Last Weekend in Frontenac County

Kelli McRobert (with files from Sarah Winney) | Sep 14, 2022

This weekend there were, yet again, dozens of choices of events and gatherings to choose from. Some residents opted to head out and find local fresh produce in Harrowsmith at Centennial Park. Others may have been planning their Christmas shopping well in advance and headed over to Ken Garrett Park in Inverary. And there as Open Farms, Homegrown Frontenac and the Plowing Match, to boot.

Ken Garrett park was the host to 140 vendors on Saturday, who laid out their wares for all to enjoy. Some of the booths had custom wood carvings, yummy butter tarts, and twisted metal that was formed into beautiful works of art (Dan’s Metal Art -Sydenham Ontario 613-484-1959).

The entrance was packed along with all roads leading towards Ken Garrett Park located at the corner of Moreland Dixon Road and Perth Road. This park is maintained by volunteers and they recently completed a large bathroom upgrade and installation of a children’s play structure. The park easily accommodated both the vehicle and pedestrian traffic and the weather was sunny and warm to keep the crowds coming well into the afternoon. Shoppers of all ages roamed the vendor village and grabbed a quick snack from the canteen. This location has a lovely large gazebo that provided a great place to sit and have a quick bite between shops and chats.

As you roamed through the well spaced venue the tent village was alive with conversations and each booth had something creative to offer. Shady Mile Farm from Hartington had a large display and samples of their tasty maple syrup products. Sisters, Earla, and Iris, were busy handing out deliciousness as the glorious bottles glistened in the sunshine, luring you towards the table.

The owner, Scott Martin, is 5th generation Martin, living on the 365-acre farmstead. For the past 6 years he and his family have been bottling up the liquid gold and selling it at various location. With 2000 trees being tapped over 30 acres, it keeps him quite busy, as a second job, and he has plans for the remaining 1000 trees in the future. His mom, Iris, was quick to note it was her son’s business, and the family helps as much as possible … as an uncle can be seen helping boil the sap and tend to the trees. Some of the products they offer are maple butter, maple cream and granulated maple sugar that has the texture of commonly known brown sugar.

After a quick visit with a miniature goat, it was time to head out and over to Sunbury for the 2022 Open Farms event. This two-day event did not disappoint as you could participate in many farm-related activities on both the Saturday and Sunday.

There were Open Farms events on Saturday at Local Family Farms in Verona, at Home Frontenac near Sydenham, in conjunction with the farmers markets in Sharbot Lake, Harrowsmith and Wolfe Island, at the museum in Hartington, and at the Wolfe Island Plowing Match.

And on Sunday, the Frontenac Plowing Match was put on in conjunction with Open Farms, as it was the last time the plowing match was held in 2019.

Continuing the tradition of promoting farming and plowing in rural Ontario, as they have for the past 100 years, the Frontenac Federation of Agriculture, with help from South Frontenac Township, drew 700 people to the plowing match and min rural exposition.

There was a vendors market where you could try products and sample tasty bites. What a refreshing idea to know where your food comes from and how it was grown, ‘farm to table’. With the recent increase in interest for locally grown foods and sustainably sourced items, it is nice to have so many local options for everything from soaps, baked goods, cleaning supplies and crafts.

Along with some educational booths there was live music (Mellow Lily, Jake Unger, and Adam Knapp) and local food that Otter Creek Farms offered from their convenient food truck, with farm to table cuisine.

From culinary events, beer tasting, farmers markets and community activities, this weekend was jam packed with passionate food lovers who could enjoy meeting local growers and learning about our rich agricultural offerings throughout the counties.