PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY LIVING Bushels of Fun

Bushels of Fun

at Campbell’s Orchards

BY ANDREW HIND PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CAMPBELL’S ORCHARDS

Over the past half century, June and Murray Campbell and family developed an overgrown farm into one of Ontario’s premier apple orchards and an autumn family destination.

As far as autumn rituals go, I would say that visiting an apple orchard on a crisp fall day is as American as eating apple pie except, well, we’re in Canada. But the sentiment holds true: we love visiting orchards with baskets in hand and picking bushel after bushel from trees heavily laden with fruit. It’s a sweet tradition that embraces the best of the changing seasons.

Prince Edward County is blessed with several noteworthy orchards, each filled with row after row of fragrant apple trees. But those in the know suggest Campbell’s Orchards is among the best.

The farm was founded in 1969 by June and Murray Campbell, self-taught farmers who transformed what was then a run-down farm into a thriving business. Fifty years later, the farm is run by their son Colin and wife Dianne. They grow raspberries, strawberries, various vegetables, and plump orange pumpkins ready for transformation into Jack-o’-Lanterns. But they are best known for their apples.

Campbell’s Orchards says that it offers the most diverse selection of apples in the region by at least a country mile. That may not be an idle boast – there are 25 varieties growing fat and juicy on the trees, ranging from the standard MacIntosh and Northern Spy to the more obscure, like Snow Sweet (great for baking), Paula Red (one of the earliest apples, ripening in August), and Ginger Gold (a pale-yellow fruit).

“Apple varieties tend to rise and fall in popularity – there’s always the hot variety of the moment,” Dianne explains. “Honey Crisp is trendy right now. It flies off the shelf, even at $32 for a 10lb bag. It’s hard to grow, doesn’t store well, and produces bi-annually, but boy does it taste great.”

The pandemic has been a blessing and a curse for the farm. 2020 was a record year which Dianne attributes to people being wary of shopping in grocery stores, craving local produce, and embracing any safe outdoor activity available. But for Campbell’s Orchards it also meant investing heavily in an online store front, difficulty finding staff, and a myriad of other hurdles.

“We were so focused on making it all work, on creating a great experience, that we almost didn’t feel the stress last year,” Dianne explains. “Our focus, as always, is on our customers and ensuring they enjoy their visit here.”

There’s a lot to love about Campbell’s Orchards. Wagon rides, a playground and barn yard animals to entertain children, a bucolic setting under wideopen County skies, and a store laden with delights.

Fall isn’t truly underway until the first bush of apples has been picked. For many, a trip to Campbell’s Orchards is a sweet annual tradition.

Fields at Campbell’s Orchards are dotted with plump orange pumpkins, ready for transformation into Jack-o-Lanterns.

Fall isn’t truly underway until the first bush of apples has been picked. For many, a trip to Campbell’s Orchards is a sweet annual tradition.

Dazzling colours and late-season sun are two of the autumn season’s greatest rewards, and where better to experience it than at a farm? Not surprisingly, there’s freshpressed sweet apple cider (“pressed on-site by our daughter Amelia, and her husband Matt,” explains Dianne), as well as home-baking, preserves, locally milled flour, and vegetables. Son John has created a small sugarbush, and the maple syrup he makes when not flying Hercules transports for the Royal Canadian Air Force can be purchased here as well.

From a picnic table by the side of the road to the County’s premier orchard, the last half century has been a remarkable one for Campbell’s Orchards. I ask Dianne the secret to the farm’s success. “We offer apples you won’t find in a grocery store and a fun day outside in a wonderful setting – that’s the appeal of going to an apple orchard,” explains Dianne. “But the real secret is our focus on creating memorable experiences. ‘Go the Extra Smile’ is my motto, and we live by that.”

Location: 1633 County Road 3, Carrying Place campbellsorchards.com 613 962 3751

Chestnut Park’s New Uxbridge Office

A Successful Grand Opening Celebration!

