Real Food in Quinte West
Know what's a crying shame? That south of the 401, in that other county, you can't swing a dead coyote without hitting a roadside farm stand, or a restaurant featuring locally-grown produce. North of the 401, real food is a little harder to find. We've been on the prowl for fellow regenerative growers since we moved here in 2019, and we've found a few gems.
There are lots of farmers growing good food in the area, but we're very selective when it comes to who's listed here. Growing organically, and sustainable farming is admirable, but are not enough. The farms we trust are the ones working actively to regenerate the land by building healthy soil, encouraging biodiversity, nurturing healthy ecosystems, propagating native species, and breeding plants and animals suited to our land and climate. We also prefer to support farms who do not drive down food prices by using seasonal agricultural workers.
You can find regenerative farms in Ontario which open to the public on this Google map.
Opoma Farms
Grass fed, grass-finished, rotationally grazed Red Devon beef, pastured chicken, and pastured eggs. Farm store on-site. Also selling Red Devon breeding stock and semen.
Proprietors: Brad Gibson & his father-in-law John Moelker
Unit No. 77 Honey
Single-farm honey from organic & regenerative farms around Quinte West, focused on strong queen breeding to raise chemical-free hives. Honey, beeswax products, lotions, and bee rescue/swarm capture.
Proprietor: Serving Air Force member, Curt Hardy
Luminous Ground Farm
An ecological farm along the Trent River near Frankford, Ontario, growing and selling vegetables and seedlings at farmers' markets.
Proprietor: Engineer-turned-farmer, Hannah Wong.
Natural Themes Farm
Naturally grown, organic vegetables from the field & greenhouse, sold year-round on-farm and at local farmers' markets. Also operating a native tree & plant nursery near Stockdale, Ontario.
Proprietors: Dan Navrot & Beate Heissle