The Fieldstone Barn

The Food Forest Centre Wellington

Cox Creek Winery

Harmony Meadows Alpaca Farm

Four locations, one Saturday outing.

Of the 23 participating destinations on this year’s Wellington County Rural Romp, those listed above were the ones we managed to venture out to.

It’s an “event,” so to speak, that takes place twice a year — once in spring and again in fall — where, for one Saturday, select farms and like-minded locations open their doors and fields to the public for a mostly free chance to explore the grounds and get to know your food.

It’s a great opportunity to explore the places we drive by every day, typically without a second thought, though perhaps they deserve more of our attention. They are, after all, providing the agriculture we need to thrive and survive, while also offering so much more to our communities.

I’m almost ashamed to say that, though this event has been running even longer than the 12 years I’ve lived in Elora, this is the first time we’ve taken part. My memory isn’t what it used to be, so I’m going to go ahead and assume we’ve always had a conflict whenever it’s happened. With the vast majority of locations offering free admission and the furthest drive being around 30 minutes, I can see no other reason why we wouldn’t have done this before.

I say mostly free because, even though two farms were still charging admission to get in (yes…I have thoughts), all the others had opened their doors, while still offering plenty of deliciously tempting treats to indulge in. From butter tarts and pies to warm apple cider and wood-fired pizza, the day could be as simple or involved as you’d like it to be.

And I do have to say that, as first-time visitors to Cox Creek Winery, Alison and I both wholeheartedly agreed we’d be returning for that pizza again before long. Again, I drive past this place at least five times a week…how have I never gone in until now?!

Fieldstone, a place I can basically see by stepping outside my front door, is another one I can’t quite wrap my head around never having visited. A beautiful plot of land, with gardens to explore and a patio that seems to beg for a “work from home day” getaway, was really quite a magical place to kick off our day.

Granted, it’s not a full-day family experience, but it is certainly a beautiful place to spend an hour or two taking in the fall air, playing a bit of cornhole and perhaps tackling the corn maze (which sadly was closed this year). I had no idea of its size, and something about being there — so close to home, yet so far removed from the noise of it all — felt rather peaceful.

It didn’t hurt that the weather was perfect: wispy clouds and sunshine as far as the eye could see.

The Food Forest, cozily nestled in beside the Sportsplex, was a lovely little stop along the way. Less concerned with scale and size and focused instead on community, it introduced our family to three community-led guilds that are open to the public and there to provide both nourishment and education to anyone who’s interested.

We got to experience the tastes of nasturtium pesto; fresh — and I mean fresh — apple cider straight from the press; goji berries straight from the bush; and my eldest has now fallen in love with compound butter. Fresh herbs and seasoning packed into an almost universal enhancer for breads, crackers or the main dish of your choice. What’s not to love?

And then, who doesn’t love an alpaca?

Cute, curious, funny and fluffy, the Harmony Meadows experience was again less about the grandiose and more about an intimate encounter with nature. We may not be so inspired as to have one in our own backyard, but visiting this family-run farm was definitely a worthwhile experience as part of the broader adventure of our day.

But perhaps what stood out to me more than the animals, the food, the landscape or the weather were the people we engaged with.

Those running the farms, caring for the animals or pressing those apples were friendly, personable and genuinely kind individuals who opened their spaces — and their hearts — to others interested in caring for the land, its creatures and appreciating what both of those things mean.

It takes an equal amount of work and love to maintain these spaces, and everyone we spoke to was passionate about what that means. At no point throughout the day did anything feel like an attempt to “sell” us on something. The goal was simply to allow people to get a sense of the farm-to-table experience and perhaps ignite a spark to get more involved — not with their farms, per se, but in whatever capacity we’re able.

I really am still scratching my head over how we’ve never explored this twice-a-year romp before.

It was fun, educational and peaceful at each stop, and we didn’t have to go far to do it. As much as I love faraway travels and adventures, I’m just as keen on keeping it local.

I can certainly see us returning to any one of the four places we explored. And knowing there were another 19 we didn’t get to only means there’s no shortage of adventure still waiting for us.

Thank you, Wellington County.

You’ve done it again!