Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association

Fresh Facts
Providing knowledge and leadership to grow the farm fresh experience.

Sunflowers are HOT! Newsletter #339

September 2019
Taking pictures in sunflower fields has been done for years. And why not? It is a Volume 35, Number 7

fantastically unique backdrop for any photo. The activity reached a new level of
awareness in 2018 after the Bogle Dees Farm in Flamborough was overrun with
thousands of people looking to get a selfie with the happy yellow blooms. Bo-
gle’s grow sunflowers on 68 acres for wild bird seed and have opened their farm Inside this issue:
in the past to the public for photo opportunities. They were charging $7.50 per
adult last year and were quite happy with the response for about a week. By the
Membership News 2
Second Saturday, photos began appearing on social media and the response
was unmanageable. Thousands of eager photographers descended on the farm. Things don’t 3
always go right
The owners were not equipped to handle that kind of influx and the farm was
closed to the public, maybe forever. Happy Employ- 4
ee=Happy Custom-
ers=Higher Profits
Other farms have however, jumped on the sunflower bandwagon. Lucky Ladd
Farm just outside of Nashville, Tennessee has decided to add a sunflower field Cairn O’ Mohr 6
this year. They have developed guidelines for their customers and will be re-
Upcoming Events 8
viewing the profitability of continuing with this project. Lucky Ladd Farm is on the
bus tour itinerary for OFFMA’s November Study Tour so we will be able to hear
their feedback first hand.

Dixie Orchards in Caledon, Ontario

opened their sunflower field on August
17th. They are charging $10 for anyone 10
years or older. The admission price in-
cludes a wagon ride to the field. Check out
their social media feeds. They have been
doing a great job of consistently posting
about their sunflowers.

Maize Quest Fun Park in Pennsylvania

wrapped up their 3rd annual Sunflower
Festival in the middle of August. Their 8
acres of sunflowers featured 28 different
varieties. Wagon rides, live music and food
trucks were all part of the activities. They
started promo and ticket sales in April.
Each ticket included admission, wagon
ride to the fields and one sunflower to take home. Cost was $10 for children and
$25 for adults. Go to www.sunflowerfestivalpa.com to see more details. Accord-
ing to Hugh McPherson, Maize Quest’s Mazemaster, “Sunflowers are symbols
of positive thoughts and create a happy atmosphere. They connect with people
and we want people to connect to farming on a personal level.”


Page 2 Fresh Facts
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Classifieds
FOR SALE
Fruit Trees from Silver Creek
Nursery—not your ordinary nursery!
Unique fruit varieties for your PYO,
organic orchard and cider blends. Ask
us about retailing our potted trees at
your location. Call 519-804-6060 or
email steph@silvercreeknursery.ca
FOR SALE
2L and 4L plastic baskets, made in
Canada, sturdy handles, strong dura-
ble plastic, weatherproof, reliable
delivery, competitive pricing
www.shouldicefarm.com
shouldice1@bell.net, 613-838-4203
FOR SALE
Commercial waffle maker $300
Please call Tom at 905-691-8423
FOR SALE
Delhaven Orchards Ltd.
Frozen pitted sour cherries available
for wholesale & retail
519-676-4475
delhaven@ciaccess.com
FOR SALE
Frozen Strawberries and Frozen
Raspberries-Enjoy Ontario local ber-
ries all year round. Berries have been
frozen on trays and packaged. Great
for smoothies, baking, jam, jellies,
and fruit wines. For more information
call Potters Road Berries 519-842-
2723 or nverbruggen@nor-del.com.
Ask the Expert is back. Join Shirly Fulton on
Monday, September 16th at Facebook Live
events.
Shirley will be talking about ‘Running a
Seasonal Business Successfully’. Shirley is
the main force behind Fulton’s Pancake
House & sugar Bush in Pakenham. She has
created a business that works with her life-
style and her life goals. Don’t miss out on
hearing about her tips .
New Members
A big shout out to our newest Associate
member…..
WIC Marketing Inc.
Ian Crouch
Surrey, B.C.
778-554-2888
www.wicmarketing.com
WIC Marketing is a distributor of seasonal
products such as Pumpkin Masters Pump-
kin Carving Kits, Easter Egg Decorating
Kits, and Mailable Christmas Greeting Cards
with Organic Micro Seeds.
Congratulations to...Chloe (Romeril)
Thurston &
Robin
Thurston
from Pine
Farms Or-
chard, King
City, who tied
the knot on
May 24th,
2019 with a
farm wedding.
Wishing you
many decades
of health and
happiness.
Congratulations to
Landman Gardens & Bakery
A note from Rebecca Landman:
We’re Celebrating 50 years on the Farm!
This year is a special year for us on the farm,
in 1969 my Grandparents, Sjeord and
Sytske, bought the farm. This year we will
celebrate 50 years of being on the farm. My
grandparents emigrated from Holland in the
50's, starting a new life an ocean away from
everything they knew. I often think of the
strength and courage that this would have
taken. My grandpa often joked if he had of
known how long and cold our winters were
in Canada, he would have moved to New
Zealand instead! But boy am I glad they
chose Canada. It is pretty amazing to think
that their decision years ago, would be a
decision that would bring so much joy, hard
work and love to all of their family. On a
beautiful July Sunday afternoon, we cele-
brated with the family and my Grama observ-
ing the legacy that lives on from her and
grandpa's hard work!
 Newsletter #339 Page 3