BY LESLEY WILKINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAYLOR NULLMEYER

Following an absolutely torrential downpour at midday on September 9, 2021, the clouds parted, the skies cleared, and the folks from Chestnut Park went to work setting the stage for the grand opening celebration for the new Chestnut Park Uxbridge office.

Uxbridge Mayor Dave Barton performs the ribbon cutting, proudly welcoming Chestnut Park to Uxbridge. Also pictured Chestnut Park Director of Marketing Maria Neves, Chestnut Park Uxbridge Realtors® Leah Sprott, Jennifer Caron, Maureen Gilleece and Angela Wood, Chestnut Park CEO and President Chris Kapches, Chestnut Park Uxbridge Realtor® Sorrelle Golomb, Uxbridge Deputy Mayor Willie Popp, Ontario Ward 3 Councillor Bruce Garrod, and Rochelle Rondon of Chestnut Park Toronto.

Proving to this quietly sophisticated town that matching extraordinary homes with exceptional people isn’t their only talent, at 4:30pm on the dot the Chestnut Park team pulled out all the stops and the libations began to flow – featuring locally brewed craft beers and small batch ciders from the Second Wedge Brewing Company and Slabtown Cider, paired with an array of artisanal cheeses from The Passionate Cook’s fromagerie.

Admired restaurateurs Don Andrews and Niki Filntissis were there, ready to ensure that guests were well fed and enjoyed a true taste of what makes dining in Uxbridge special. Andrews treated guests to a taste of Tin Restaurant’s original bruschetta blend of seasonal herbs and fresh vegetables, paired with white or red wine, and finishing with his famous carrot cake. Across the patio Filntissis served up a duo of flavourful canapés from Urban Pantry’s catering menu - poached shrimp and lemon habanero aioli with soya glaze on a skewer for easy eating, and seared yellowfin tuna on Montgomeryshire Orchards cucumber slices topped with guacamole, pickled ginger mignonette, and Hulshof Farm purple kalahari microgreens.

Set to the perfectly matched instrumentals of local musician Brian Wride, attendees were invited to tour the welcoming new office space – generously decked out in works by Uxbridge Studio Tour artists and designed to provide Chestnut Park clients and agents with the privacy and comfort they need when focusing on the business of buying and selling prime properties.

Delightful hand crafted bird sculptures by Uxbridge Studio Tour artist Anja Kooistra. Always proud to support artists, Chestnut Park is the 2021 Title Sponsor of the ever popular Uxbridge Studio Tour annual art event. Chestnut Park’s newest office opened this September in downtown Uxbridge.

Peerage Realty Corporate Development Associate Luis Prozzo, Chestnut Park COO Nicolle Scavuzzo, Chestnut Park CEO and President Chris Kapches and Peerage Realty CEO Gavin Swartzman chat with guests and enjoy local art, food and drinks, while celebrating the grand opening of Chestnut Park’s new Uxbridge office. Chestnut Park’s Chris Kapches LLB, President and CEO, and Broker of Record was on hand to meet locals and celebrate this newest chapter in the ongoing expansion of the Chestnut Park family.

Asked why Chestnut Park is a great fit for Uxbridge, Kapches points to the extraordinary growth that Uxbridge has seen over the past decade - not only in the number of fine homes but also in the community’s transformation from a sleepy rural town to an increasingly sophisticated hub for people looking to live in a beautiful setting equipped with outstanding equestrian facilities, urban style shops and eateries, world-class golfing, ski hills and access to a stunning network of trails – all within an easy commute to Toronto.

Mayor Dave Barton performed the evening’s ribbon-cutting, pronouncing the new office open and warmly welcoming the Chestnut Park team to town. “When Chestnut Park came to me, I knew right away that they were a perfect fit for Downtown Uxbridge. Their community focus, expertise and style will be a great addition to the real estate landscape - matching our area’s finest homes and properties with buyers who will appreciate everything this vibrant community has to offer.”

chestnutpark.com 9 Main St. S. Uxbridge, Ontario homes@chestnutpark.com 905 852 0002 @chestnutparkhomes