5 star farm is located on Scanlan Road, and is easy to reach from either Road 38 or the Village of Sydenham. Curtis and Tracy, who run the farm with help from their children, bought the property in 2014. It is an older farm property with plenty of character, big barns and drive sheds, perfect for them to establish a demonstration farm where they raise a number of animals and organize fun educational events for families nearby to attend and get a taste of rural farm life.

They ran a number of events last year, and hosted parties, birthdays and other private functions as well. The most popular events last year were the Easter weekend open house, and a fall harvest event near Halloween. This year the focus will be on those two events as open public gatherings, with the possibility of some specialised workshops on specific themes.

Last Saturday, the Easter event they hosted was a smashing success.

“We had 5 volunteers in the parking area, and within 20 minutes of opening there were 300 cars there,” said Tracey Parker The crowds were very thick in the morning and lessened a bit when the weather turned rainy in the afternoon. All in all, however, over 1,500 people came to the farm.

What they saw were goats, pot bellied pigs, rabbits, ducks, a baby goat in the large barn, as well as horses and other farm animals. Plans to show off two sets of lamb twins in a small barn did not pan out because the ewe’s were not ready so it was more of a sheep maternity ward.

Outside there was a straw bale maze with balls hidden everywhere. Children made their way through the maze, and filled basket of balls to win a prize. There was also an opportunity to plant seeds, a craft table for kids, and entertainment by Kingston’s Fiddle Earth. Conboy’s Maple Syrup from Sharbot Lake and Dustica Design wood crafts and toys from Verona were also on hand.

“All in all, we seem to have developed a flow over the past year since we started doing these events, and we seem to be able to handle this kind of crowd pretty well. It helped that we had about 20 volunteers here and all the free labour from our family,” she said. “People are definitely interested in having fun and learning about how animals behave in a farm and what all farms were like in this area not that long ago.”

As for the future, as far as events for the general public the focus is going to be on the Easter and October events, and the hope is to develop the location as a venue for different kinds of events as it continues to be available for private functions.
For information about 5 Star Farms, go to Facebook or fivestarfarm.ca

It was a sweet weekend last Saturday and Sunday as visitors from all over came to the Bell Line Road to visit the maple syrup operations of Oso Sweet Maple Farms (Mel & Joyce Conboy) and George and Darlene Conboy & Sons Maple Syrup.

“It’s been an average year,” said George Conboy. “It did start very early in February and we weren’t expecting that but then it got cold again.

“Still, it’s a very high quality syrup this year with very light colour (and) we haven’t made any of the lower grades.”

For the Conboys, maple syrup has been a family business for a long time.

“Our grandchildren will be the sixth generation,” George said. “The Conboys came from Ireland in 1876 and got a land grant.

“I remember going to Sharbot Lake with my father to send the syrup out on trains.”

It’s still a family operation. George and Darlene have sons Jason, Ryan and Devon around for much of the harvest (although Trevor does have to spend a lot of time in Ottawa in computers).

“We couldn’t do it without the kids,” George said.

But of course the nature of the business, being so dependent on weather and time of year, means that when you need help, that’s when you need it.

“It’s not something you can think about leaving until tomorrow,” he said. “When the sap gets running, you gotta do it right now!”

That never changes. Other things do, but then sometimes they change back again.

Originally, sap was boiled over wood fires. Then that changed to oil burners and also propane.

But George is back to wood.

“It just works the best,” he said. “And we only burn old dead wood.”

Despite some rather questionable weather Saturday, a steady stream of visitors kept showing up. Along with maple products, there was a bit of a festival atmosphere with the Frontenac Blades showing people how to throw tomahawks and knives and Cota’s Mobile Catering featured a maple theme with sausages and cornbread with syrup.

“I’m pleased with the turnout,” Darlene said. “I’m seeing a lot of old familiar faces and a lot of new ones too.

“Remember, you can use maple syrup for anything you would use sugar in.”

