Brenda and Larry Foster live on Grey Road 40 just west of Grey Road 12. There they have raised three girls and have lived out their passion of farming with their family. Brenda was one of the first people who came to us interested in a barn quilt who was not on the Barn Quilt Committee. She is a member of the Rocklyn Agricultural Society which is where we started this venture.
Here is the story behind the Foster Family Pinwheel:
Three very distinct families have lived on this property since it was settled prior to 1851. The original settlers, the Patterson’s, have their Scottish tartan commemorated through the blue and green of the quilt. The Sparling family carried on in the farming ways and are represented by the blue and yellow, colours prominent in their English family crest. The third family to reside here bring two different lineages, Foster being remembered through the green and yellow of their family crest, and the Dutch heritage of Reinders evident in the orange pinwheel. Each colour also represents the agricultural history of the property: Brown - the fertility of soil, to provide a base for plants to grow. Blue – the life-giving force of water, abundant in the creeks and in the closeness of Georgian Bay Green – spring, the new growth of crops and the promise of an abundant harvest Yellow – the brightness and necessity of the sun, without which none of this is possible Orange – harvest-time, a thanksgiving for all that has been gathered and accomplished throughout the season.
Thank you Larry and Brenda for joining us on the Barn Quilt Trail!