WORDS BY CAI SEPULIS; PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN

AROUND HERE, THE DEPARTURE OF WINTER BRINGS ON THE URGE FOR SCENIC DRIVES THROUGH THE COUNTRY – TO CLEAR OUR HEADS, EXPLORE, AND FIND SOME UNIQUE FARM GATES AND MARKETS TO SOURCE LOCAL AND FRESH PRODUCE AND MEATS. FOR THIS FEATURE, TOQUE’S CAI SEPULIS ASKED FRIEND AND REGIONAL FARM GURU CHRISTINA MANN FROM TASTEREAL TO SUGGEST THREE LOCAL FARM MARKETS SHE MIGHT CHECK OUT. JOINED BY TOQUE PARTNER CHRIS TIESSEN AND HIS CAMERA, CAI SET OUT TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK.


MOSBOROUGH MARKET 
5284 Wellington Road 32, Guelph 
mosboroughmarket.ca 

Located just outside of Guelph, Mosborough Market is named after the tiny hamlet which once was: a wee spot with a general store, post office, and train station. For the past decade, Mosborough Market has been one of my regular stops for seasonal produce. You can always tell what’s in season by what’s on display outside. Pumpkins in October, of course, squash in fall, homegrown sweet corn in summer and fall, and fresh cut flowers in spring. 

On a sunny February morning, Chris and I head to Mosborough to meet with Sue Dickieson who, along with her husband Bruce, has been operating the farm market for over two decades. When we step inside the market shop we are immediately enveloped by the rustic coziness created by all the green produce and local crafts. ‘Can you imagine that many years ago this was a storage barn for equipment?’, Sue remarks. ‘We’ve come a long way.’ 

The pandemic precipitated an interesting shift for Mosborough since they suddenly had much more demand for their little store: less busyness, fewer lines, and an enticing and healthful excursion into the fresh air made them more appealing to many than a chain grocery store. So Mosborough transitioned from being open one day a week over the winter months to being open three days a week now (Thursdays through Saturdays) with twenty five full-time and part-time staff. ‘People seem to have discovered the joy in a little drive to the country, and even though we’re small, we offer a great variety of products. We’re humble and uncomplicated,’ Sue says. And she’s right. Much like the hamlet that once was, the market seems to have all the staples one would need: local vegetables, in-house-made baked goods, meats, maple syrup, coffee beans (from Lost Aviator, The Seventh Coffee, and Planet Bean), fudge, and local crafts. Mosborough also features an array of over twenty ready-made soups and entrées made in-house from scratch – including quiche, tourtière, and the local favourite, turkey pie. ‘It’s big and hearty and full of turkey,’ Sue tells us. ‘We have people drive in from all over for it.’ 

‘I can’t come in here without buying something,’ I laugh to Chris as I grab some of Mosborough’s scrumptious buttertarts and a couple turkey pepperettes for him and me to snack on during the ride home. Walking out the front door, I feel myself excited for the freshness of spring. Without a doubt I’ll be coming back in the coming weeks for asparagus and local fiddleheads. 

YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• Mosborough sells maple syrup from local producer, Shady Grove 
• all the brownies, muffins, date squares, and butter tarts are baked in-house


 MAPLETWISS FARM
8507 Line 6, Kenilworth
mapletwissfarm.com

‘This must be the place,’ Chris exclaims as we turn up the long windy driveway that stretches across scenic rolling hills at Mapletwiss Farm, north of Fergus. We’re immediately struck by how beautiful – and rustic – the place is. This is a working farm. Barns. Pigs in the distance. Fresh country air. 

We’re met at the end of the drive by Amanda Twiss, who runs the farm along with her husband James and their two kids. When Amanda and James purchased the property in 2018, their plan was to offer pasture-raised meats in an educational context. ‘We want to welcome everyone who visits the farm to become more connected both to their food and to the story behind it,’ Amanda tells us. We sense her enthusiasm about the place even before she starts listing the farm events she plans to participate in this year, including TasteReal’s ever-popular spring Rural Romp. 

