Businesses get innovation grants

Two Erin businesses are among 24 in southern Ontario to receive seed funding last year to expand their operations, access new markets, attract investment and create jobs in the region.

Heartwood Farm and Cidery in Ospringe and Fanjoy Restaurant in Hillsburgh each received $30,000 grants, in the third round of funding from the Bioenterprise Corporation and its partner, Innovation Guelph.  Erin pet food company Bold Canine received a first-round grant in 2016.

Recipients use the money, along with their matching funds, for branding and marketing; prototyping and product piloting; business-to-business (B2B) sales, business development, process optimization, and to help advance market opportunities. 

“Seed funding and mentorship can play a crucial role in assisting early-stage businesses,” said Dave Smardon, Bioenterprise Corporation President and CEO.

Bioenterprise is a national, non-profit agency designed to boost the agricultural technology sector. The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) has provided Bioenterprise with up to $4.84 million for the program.

Funding is delivered through Innovation Guelph’s Fuel Injection program, assisting start-ups and promoting the growth of small and medium-sized businesses. Support services including mentoring/coaching, market and competitive analysis, financial and marketing strategy, investment preparation, and introductions to strategic partners.

At a recent Innovation Showcase, Bioenterprise and Innovation Guelph announced that the 32 recipient companies from the first round of seed funding have raised more than $21 million in follow-up private investment, generated more than $6 million in revenues, created more than 45 jobs, and launched more than 50 products, processes, and technologies.

The funding program supports innovative southern Ontario businesses in the agriculture and agri-food, sustainable and environmental technology, advanced manufacturing and social innovation sectors.

Brent Klassen and Val Steinmann started making hard cider at Heartwood Farm last year, selling three varieties at farmers’ markets and at their retail farm store, just north of Ospringe on Second Line.

It’s a business model promoted by Wellington County’s Economic Development Department through the Taste Real program, encouraging organic farmers and other businesses to welcome day-tripping city dwellers.

Chef Pam Fanjoy (a 2015 Chopped Canada winner) is also tapping into the trend, using seasonal local ingredients for “farm-to-table” cuisine. The Fanjoy restaurant and bar (formerly Friendly Chef Adventures), just across from the Hillsburgh Community Centre, offers special activities such as PD day camps for kids, and cooking classes for kids and adults.

Her experience as a social worker has led to a Mindfullness Eating course as a support group for women, and in January and February, a common table Community Luncheon, Tuesdays, noon to 2 p.m. She also offers a catering service and operates a retail kitchen store, with fully prepared meals to take home.

“The partnership between Bioenterprise and Innovation Guelph has been successful in assisting innovative businesses with early-stage support to help them grow,” said Anne Toner Fung, Innovation Guelph’s Executive Director. 

“We believe it is to everyone’s benefit when innovative Canadian businesses are able to grow and create quality jobs,” said Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield, on behalf of Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and minister responsible for FedDev Ontario. 

Tin Roof Café has freshly-baked treats

As published in The Erin Advocate

Rachel Craven has launched into an exciting business venture with the grand opening last weekend of the Tin Roof Café, at the south end of Erin village.

She’s hoping to find a niche in the local marketplace with a selection of coffees, specialty beverages, lunch fare and in-house baking, along with a friendly atmosphere.

“It’s been good so far,” she said. “I really appreciate the small town – everyone has been supportive. I’m free to put all of my energy into this. It’s an atmosphere where you can get to know people’s names. We’re aiming for really high quality.”

Rachel is a graduate of Erin District High School, who has moved back to Erin. She worked at The Shed when it was operating at 4 Main Street, and has now converted that building into the Tin Roof Café. She also gained baking experience working at The French Press Coffee House & Bistro in Orangeville.

Within a few days, Tin Roof will be launching their lunch menu, with a variety of soups, salads and sandwiches.

Beverages include locally-roasted organic-fair trade drip coffee, Las Chicas French press coffee, espresso, lattes and loose-leaf tea. They also make their own almond milk.

Like most businesses in the coffee sector, they provide Wi-Fi internet service, which can encourage customers to take a table and stay for a while. They will be operating from 8 am to 6 pm.