Christine Lavallee was ready for a change. She used to own a restaurant in Kingston, and more recently spent seven years working at a corporate job for WTC (Westport Telephone Company). She lives on the Washburn Road in the Sunbury area and over the years driving through Inverary she became painfully aware that the community was lacking a grocery store, something that Inverary had always had in the past. With her husband Keith, who runs Lavallee and Sons construction, she looked at the former Bilow’s lumber barn on Perth Road in the middle of the village. The space had two garage doors, and a lot of potential, Christine and Keith thought, so they took a lease out in December. It was Keith’s idea to put in windows where one of the doors was located, and to leave the roll up door in place to roll down at night for added security. It turned a dark space into a bright space and in January Lavallee’s Inverary store opened.

Christine carries basic groceries and convenience store items, but her real passion is locally produced quality food and craft products.

“I decided to go slow and see what kinds of products I could find locally, and in two and half months you can see what has happened.”

Lavallee’s carries bread and Cinnamon buns from Oomen’s bakery, a well known brand in Kingston that is produced just down the road from her home, honey from Inverary and Battersea, Hanna’s Meat pies and Barb’s Peroghi’s from Sydenham, Bear Roots seeds from Verona, chocolate and greenhouse greens from Seeley’s Bay, and the list goes on from there.

“There are so many talented and committed people in this region that I will soon have this store full. And the products are so good that customers come in the door out of curiosity and spend 30 minutes looking around. And then they come back.”

Once the summer season hits, Christine is planning to roll-up the second garage door and open up a fresh air vegetable market stocking local produce from the many farms in the local vicinity.

She will keep stocking some of the canned and other grocery items that she has on two of the aisles in the store, but is planning to completely over haul the display over the next couple of months.

Another new business, Luki’s takeout, shares the building with her, and between them the two businesses are sprucing up the Inverary retail scene.

“I believe everybody is getting back to their roots. Now everybody wants less stress and healthier local food. They want to know where their food comes from and they want to know the people in the stores where they shop. We can do that for them. They can shop here, at Garrett’s, at Northway, and save a trip to Kingston. They like that.”

Christine said that she is planning to continue to bring in new items that her customers are looking for, and will not back down from buying local either. Soon, hot meals will be available at the store in addition to coffee and baked goods. The food will be prepared by Ruthie’s catering, from Verona.

Sometimes the world of make-believe can bring-out the best in a person. Just ask Dalia Gesser, a theatre arts teacher from Battersea.

“I used to perform my own clown, mime and mask shows and toured all over Ontario for 20 years, performing for schools, libraries, festivals and theatre series,” says the petite 58-year-old with a smile in early March 2017.

“In the late 1990s, I began to shift my theatre arts focus to arts/education and received a bunch of grants from the Ontario Arts Council which allowed me to bring theatre arts workshops to many elementary schools in the Greater Kingston region. In the last two years, I've been focusing on programs for seniors.”

Majoring in dance in university in New York State then later attending the Canadian Mime School in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Dalia is bringing theatre arts to the area. She's doing this through songs, theatre games, mime, movement, original use of props and story sharing.

“In all classes and workshops, students are challenged to use their bodies, minds and imaginations in a fun and positive setting, building self-confidence and body awareness,” says Dalia. “Music is an integral part of every workshop experience, with an eclectic selection to enhance different exercises, set moods and inspire ideas.”

A resident of South Frontenac since 1992, Dalia wants the community to know the benefits of theatre arts.

“Being self-employed, I'm always for hire,” she says with a laugh about her teaching services. “Now I'm available to do seniors' programs.”

Dalia recently received her second grant from the Ontario Arts Council which will fund two senior programs in two different locations. This grant program is called Theatre Arts for the Young at Heart.

From mid-March to the end of June, she will lead a seniors’ group at the Hildegarde Centre, a day program located in Providence Manor in Kingston. From September to mid-December, she will work with seniors at Carveth Care Centre in Gananoque.

“Both programs will involve theatre games, mime & movement, songs as well as story sharing culminating in an informal presentation by the participants in both centres,” she confirms.

Creative and fun, Dalia has spent years working with youth. Now, she’s enjoying her time working with seniors.

“I’ve been working with kids for so many years, it’s nice to have a change and work with seniors,” she explains kindly. “The seniors who take part in my workshops tend to have a great sense of humour, enjoy participating and love to share their life stories. It's heartwarming to watch them interact with their peers. A few things I like to do with them is to use everyday objects in original ways, act out various activities in mime and listen to their stories. Everyone has endless stories. It’s nice to help seniors remember their stories and give them an opportunity to share their past.”