Things don’t always go right. In farming. In business. In life.

By Jessica Kelly, Direct Farm Marketing Specialist, OMAFRA
I recently learned about a fascinating global movement that involves events
where speakers share their stories of business and professional failures. The
official name of these events involves some colourful language, so for the pur-
poses of this article, I will refer to them as “mess-up nights.” This concept got
me thinking about how often we focus our conferences, learning opportunities
and even day-to-day conversation on successes when arguably there’s far more
to be learned from our failures. Beyond this learning opportunity, the Failure In-
stitute identifies several reasons for having mess-up nights:

 We deeply believe in having the difficult conversations as a positive step

towards well-being and a less ego-driven world.
 To celebrate trying instead of stigmatizing failure.
 To live a life with less filters.
 It’s FUN J

What kind of culture do we have around failure in our industry and in our farm
teams? How do we talk about our own failures or the failures of others? Could
we learn something from the mess-up night approach to create a healthier rela-
tionship with failure?

Millennials and Generation Z are often critiqued for an excessive fear of, or ina-
bility to cope with, failure. Jared Buckley, a Millennial Skills Coach, discusses
that fear of failure isn’t inherently bad – the key is ensuring that it is not crippling.
Fear of failure has two options…
FEAR can either: Or FEAR can: “Our fear of failure should not restrain our-
F-ocus F-ocus selves from movement, but generate suffi-
E-motions E-nergy cient energy to respect the circumstance or
A-round A-round object. The respect in fear leads to move-
R-uin R-espect ment while the ruins in fear lead to immobi-
lization.”
Source: http://www.jaredbuckley.com/why-millennials-are-failing-at-failure/

Talking about failure isn’t easy or comfortable. Yet, by keeping quiet about fail-
ure, we risk developing unrealistic expectations within our industry, our busi-
nesses and our teams about how prevalent failure is and that it’s a part of the
winding road of growth and success.