Rachel has had strong family support for her venture, with her parents Martin and Elizabeth buying the unique building earlier this year. It features an open-concept front, an inside balcony level with a fireplace, and a tin roof. The parking lot has now been paved and marked.

Cabinetry has been created by Fox Custom Woodworks, located just to the south at the intersection of Main Street and County Road 124.

Reaction on Facebook to the new business has been positive – check it out at /TinRoofCafeErin, or visit their Twitter feed, /tinroof_cafe.

Erin backs Blue Dot campaign for environmental rights

As published in The Erin Advocate

It was an easy decision for Town Councillors to declare Erin as a Blue Dot community, in support of David Suzuki’s bid to guarantee environmental rights in Canada’s constitution. It will not oblige them to spend money or doing anything different.

The real debate will be within the federal and provincial governments, which would have to endorse any change to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“I love this town – every part of it is bordered by rolling hills, woodlands, farms and waterways,” said resident Gerry Walsh, requesting council’s support at the April 21 meeting. “Together, everyone in our Town can declare this basic human right – to breathe fresh air, drink clean water and eat healthy food.”

Erin is the fourth municipality in Ontario to commit to these principles. So far, most of the support has been in British Columbia. Mayor Al Alls has promised to express his support for the Blue Dot Movement in a letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne.

Supporters of the Blue Dot Movement celebrate after Erin Town Council
 passed a declaration in favour of a constitutional right to a healthy environment.
Left to right: Joanne Kay, Myrtle Reid, Gerry Walsh and Don Chambers.    

Details of the campaign are available at bluedot.ca. Suzuki supporters hope to build grassroots pressure from local communities to support a Charter amendment. That would require the official support Parliament plus seven provinces, representing more than 50% of Canada’s population.

It is a very ambitious and idealistic plan, since senior level politicians will no doubt consider the many court cases that it will take to define citizens’ rights on air, water and food. Imagine the impact if anyone in a big city could claim a legal right to breath air unpolluted by cars and factories. Who would pay the cost of bringing clean drinking water to all First Nations communities or making good food available to everyone now living in poverty?

I did not get the impression that Town Council was signing up for a revolution. But faced with climate change, dwindling oil, over-population, erosion of our natural heritage and unsustainable consumption, that’s what we’re talking about.

At its core, the environmental movement is promoting a new culture with different expectations. Green policies may save money in some areas, but will require radical changes to our economy in the areas of transportation, energy generation, food supply, housing, health care, taxation and environmental protection.

“It reminds me of the industrial revolution,” said Walsh. “This is the next phase we’re moving into. Some people are going to suffer and some people are going to benefit, but we have to move forward.”

Efforts to enshrine environmental rights in the constitution were unsuccessful when the Charter was negotiated 35 years ago, but they are definitely worth advocating again. More than a hundred countries have them in their constitutions, resulting in progress rather than chaos.

Enforcement of legal rights will always be problematic, but in general, if a country enshrines its goals, they are more likely to be at least partly achieved.

It is important to remember that Charter rights are not absolute, but are subject to “such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.” This puts issues in the hands of politicians, the law-makers, which is quite proper. Some would argue that environmental rights could be expanded by the courts under the Section 7 right to “life, liberty and security of the person”, or by direct reference of a question from a government to the Supreme Court.

Judges, however, should not be creating major changes to the Charter of Rights. The most legitimate process is the more difficult one. If a political consensus for environmental rights can be built throughout the country, with sustainability as a widely accepted priority, a formal constitutional amendment will become a logical final step. That consensus does not yet exist, but it is interesting to see the construction work going on in our own town.

In the meantime, environmentalists need to continue doing what they do best – convincing the public and elected representatives to support policies that will help us weather the coming storm.

Food strategy discussion at Family Farm screening

As published in The Erin Advocate

The creative ways in which small family farms can prosper in an era of industrialized agriculture will be the topic of a film screening and panel discussion hosted by Transition Erin.

The showing of the CBC-sponsored documentary The Family Farm will take place at 7 pm this Friday, February 13, at the Legion Hall on Dundas Street East. Admission is free.

Created by Ari Cohen, the film explores the farm-to-table process through the lens of Canadian small farmers and identifies the systemic barriers they face in running a profitable farm.