Dalia sees the arts as a component of a healthy society.

“My theatre arts programs help with cognitive ability and memory loss,” she notes. “Exercises help people physically, psychologically and emotionally. It’s great stimulation for any age, but especially for seniors.”

Speaking on behalf of Carveth Care Centre, Activity Director Shannon Buell is looking forward to the workshop for seniors.

“We know this is going to spark interesting conversations by the residents about their past,” she says wisely. “The classes will be well-received by the residents and appreciated by their families who will enjoy a presentation at the end. It’s great to see how much is accomplished by theatre arts.”

To learn more about theatre arts in South Frontenac, contact Dalia Gesser at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit her website at compacttheatre.jimdo.com

Gwen Tobin insists she’s “lost interest in possessions” but admits to still having “boxes and trucks of Star Wars stuff” in her North Crosby home that used to serve as an antique shop she ran with her husband of 56 years, Vince.

“We’re trying to clear out a lot of it,” she said at the Bedford Historical Society’s Open House last Saturday in Glendower Hall. “We have boxes we haven’t opened in 10 years.”

The Tobins have definitely done the circuit, getting up at 4 a.m. for a trip to Kanata or Ottawa or Gananoque to sell at shows.

“I like to buy, my husband did most of the selling,” she joked. “When we first started selling, at the flea market in Smiths Falls, I only had Depression Glass and didn’t do very well.

“But one lady came over and said ‘you have to have more than just Depression Glass because you never know when somebody will come in wanting it and you have to have things for the other people to buy.’”

That’s when she learned to diversify.

And she certainly did learn.

But these days, the shop is officially closed and she only does a few shows here and there. But she still has a lot of items and is prepared to tailor shows to what the organizers request.

“Last year at the show in North Crosby, they asked us to bring tools and kitchen items,” she said. “For this one, Joe Stinson asked for toys and dolls.”

So, along with a couple of boxes of tools and decoys (including one carved by her grandfather), she brought lots of toys and dolls including a large assortment of metal tractors.

But the dolls seemed to get a disproportionate amount of attention, particularly the Barbies.

“I’ve always liked the ‘character’ Barbies,” she said, pointing out the Sonny and Cher, Donnie and Marie, and Brooke Shields editions.

But there were also several others, including the ultra-rare Barbie pregnant with twins, as well as the regular Barbie, Elvis, Wayne Gretzky and G.I. Joes.

“I don’t know if I have favourites,” she said. “And I’m too old to remember when I started collecting dolls.”

How about when she started collecting in general.

“That’s easy,” she said. “When I was born.

“My mother did family trees and the collecting just evolved from that.”

This Sunday in Perth and the following Sunday in Kingston, small scale organic seed companies will be attending Seedy events. It’s too early to muck about in the garden in the first week of March, but it’s not too early to start seeds indoors and to dream about planting a spring and summer garden.

Two seed companies from Frontenac County will be at both events, Mountain Grove Seed Company and Bearroots gardens from Verona.

Pat and Kate Joslin of Bearroots are participating in 8 Seedy Saturdays or Sundays this year. They are transitioning from selling seeds and produce at the South Frontenac Farmers Market to selling only seeds.

“The events have been pretty good. Some of them are newer events and we are there for the first time so people need to get to know us,” Pat Joslin said, when interviewed this week over the phone from Verona, “but the Perth and Kingston Seedy events are pretty well established.

Bearroots will be participating in the Frontenac Farmer’s Market in Verona this year, mainly on long weekends, with 40 varieties of vegetable seed and a few flower seed varieties as well.

They have also launched, just this week in fact, bearrootgardens.com – a website and online store.

Of the vegetable seeds they have available, there are 10 tomato varieties, including some lesser known but easy to grow varieties such as German Johnson, Green Zebra and Pink Boar in addition to cherry and pear tomatoes and others.

Going forward Pat Josling said they are planning to start selling White Globe Turnip seed and by next year should have Kohlrabi seed available. They are planning to hold an open house in August at their home/garden in Verona.

Dawn Morden of Mountain Grove Seed Company also participates in Seedy events in the late winter season.

