The Farm

Stonehill Sheep is the proud product of over a decade of partnership between two families - the Porteous family and the Harrington-Dick family.  

Stonehill Farm was built in the 1970s by the McDougall family, the original owners of the Chatsworth, ON property. In 2003, Glen Porteous, a second-generation sheep farmer, moved his flock from Kilannan Farm in Annan, ON, to Stonehill Sheep. With a lifetime of knowledge of sheep breeding, Glen had spent years handpicking his flock for optimal genetics and performance.

Tina Harrington and Paul Dick were originally from Toronto, ON. They moved up to the Owen Sound area in the summer of 2004, along with their daughters, when Paul transitioned his paediatric practice to the Grey-Bruce region.

In December 2004, the Harrington-Dick family purchased the property on which the farm is located. Paul had always been looking for the opportunity for a farm and to fit his love of the outdoors and animals. Tina had a background in genetics and microbiology. In 2005, the Porteous and Harrington-Dick families formed a partnership that would allow Stonehill Sheep to develop.

Glen and Judy Porteous raised their three children, Simon, Hannah and Claire in Grey-Bruce. The three kids have been a huge part of the operations of the farm over the years, assisting with everything from chores and mucking out barns, to preparing and showing sheep at national shows and sales.

Paul and Tina have three daughters, Hannah, Sarah and Esther, who were relocated when the family moved up to the area from Toronto. Throughout the years, the three girls were beyond grateful for the camaraderie and leadership of the Porteous kids as they learned to navigate farm life.

For many years, Tina and Glen were the backbone for the operation, with breeding programs in Suffolk, Polled Dorset, and Texel breeds.   In recent years, Tina’s involvement in the farm has significantly decreased due to the diagnosis of early-onset dementia. Glen has reached retirement, but still continues to be a tremendous source of advice and assistance from time to time.   Paul has carried on  as the primary breeder and manager of operations on the farm.  By 2015, the farm had narrowed its focus and became solely a Suffolk breeding operation.

Stonehill Sheep continues its mission to produce high quality Suffolk breeding stock that combine consistent, excellent breed conformation structure, and health with the highest levels of productivity.