Winter Market at Terra Garden

One of our favourite activities is heading to the farmer's market on a warm summer day and now with the introduction of the TERRA @ Home Winter Market, we can make this a year round outing!  The great thing about this market is you don't have to brave the cold, it's all indoors and heated.  This past Saturday marked the opening of the winter market and I couldn't wait to pack up my two daughters and head to TERRA.

We arrived at the market about an hour in and the first thing I noticed was how busy it was and then secondly, how well managed it was from the moment you turn into the parking lot.  There were parking attendants controlling the flow of traffic and we easily got parked and headed in but not before being accosted by the smell of Gorilla Cheese grilling their specialty sandwiches at the entrance (oh willpower how I miss thee!)

My five year old immediately spotted someone heading out with popcorn and the greeter gave us a smile and let us know we could get some inside, guess what our first stop was going to be. We headed into the market and I have to say it's a beautiful setting; even in the winter the greenhouse is alive with plants which gives it an outdoor feel despite the fact you are comfortably indoors.  There is lots to see before you reach the vendors but I didn't have much time to explore as the chants of "popcorn, popcorn" from both my girls was getting louder.  Lucky for us the Kettle Corn Boss was offering small sample cups of their delicious product which gave me enough time to find my wallet and purchase a bag before the girls needed a re-fill.

Once popcorn was in hand we were able to stroll around and check out the vendors.  Unlike many of the summer markets, this one offers a range of products from baked goods, produce, meats and local artisans.  I was a bit surprised their was only one produce vendor (Ann Brown) but I guess that it's hard through the lean winter to source a wide variety of fresh local product.  The produce on hand was farm fresh and there was a sample of a white radish that was really good, I just wasn't sure what I would make with it so I opted for some red onions which accompanied our steaks at dinner.  There were also other root vegetables and apples to choose from.

Itty Bitty Pies

Next up was baked goods, we picked up some sweet potato loaf from Sweet Potato Johnny who also featured muffins, hummus and soup all made from, you guessed it - sweet potato.  We checked out the amazing Dyment Farm table filled with homemade pies and sweets and made our way to Itty Bitty Pie who were offering up a selection of small savoury pies in addition to the more traditional ones.  After a sample of their key lime pie by the girls, we added more to our bag and continued to Manual Labour Coffee so mommy could get a treat.  

Manual Labour Coffee are new to Burlington and make their headquarters at 93 Plains Rd., when they are not on the road with their old school house trailer that serves up their awesome brew.  The girls loved talking with co-owner Katie who awed them with tales of the Koalas in Australia (where she hails from) while my hand-poured java was brewing. One other cool item that they were selling is a fire starter called the Coffee Log, made from grounds, wax, and molasses & it burns clean! With coffee in hand, we were ready to continue. 

As someone whose job it is to promote all things culinary, I try to make sure that my girls try everything and I am very lucky that will eat just about anything I offer up.  That said my oldest is a huge fan of Smokeville who we visit regularly at the Burlington Farmers' Market and boy was she pleased to find them handing out samples at this winter market!  With a choice of smoked salmon, whitefish or trout it's hard to decide and that's why she felt the need to return several times for more tasting.  We decided upon the salmon bacon and it provided a healthy snack when we got home, I think there might even be a small piece left for the rest of us. 

My youngest is two and a half and is very petite however she has an appetite that never stops.  Not to be outdone by here sister, she opted for the vegan chili being served up by The Naked Spout, which if you are not familiar with them is the only full service vegan restaurant in Burlington. Chef Peter was busy cooking and it smelled great, we ordered a cup to try. I did manage to get a spoonful for myself and for those of you that think vegan cooking can't taste like the real thing, I urge you to give this a try.  I could have sworn there were pieces of ground beef in the chili and the taste was awesome.  

Our last sample stop was at Cherry Lane where the girls both tasted the cherry juice from concentrate which was a big hit, we brought some home in addition to the dried cherries (perfect for snacking).  Our whole household loves cherries so this is a great way for us to enjoy them year round.