Foodland Merchandising Award

Foodland Ontario is partnering with OFFMA to offer the second annual Foodland Merchandising
Award. This annual award recognizes an OFFMA member for excellence in display and promotion of
Ontario foods and support of Foodland Ontario. The winner will be recognized at OFFMA’s Banquet at
the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention in February 2020.
We are looking for creative displays that showcase Ontario foods, make an impact with customers,
and reflect your farm’s brand, all while incorporating the Foodland Ontario logo and/or point-of-sale
materials. It’s not an easy task, but we know that OFFMA members are up for the challenge!
To enter, you will need to provide photos of your display along with some information about the display
and its impact. Options to apply:
Apply online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FoodlandAward
Page 4 Fresh Facts
Happy Employee = Happy Customers = Higher Profits
By Meghan Snyder, Snyder’s Farm
This year I was honoured to be invited
to the Ontario’s Southwest Tourism
Conference in March to present on a
topic close to my heart and what I at-
tribute a lot of our fast-paced growth
to, HAPPY EMPLOYEES.
Here are the highlights for you, I hope
they help you add or revise how you
work with your team and it brings you
great success this year. We all get
very busy and bogged down with the
everyday, but I believe that we can all
do a better job inspiring our team and
while it’s easy to overlook it should be
the first thing we LOOK AT, daily,
monthly and yearly.
We hire between 150-200 seasonal
team members for our fall season. It’s
short, quick and intense and this pres-
sure and unique environment have
helped us to figure out how to build
the culture we want and to keep them
coming back season after season.
If you C.A.R.E. about your employees
you get Happy Employees and in turn,
higher profits!
Communicate:
Defining the WOW! We spend a lot of
time and money on hiring and train-
ing, and for some of our team they
might only work 8-15 shifts TOTAL!
However, clearly outlining our culture,
what we expect from team members,
and how they can achieve the WOW!
We hire for our culture. We can teach
anyone how to use a cash register or
make cotton candy, but I can’t teach
you to smile.
Appreciate:
Doesn’t everyone want to be appreci-
ated? Sometimes when we run opera-
tions where we do EVERYTHING,
that last thing we have energy for is to
show appreciation, but it is the first
thing we need to do. We do this in
many ways; our employee Facebook
pages allow us to com-
municate appreciation and
praise Instantly. We also
do special team area
awards every weekend,
and have an area for em-
ployee ‘high fives’ in the
lunch room. Customers,
fellow team members, or a
manager can select an em-
ployee for a ‘high five’
award for outstanding ser-
vice or action. For our man-
agers, we focus on person-
alized recognition. Last
year we got a chef to come
and cook freezer meals to
help ease stress at home
for them in a busy season.
My favourite unique way to
appreciate someone last
year was for our staff

nurse. She is amazing and I knew
she went to an expensive hair salon,
so I called and paid for her appoint-
ment. Appreciation and recognition is
the easiest way to get happy employ-
ees and happy customers and a
Happy YOU!
Revenue, no RAVE:
Our favourite saying around the farm
is “No one RAVES about AVER-
AGE” (author unknown). For our
farm, if people are raving about it
then our revenue reflects that. I often
take time to share positive customer
Facebook reviews or e-mails with our
team. If they see what they do affects
a customer positively they keep do-
ing it. The science and research exist
everywhere in the business world,
happy employees create happy cus-
tomers. And happy customers in-
Newsletter #339 Page 5
crease our revenue. It’s just that sim-
ple.
Evaluate:
When was the last time you surveyed
your employees? We do it every year!
When was the last time you looked at
your business and analyzed how hap-
py your employees were and how
well you’re working for them and they
are working for you? The world is
changing fast, how people value time
and life is changing. We are constant-
ly asking ourselves if what we are do-
ing is working to keep our culture, our
employees happy, and our revenues
up. Instead of thinking of the next
product you want to sell to increase
revenue, I would ask is there anything
I can do to improve culture, increase
happiness, and in turn increase prof-
its????
Page 6 Fresh Facts

Cairn O’ Mohr
By Carl Fletcher OFFMA supporter.
A June vacation in Scotland provided an opportunity to explore Scottish
Farm Shops.
Creativity, fun, whimsy, and great marketing supporting unique quality
products made for a memorable visit to Cairn O’ Mohr craft fruit winery and
cidery. To get a better “taste” of what and how Cairn O’ Mohr offers check
out their website www.cairnomohr.com .
At the building entry you are met by a tree trunk carved figure with a crown
of empty product bottles. Next a “fallen’ tree trunk has been carved into a
bench with steps for the “wee” ones. There is a kids-sized tower that over-
looks the café tables with a sign advising caregivers of the “STEEP STEPS
-Look after the wee yins wudyee please.” The parking lot was made from
crushed stone with embedded painted wooden rails providing the parking
space markings.

Cairn O’ Mohr’s product line includes wines and sparkling juices made from
their own and neighbouring Perthshire elderberry orchards as well as fruit
from other local growers. Products are made from both the elderberries and
the elderberry flowers seen in the orchard picture.

Rhubarb, Gooseberry and Elderflower, and

either spring or fall oak leaf wine were some of
the choices in the “eye popping” contrasting
colour arc of choices at the wine tasting coun-
ter. These bottles stayed on display as guests
were served samples from bottles stored be-
hind the counter.

