Head Out To The Back Forty

Kelli McRobert | Feb 16, 2022

Weaving our way along the snow lined roads through Parham, Tichborne, and Sharbot Lake, there was a stillness in the woods and on the lakes, as the previous night’s snowfall had gently layered the roadways with a fresh white coating.

We were on a road trip to North Frontenac.

Fluffy banks edged the lakes and most tracks had been gently covered over, billowy pillows of fluff, tempting us to stop, drop and make a snow angel! Once we crossed over hwy 7 the tall cedars rose like welcoming giants directing us further north towards Gulley Road, at Mississippi Station

The Back 40 Artisan Cheese Shop, at 1406 Gulley Road, is currently open every Saturday from 10 am – 4 pm. It has good roadside signage that easily directs you down the winding driveway into a welcoming farm-like parking area. I headed inside the modern rustic structure and entered a bright and cheery building, which houses a retail space as well as the cheese factory, with the Jenna Rose silk screen studio in the lost above. At the retail store, in addition the cheese, offer other local artisanal items like cutting boards, bowls, and hand-crafted goods, are available. A rack of snowshoes (available for rent) lined the wall, and the sun warmed the building through the large glass garage door, where outside blended with in. A pleasant little girl welcomed us with her pink crocs tapping and dancing on the floor.

The Back 40 was founded in 2000 by James Kieth. It was purchased in 2011, by Jeff and Jenna Fenwick, who moved it from a property near Watson’s Corners in Lanark County, to the historic farm property on the Mississippi Rive. The cheesemaker is Jeff, and he produces 100% natural unpasteurized sheep’s milk cheese which has become a staple in many high-end restaurants and stores. He has added cheese made from raw Water Buffalo milk to a repertoire that includes favourites such as Flower Station, Highland Blue, and Madawaska. The names themselves ringing true with locals in Ompah, Calabogie, and Lanark. Previously, they have held festive open houses and have recently re-opened their doors now that restrictions have lifted.

We grabbed trail passes and a few of the crew donned their snowshoes as we bundled up and prepared for a woodsy trek through the property. One of the activities that is offered during the winter months is a snowshoe through the well marked trails, and a few families came with the kids to toboggan (swoosh) down the sloping hills, a free activity that is nestled amongst the forest. All ages could be seen weaving their way through the variety of trails, each offering a view of the rushing river, solid looming rock faces and beautiful arched pines and cedars that protected you from the outside world.

With the option of 3 different trails, we started with a wooded adventure, crossed over the wind-swept fields, and then looped through the upper forest with each section offering 1.5 KM of rolling terrain. People and canine companions were eager to get outside and explore this frozen landscape. The trail pass is a nominal $5.00 (free for 12 and under) and we managed to complete just under 5 KM along our route. Quite honestly, we cut back across the main field so we could get back quicker as our hunger was getting the better of us.

A nice addition to our outing was that Back 40 was offering a fireside lunch and we were eager to taste the gourmet menu items that awaited us. Wild boar chili with home made cornbread and corn chips was the main course and we washed it down with yummy hot chocolate that you could spice up with toasted cinnamon and chilis, or not. As we sat around the large bonfire it provided a comforting warmth as wesampled the hot chili with tender chunks and just enough zip on top with cheese and jalapenos. Laughter and chatter were a welcomed background noise after being in lockdown for over 3 weeks and many of us just coming out from familial isolation. The sun offered some warmth as we shared a few stories and watched the embers glowing as the steam danced from the bottoms of our boots.

As the afternoon began to fade, we packed up our purchases and were feeling quite sated. We smiled as two beautiful, large, Samoyed dogs paraded in like royalty, fluffy, puffy, and proud as they seemed to enjoy the cooler weather and were keen to hit the trails. We thanked our hosts for a wonderful afternoon and noted that we were keen to return when the apple cider would be flowing, as we noted a small orchard near the entrance.

For those interested in finding out the weekend menus you can see it updated at www.artisancheese.ca/our-farm/