With spring comes maple syrup, and Kawarthas Northumberland is packed with ways to celebrate the season. Keep an eye out for our local producers at grocers and farmer’s markets throughout the region, but to really experience local maple syrup at its freshest and finest you need to go straight to the source. Here are five … Read more
I’ve just arrived in Fenelon Falls and I’m charmed already. The Trent-Severn Waterway passes right through the centre of town, where the eponymous falls power a hydro dam. Lock 34 sits on the other side of a concrete quay, and walking out to the tip of it I can see the falls on my left and a topiary hedge that spells “Fenelon Falls” on the other.
Saffron’s reputation precedes it. The spice’s delicate, alluring flavour and vibrant colour have made it one of the world’s most sought after ingredients for centuries, but less well-known is the fact Ontario has its very own producer in the form of Warkworth’s True Saffron. Co-owners Martin Albert and Eric Charbonneau embarked on a grand experiment in 2016, and the results have delighted foodies since.
For some, black currants are a nostalgic flavour. They evoke memories of friends and family in the UK or continental Europe, where the berries are a comforting staple. For others black currants are a new frontier, a sweet, tart alternative to the classic range of Ontario fruits. Joe Hayes is in the former camp, but as owner of Popham Lane Farm near Presqu’ile Provincial Park, he’s eager to spread the word.
“Part of being a farmer is you’ve got to know lots of things.” James Harley speaks from experience. He and his family don’t just raise lamb, beef, pork, and chicken on their property near Keene, Ontario — they do it to the highest animal welfare standards while running a successful retail and wholesale operation. Along with his wife Jessica, parents Roger and Julie, and sister Emily, James and family take an approach to farming that emphasizes interconnectedness and stewardship.