Ciders are made from heritage and modern

apple varieties and are available on draft.
An excellent video explains the operation
and the wine and cider making processes to guests.
If you say Cairn O Mohr quickly three times in a row, you’ll get the message
of what consuming a few bottles of these unique wines and ciders can do
for your attitude adjustment!
 Newsletter #339 Page 7

Showcase your product at the

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
Here is an opportunity to promote and sell
your product at the Royal. OFFMA will have
a 10’x10’ booth within the ‘Spotlight on Lo-
cal’ feature. OFFMA will be subletting the
booth to our membership at half day intervals.

‘Spotlight on Local’ is new for 2019 and presented by Metro Grocery

Stores. It is a unique feature that celebrates the very best in local food
being grown, produced and manufactured in Ontario.

Investment cost is $50 per half day. An amazing opportunity. Consider

coming to the Royal in 2019. This space is available on a first come, first
served basis. Contact the OFFMA office at info@ontariofarmfresh.com if
you are interested.

Please go to www.royalfair.org/spotlight for additional information.

OFFMA will be launching a brand new Mentorship Program to match our more
experienced members with newer members just getting started in the direct
farm marketing industry. It’s a great way to give back to our community and
create lasting, rewarding relationships with the next generation of farm mar‐
keters. We are aiming for 8 matches, based on location and shared business
backgrounds. They will communicate via email and phone, and visited each oth‐
er’s farms, sharing experiences and building supportive relationships.
Program Objectives:
1. Capacity Enhancement ‐ Fast track younger and/or inexperienced growers
through the learning phase of beginning direct farm marketing. This will help
ensure a more successful venture and build more confident marketers.
2. Attract and Retain OFFMA members ‐ Offer a member benefit with hands‐on
engagement to young and/or inexperienced members with the hopes of creat‐
ing more successful marketers who will continue to be active and long‐term
OFFMA members. Qualified beginning farmers must be OFFMA members to
participate.
3. Knowledge Transfer ‐ Engage mature and more experienced growers by
keeping them involved in OFFMA, and active within the direct farm marketing
industry.
If you are interested in this program as a mentor or mentee, please contact
the OFFMA office at info@ontariofarmfresh.com
 Page 8 Fresh Facts

Upcoming Events
Sept. 10-12 Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, for more information go to
www.outdoorfarmshow.com

Sept. 16 Ask the Expert, Shirley Fulton, Running a Seasonal Business Success
fully, Facebook Events.
Ontario Farm Fresh
Cathy Bartolic, Executive Director
Nov. 1– 10 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, CNE, Toronto, visit www.royalfair.org for
PO Box 250 Gormley Post Office additional info.
Gormley, ON L0H 1G0
Ph: 905-506-0371 Fax: 647-556-7254 Nov. 6-9 OFFMA’s Bus Tour to Nashville, registration forms and tour description
E-mail: info@ontariofarmfresh.com
www.ontariofarmfresh.com
included with this newsletter
2019-20 OFFMA Board of Directors
Kristin Ego MacPhail, President
CONGRATULATIONS!
Ego Nurseries Ltd.
Steve Martin, Past President OFFMA members, the Howells of Brantview Apples and Cider, and the
Martin’s Family Fruit Farm
Erin McLean, Vice President Deschatelet family from Leisure Farms are among 11 families selected as
McLean Berry Farm this year’s recipients of the BMO Ontario Farm Family Award presented by
Paul Baxter, Associate Member BMO Bank of Montreal in co-operation with the Ontario Plowmen’s Associa-
Baxter’s Kitchen
Darlene Downey, Downey’s Farm Market tion.
& Estate Winery The award recognizes recipient families’ focus on sustainability, community
Colleen McKay, Your Farm Market involvement, land stewardship and adaptability in their farm management
Jordan McKay, Willowtree Farm
Meghan Snyder, Snyder’s Family Farm practices. The awards will be presented to the families at the International
Shane Van Casteren, Nicholyn Farms Plowing Match and Rural Expo on Sept. 21. The event is being held Sept. 17
Karen Whitty, Whitty Farms to 21 in Verner, West Nipissing.
Jessica Kelly, OMAFRA Advisor