“There’s got to be a better way of growing food, something that makes us feel responsible and proud of what we’re doing,” said one farmer in the documentary.

“We’re a dying breed,” said another. “The corporate farm is slowly taking us over and there doesn’t seem to be too much concern about it. It’s not only the production of food, but we are looking after the environment and the land. When it gets into corporate hands, things get lost.”

Discussion after the screening will centre on how a coordinated plan for a sustainable food system can be promoted in Erin and Guelph-Wellington.

“These are creative times for farmers, and I’m surprised at how many young people are involved,” said organizer Jay Mowat. “If you get out to the farmers’ markets, you’ll get to know the person who is selling you your food. Family farms can still be made profitable.”

The panelists will include Mark Skinner, Manager at Everdale Organic Farm, Matt Setzkorn, Executive Director at Ontario Farmland Trust and Pam Fanjoy, Owner of The Friendly Chef Adventures and the Mill Run Eatery in Erin.

The event is co-sponsored by the Guelph-Wellington Food Round Table (www.gwfrt.com), which seeks to build up production, distribution and consumption of local food. The group hopes to increase self-sufficiency, reduce impact on the environment and preserve rural communities. They support the Community Gardens Network and initiatives such as Taste Real and the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT).

The other sponsor is the Guelph chapter of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (www.opirgguelph.org), part of an international network on social and environmental issues, founded by activist Ralph Nader.

It is difficult to adopt a conserving farm lifestyle in today’s society, and a variety of projects plus outside jobs are often needed to ensure year-round income.

In some ways, the challenges of farmers are similar to those of many other small businesses. But it other ways they are unique, because of the demanding way of life, the close connection with the power of nature and the proud tradition of public service.

Family farms remain an important part of Canada’s economic backbone, and they play a role in ensuring the survival and well-being of local communities and environments. It is a heritage worth preserving, both with government policy and our consumer dollars.

Pond drainage needed for Round Goby eradication

As published in The Erin Advocate

The Round Gobies of Hillsburgh have caused quite a stir among fisheries biologists and may soon find out just how unwelcome they in the Credit River watershed.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) considers the problem so severe that they have a plan to apply piscicide – a poison that would kill off every gill-breathing animal in six ponds and a short section of the West Credit River near Hillsburgh.

If the plan goes ahead this spring, they would draw down the water levels and use electrofishing to stun and capture quantities of desirable fish, which could be returned to the water once the poison is gone. Lower pond levels would allow the operation to be done with less of the chemical, called Rotenone.

Round Goby (neogobius melanstromus) arrived in the Great Lakes about 25 years ago, thanks to ships from the Black Sea. In 2013 some were dumped in Hillsburgh, probably from a bait bucket.

Since then they’ve been doing what comes naturally – feeding aggressively on diverse aquatic food supplies and spawning several times a year. Their ability to dominate the local environment qualifies them as an Invasive Species.

Since they became established in Lake Erie they have eliminated nearly all of the small bottom dwelling fish, such as darters and sculpins, which were once found there. They’ve also caused significant damage to the nests of Smallmouth Bass by consuming their eggs and young. They like to feed on zebra mussles, another invasive species.

They have advantages over some other fish, since they are able to survive in lower-quality water and have a sensory system that helps them gather food more aggressively.

At a public meeting last fall at the Hillsburgh Fire Hall, MNRF said if the Round Goby is not “controlled”, it is a major threat to native fish, including Brook Trout and other salmonids.

According to their presentation, “Downstream movement of goby to more suitable habitats could negatively impact the fish community of an additional 80+ km of the Credit River, which contains recreationally and economically important fisheries.”

MNRF had hoped to carry out the eradication last fall. It is now planned for the spring, but a final decision has not been made. They have promised to keep the community informed.

“MNRF will continue to work with landowners to secure permission to access properties for monitoring and treatment,” said Management Biologist Art Timmerman, in a letter sent to residents and Town Council.

Rotenone is the only registered piscicide in Canada, to be used as a “fisheries management tool”. It is a natural substance extracted from the roots of tropical plants, and only affects gill breathers.

MRNF says there will be no accumulation in the aquatic environment, no effect on birds or other wildlife and no threat to public health. They said this preferred option is “safe and effective, with immediate results at moderate cost.” Dead fish would have to be collected before the ponds are refilled.

