I thought I’d kick off this new blog by sharing a fabulous farm market that I recently visited!
Willowtree Farm is a family-run farm, market and café in Port Perry, a town located about 30 km north of Oshawa. The property was purchased by dairy farmer Rod McKay in 1969. In the 1980s, Rod and his wife Marlene began planting fruits and vegetables and selling them at local farmer’s markets. In 1990, they opened a market on their farm, which was rebuilt in 2015 to make room for their expanding business. While Rod and Marlene have since passed away, their two sons – Jordan and Alex – and their wives have taken over the family business, and it continues to thrive. You can definitely see that Willowtree Farm is a labour of love for all involved!
In addition to fresh Ontario produce – that’s either grown directly on their farm or sourced from other local farms – the quaint farm store sells locally made jams, honeys, preserves, meats, cheeses, eggs, and even cute home décor items! As a perennial “Dad joke” teller, I appreciated all of the pun-ny signs sprinkled throughout the store.
We decided to sample a couple of sweet treats from the in-store bakery and café, and we were very impressed! We tried the blackberry almond tart and the blueberry-lavender-white chocolate scone, and both were delicious. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about lavender in a baked good, but it was the perfect savoury complement to the other sweeter ingredients. I was tempted by the apple cider donuts – one of my favourite treats – but restrained myself. Now I’ve got a reason to return!
Outside, there’s a charming patio where you can sit and enjoy your treats from the café. They also serve soups, salads and sandwiches if you’re in the mood for something heartier.
Before leaving, we had to visit the resident animals! Willowtree Farm is home to some adorable goats, pigs, chickens and bunnies.
Willowtree offers various events and experiences throughout the year, from pick-your-own strawberries in the early summer to pumpkins in the fall, so keep an eye on their website for updates! They’ve also recently opened a second location in Fenelon Falls that I look forward to checking out sometime in the future.
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