Riverhill Farm and Fine Foods

John Inglis | Oct 21, 2020

This business, which straddles the boundary between Wards 2 and 3 in our township, is probably best known for its amazing annual Christmas lights show. Over 100,000 lights that blink, sing Elvis songs, light up large maples, and stretch across an expanse of rolling lawns. But the real business side of Riverhill Farm is maple syrup production, run by Stephanie Lemke. She has 8000 taps and is still expanding on the 1400 acre property. Incidentally, this property is my immediate neighbour to the west, and my first introduction to it was through its owners Gerry and Sandra Ducharme in 1972. Gerry has since passed away, and his son Greg Ducharme is now the owner. For a number of years Greg and partner Rhonda Lemke operated a food concession on the carnival circuit around Ontario, but this was a difficult life that kept them away from home for months.

I learned, speaking with Stephanie and her mother Rhonda, that ‘Riverhill Farm’ was a name that Gerry called his place back in the ‘70’s, but it is only in the last 15 years that I’ve been aware of it as a business enterprise. The Christmas light show does not charge admission but does have donation boxes and a small food concession. I can imagine that revenues might pay for the electricity, but the labour to install and maintain, the capital cost of those lights…..? This is essentially a gift to the community, and it draws visitors from Ottawa and Toronto. This year with COVID, there is a shift to a drive-through format.

Maple syrup is another story, and a challenging one for its own reasons. Getting thousands of liters of syrup to market is not easy- in the past they’ve trucked it to a wholesaler in Goderich. But with COVID this year, that buyer’s shipments to China were in danger. Another option is CDL in Perth, but prices are lower and there’s more handling of the 32 gallon stainless steel drums, which can lead to damage. Other large syrup producers market directly to grocery and specialty stores, but this is not something Stephanie has chosen to do. Another recent challenge for all producers is a new grading system, that introduces flavour ‘colours’ to the traditional light, medium and dark grades. Stephanie likely has the largest maple syrup operation in North Frontenac, and has colleagues in nearby townships with similar or larger operations- Conboy, Wheeler, Temple. It appears the world will always want more of this gift of spring.