Rotenone breaks down quickly in the water. All residue would be gone in one to four weeks, and oxidizing agents could be added to neutralize any downstream impact, MNRF says.

Round gobies have not been found upstream or downstream from Hillsburgh, probably because they prefer the relatively warm environment of the ponds, but once their population increases, they are likely to spread.

The ponds could be restored to their pre-treatment levels and restocked with native fish, depending on the preferences of the landowners.

The long-term future of the main Hillsburgh pond and the Station Street dam are currently being studied in an Environmental Assessment.

Steen’s milk discontinued, but many choices available

As published in The Erin Advocate

The Steen’s brand of milk products is no longer available on store shelves, but local consumers still have many choices – including Jersey milk from Miller’s Dairy in Creemore, sold in returnable one-quart glass bottles.

Fred Steen started Steen’s Dairy in 1944. It became a major independent brand in Southern Ontario, with the Steen’s Dairy Bar known as an icon of Erin village. Unable to expand at its downtown location, it formed a partnership with the Organic Meadow farmers’ co-op, and in 2010 shifted production to a new plant in Guelph.

“Organic Meadow has been proud to partner with Steen’s Dairy to offer consumers access to both organic (Organic Meadow) and local (Steen’s) dairy offerings,” said Michelle Schmidt, Marketing Manager at Organic Meadow.

“Last year, we made some strategic changes to our business, specifically the elimination of our in-house distribution service, that we had used to primarily service local customers carrying the Steen’s brand. And so while Steen’s dairy products continue to be available (primarily through food service channels), by and large, they are no longer readily accessible on retail store shelves.”

Erin outlets do not appear to be carrying any Organic Meadow milk, but shoppers still have a variety of options. The Beatrice brand is available at some convenience stores, along with Lactancia, while Valu-Mart carries mainly the Neilson brand, with a small quantity of PC Organics.

Foodland in Hillsburgh sells Sealtest and Natrel, but in December after Steen’s was discontinued, they brought in Miller’s milk. That dairy uses bottles that only people of a certain age will remember – one-quart returnable glass, now with a refundable deposit of $2.00. The company also distributes half-gallon glass bottles to some outlets.

“The reaction of people has been very good,” said Foodland owner Mary McArthur. “It’s more of a country item.”

At $3.19 plus deposit for 946 ml, it won’t be practical or economical for families that consume lots of milk. But for low volume households, it creates a new option in a marketplace that for many decades has been quite homogenized.

Since 1965, under the milk system organized by the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, milk from various farms is routinely pooled for efficient processing and marketed under major labels. Organic milk and other specialties are kept separate.

More than 90% of milk is from Holstein cows, with only 4% from Jersey cows. Now the industry is encouraging on-farm microdairies, partly due to consumer demand for local food, enabling Millers to offer pure Jersey milk. It comes from a purebred Jersey herd of 120 milking cows that has been tended at the same farm, by the same family, for 50 years.

“People want to know where their food comes from and we want to make that personal connection,” says the Miller family on their website.

After buying a bottle of Jersey milk, I did an informal taste test. The new milk tasted slightly different from regular milk, but was quite satisfying. It had a richer feel, even though it comes with the standard butterfat content levels – skim, 2%, whole (about 3.25%), 10% cream (half & half) and 35% whipping cream.

All the feed for the Miller herd is grown on the farm where they live. The milk is pasteurized, but not advertised as organic. The glass bottles keep it extra cold, naturally slowing down its aging process.

According to the American Jersey Cattle Association, Jerseys have a 20% lower carbon footprint, and their milk offers higher nutritional value, providing 15-20% more protein, 15-18% more calcium, 10-12% more phosphorus and higher levels of vitamin B12, compared to most milk on the market.

Gourmet groceries at new downtown restaurant

As published in The Erin Advocate

Chef Pam Fanjoy has taken an opportunity to combine her passion for local food with an interest in local history by opening the Mill Run Eatery on Main Street in downtown Erin village.

It is part gourmet grocery store, with some products not normally available in a small town, and a 14-seat breakfast-lunch restaurant that offers Sunday brunch and features a large community table.