We spent some additional time wandering around and checking out the other vendors before it was time to go.  The winter market looks like it's going to be a popular destination.  It was filled with people of all ages tasting, buying and enjoying the atmosphere.  There were lots of families and children running around (mine included) and everyone seemed just a little calmer in this setting - no harried grocery store faces to be seen.  

We are so happy that TERRA has created this winter market to showcase local and neighbouring farms and producers and we look forward to our next visit.

The market will run Saturdays until March 23 from 10am to 3pm at TERRA on Hwy. 5 between Brant St. and Guelph Line.  List of vendors below.

Dyment Farm

Smokeville

Sweet Potato Johnny

Itty Bitty Pie

Perfectly Natural

The Naked Sprout 

Terra Teas 

Cherry Lane

Crafty Owl Designs

Manual Labour Coffee

The Little Truffle Maker

Purple Daze Lavender Farm

Lovin Oven Bakery

Kettle Corn Boss

Epicure

Country Girl Cooks

Acropolis Organics

Inspired by Nature

Pies and Such

Epicure  

For more on farms and markets in the Burlington area be sure to visit our website.

Eating Local in Burlington & Halton

With summer in full swing and the sun shining almost daily, it’s the perfect time to spend some time outdoors and enjoy the deliciousness that is local Ontario foods.  We are incredibly lucky to live in an area that is ripe with farms and markets, from pick your own to farmers’ and on-farm sales, we have it all!

At my home we are lucky to have a garden that produces a modest amount of vegetables and herbs for our own use and as anyone can tell you, fresh produce has a taste that cannot be matched.  My girls love to pick and eat tomatoes and peppers straight from the vine and I love that they are gaining an appreciation for eating “farm to table”.

Burlington and Halton are home to many farmers’ markets and visiting one can be as simple as popping by and picking up what you need or if you have the time and inclination you can make it an experience.  For those with children it’s a great opportunity to talk about farming, where our food comes from and for the really wee ones it’s a great place to explore colours, shapes and sizes – see learning can be fun.

Wednesday, Friday and Saturday until the end of October, Burlington Mall plays host to the Burlington Lions Club farmers’ market.  As a frequent visitor to this market, I can tell you that the vendors are more than happy to spend time chatting with you about their products and most are actual farmers bringing their goods to you.  This market has a wide variety of goods including produce, meats, cheeses and some specialty vendors offering baked goods, ice cream and more which makes it a one-stop market plus they send out a newsletter weekly in-season to let you know what is available and links to recipes in case you need some inspiration.

For those that live, work or play in Downtown Burlington, you will be happy to know that Centro Garden on Brant Street has added a small farmers’ market in their back lot on Fridays (running until the fall).  This market focuses on primarily organic product with Plan B Organics, Featherstone Farmers and Farm to Table Meats as the main suppliers.  Other vendors and special guests pop in so be sure to visit their website to find out what’s happening week to week.   While you’re there give yourself a few extra minutes to chat with the gang from Plan B Organics, they are very passionate about what they grow and can give you great ideas on how to use that produce you just purchased.  I know this for a fact since I purchased some kale (after hearing so much about the benefits of it) but had no idea how to cook it and make it taste delicious – thanks to Rod my sautéed kale was a hit at dinner that night.

If you are looking for an on farm experience, Halton is home to many pick your own farms that give you a chance to harvest your own fruits and vegetables.  Every year I take my girls apple picking, they run down the rows of apple trees looking for the perfect low lying branches to fill their bags.  The temptation of the juicy red fruit is usually overwhelming and a couple of apples are consumed en route. It’s such a fun day out for everyone and the added bonus is we come home with bags of freshly picked fruit to enjoy.  This year the weather has not been kind to our apple farmers but we are hoping their crops make it.  Speaking of apples, be sure to visit Ireland House at Oakridge Farm Museum on September 30 for their annual Applefest Fall Fair. 

