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Another popular event in the area has been cancelled.

The Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association has decided not to hold Maple Weekend this year, in response to provincial recommendations regarding public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 10 syrup producers in Lanark, Frontenac and Leeds and a Thousand Islands who were planning to participate. George and Darlene Conboy and family of Bell Line Road near Sharbot Lake was one of them.

“(Cancelling the event) is going to impact our business for sure,” George Conboy said Tuesday. “It’s been a good event for us (but) just how much of an impact remains to be seen.

“We’re still open as far as that goes and people can still come to the farm (5959 Bell Line Road) to buy syrup but we’d prefer they don’t come if they’re sick.”

He said their products are still available at a variety of locations including Mike Dean’s Grocery, Gray’s Grocery, Pharmasave, Seed to Sausage and Local Family Farms in Verona.

He said syrup-wise, it’s been a pretty good year so far.

“But we’re only about half-way through so far,” he said. “This (covid-19 pandemic) is quite the thing, isn’t it?

“It certainly makes people realize we’re not in charge of things.”

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Matson family patriarch Glen loves preserving history and so, for the third straight year, he opened up the farm in Arden for a Family Fun Day, with all sorts of demonstrations, wilderness skill games, and horse-drawn wagon rides.

“We’ve got a lot of old stuff here,” he said Sunday, after sawing through a log with an old two-man saw. “You see that wagon made out of logs? We got that 40 years ago and it was old then.”

But preservation of history isn’t the only motivation for the clan.

“I just cook,” said Betty Matson. “Isn’t it a beautiful day?”

When asked why she does it, she was quick to respond however.

“It’s so good to see all the kids running around having a good time,” she said. “It’s great to have all the families together having fun.”

She said she expects they’ll do it all again next year, probably doing all the same things they did this year and the year before that.

“It depends on the weather,” she said. “We’ll just go with the flow.

One display that drew a crowd was the Frontenac-Addington Trappers Association, who will be celebrating their 40th anniversary April 15 at the community centre in Flinton.

“We’re here for the heritage aspect of things — pure and simple,” said association president Wilf Deline. “Trapping is the oldest land based business in North America and we’re still here.”

Deline said they’re constantly trying to “educate the public” not only on trapping but primarily on environmental issues.

“We’re the real conservationists here,” he said. “We keep an eye on deer and everything else.

“Who spends more time in the bush than trappers?”

A couple of other things worthy of note at the Farm Fun Day: the skating trail through the bush was really cool, something the economic development people maybe should take a look at and . . . Moose Tongues. t

Derek Matson was serving up the deep-fried, cinnamon and sugar covered dough treats most people would know as beaver tails.

But he explained: “Beaver Tails is a copyrighted franchise, so we can’t call them that.

“These are Moose Tongues.”

Whatever you call them, they sure were tasty.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS

Customers haven’t really been screaming, but they have been asking, if Limestone Creamery might consider starting to make their own ice cream using the single source milk that they produce and process on their farm, located on the same property as the farm store at the southern edge of Frontenac County on Sydenham Road.

It is a logical extension for a business that has been following a path that started when Kathie and Francis Groenewegen decided to take transition their traditional dairy farm to an organic farm about 20 years ago. Their business has been evolving ever since, particularly once they began processing and marketing their milk themselves.

They sell their own organic milk at a farm store on their property, deliver it to customers living within a reasonable distance from their house, and extend their reach by selling it through selected stores that are located a bit further away, such as Local Family Farms in Verona.

“Our location, it turned out, was ideal, since we can easily deliver to Kingston and our store is located on a busy commuter road for South Frontenac residents,” said Kathie, as a steady stream of customers shopped for milk, fresh baked goods, and a variety of organic products from other local and regional farmers, bakers, jam makers, and others organic producers.

Everything in the store is available for delivery as well for weekly deliveries to Kingston, parts of South Frontenac and into Stone Mills township.

