Frontenac Open Farms draws huge crowds

Craig Bakay | Sep 12, 2019

In only its second year of operation, Frontenac County’s Open Farms event has grown by leaps and bounds.

While there was nobody tabulating just how many people showed up at the 10 operations (there were seven last year) but anybody who attended both could tell you — it was noticeably busier this year.

“The National Farmers Union had open farms years ago,” said Andrea Cumpson, who managed to answer a few questions while racking up sales of spelt and meat that would make Loblaw’s envious. “Last year, the County did it (and) we knew from previous experience it was a great way to get people out to farms.

“It’s bridging a gap.”

Indeed, as spelt was flying out the door of Cumpson’s small store, numerous people of all ages wandered to interact with cows, pigs, horses and chickens — there were chickens everywhere.

“There’s even a plowing match going on too — in our beef pasture,” she said.

One big hit at Sonset (which is derived from the name Cumpson, the son part being a hard prefix attached to the farm’s Holsteins many years ago) was the samples of spelt salad, spelt being an ancient grain that’s enjoying renewed popularity and Sonset is becoming well known for it.

“I saw a field of spelt on Howe Island (Peter Dowling’s farm) in 1990 and said ‘I have to grow this,’” Cumpson said. “I’ve been growing ever since 1996.”

Her spelt salad recipe changes almost every time she makes it, depending on the ingredients she adds.

“Ideally, you soak the spelt overnight in yogurt or lemon juice,” she said. “That stimulates the vitamins.

“Then you cook the grain in water for 40-45 minutes and add whatever you want (like oils, onions, peppers, feta cheese . . .  think of it as a rice salad only with tastier, chewier grain.)”

Down the road at Loughborough Heritage Orchard, Mark and Stella Heimstra (and their family) were welcoming a similarly large crowd to view the orchards while being entertained by daughter Ellie’s celtic band, Arise & Go.

The orchards originally belonged to Robert Veck, who was the the CEO of Dupont in the ’50s.

The Heimstras bought it five years ago and proceeded on bringing the heritage operation back to life, using organic farming methods on old trees.

“The whole thing is that one learns from one’s mistakes,” said Mark. “Mistakes are good teachers.”

For example, he learned the hard way to pick up the apple leaves at the end of the season, thus ridding the orchard of spores and such.

He uses things like kaolin clay, cayenne pepper powder, liquid fish, baking soda and garlic oil rather than commercial pesticides — which leads to his number one tip for aspiring orchard keepers.

“Get a good sprayer,” he said.

Some of the more interesting residents at this operation, which also includes horses and chickens are a small troupe of KuneKune pigs. But these are working pigs.

“They keep the grounds tidy,” Mark said. “But they are also a big part of pest control.

“When an apple gets a bug in it, it usually drops to the ground.

“The pigs eat the apple with the bug in it, thus breaking the reproductive cycle of the bugs.”