The company now has over 150 vegetable seeds including 40 varieties of tomatoes, including such notables as Black Prince, Green Moldovan and the ever popular Mortgage Lifter. Seeds are also available online through mountaingroveseedcompany.com

At the Seedy Sunday in Perth, which runs from 10 to 3pm at the Royal Canadian Legion on Beckwith Street near Herriot, admission is free and there will be a seed swap table for seed sharing. As well, seminars on vermicomposting, cover crops, beekeeping, fibre and spinning, and holistic orcharding will be spread out throughout the day.

Seeds of Diversity and Rare Breeds Canada will be on hand with information about saving seed, along with a number of diverse garden friendly companies, and a half dozen seed companies including Mountain Grove and Bearroots, and Terra Edibles from Hastings County.

Details about Seedy Saturday in Kingston on March 11, which is being put on by the Kingston Area Seed System Initiative, are available at seedsgrowfood.org. The event takes place at Loyalist Collegiate Vocational Institute, 153 VanOrder Drive between 10am and 3pm.

Adam and Craig Voith are brothers who work smarter, not harder.

Talking from their 150-year-old farmhouse in Battersea, the brothers’ banter with each other good-naturedly as they talk on a cold Canadian morning about the farming operation around them.

A woodstove in the corner of the old kitchen fills the air with a comfortable heat and a warm glow. Their father, Mike Voith, sits in a chair near the fire. He smiles as his sons talk about their accomplishments and dreams.

“These guys are the brains behind the place,” Mike says kindly, gesturing towards his sons. “I think it’s nice that young men like these are trying to get a business going.”

Young and ambitious, Adam, 25, and Craig, 22, are shareholders with their father in a family sheep farm called Sugar Hill Rideaus located 20 kms north of Kingston. The farm was purchased by the family in 2012 and covers approximately 90 acres, 35 of which is tillable.

“Our main focus is direct marketing,” explains Craig, the main labourer on the farm and a construction worker off the farm.

“Our real goal is to direct market as many lambs as we can to consumers,” echoes his father about their sales method of a product that is gaining attention for its quality.

Born on the family farm, the lambs are Canadian purebreds called Rideau Arcott. Raised ethically and humanely, the animals are watched carefully for optimal health.

“They’re all good quality,” says Adam with a smile about the 300 sheep on the farm.

“It takes dedication,” adds Craig about the work required to feed and care for the animals 365 days a year.

“You can’t just call-in sick,” says Adam who works on the farm and off the farm as a combat engineer officer with the Canadian Armed Forces.

Leading the way to the barn, the brothers show a group of lambs that have just been born for Easter sales. Two more batches of lambs will be born in March and May to coincide with other Canadian holidays.

“Right now we’re still growing,” says Mike about the operation. “We want to get up to at least 600 animals.”

Raised until they are 100 pounds, the sheep are sold by the half or whole. The farmers are diligent to avoid disease, worms and coyotes to minimize lost time and animals. It is a model based on efficiency and quality.

“We want to make sure we keep our flock clean from disease,” says Mike, who helps with the operation while running his own beef farm nearby. “Raising the flock in the barns is a little bit more expensive, but we don’t have a worm problem or predator problem.”

Proud of what they have built, the men are working hard to expand the business to meet a growing demand by consumers.

“There’s a huge demand right now for sheep,” confirms Craig.

Talking about the growing ethnic diversity in the country, Mike says about the market for lamb, “There’s tremendous opportunity right now.”

Asked if he enjoys the work, Craig answers with a smile and laugh. “It’s a lot better than a 9-5 job. It’s a nice change of pace. Every season is a different task such as planting, cutting wood, getting ready for harvesting. You’re your own boss here. Everything is better.”

Working hard to build their business, the men are excited about the future. They describe their challenges as balancing growth with infrastructure capability.

“I think our land base is good now with other land we own,” Mike says about the land needed to grow crops for the flock.

Walking around the property, the Voith men talk about their operation with equal parts humility and pride. It is a common trait in farmers.

A glaring difference on this farm is the efficiencies built into the housing and feeding systems.

Enclosures have been modified for the care and comfort of the flock, and services have been added to the water and feeding systems. The men’s skills can be seen everywhere.

“We’re trying to be as efficient as we can with our time,” says Mike, a retired combat engineer officer with the Canadian Armed Forces who also works off the farm.

Walking around the property that was designed as a dairy farm and later converted into a horse farm, the men’s hard work and ambition has resulted in a prosperous sheep operation with a bright future.

