Farm to Fork

Open hours: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
19619 McCowan Road, Mount Albert ON, L0G 1M0
Learn more at their website!

“We’ve loved every minute of our journey” – Michael and Judie Zajac.

AE Natural Meats is a family farm that strives to produce Premium Meats by raising our animals the way nature intended. To achieve this, the well-being of our lambs, cows, chickens, turkeys and pigs come first. We raise them in a stress-free environment of grazing in grass pastures without antibiotics, steroids, and hormones.

The farm is owned and operated by Michael and Judie Zajac. In 2000 the family farm was purchased in Mount Albert Ontario for Dr. Michael Zajac’s Veterinary Practice for the sole purpose of breeding and foaling his client’s horses.

Judie was diagnosed with MS in 2008, thus our research into improving her health began.  By changing our eating patterns to only eating meat that was grass fed and finished we found a significant improvement in her symptoms. The problems arose in searching for a transparent source of quality grass fed and finished meat. We solved this dilemma by raising our own animals.

Soon, friends and family were requesting to buy our meat, so in 2010 we shifted the farm’s focus to raising grass fed and finished animals. Thus, AE Natural Meats was created!

Our unique approach to farming created such a demand, we have increased our livestock herd and added an on-site Farm Gate Store. AE is delighted to host such events as East Gwillimbury Farm to Fork and Christmas on the Farm!

Open hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
19618 East Townline, Mount Albert, ON
Learn more at their website!

Open hours: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
1337 Holborn road, Queensville, ON L0G 1R0
Learn more at their website!

Holburne Mushroom Farm was established in 1980 by Paolo Furlano and Giovanni Colella as a white mushroom growing operation. In 2005, Paolo bought out his partner and converted the farm into a Shiitake Mushroom growing facility. The farm is located on 11 acres on Holborn Road, just West of Leslie Street in the town of Queensville.

We are a family owned and operated business, with three generations currently involved working in the daily operation. By mushroom farm standards, we are a small farm comprised of 4 growing rooms with approximately 20,000 square feet of growing space. In exotic mushroom standards, we produce a high volume of Shiitake Mushrooms, approximately 7,000 pounds per week. We are the largest grower of Shiitake Mushrooms in Canada. We supply most of the White Mushroom Farms with their Shiitakes, from Winnipeg, Ontario to Quebec. Our farm is proud to be food safety certified to the SQF Code Edition 8 and Organic Certified.

Open hours: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
York Regional Rd 77, Queensville ON, L0G 1R0
Learn more at their website!

“From our farm, to your kitchen.” – King Cole Duck Farmers.

Almost 65 years ago, a few ducks, a few chickens, and a stall at the North York farmer’s market was the beginning of what would become Canada’s premium farm to fork duck farm just north of Toronto. The farm has a rich history, as founder Jim Murby built the business armed with one important piece of market intel from the farmer’s market: no other stalls had ducks! He, his wife Marg and their four children built the business flock by flock, creating whatever was needed to breed, hatch, raise, and process ducks; everything was built and engineered from scratch.

Fun Fact: 1952 – the Murbys find a boiler for their first plant. The challenge: it was attached to the original Maid-of-the-Mist, Niagara Falls, and in order to complete the purchase the boiler, it had to be hauled off the boat and up the Niagara Gorge by rope-and-pulley, then loaded on a flat-bed truck for the slow drive back to Newmarket by 16-year-old, now President and Owner, Bob Murby!

Today, the farm to fork duck business is owned by Bob Murby and his sister Joanne Grant but operated by third generation duck farmers, Jim Murby’s four granddaughters whose farming philosophy is to produce duck products that are natural, farmed using grain fed diet, fresh air, clean deep well water, and tender loving care for the flocks and the products. Their commitment to sustainability runs throughout the operation from the composted manure that is sold to garden centres as a natural soil enhancement to the feathers that are sold overseas for pillows and clothing. Their new farm fresh store welcomes visitors seven days a week with an opportunity to get ducks fresh daily and try specialty duck products that range from rendered duck fat to duck burgers. Once a month duck school brings guests from all over Ontario who are treated to a delicious evening of “how to” combined with a duck-u-cation of how the family and their staff farm, and what buying local means to the food Ontarian’s enjoy.

