Camaraderie, laughter and lots of carrot mustaches!

As always, the weekend of the Guelph Organic Conference flew by in a happy blur!  It's a happy time of reconnecting with old friends and colleagues, and making new connections.  It's rewarding to meet people who have been enjoying our produce - since our customers are mainly grocery stores, restaurants and juice companies, we don't often directly meet the people who eat the food we grow!  Spending time with people who are on this journey with us is inspiring, and gives us hope for the future.  A very big THANK YOU to the organizers - you did a great job making everything run smoothly!  Here are a few of our highlights:

Luscious Lemons! 

We believe in supporting local first.  But there are times when this just doesn't work.  There are things we cannot grow here, and as a Canadian operation this means our growing season is comparatively short. But we are more than "just" a farm here - we also import fruits and veg that don't grow here, or are out of season.  And thank goodness for that!  We are fortunate to be able to turn to growers in warmer climates to make up for what we lack, so our selection is pretty complete. As the holidays approach, citrus fruits are particularly celebrated!  I think there are a few reasons for this: colour is something we lack on short winter days, when the landscape features whites, browns and greys, so we really love the gorgeous pops of colour citrus fruits give.  The high Vitamin C levels they are known for are a needed immune booster to us snow-dwellers (as well as...

A little handful of fresh cranberries! 

December is upon us, and weekends are filling up with gatherings, shopping and baking. A blanket of snow is greeted with hopes that it will stay for a while, and a feeling of anticipation colours our daily activities. Jewel-like, ruby red cranberries are a seasonal holiday treat we just can't do without!  Cranberry sauce is simple to make, and is a traditional accompaniment to festive feasts.  But it doesn't stop there!  Their tart flavour makes them quite versatile.  Ever tried them in a

Did you know that $31 billion worth of food ends up in landfills or composters each year? 

That is a staggering statistic. Every level of the food system has a role to play: food producers, retailers and processors, and consumers. As growers and packers, we strive to find solutions to this all the time.  Any of us here who have worked alongside Barnhild (known affectionately around here as Mutti, the matriarch of the Pfenning family) knows her views on this!  When sorting out food on the production line, she would often get upset that we would sort out what was to her perfectly good food.  Many times she would walk away in disgust, hands in the air, shouting "These people have never been hungry!"  (Sometimes she would try to sneak it back in, and someone else would have to sneak it back out...interesting workdays!)

Ekk and Wolfgang Pfenning.

Hello 2018.  We are looking forward to seeing what you will bring; in the meantime, we're taking a look back at 2017 with all its ups and downs. Spring always brings new hope.  As the frozen earth awakens, there is renewed energy in us too.  You can see it in all of us, but it is most noticeable in Wolfgang, who seems like a kid on Christmas morning when it's time to get out in the fields again.  Those of you who have met him will know that twinkle he gets! The implementation of all the careful planning made in...