For those that prefer to buy direct from the farmer, many also offer on-farm markets and some such as Springridge Farm, Andrews Scenic Acres, Chudleighs, Stone Haven Farms and others have activities and events for kids and families to enjoy.  For a complete list of farms offering farm fresh produce visit the Halton website.

One of the newer things happening here in Burlington is the community garden.  This initiative from Burlington Green gives local residents that don’t have green space the chance to have their own garden.  For a small fee residents purchase one or more of the thirty available plots in the garden and then tend to and harvest their produce.  This garden also helps the local community with two donations already this year to Food for Life and a third expected before year-end.  The garden at Central Park is open to the public to tour as long as the gates are open.  Burlington Green is hosting a speakers series focused on helping you eat local, check out the schedule here.

Looking for a more interactive garden experience?  Head to Royal Botanical Gardens and explore Veggie Village where you can tune into an audio tour using your cell phone.  Learn all about edible plants and what you can do to eat local year-round then take the “Veg Pledge” and be committed to eating locally.  The produce that is harvested from this garden is used in the restaurants at the RBG plus they offer the Edible Weekends series with cooking demonstrations, educational programming and special menu items.  The final weekend for this series is August 25-26 (featuring garlic)!

If you live in Halton Region and have fruit bearing trees that you don’t harvest, consider contacting the Growing & Sharing program which benefits everyone.  The way it works is, throughout the growing season, small groups of volunteer pickers will go to your property and harvest the fruit. The harvest will be shared 3 ways: 1/3 to the property owner, 1/3 to local food bank, and 1/3 to the pickers.  It’s a great way to avoid a yard full of rotten fruit plus you help the community and have fresh fruit to eat.

If all this talk of food is making you hungry and you don’t want to cook, don’t despair, several restaurants in Burlington are committed to the use of local foods and you can regularly find fresh Ontario produce, meats and cheeses on their menus.  Be sure to visit Red Canoe Bistro, Spencer’s at the Waterfront and Water St. Cooker to see what their chefs have cooked up.

No matter how you slice it (or dice it or cook it), eating local is a great way to support our farmers, eat nutritious, sustainable food and reduce your carbon footprint.  It can be fun and easy and no matter whether you do a little or a lot, it all makes a difference.  Come discover the foods and farms of our Region and taste the difference.

Eat Well.

Ban Summer Boredom with Burlington’s Adventure Activities for Locals and Visitors of All Ages.

Get Out in the Green and Enjoy the History and Heritage of your Backyard Treasures.

The Royal Botanical Gardens

Summer Sings and Swings at the Royal Botanical Gardens

It’s always beautiful at the RBG, but right now it is irresistible – with cool shady walks and gardens full of flowers at their summer best.

Learn to Love your Veggies in the 100 Mile Garden

Photo credit Barbara Orr

The Veggie Garden is an exciting addition to the RBG and promotes something which I support wholeheartedly – eating fresh, eating local and eating well.

These gardens, each one carefully designed and well signed, are both inspirational and beautiful – who knew that a salad could look so gorgeous? Visitors can read about the different kinds of vegetables and herbs that are growing here in a collection of themed gardens, as well as find recipes for using them.  But more than just something to look at and maybe try to duplicate, the gardens are positioned as a call to action. Visitors are asked to take the 100 Mile Veg Pledge which is a promise to use one locally grown ingredient in one meal per week for a year.  If 2000 people take and honour the pledge, 80,000 tonnes of CO 2 emissions due to transportation will be saved – the equivalent of burning 3.3 million litres of gasoline.  And of course, there are health benefits too.

But this is a beautiful place to visit too, nice and shady in the morning, and totally inspirational.  There are many suggestions for the gardener, ideas to steal for his own space, however small it may be.  There are suggestions of how to use planters and pots to grow vegetables and herb, with examples of different designs and different containers.  This is one of my new favourite places in the RBG.

Cook Those Greens!