We head inside the wee farm store (which is really not much larger than an oversized backyard shed) that features a range of product carefully curated by Amanda, alongside freezers filled with packed pork, chicken, turkey, and cuts of beef. ‘I could fill my freezer at home and not run out of options for weeks,’ I exclaim as I survey the list of all available cuts of beef. ‘If you can’t come out to the farm, you can order online for bi-weekly delivery,’ Amanda tells me. ‘We deliver throughout Wellington County and also into Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, and Puslinch.’ 

As we continue chatting and shuffling through the cozy shop, I get distracted looking at some savoury herb blends from Tullamore Lavender Co in Arthur while Chris points out some Elora Coffee Roaster beans. Chris discovers a carton of eggs in a small fridge whose colours range from deep red and brown to blue. ‘They’re all from our pastured chickens,’ Amanda remarks when she sees Chris readying his camera. ‘On any spring day, you can see them running through the fields.’

Indeed, there’s more to be seen outside, where we finish our tour with James, who gives us a closer look at their heritage bred pigs. They’re a combination of rare Large Black breeds, Tamworth, and Berkshire – each with their own history and character. I’m eager to see and learn more. Another time.

As we drive away, I imagine coming back in the spring, grabbing a cup of coffee from the shop, picking up some provisions for dinner, and settling in to discover more about this exotic world next door. Besides, wandering around the farm would be a perfect way to spend a spring morning, don’t you think?

YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• all meats in the shop are raised on the farm (except the beef, which comes from Alma)
• in the fall, Mapletwiss hosts a pumpkin party where folks can bring their expired Jack-o-lanterns to feed the animals 
• in the spring, the farm taps their three acres of sugar maple trees


THATCHER FARMS
5727 5th Line of Eramosa, Rockwood
thatcher-farms.com

‘Remember the time we came out here for the TasteReal field dinner all those years ago?’, Chris begins to reminisce while we’re on our way to Thatcher Farms, just outside Rockwood. ‘Especially after these past couple years, it feels like a dream to have been to such a gathering.’ That field dinner was an incredible feast featuring local produce and meats teamed up with local chefs and paired with local craft beer. What made that event truly memorable, though, was the location here at Thatcher’s. 

Thatcher Farms began simply as little more than a freezer in a shed – and the Thatchers’ desire to share their farm-raised meats with friends. Dana and Adam’s meticulous attention to detail and savviness allowed them to envision and develop the farm as a destination butcher shop, bakery, and market. Before long, Thatcher Farms also became a farm playground with an area for kids, with a corn maze in the fall, and strawberry fields in the spring. You never know, from year to year, what other new features they might add. 

My wife Sonia and I make the trip out to the farm a few times a season, especially before heading out canoeing. We might pick up some of their summer sausage, baked goods, and fresh local produce. Even my parents buy their holiday meats from Thatcher’s. Like other regulars, they’re attracted by this bright and airy farm market where the aroma of freshly-baked goods makes any stopover feel like a visit to a perfect country home. 

Chris is still reminiscing about the field dinner when we arrive and meet up with Dana – the place’s dynamic ideas woman who left a career in education to expand the family farm business with her husband, Adam, a life-long farmer. ‘Have you heard what we’re up to back there?’, Dana asks with scheming eyes while pointing out through the kitchen window to a beautifully-crafted – and massive – barn. ‘We’ve named it Barn Swallow Fields. Once we’ve got it up and running, we’ll be using it to host events and music – and we’ve already started booking weddings.’ 

Chris and I are wide-eyed as we follow Dana to take a closer look. We marvel at the barn’s enormity and at the beauty of the post-and-beam construction – almost-four thousand square feet with white pickle wash barnboard paneled walls. Walking through the space, I gaze up at the twenty-foot ceiling and imagine myself sharing a mid-summer evening event here with friends – the large barn doors open and the fresh breeze dancing through the space and into the fields. Heavenly.

After our tour of Thatcher’s latest development, Chris and I both leave with an armful of local cheese and marinated chicken for dinner, hoping we’ll be invited to enjoy another field dinner at Thatcher Farms before too long. 

YOU SHOULD KNOW:
• you can find Thatcher Farms at the Guelph Farmers’ Market (but the trip out to the real deal is worth it)
• online orders for farm pick-up is an option