Located in the building vacated by Carver’s Block, the Mill Run is two doors up from The Friendly Chef Adventures (formerly What’s Cookin’), which Fanjoy started just a year ago. The locations are on either side of Erin’s historic millrace, which once diverted water from Hull’s Dam on Church Blvd. to the mill behind Budson Farm and Feed, running directly under Debora’s Chocolates.

“I was concerned as a new business owner that Carver’s Block had closed, and I saw an opportunity to expand,” said Fanjoy, whose motto is, “Eat well with friends.” She says the new location has been doing OK even though they haven’t got a sign up yet.

Her primary business was already expanding and in need of more space. In addition to prepared foods, gift baskets and kitchen-related products, Friendly Chef Adventures is now fully licensed and serving lunch, providing catering, offering cooking classes and renting out space for parties.

The Mill Run Eatery has its restaurant seating by the window, then inside are displays that include a selection of cheeses and fresh meats. Each Friday, they bring in a different supply of fresh seafood for the weekend. There are also sections for frozen foods, and fresh produce such as lemon grass.

“I asked the community what they wanted,” said Fanjoy, who is a partner in the Taste•Real initiative for Guelph and Wellington, promoting the benefits of local, organic products. Information on events and incoming specials is available at www.thefriendlychef.ca.

The décor pays homage to Erin’s village history, with a large historical downtown map showing the millrace and photos of four mills from the 1800s. The location even has a trap door leading to the old water route.

While premium offerings do cost a bit more, Fanjoy said she has making an effort to offer people choices and to keep prices reasonable.

The Mill Run sells the Planet Bean line of coffee from Guelph – Fair Trade and Certified Organic – ready to drink or as beans. They have been carrying products from Everdale Farm near Hillsburgh, and meat from Wellington County farms that do not use hormones and antibiotics to enhance growth.

Packaged products include Roasted Chickpeas, Bomba Rice, Soup Girl mixes, 00 Pasta Flour, Smoked Paprika Powder (spicy or mild), and there are natural soda drinks with flavours like Blackberry-Pomegranate-Ginger and Pineapple-Coconut-Nutmeg.

Bottled products include All-Natural Mayonnaise, Rice and Fig Balsamic Vinegar, and various oils – Almond, Sesame, Hazelnut and Walnut.

The eatery is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm, except Friday when they are open until 6 pm. Sunday Brunch ($12.50 for adults, $10.50 for kids) is served 9 am to 2 pm.

Local focus will help build up community

As published in The Erin Advocate

There was a lot of talk during the election campaign about kicking some fresh energy into the Erin economy. With Christmas approaching, there are opportunities to take action that will strengthen the community.

One aspect is local shopping. You can only have a quaint shopping district if there is a critical mass of activity and the stores have enough revenue to survive. It is not a matter of charity, but of giving them the chance to compete.

So I urge people to walk around, talk to business owners, check out what’s available, go out for dinner, and try to do at least $50 worth of Christmas shopping within Erin. It’s all well and good to bring in new business investment, but the top priority has to be preserving and expanding what we have.

Another aspect may be called charity, but that too is really a local investment. By helping people through hard times, we improve everyone’s quality of life, build community awareness and cycle money through the local economy. And when our economy gets stronger, there will be less need for services like food banks.

There are lots of ways to volunteer and make donations, many of them organized by East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) and the various clubs and churches that contribute to its programs.

Despite living in a wealthy nation, some 842,000 Canadians got help from a food bank in March this year. That’s up only 1% since last year, but up 25% since 2008. Click here to access HungerCount 2014.

Demand continues to increase at the local Food Bank. They have helped 1,088 people (including family members) so far this year, distributing 39,596 pounds of food – the equivalent of $99,000 at the grocery store – and the year is far from over.

Station 10 Firefighters are holding their 10th Annual Food Drive and Barbecue on November 22 and 23, 10 am to 2 pm at Marc’s Valu-mart.

The Brighten Up Toy and Game Shop at 67 Main Street is holding its 3rd Annual Toy Drive on November 22, 11 am to 3 pm, supporting EWCS efforts to provide Christmas cheer to local families, seniors and single people in need.

“Times are definitely tough at Christmas for many of our client families who are already struggling with a limited budget,” said Erika Westcott, EWCS Manager of Marketing and Fund Development.