If you are a foodie or a budding chef, plan to attend the Edible Weekend for classes in pesto making and herb drying in the garden on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Hit the Trails for August and July

There are more than 27 kilometres of walking trails, and a total of 30 different trails in the RBG and they are the prefect place for a hike in the summer months.  This is the time when new birds are merging from their nests, and wildflowers bloom alongside every path.

If you prefer a guided walk, try one of the free weekly Sunday Back to Nature walks that rotate between four locations, one for each week of the month, and conducted by RBG volunteers.

Garden Gnomes and Fairies

Indulge in a little wistful magic during the RBG’s Magic and Mischief weekend, which will include magical activities, costumes and more.  There may be pixies!

Summer Swings in the Gardens

Music and beautiful gardens make a natural partnership.  The RBG has a line-p of evenings running all summer that celebrate the marriage of natural beauty and gorgeous sound.

Hendrie Garden

Tranquil Tuesdays run every week from 6:00 pm to 8:30 and are the chance to enjoy classical music under a big white tent.  Or sit on the grass and sip a glass of wine and nibbles on appetizers while you listen.  You can stroll through the gardens with the discrete strains of the great composers as company.

Red Hot Jazz and Cool Blues moves the gardens into a more upbeat mood on Wednesday evenings during the summer, showcasing fine jazz and blues musicians, and they play rain or shine.

For the Kiddies

Day camp programs for kids 3 to 12 feature hikes, canoeing in Cootes Paradise, games, crafts, activities and daily explorations of ecologically significant nature sanctuaries covering over 1000 hectares of wetlands, fields and forests.  The programs include a new half day program for three and four year olds.  Day campers can make art in the garden, learn about the creatures that make their home in the park, create projects, discover nature, plant seeds, and generally discover the wonder of the outdoors.

So much more rewarding than a television screen or a computer monitor!

There’s almost too much to do, but one thing is sure – with the delights of the RBG right next door to you, you will never exhaust all the possibilities for natural fun this summer.

Check it all out at http://www.rbg.ca/

Halton County Radial Railway Museum

(Fun Fact:  The Bare Naked Ladies filmed a video here!)

Photo credit Barbara Orr

Oswald beams at me.  “Look carefully at the number on my badge, #147,” he smiles.  “When you get to the end of the ride at Meadowvale Station, notice the number on the badge of the person you meet there.”

That person is the Ice Cream Lady and she’s #147 too.  Turns out, she’s Mrs. Oswald.  Kind of romantic, isn’t it?

Oswald is a volunteer at the amazing and quirky Radial Railway Museum.  He and many others like him who have a passion for all things train related form the backbone of the museum and run its daily programs.

What a fun place this is!  I have no special interest in trains and I’m not the least bit mechanically inclined but this museum is just so compelling.  It is different from any other museum you will tour in Ontario.

There’s much to do, from riding the restored antique trains along the two kilometres of track, with a stop at the Meadowvale station for ice cream, to enjoying a picnic by the old rail station.  The station at the start of the run is a microcosm of a past era, with old typewriters, train memorabilia and a still operable telegraph.

There’s a large display barn where you can look at the many types of old trains that the museum has rescued and either restored or are in the process of restoring. The trains are surprisingly beautiful, far more aesthetically pleasing and ornate than the trains of today.  Many of them are open and you can walk through them and imagine what travel must have been like a hundred years or so ago.

There’s a gift shop and a snack bar for light lunches.

I ride to Meadowvale with Kevin.  He is an teaches at the TTC and volunteers at the museum on his days off. “I just love the history here,”  he tells me. “ I meet so many train aficionados like myself, and some of the older ones have actually ridden these cars when they were in service.  Their stories are wonderful to listen to. You would be surprised at the people who seek out this museum.  Just yesterday there was someone from Australia and another person from Europe.  Even our volunteers come a distance – from Kingston, even Michigan.”

The museum is open seven days a week during July and August, from 10:30 to 4:30.  For more information, call the museum at 519-856-9802.

