LOCAL BUYS

Hiking accessories, pressed flowers and a nod to local farming culture

BY JANICE QUIRT

Hats off

You may have seen the locally inspired, hand-screened shirts and hoodies by Mulmur’s Dufferin County Goods Co. in shops across Headwaters. This tractor cap is the label’s hottest new design, one close to creator Jeanette McFarlane’s heart. “It is based on my family’s roots farming in Dufferin since the 1830s,” she says. “This design comes from my grandfather’s post-war farm. It was a big deal when they got their first tractor, as gasoline was rationed during the war and my father grew up ploughing the fields by horse.” The line of products can be found at Maple Grove Farm, Landman Gardens & Bakery, Superburger, Limitless Inc. by My Crafty Neighbour, and online. (Tractor cap, $25, Dufferin County Goods Co.)

Pewter hits the trails

In The Hills columnist Nicola Ross takes her Loops & Lattes hiking book brand in a new direction with clever zipper pulls (no more struggling to find that elusive zipper mid-stride – excellent!) and earrings. This magazine’s connection doesn’t stop there; the script and mascot were originally designed by our art director, Kim van Oosterom, for use in Nicola’s guides. “In naming the mascot, I went with ‘Dodie,’” Nicola says. “That was my mother’s nickname and she was a pretty special person. Now Dodie has a spot in my hiking guides.” And now these baubles. The items are made by Ruth and Grant Robinson of Watson Pewter in Tweed, Ontario, and $5 from the sale of each item is donated to the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy. (Zipper pull, $21.95, Loops and Lattes)

Precious petals

Allison Bell founded her jewelry line Pressed in Thyme in 2020 – the whimsical pieces feature pressed flowers and greens she finds on hikes, camping trips and in her Erin backyard.

She originally used books as presses (forgotten beauties still tumble out of tomes unexpectedly, she says), but she now flattens daisies, violets and other blooms using her grandmother’s presses, given to her by her aunt. Allison transforms the flowers into earrings and necklaces by encasing them in resin. “Last year was a season of growth for me because I learned a lot about how to press and what works well,” she says. “I appreciate my craft for the opportunity to combine art with nature.” Each piece is one of a kind and handmade in Allison’s home studio. A portion of each sale is donated to MakeWay, a Canadian coalition for social, economic and environmental equity. (Earrings from $36. Necklaces from $34, Pressed in Thyme)

sources Dufferin County Goods Co., Mulmur. www.dufferincountygoods.com. @dufferincountygoods on Instagram Maple Grove Farm, 936215 Airport Rd., Mulmur. 705-435-5386. www.maplegrovefarm.bookmark.com. @maplegrovefarmandmarket on Instagram Landman Gardens and Bakery, 322345, Conc. 6-7, Grand Valley. 519-938-6163. www.landmangardens.ca. @landmangardens on Instagram Superburger, 506269 Hwy 89 (at Hwy 10), Primrose. 519-306-3066. www.superburger.ca. @superburger_supercoffee on Instagram Limitless Inc. by My Crafty Neighbour, 117 Owen Sound St., Shelburne. 519-306-3030. My Crafty Neighbour on Facebook and @limitless_bymycraftyneighbour on Instagram Loops and Lattes, Belfountain. www.loopsandlattes.ca @loopsandlattes1 on Instagram Pressed in Thyme, Erin. PressedinThymeStudio on Etsy. @pressed.in.thyme on Instagram

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