The holiday season is here, and many of us are wondering how to find memorable, meaningful gifts for friends and loved ones. Sure, you could fill up the cart faster at an online megastore, but shopping locally offers the chance to support artisans and entrepreneurs in your area while choosing gifts that are genuinely unique. … Read more
Mill & Farm Market Ellen Edney, and farm manager Karyn Boyd, giving a comprehensive answer takes a little extra time. “There’s the Mariposa Woolen Mill and the Farm Market, so we have two different kinds of things happening on the same property,” Edney says. “The farm market is more the retail side of things, offering the location for different artisanal products, foods, local produce, that kind of thing, as well as incorporating agritourism into the farm life here.” The retail business and suite of events offered by Mariposa year-round, however, are in addition to the day-to-day operation of the woolen mill. “We produce all-Canadian product made with Canadian wool, so we do everything from washing other people’s fibres for custom work, to finishing yarns, rovings, that kind of thing… Yeah, we have a lot going on.”
It’s Christmastime in Kawarthas Northumberland, and locals are ready to turn up the holiday cheer. With the ups and downs of 2021 highlighting the importance of supporting local, there’s never been a better time to do your holiday shopping close to home, or to connect with the community. Here are just a few of the … Read more
“Every time you think you’ve come up with a new way of doing something,” Christine Roberts says, “then I’ll do a little more research and think, ‘oh, well, that’s not really the case, that’s not new at all—they’ve been doing that for hundreds of years.’” Not that she’s complaining. Roberts’ slow fashion brand, Modelia, is … Read more
What is good design? Swell Made Co. founder and designer Lesley Robb takes a beat before she answers. “I think primarily it’s something that looks effortless and is very simple, which you’ll see in a lot of my work. It looks effortless because it’s actually quite complicated to make it look so.” Case in point, … Read more
“I grow all kinds of stuff—I grow rose, I grow yarrow, mint, lemon balm, camomile, calendula,” Melissa Condotta says. “And then of course I get cedar and pine and stuff from all over the property or around Northumberland… With roses it’s the care that goes into growing them and just seeing how versatile they are and … Read more
“Korean and Japanese potters are very fine, detailed potters—very precise,” Sheila Brenchley says. “Now, the English potters are very geared towards functionality and everyday use… The English have showings and sales and things but they’re geared more to function, I believe.” Brenchley is in the midst of describing a globe-trotting tour she embarked on to … Read more
In a year that’s been short on pleasant surprises, it’s especially nice when a box full of comfort shows up on the doorstep. That premise has kept Brianna Petersen’s small business, Unwrapped, busily sending packages from her home in Cobourg into the Northumberland community and beyond. Every month, Petersen packs Unwrapped Experience boxes with a … Read more
“There’s a lot of variety in here, that’s for sure,” Steph Buckley says, laughing. She pauses for a breath after trying to describe her store, Rustically Signed, and running through a list of products that includes bath bombs, jewelry, DIY maker kits, baby accessories, candles, pillows, clocks, and, naturally, wooden signs. “Our whole store is … Read more
You can’t visit Watson & Lou’s brick and mortar storefront at the moment, so for now a description will have to do. The space is eclectic, bright, and inviting – you can’t miss the colourful dioramas in the window as you head down Peterborough’s Water Street. Inside you’ll find elegant wabi-sabi style pottery alongside handmade … Read more