Shawville’s Rolling Acres has been supplying customers in the Ottawa Valley and beyond with high-quality cattle for as long as 75 years, but the roots of the family tree behind the cattle farm dig even deeper than that.
Co-owner Steve Hamilton can trace his family’s history all the way back close to 200 years ago, when William Hamilton and Margaret Duncan came from Scotland to settle on a piece of farmland just outside Shawville.
They’ve since moved on from the original farm, but the Hamiltons have carried their traditions into the present, raising a purebred line of Hereford cattle since 1945 and Angus cattle in 2000, both known for the marbling restaurants and diners expect from AAA and Prime cuts of beef.
The Ottawa Valley can be a competitive area for beef production, but Hamilton also points out how supportive the local agricultural community can be on both sides of the Ottawa River. That includes the months-long effort from local food producers and the surrounding municipalities to keep the Shawville abattoir running, which Rolling Acres has been a part of.