Top Local Destinations To Visit This Summer on The Dumfries Mutual Summer Trail
It is more important than ever to support local businesses, and this goes beyond visiting the small shops in your downtown. This summer we encourage everyone to support the local farmers, artisans, restaurants, and others across our region. To help, the team at Dumfries Mutual Insurance has put together a Summer Trail to connect you with the amazing farmers, artists, and entrepreneurs in our area. As a mutual insurance company, we started local and we’ve stayed local.
Check out the top local destinations on the Dumfries Summer Trail:
- Mosborough Country Market
- Shady Grove Maple Farm
- Top Market Family Farms
- Bee Sweet Nature Company
- Marcy’s Berries
- Going Broke Farm
- The Farm-Acy
- Farm Fresh Country Market
- Manorun Organic Farm
- Shearlea Acres
- Brantview Apples & Cider, Howell Road Cider Co.
- Struyk Farm Market & Greenhouse
- The Rockton Farmers Market
- Rock Maple Lodge
- McKnight Farms
Farms and Markets
Mosborough Country Market
Location: 5284 Wellington Road 32, Guelph
Mosborough Country Market started as a small stand in 1999 selling homegrown sweet corn from the family farm. They work with local farmers and neighbours to provide the freshest and best tasting products.
Shady Grove Maple Farm
Location: 6640 Fife Road, Woolwich
Shady Grove Maple Farm began making syrup 27 years ago with family and friends. Today, as one of the largest maple syrup producers in Ontario, their operation has roughly 50,000 taps and they can process up to 4,000 gallons of maple sap per hour. Shady Grove Maple Farm is a family-fun spot with facility tours, syrup tasting, pancakes, and more.
Top Market Family Farms
Location: 960 King Street E., Cambridge
Top Market Family Farms is a specialty grocery store that connects the community with local farmers, foods, and more. Everything sold here is local including produce, humanely raised meats, dairy, baked goods, preserves, baking mix, and much more.
Bee Sweet Nature Company
Location: 4182 Sideroad 20 South, Puslinch
Bee Sweet Nature Company, previously Puslinch Naturally Native, is a family-run business committed to environmental sustainability. This pollinator paradise is home to native trees and plants grown right from seeds and offers a variety of honey products.
Marcy’s Berries
Location: 1747 Valens Road N., Hamilton
From field to table, Marcy’s Berries is a beautiful location for berry picking. It’s great for kids, has a wonderful atmosphere, and very friendly staff. Be sure to check their Facebook page for the daily crop report.
Going Broke Farm
Location: 433 Campbellville Road, Hamilton
Pasture-raised, grass-fed, and free-range — the Going Broke Farm is a family farm offering Heritage Berkshire pork, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken, free-range eggs, and more. Be sure to order ahead online as they are only open for walk-in purchasing on Saturday from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm.
The Farm-Acy
Location: 148 Concession Road 6 E., Waterdown
The Farm-Acy began 11 years ago with a goal to provide delicious and flavourful fruits and vegetables, placing value on health and knowing what we consume. At their roadside stand, you will find locally grown, fresh-tasting, and chemical-free produce.
Farm Fresh Country Market
Location: 390 Barton Street, Stoney Creek
The Farm Fresh Country Market’s owner, Judy, brings local farm products from small family farms directly to her store. Judy personally meets each farmer to check out their products, so you can feel confident in the quality of the foods.
Manorun Organic Farm
Location: 782 Hamilton Regional Road 52, Lynden
Manorun Organic Farm is a family-run farm offering organic vegetables through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). They believe that through regenerative agriculture we can rebuild our organic matter and increase biodiversity, which in turn provides us with more nutrient-dense crops. Livestock plays a large role in their holistic system and they have educated many new farmers over the years who go on and start their own farms.
Shearlea Acres
Location: 3826 Governors Road, Lynden
Stop at Shearlea Acres for everything from fresh vegetables to fall decor! From their farm to your table, owners Earle & Sharon have everything you can imagine, from Spanish onions to swiss chard, zucchinis to rhubarb and turnips, dill and garlic, ornamental corn, gourds, corn stalks, and so much more.
Brantview Apples & Cider, Howell Road Cider Co.
Location: 225 Howell Road, Saint George
The Brantview Apples & Cider orchard has been around for almost 200 years, harvesting the land and supplying quality apples and baked goods. Brantview Apples & Cider is also home to the Howell Road Cider Co. The Howell family has the sixth, seventh, and eighth generations of Howells keeping the tradition of making your farm experience a great one!