You can purchase fine King Cole Duck products at the Queensville Country Store, located in the heart of Queensville.

Open hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
18463 ON-48, Mount Albert, ON L0G 1M0
Learn more at their website!

“It’s a beautiful thing to see a family truly working together” – Niemi Family.

We are a true family farm located in Mount Albert, Ontario. On our farm we grow annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetable plants, vegetables, shrubs and trees. We take pride in providing you with high quality plants that we have grown without the use of pesticides.

The matriarch of the Niemi Family, Marjo, grew up on a farm in Finland with 13 siblings. When her parents gave her a small plot of her own, she started her first vegetable garden and she was hooked. She knew someday she’d have her own farm. She came to Canada for a visit and then decided to move here. She worked at a nursing home and that compassion for people shows through everything she does.

She met Peter, a fellow Finlander who was born in Finland and moved to Canada as an infant. They married in 1988 and moved to Bradford. Peter worked as an electrician and Marjo was pretty busy with their family of 10 children, yes 10! Marjo’s dream of owning her own farm was always there though and in 2004, the dream came true. Marjo and Peter purchased a 25-acre farm in Herald Road in Sharon. They grew organic vegetables, fruit, trees, and flowers….and it was the flowers that captured her heart.

Marjo loved being in nature, she said nothing compares to the satisfaction you get from growing beautiful flowers. She lead by example to teach her children about the value of hard work. But Marjo has something special, a kind heart and a contagious energy, a magnetic personality that draws in everyone who meets her.

She started the East Gwillimbury Farmers’ Market with her perennials. In addition to being a vendor, she also took on the Market Manager role for a few seasons. Then in 2018, her daughter Carolina took on the role. Yes, that entrepreneurial spirit runs in the family!

Open hours: 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
21468A Leslie St., Queensville, ON
Learn more at their website!

Your one-stop-shop for premium Kentucky Bluegrass sod, mulch, soil and aggregate materials. For more than 65 years, Queensville Sod has been serving residents and businesses across the GTA.

Open hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
17569 Centre Street, East Gwillimbury ON, L0G 1M0
Learn more at their website!

“There are so many reasons you’ll love a visit to our family farm!” – Rose Family Farm.

The Rose Family Farm is a 170 year-old family-owned farm located in the quaint town of Mount Albert, Ontario. Currently, the owners Norma and Wilfred Rose operate seven days a week and have a chip wagon open to the public from Friday to Sunday, and on holiday Mondays. The farm is famous for their potatoes, but you can also visit and pick your own strawberries, raspberries, pumpkins, and corn when they are in season, or enjoy their wide selection of meats, including chicken breasts, cowboy steaks, and pork sausages which are available in seven different flavours.

Open hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
18359 Woodbine Ave, Sharon ON L0G 1V0
Learn more at their website!

“Almost everything we’ve done, we’ve always done it together – it just works.” – Cathy Hope.

Sharon Orchards is passionately owned and operated by Paul and Cathy Hope. They are the only farm on the Farm to Fork tour that isn’t a generational farm – they moved to their property in Sharon with the intention of retiring and being close to their children, but little did they know where the three neglected apple trees in the back yard of their new property would lead them! After some pruning and TLC, the next year the trees yielded 35 bushels of heirloom MacIntosh apples – they had so many they were giving them away – and that inspired them to start The Sharon Orchard business and plant more trees – 500 to be exact.

Paul’s passion for agriculture stems from his father, who lived to be 102-years-old. He ran a herd of dairy cattle in the 1960’s, was an avid gardener, and believed in a good day’s work. Working with his father sparked the same passion for Paul, and a deep appreciation for the soil and everything that grows from it – including apples! Paul is the driving force behind the planting, tending and harvest of all the produce at the orchard.

Cathy steps in once the harvest begins. In a red portable at the end of the lane, Cathy is the smiling face you will see selling their fresh produce; including six different kinds of apples, and a variety of fresh organic produce. Almost everything you can purchase in the market was grown on the Hope’s property – even the honey is made from bee hives that are brought to the orchard each spring to pollinate the apple blossoms.

The Hope’s Philosophy has been the same for decades; put in an honest day’s work and sell what you grow.

Find exclusive Farm to Fork deals here!

Discover recipes using fresh, local ingredients from the farms on the tour!