Harford Legacy Farm Commemorative Book

43

Ady Acres est. 1909 - Street, MD

Current Owners: Tony McNutt and Teresa McNutt Original Purchaser: Hugh M. Laird and Wife, Mary J. Famous Laird Current Acreage: 113 Current Agricultural Products or Services: beef, soybeans or corn, and hay Preserved

For over 100 years a cast iron deer has stood in the same place in the farm yard. It was given to my great-great-grandmother, Sarah Famous from Mr. King of "Kenton" on Harmony Church Rd. My great great-grandfather Joseph Famous managed that farm in the 1880s for Mr. King until his early death of TB in 1886. The deer has been the centerpiece for many a family photo and has given many a small child pleasure to sit on it. It's definitely part of the family and we love it. This farmland was originally part of the large tract of land owned by Col. Ignatius Wheeler in the 18th century called "Deer Park". In 1909, ninety-eight acres were bought by my great-grandfather Hugh M. Laird and his wife, Mary Famous Laird. Then in 1911, approximately 20 adjoining acres were bought. It has been a working farm through the generations and is now called "Ady Acres". About 60 acres are pasture and cropland. The other 60 are forest. It is permanently preserved in the MD Agriculture Land Preservation Foundation and has participated in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. The farm was a dairy farm. It also had pigs, working and pleasure horses, and chickens. Presently, there are thirty heads of beef cattle. The youngest and sixth generations are in 4-H and show the cows and sheep. JoJo and Zippy have been pet goats for nine years.