One of the reasons the Groenewegen’s decided to get into the marketing end of the milk business was to make their operation capable of supporting another generation of farmers, as their children Olivia and Patrick were interested in farming.

When they were building their processing facility, the Groenewegen’s talked to the Frontenac CFDC, and they were able to get a grant to cover half the cost of one of the major pieces of equipment that they needed.

The next big project that they are embarking on is to replace their aging barn with a new, open barn. These modern barns eliminate the need to gather cows twice a day for milking as the cows are able to decide when it is time to be milked. With the aide of a little bit of training and the incentive provided by a little bit of grain (the Groenewegen cattle are 94% grass fed, supplemented by peas and corn that are grown organically on the farm) the cows will be able to control the milking, at the same time making life a little less onerous for the farmers who have been waking up for 5am milking duty for generations. It will also be tied to technology, with the cow’s milk production, body temperature, and other information being monitored every time they come in to be milked.

“It will be good for the animals, which is really important to us,” she said.

The larger barn will also allow the farm to reach its capacity of Holstein and Jersey milking cows.

Ice cream is a bit of a side business, but it is also a response to customer demand, and it has involved the purchase of equipment and the necessary approvals from inspectors, and learning new recipes.

“People love ice cream, of course, and they want to be able to eat some that is made from organic cream and other ingredients that are locally sourced, so we are working with Gorr’s Maple Syrup, Fruition Berry Farm on Hwy. 15, and others to develop recipes. And it tastes pretty good. We hope to have our ice cream available later this summer,” she said.

There are a few others who are hoping for that as well, now that the warm weather has hit the region. Even if they are polite, local food lovers, Limestone Creamery customers are at least silently screaming for ice cream.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 30 August 2017 16:26

Ride, James, Ride!

Pedalling and singing ‘Little Red Wagon” (the pop version, not the nursery-rhyme one), nine-year old James Potvin has reached Sydenham, the mid-point of his journey from Whitby to Ottawa. His destination is the big new Giver Playground in Mooney's Bay, Ottawa, and he plans to get thereFriday evening.

“It was just a month ago when I asked James what he would like to do to celebrate the end of summer holidays” James’ father Chris explains, “and he said he wanted to bike to Ottawa, to the Giver 150 playground.” Chris told James that if he could bike from Whitby to the CN Tower in one day, they’d consider heading for Ottawa. They not only got into Toronto, but even biked through the downtown; “When I saw my nine-year-old cycling down University Avenue, I realized he was definitely up to a much longer trip.”

Their route follows, as much as possible, the Waterfront, Cataraqui and TransCanada trails, and has included a loop down through Prince Edward County. So far, the Cat Trail has been the smoothest ride. Unfortunately there is no designated cycle trail from Smiths Falls to Ottawa, so they will be following the roads along the Rideau canal.

James and his Dad decided to make their Odyssey a fundraiser for the Grandview Centre which provides services in Durham Region for 6,000 children with special needs, and their families. James, who is on the Autism spectrum, is on the Grandview waiting list, along with 3,000 others. Already, James has exceeded his original goal of $1500, and is now heading for double that. “One dollar for every child on the waiting list,’ says Chris. James has been surprised and delighted by the encouragement and support offered by people in Whitby and all along the route. They have been camping in peoples’ backyards, and people keeping track of their progress on Facebook and Twitter (#RideJamesRide) often come out to cheer them on.

James’ energy and spirits remain high, despite a broken chain in midtown Picton, and a few bandaids on his legs. His trip logo, on his shirt and his bike, is a puzzle piece. Chris explains: “We’re also trying to raise awareness of Autism; the puzzle piece signifies that people on the spectrum ‘have all the pieces, but sometimes find it hard to fit them together.’ He said he had noticed that since the trip began, James is developing more confidence in his own ability to solve problems without being overcome with frustration.
To follow James or add a donation, go to #RideJamesRide.

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY
With the participation of the Government of Canada