Struyk Farm Market & Greenhouse
Location: 1960 Concession 4 West, Troy
The Struyk Farm Market & Greenhouse is a family-run farm and a favourite local destination for buying beautiful flowers, plants, and farm-fresh vegetables. They have a variety of pots, baskets, and planters, maple syrup, fresh eggs, tomatoes, and so much more.
The Rockton Farmers Market
Location: 812 Old Highway 8, Rockton
Rockton Farmers Market is the best place to shop for all your favourite local vendors in one spot. A few of their vendors include Bee Sweet Nature Co., Struyk Farms, and McKnight Farms — all destinations on the Dumfries Mutual Summer Trail.
Rock Maple Lodge
Location: 2491 Normal Road, Sheffield
Rock Maple Lodge is a picturesque, fun-filled, family experience. The lodge taps and processes its own syrups from 3,200 trees, and you can purchase different varieties of wood for items like charcuterie boards.
McKnight Farms
Location: 1010 Sheffield Road, Hamilton
McKnight Farms started as a dairy farm in 1832. They now raise grass-fed animals for hormone and antibiotic-free, humanely raised, quality meats. They use a federally registered local butcher who provides quality cuts and helps keep their carbon footprint to a minimum.
Artisans
Studio 50 Living Inc.
Location: 772 Governors Road E., Paris
Studio 50 Living Inc. began when the husband and wife team, Steve and Kim, designed and built their home in Paris. The Canadian-Nordic furniture and homewares studio and retail space aims to bring warmth and comfort into homes with design.
Donn Zver Pottery
Location: 2290 Highway 5 West, Troy
Donn Zver was the first Canadian potter to teach at the prestigious Penland School of Crafts. Donn Zver Pottery was opened in 1972 as the studio where Donn continues to craft a distinctive line of functional stoneware pottery for purchase. Donn is launching a Pottery School this September for all levels of artists.
Pavlo Pottery
Location: 776 Old Highway 8, Rockton
Pavlo Pottery is the work of two artists, Pavlo Tsarynny and Oksana Pogorila, who share a passion for working with clay and create functional, one-of-a-kind pieces that can be used in everyday life.
Little Wool Shop at Rampart Farm & Wool Mill
Location: 2391 Concession Road 6 W., Branchton
A small, family-owned, mixed farm and wool processing plant, Little Wool Shop at Rampart Farm & Wool Mill is a great source for quality and custom wool products, such as raw fleeces, rovings, batts, hand-spun yarn, hand-made wool garments, and spinning accessories.
Food and Drink
Mark’s Caribbean Kitchen & Seafood
Location: 20 King Street E., Kitchener
The food at Mark’s Caribbean Kitchen & Seafood is influenced by the West Indies with unique Caribbean tastes. It’s a great place to experience the taste and vibe of what the Caribbean is truly like.
Nook Vibrant Kitchen
Location: Unit 4 – 990 Bishop Street N, Cambridge
Nook Vibrant Kitchen is a plant-based meal delivery company. They deliver meals and organic raw cold-pressed juices that are made from farm-delivered organic produce to support your immune and digestive system, to add diversity into your diet, to help heal and strengthen your gut system, and to make you shine from the inside out.
Recreation
Pineland Greens Golf Club
Location: 772 Safari Road, Millgrove
Pineland Greens Golf Club is a quality, family golf experience. Players of all ages and skill levels will enjoy the lush fairways, fast greens, towering pines, and water features on this 9-hole golf course.
Heart’s Content Organic Farmstead
Location: 27 Ronald Road, Brantford
The 57-acre organic farm, Heart’s Content Organic Farmstead, is the ideal place for off-grid farm stay suites and camping. It is bicycle friendly with a repair station on-site and access to the Trans Canada Trail. They also grow and sell medicinal and edible herbs.
Shops
Bird & Bee Vintage Inc.
Location: 31 Mechanic Street, Paris
Bird & Bee Vintage Inc. is a market containing a mix of artisans and fresh food vendors, specializing in heirloom jewelry, antiques, giftwares, and fashion, and wedding accessories.
Taleen Jewellers
Location: 31 Ainslie Street N., Cambridge
Taleen Jewellers specializes in Canadian and imported fine jewelry, watches, and accessories. This family-owned business offers a wide variety of services and products such as jewelry restorations and appraisals, complete time-piece repairs, custom jewelry design, and more.
Which local destination will you be visiting first? Let us know by sharing photos along the Dumfries Summer Trail. If you are a local business looking for insurance, or a spot on the Dumfries Summer Trail, contact us today!