Plan a visit here for a unique experience and great photo opportunities.

The Waterfront Trail Leisure Company

Stop in to this friendly bistro for a good cup of coffee, a gluten free muffin and few laps on the indoor bike.  Steve Whealy will be there, and if he doesn’t make you into a cycling enthusiast, I’ll be surprised.  His passion is contagious.

The WTLC has been in business here since last April, and its following just keeps growing, I think because it offers a valuable service to cyclists and tourists as well as providing a good meal for diners.

Bikes and Tours

The business offers a whole cluster of services.  Steve rents bikes, but not just bikes, - everything you could possibly need to go on a cycling excursion, from helmets and backpacks to tents, coolers and even prepared picnic lunches.

Photo credit Barbara Orr

He also creates tours for cyclers, custom designing them to suit each customer.  He knows the cycling details of the area inside and out and can advise on the best routes, the location of desirable stopping areas, the most cycling friendly inns and B&Bs – in short all you need to know for a bike trip in Niagara, Hamilton and Burlington.

He also rents tandem bikes and child ride attachments. 

Steve provides guided rides as well, and finds that the tour of Old Burlington is one of the most popular.  “I think that Burlington is the premier bike riding city in Ontario.”

The Indoor Cycling Room

For those who feel the need to do some cycling but are short of time or don’t want to brave the elements, there’s the indoor riding room.  Here you can take a relaxing – or challenging - ride, while scenes of Hawaii or the Grand Canyon make you feel as if you have just had a full blown cycling holiday.

Bistro Fare

The bistro provides locally sourced healthy food, with many of the dishes being gluten free. “I want this to be an inviting and welcoming place for people to gather and to dine,” Steve tells me. “Customers can sit out on the little patio for coffee or dine in, but I am most interested in providing good value and good service.”

And, for your added pleasure, there’s a small gallery of original art and photography that is available for purchase.

There’s something to please just about anybody here, and if you have a cycling trip in mind, this is the company, and the man, you must visit.

The shop/bistro/cycle centre is open seven days a week, from 8 am to 7 pm (although the closing times vary according to what is happening in town.  If things are busy and people want food and coffee or need to return a bike, he will stay open later.)

For additional information, check out the website, http://www.waterfronttrail.ca/.

The Waterfront Trail Leisure Company is located in Village Square at 2049 Pine Street between Pearl and Elizabeth.

Tel: 905/633-9852.

© Barbara Ramsay Orr, Guest Blogger

Barbara Ramsay Orr is a freelance journalist, author of the Frommer's Guide to the Niagara Region, third edition (2010), Day Trips from Toronto for Globe Pequot and a lifetime resident of Ontario. Her work has appeared in many national and international publications, including Chatelaine, Canadian Living, The Globe and mail and Readers Digest. She is the Local Expert on Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Wine Country for Nile Guides, and is launching a travel app for Niagara Falls and on International Wine and Food Festivals. She has been the food writer for Hamilton Magazine for more years than she wishes to admit. You can follow heradventures, tune in to her tweets @Orracle, or visit her Niagara Falls andNiagara-on-the-Lake Blogs. 

Opening Weekend at Springridge Farm

Spring has sprung and welcomed us with a lot of variable weather; yesterday managed to be a gorgeous day and the perfect fit for my first visit to Springridge Farm with my nephew. We drove the 20 minutes north of Burlington to Bell School Line in Milton to experience the history and fun synonymous with this farm. The farm is open 9am to 5pm daily until Christmas but I thought in order to beat the crowds I knew would come out on a day like yesterday, we arrived shortly after opening to a relatively quiet farm.

