Staff Photo By: Darcie Thom
3 generations of the Cross Family: Allan and Julie with their son Ward, wife Crystal and children Kaitlyn and Austyn

By: Darcie Thom

Last year the Moose Mountain Rural Development Council (RDC) held a contest for the ‘Farm Family of the Year’. The recipients, The Vargo Brothers, were nominated because of their continued hard work and loyalty to their family farm.

This year, the Moose Mountain RDC honored another family for continued dedication to their family farm. The Cross Family received their award at the Clubhouse in the Kingsley Golf Course on Saturday, June 21st. “We need a society to celebrate things worth celebrating, that’s why we came up with the RDC award,” Allan LaRose remarked. “The Cross farm is a very good example of a Farming Family”.

The dream of a young man turned into a 125 year shining example of family farming at its best.

George Cross Sr., originally of England, immigrated to Canada to fulfill his dream of a farming opportunity. George Cross and Emma Hyde married and raised a family of twelve children. Over the next 25-30 years, George and his family expanded the farm with new buildings and a new barn (which still stands today).

After the passing of his father, George Sr., Montie Cross took over the family farm, married Annie Korfman and raised two sons on the farm. Much later, their son Allan married Julie Sostorics and joined the family operation, also having two sons and raising them on that very farm.

Allan and Julie still live on the farm in the same home that was built in 1911 and are also joined by their son Ward, his wife Crystal (Rogers) and their two children Kaitlyn and Austyn.

The Cross family recently expanded with a new addition of land, which was once owned by George Cross Jr.

“There are many, many deserving families. We are very honored to receive this, thanks to the RDC for making this possible,” says Julie Cross, “hopefully, down the road, the farm will still be the Cross Family Farm”.

This is the second annual award given to a nominated family farm from the Moose Mountain RDC.