EWCS will launch its annual Christmas appeal on December 2. Last year they surpassed their target of $25,000, and will be shooting for the same amount this year. They’ll also be promoting their new, more accessible website.

The agency had been investigating the idea of a community kitchen, but it was an expensive project that really wasn’t wanted by clients. They have been able to follow through with some workshops on how to make nutritious meals at low cost.

The Adopt-A-Family Christmas program provides donors with several ways to help. Anonymous sponsorship of families with children 16 and under is coordinated by The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington. Clients provide a wish list and donors are asked to provide some gifts (including something small for the parents) and a $25 grocery gift card for each family member.

The EWCS office coordinates sponsorship of seniors, adults of youths over 16. Donors can team up with friends or fellow members of various groups to co-sponsor a family. People can also contribute to food hampers that ensure clients get a Christmas dinner and Christmas morning breakfast. And of course, donations of food or any amount of money are appreciated at any time of the year.

“Everything that comes in is used – the focus is on the clients,” said Westcott. There’s more information at www.eastwellingtoncommunityservices.com, or call 519-833-9696.

Fab Four make a splash at David’s

As published in The Erin Advocate

The Fab Four band took Erin on a colourful trip down memory lane Saturday night, lighting up David’s Restaurant with their tribute to The Beatles.

It wasn’t exactly the Ed Sullivan Theatre, but there was plenty to stimulate the nostalgic imagination of a room packed with fans old enough to remember the original band’s New York appearances on three consecutive Sundays in February 1964.

It was part of a plan by restaurateur David Netherton to make dinner entertainment a bigger part of Erin’s image, by bringing in bigger acts like ones that used to be popular when Stage West Dinner Theatre operated in Mississauga.

“There’s only so many entertainment dollars, but people will pay for quality,” said Netherton, who tries to do something special about once a month. It has ranged from Yuk Yuk’s comedy and musicians of good repute to dinner shows by Erin Community Theatre – their 8th annual Christmas show, The Art of Believing, runs December 10-19, with details at www.erintheatre.ca.

Restaurant owner David Netherton with members of the Fab Four tribute
band (left to right) Mark Harrison as Paul, John McDonald as John,
John Turfryer as Ringo and Tom Walsh as George.    

As Erin builds up its destination profile, Netherton is hoping to schedule a series of shows and perhaps work with other local businesses to sponsor bus trips to the area that would combine the town’s natural beauty with shopping, dining and entertainment.

Century Church Theatre in Hillsburgh has been attracting customers from far afield for many years, with an annual brochure packed with theatre and music, both professional and amateur. Their 10th annual traditional English pantomime, Snow White and the Famous Seven, runs November 21-30, and singer Debbie BeChamp leads A Country Christmas matinee on December 7. Details are at www.centurychurchtheatre.com.

Netherton is able to fill his banquet room using posters in the restaurant and around town, website and Facebook promotion, a monthly e-newsletter and flyers in The Advocate to get the word out.

The Toronto based Fab Four put on an energetic performance, with lots of attention to detail in Beatles costumes, hair, instruments and re-creation of the music without any pre-recorded sound or digital tricks.

Naturally, they follow a timeline, starting with simple early hits like All My Loving and She Loves You, progressing to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Hard Day’s Night, and mellowing out with Imagine and Hey Jude.

There was lots of audience participation with dancing, clapping and, when requested, screaming women. Stand-out vocals and stage presence were provided by Mark Harrison on the left-handed bass as Paul and John McDonald as John, with Tom Walsh as George and John Turfryer as Ringo taking their turns to make sure that a good time was had by all.

Bacon Night could be a new camping tradition

As published in The Erin Advocate

We got lots of hiking done last week, and we didn’t have to wear bells. You may have heard that some people advise wearing little bells to scare off bears while hiking. And of course you need to watch for bear droppings – the ones with the little bells in them.

We’ve been camping with a group of friends from the Georgetown area for the last 20 odd years, since our kids were little. We haven’t seen a bear yet, but we still stash our trash in the vehicles at night, to avoid tempting the local raccoon population at Point Farms Provincial Park.