On our short walk towards the Fun Farm Yard entrance, we were greeted by 2 roosters and a hen inside a small chicken coop. Their gorgeous coats and bobbing heads were a warm welcome from the slight chill in the air. My nephew couldn’t keep his attention on these birds for too long as he saw much more fun around the farm that begged for him to play with. We ran up towards the Fun Farm Yard cash register and were greeted by 2 very sweet women who took the time to tell us about the farm animals like Rocky the Rooster, pony rides, 2 new farm yard pipe slides, pedal tractors and when the next wagon tractor ride was scheduled for. After paying our admission and receiving our orange admission bracelets, we were off and entering our first corn trail which was empty except for the two of us. After running through it back and forth a few times, I managed to pry my nephew away to head over to the barn storing the rest of the farm animals. We purchased some animal feed and fed my nephews favourite farm animal, the goats. He had the attention of most of them all wanting to lick his hands full of feed! He turned around and noticed some chickens, roosters and hens; we saw turkeys and a peacock too! My nephew then saw another child running along hay bales and decided he wanted a turn, so off we went to run along hay bales they have next to the farm animals.

Our fun continued throughout the morning with a wagon tractor ride that provided us with some farm history, their growing crops and views of all of Halton, including Mount Nemo Conservation Area, Burlington, Milton, Oakville, Mississauga, Toronto and even some buildings overlooking Niagara Falls. After our tour by tractor of Springridge Farm, we attempted a pony ride upon Drag but unfortunately, my nephew was quite shy and wouldn’t try the trek so we ventured indoors into the bakery and gift shop.

The gift shop at Springridge Farm is a restored 19th century barn nestled on the side of the Niagara Escarpment with 2 levels of gorgeous outdoor merchandise, jewellery, preserves and of course, some home-made treats dating back to the time of the Hughes family, the farms original owners. I did purchase their Royal Wedding Marmalade created as a toast to the happy couple, HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton who are to wed later this month. Not only did I pick up some Royal Wedding Marmalade, I purchased some pickled hot pepper rings, wild blueberry jam, their original unbaked apple pie and some other great home decor items.

Springridge Farm was a very friendly, family-oriented farm devoted to providing their customers and visitors with the best; I know I will become a repeat visitor during their many festivals including their Easter Festival, Harvest Fall Festival and Christmas Open House. For everything Springridge Farm, visit their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter. And as always, you can follow Tourism Burlington as we explore Halton Region through our social media like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and FourSquare. Visit our Information Centre in downtown Burlington to get your brochure of Springridge Farm and start planning your summer now!

Burlington/Halton Culinary Tourism Workshop

The true taste of a place is rooted in its terroir. It starts with agriculture and the people who grow our food. It moves to the artisans that craft the food into tastes such as wine, cheese and beer. It travels to the plate through the craft of cook and chef. We celebrate it at our tables, and in our communities through festivals and events. To create a culinary tourism destination, in the eyes of the world, Ontario’s agriculture and tourism sectors need to tell the story of our unique terroir with pride. 

Burlington and Halton Region are home to amazing farms, an array of restaurants catering to every taste, unique retailers, and many culinary events and we have an opportunity as stakeholders to work together and make this region a culinary tourism destination.

Tourism Burlington has partnered with the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance to host a Culinary Tourism Workshop and we are lucky enough to have Rebecca LeHeup, Executive Director of OCTA coming to facilitate this interactive workshop for us. 

If you are a farmer, artisan food/drink producer, processor, chefs or  restaurateur, accommodator, festival and event organizer, media or educator  interested in promoting our local terroir and your business  to residents, day trippers and overnight visitors then you will want to attend this FREE workshop.   

It is very important that we get representation from all of our stakeholders as they play a vital role in developing Burlington/Halton as a culinary destination.  This workshop will help us develop a culinary tourism strategy and identify businesses that are market or near market ready as together we “grow this product”.

Please join us but be sure to RSVP as space is limited.

Date:

Wednesday April 20, 2011

Time:

8:30 (registration)

9:00am – 12:00pm

Location:

Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Centre

3063 South Service Road, Burlington, ON, L7N 3E9

Room: Halton A/B

RSVP:

by April 1, 2011

by email to:  info@tourismburlington.com

by phone to: Stephanie Danek – 905-634-5594