the kids’ friends from school.

Much like their dad, Laura and Lance grew up amid the hustle and bustle of the farm. Lance was drawn to growing fruits and vegetables from a young age, whereas Laura found herself gravitating toward the bakery, where the farm produce was turned into fresh pies, muffins and other treats. In 2012, Lance, with his wife Rachel (me), and Laura, with her husband Kevin Shaw, officially committed to the family farm as a career. Our families have grown and we now have eight children between us, all running rampant on the farm. Laura and I both enjoy cooking with seasonal ingredients, taking advantage of what is ripe and turning it into hearty meals and delectable desserts and preserving as much as possible to last throughout the winter months. This is our food philosophy, both at home and at the farm. This simple approach to eating is very much the same as that of the generations that came before us, and we are grateful to be able to pass these skills and ideas on to our children, as well as to you.

Writing this cookbook has been a very personal experience. Our family has been sharing our food and recipes with people in one way or another for over 90 years, but writing this book has felt like opening up our personal life for our visitors, customers and social media followers to step into. Like the generations before us, we want to be hospitable, to invite people to sit at our tables for seasonal meals, cake and coffee, or tea served in china teacups. By compiling our favourite recipes and sharing our story with you in this book, we feel we are doing just that. And as you read through the pages, we hope that this book will draw family and friends around your table to celebrate the ones who came before you and bring you closer to the ones you share your life with right now. Each one of us has a story. No one’s story is perfect and we cannot change what has gone on before us. But in order to move ahead, it is important to look back and be thankful for those who shaped us. Remember, we are all a part of the generations.