Pumpkins, Apples, Food and Fun equals Fall

Fall is not only beautiful with the leaves changing colour, it is fun and delicious.  The colours are at their peek and driving down our lane takes you back to the beauty of the country.  Traffic and worries can be left behind.

The apple and pumpkin crops have been good this year.  The Mutsu and Fugi apples are now available, fresh picked, in our market making for over 7 varieties to choose from.  These two varieties are my favorites and well worth the wait.  The Mutsu also make a fantastic apple pie.

Time to stock up on Honeycrisp apples, we have them on special for $1.95/lb.  They are one of our most popular varieties - juicy and sweet.

Our Harvest Festival continues.  We've had great reviews about our home farm.  "It feels like a farm and is beautiful".  Enjoy time with family and friends.  Take a breath of fresh air and relax.

Come for some fun and good food!

Giving Thanks for the Harvest

Each season has it's own special crops that we look forward to with eager anticipation.  Nothing quite compares to the fall.  

The cooler weather stimulates our appetite and we look forward to cooking all our comfort foods once again.  The gleam is evident in children's eyes when they see the pumpkins in the patch and around the barns.  Decorating is so easy with all the colours found in the gourds, Indian corn, garden mums and squash.   

Who wouldn't like the fall. 

Our Thanksgiving holiday gives us the opportunity to reflect back on the year, to celebrate the successes and put the failures behind us.  It's an opportunity to gather with family and friends enjoying the many traditions developed over the years.  

Here on the farm, our traditions are helping us stay focused in our transition from Markham to Greenbank.  You'll find some changes but there is still a lot that is the same including most of our staff. We're working hard to keep the well loved activities and fit them in to new surroundings so familiar traditions will continue.  We've been told we're off to a good start.

The farm and countryside up here is really beautiful and relaxing.  We've got space and fresh air.   

Come for a visit.  We are open daily in October including Thanksgiving Monday.  

Check our Harvest Festival page for detailed information on our hours open and activities available.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Cold Enough?

As with many of you we have felt the frost quakes, had difficulty starting cars and tractors and generally griped about the cold.  We've been working diligently in the market trying to keep the apples and the water pipes from freezing.
Our moving has been hampered with the cold weather as most things are frozen into the ground.  Let's hope for an extensive January thaw.

One benefit of this cold is the possible reduction in some of our non-native invasive insects.  Maybe this may be the temperature that will kill many overwintering in the soils and trees.

Thank you to everyone for your support, fond memories shared of time spent on the farm and your willingness to visit us in Greenbank.  I will soon be sending out our first e newsletter for all who have signed up.

You are welcome to drop into the market while we are packing up.  We will keep some apples including our honey crisp apples, on hand and our boxed cider along with our preserves and honey.  Please call ahead with any special orders for pies as we will only bake them upon request.  Variety is becoming limited as I am not renewing my inventory until after our move.  We will be answering the phone and checking messages, please call the market number at 905-887-1087.

We will also continue our school tour program in Greenbank.  To book a tour call 905-887-1086

Stay safe and warm.

An Invitation to our Customer Appreciation Days Dec 14th, 15th and 21st, 22nd

We are truly thankful for the support expressed by our customers; the stories you have told us, the place that  the farm has had in your lives.  Some of you have already brought in pictures for our memory board.

It has been 27 years of making the effort to connect with you and share our joy of farming.  You have been telling us through your stories that it has been a worthwhile one.  Many of you will keep in touch and make our Greenbank farm a new tradition.

We want to thank you.  The next two weekends we will have cookies and hot cider for refreshments as we chat about the times past and future.  There are specials on many of our products to help make stocking up for Christmas and winter more economical.

Our apples are a big reason why many of you come in this time of year - they are all on special for $1.50/lb including the Honey Crisp apples.

Our e newsletter will be starting up soon and we will keep you posted on the move and what we are up to.  It will be a very busy winter and spring this year.

Come in for a visit, dress warmly.  The atmosphere in the market is warm and welcoming but without a major source of heating the temperature is just a bit warmer than outside.

October Harvest Festival Happenings

Fall is now in the air with the cool breezes and cold nights.  Halloween is quickly approaching and the fun continues.  Our pumpkin crop has been amazing this year - in quality, size and numbers.  Our pumpkin corral just keeps filling up to give you a great selection of pumpkins.