Summing up what is obvious to a visitor, Craig notes “We’ve come a long way.”

To learn more about the Voith Family or Sugar Hill Farm, visit www.sugarhillfarm.ca or call 613-353-6380.

Kim Perry of Food Less Traveled (Local Family Farms) in Verona got into the Canada 150 spirit a little early. Starting last December, and every month of this year, she is putting on a promotion to benefit the food banks in Sydenham and Sharbot Lake. In December she put a special price on meat pies, and for each sale she also set one aside for the food bank. Last week, she travled from Verona all the way to Sydenham to deliver the pies to the South Frontenac Community Services Food bank. In January the special was on ground beef, produced at the Perry Anjou family farm. Can’t get more local than that.

Check out Local Famuily farms at 6674 Road 38 in Verona.

When Holly Labow moved her spa business out of town to her home north of Grafton a few years ago, she was concerned that she may lose business being north of the 401, and in the country.

“That didn’t happen. People made the trip for the services I provide and the atmosphere I created,” she said last week from her new home on Pine Lake, on Brown’s Lane off the Ardoch Road in North Frontenac.

Being a few minutes north of Grafton, and just 15 minutes from Cobourg, is not exactly the same as being located off the Ardoch Road, especially in the winter when even permanent residents are planning southern getaways.

Holly and her husband Michael bought their lakefront property a few years ago, and once he retired, they moved in last summer on a full time basis. They had a new building designed and built for Polished Spa, for Holly to start up her business in North Frontenac.

Since then they have continued to work on their house and have built Polished Spa for Holly to start up her business in North Frontenac.

Polished Spa has one main room with a treatment bed and plenty of room to work, and a foyer/waiting room at the front. It is clean and comfortable and has views of Pine Lake and the surrounding woods.

In it, Holly Labow offers a range of services, including: manicures, shellac manicures, pedicures, facials, makeup,  and waxing and trimming. She also provides hot stone, aromatherapy, and exfoliating massage treatments.

Holly is also a certified foot reflexologist and provides reflexology treatments in the spa.

“By manipulating specific reflexes in the feet to remove stress, a parasympathetic response will occur in the body,” Holly says on her website about reflexology.

Reflexology treatments include a foot bath and the use of essential oils. First sessions can last 90 minutes and subsequent sessions are not as long.

“I love my work in the spa, and even if we are in a new location, far off the beaten track, I wanted to get  started up as soon as I could after we moved here. I opened in mid-August, and caught the tail end of the summer. Since then I have been learning about the community, and introducing myself and my services to people in the area, many of whom have never had a pedicure, never spent an hour in a spa like this,” she said.

So far, even in the dead of winter, she feels pretty good about how the business has gone.

“The summertime is more about the esthetics part of the spa and the winters are more about healing and wellness. I’m happy to create this kind of peaceful atmosphere, to help my clients relax and serve their needs.”

So far so good. While the spa has not been overwhelmed with business this winter, there have been clients coming in on a regular basis, and Holly is as optimistic as ever about the future.

“I kind of took the philosophy that if you build it they would come, and so far it is working out.”

If you’re looking for a coffee and muffin next Tuesday morning, why not stop by the Good Graces Café. You’ll be supporting a local charity at the same time.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area, Southern Frontenac Community Services will be piloting the Good Grace Café for the next four months. The Café will be open Tuesday mornings, in Grace Hall at 4295 Stage Coach Road in Sydenham, from 8:00 to 11:00am, starting on January 31st.

“The Good Graces Café will be selling coffee, tea, juice and muffins at a reasonable cost,” says staff member Michelle Laing, who will be overseeing the initiative, “and we will make it a comfortable place where people can feel free to sit and stay a while, read the newspaper, play a game of cards, and socialize with others.”

“The Café is a unique response to social isolation in a rural community,” says David Townsend, Executive Director of Southern Frontenac Community Services. “We know that it can be challenging for seniors in particularly to feel connected in a rural community. We felt that by providing a safe space, we would encourage seniors and others to feel connected.”

The café will be tested over the next four months, and based on the response, it will continue to operate and may even be expanded to other days of the week. Eventually, the café will be completely volunteer-run, and the organization hopes that eventually high school students may be interested in volunteering alongside adults and seniors.