There were 27 of us (plus dogs) on five campsites last week – four generations, including a newborn, a bevy of short people, a gaggle of medium to well-dones and a great grandmother.

We still use a tent, but most have retreated to the comfort of trailers. To facilitate this escape to nature, there were various stoves, fridges, furnaces, televisions, a mini trampoline and sufficient acreage of tarps to ensure that torrential rain would only be a minor inconvenience. The campfire light blended nicely with the glow of cell phone screens.

We had our traditional outings to mini-golf and historical Huron County Gaol, and knowing that the Goderich Walmart was only a short drive away brought a feeling of security. I also managed to get in a little book larnin’, thanks to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

As usual, things alternated between loud and laid back, with everyone mostly doing their own thing. Except of course for a possible new tradition, known as Bacon Night. It could be called a "pot luck pig-out", though this term is perhaps disrespectful to the providers of the bacon.

The main dishes were:

• Bacon burgers, of course

• Caesar salad

• Fresh pole beans (from my organic garden), with cubed barbequed back bacon

• Bacon-wrapped potatoes, with cheese and sour cream

• Spaghetti à la Carbonara, with bacon cooked in wine

• Devilled eggs, sprinkled with bacon

• Mashed cauliflower casserole, with you know what

• Bacon-wrapped barbequed shrimp

• Pork sausage meat, rolled in strips of bacon.

Someone forgot to bring the bacon-flavoured vodka, but like true woods people, we adapted quickly and passed the bottle of Sambuca around.

Surviving Bacon Night without undue gastronomic distress requires some discipline. Know your limit. Eat within it. And then have some dessert, which in this case was bacon dipped in chocolate, then drizzled with more chocolate.

So there you have it, a fine escape from day-to-day affairs. My only regret is that I had to miss last week’s Town Council meeting. I hear it was intents.

Hop growers on board with local ingredients

As published in Country Routes

Interest in fresh, locally-grown food – rather than the long-distance industrial variety – has spilled over into the beer business, prompting some farmers to try their hand at growing hops.

Jay Mowat on the Ninth Line, an advocate of local food, has done a planting of Ontario Bertwell Hops and is willing to invest the time needed to produce a solid first crop.

Jay Mowat of Erin prepares to plant his hop rhizomes.

“It takes three years for the plants to mature – I may get five or six pounds of dried flowers,” said Mowat, pounding stakes in a large square. Hops are generally grown in sunny areas from rhizomes, horizontal stems that send out roots and shoots.

The bushy hop vines (called bines) can be directed to grow along heavy twine, running from the stakes to a central pole, creating a pyramid-shaped trellis.

Hops are a crucial beer ingredient, with different hop varieties affecting the flavor, aroma and stability of the product, acting as an anti-bacterial agent and balancing the sweetness of malted barley with a level of bitterness.

Mowat got his rhizomes and inspiration for the project from entrepreneur Mike Driscoll of Guelph, who has been in the hop business for eight years and is encouraging new growers. He operates Harvest Hop & Malt, and grows his hops at Ignatius Farm on Hwy. 6.

He says Ontario once produced its own beer ingredients, but the Prairies took over with a better supply of barley, and the local hop industry collapsed in the 1920s after some bad crop years. Hop producers in Europe and the Pacific Northwest region of the US have dominated the market, but there are now 30 growers active in Ontario.

“The local food movement is driving the resurgence of hop growing,” said Driscoll, who has also set up a micro-malting operation, supplied by local barley crops.

“People are looking at where it comes from and the miles involved. Brewers are looking for ways to differentiate themselves. Brewers should be promoting local ingredients, and beer drinkers should ask brewers if they use local ingredients.”

Hops can be used fresh, with same-day delivery to the brewer, or dried for later use. Large-scale operations dry the flowers to 5% moisture, grind them up and form them into easy-to-ship pellets. Driscoll prefers to dry them to 50%, and then freeze them in bales.

Small hop farmers have no hope of tapping into the industrial scale production of the major beer companies. Not only are the quantities too small, but also it would be impossible to meet the consistency requirements of the big brewers. Smaller breweries, and their customers, have a greater interest in variety, said Driscoll.

“In the last 25 years we have had more adventurous and intelligent beer drinkers. They are more knowledgeable and willing to appreciate variations,” he said.