This will be the last weekend for our October Harvest Festival.  Weather permitting we will have all our activities happening including pony rides and horse drawn wagon rides.  Dress for the weather, dress to have fun. We are cooler on the farm with the open fields.

Sunday October 27th is special with Geissbergers Farmhouse Cider arriving with their award winning mobile cider press.  We have over 4 bins of apples to press into cider and you can view the process. Come see how it is done.  The fresh cider will be available for purchase at the farm.

The apples are fantastic this year.  We now have over 7 varieties available in the market, fresh picked, including Honey Crisp, Ambrosia, Jona Gold and Fugi to name a few.  We also have some incredible Bosc pears.

Come and enjoy.  Our farm will be open until December 24th.

Macintosh, Honey Crisp and Gala Apples are here

Long anticipated and seemly late the first main season crop of apples are now available in the market.  Honey Crisp, Gala and MacIntosh apples arrived this weekend.  Crispy, these fresh picked apples are from Graceview Farms in Port Burwell.  We are once again getting our apples from John.  His apples were great last year and we're off to a good start this year.

Come, enjoy the crunch.

Fraser Fir Christmas Trees are here

Time to start celebrating the Coming of Christmas.  The Fraser fir trees are here and the Balsam will be arriving soon. What a great smelling time of year. Oh to reboot the brain with the aroma of the trees.  Even the snow has arrived.  Apple cider is hot in the market so come on in and enjoy a cup.  Right now it is our central heating system, in other words, dress warm for the weather.

Soup is on each weekend.  Naresh is here to offer ideas on great ways to prepare those comfort foods inspired by the weather that get us through the winter.  We still have a great selection of Ontario apples including Honey Crisp and Ambrosia.

Christmas cookie trays start next week featuring gingerbread and shortbread cookies along with a selection of other yummy baked goodies.  They're great as hostess gifts, for office parties and just for nibbling on a nice selection of treats.

Time to get your freezer orders in for winter.  Bacon and sausage will be here soon.  We are currently taking orders for fresh turkeys and pies for Christmas.  Stock up your shelves with our homemade preserves and jams.

Come on in, enjoy all the great smells of Christmas.  We're open this Saturday and Sunday 9 -5 and beginning Thursday Nov 29th we'll be open daily till December 24th.

November is a time to pause

November gives us the opportunity to catch our breath after the hectic buildup to Halloween and to pause before the busy Christmas season.   The beauty is in the browns of the trees and fields, the call of the geese heading south and the cool, cloudy skies.

It's also a time to cook all those great comfort foods.  Saturdays, Naresh will be taking some of the basics - onions, garlic, squash, sweet potatoes etc and creating hearty delicious soup.  He is passionate about all the delicious food grown in Ontario and is happy to share that passion giving you easy, quick ways to cook them.

We still have a great selection of Ontario apples - Empire, Mutsu, Macintosh, Fugi, Ambrosia, Honey Crisp and Russet.  We are now taking orders for Christmas turkeys and pies.

Our farm and market is open Thursday to Sundays in November from 9-5.  Come and enjoy the peacefulness of the November on the farm.  Its time to stock up for winter.

Apples Galore

Mutsu, Jonagold, Honey Crisp, Ambrosia, Empire, Macintosh, Cortland,Cameo, Russet and Fugi - We have them all, fresh picked in our market.  Oh the smell, it is amazing.  The apples are crunchy, some are sweet, some tart, all are Ontario grown by John in Port Burwell.
Our apple cider is made from Ontario apples as well.
Come and enjoy!

More Apples Are Now Here

Jim just picked up Cortland, Macs, Honey Crisp and Gala apples.  They'll be in the market today.  DELICIOUS!!!!! and ONTARIO GROWN!!!!!!!  We're looking forward to also having the Ambrosia and Fuji varieties.

The first batch of new crop apple cider is being delivered Thursday.  Due to the apple shortage this year there will be a price increase.  Supply is projected to last until Christmas.  We may miss out on  Cider Slushies next year but we'll see what next year brings.

We also have the most amazing Bosc and Flemish Beauty pears.  I've always been a fan of the Bosc pear but this is my first time for trying the Flemish Beauties and I'm very impressed.  They are sweet and juicy when ripe, their skin is firm.  Definitely distinct from the Bartlett.  I would say sweeter and juicier, and I haven't found that browning in the center that occurs with Bartlett.  Check them out.

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching.  Time to order your turkey.