Travel Inspirations

Meet the makers behind local products | by Explore Ontario, The Globe and Mail | May 2025

Content from: Explore Ontario, The Globe and Mail

Published May 16, 2025

Casey and Steve Howanyk, owners of The Perth Farmhouse, offer visitors self-guided wine and cider tastings paired with visits to the pasture to meet their friendly dwarf goats.

Vacations are all about discovery – not just finding new places but meeting the people who bring them to life. Throughout Ontario, makers invite travellers to step behind the scenes, explore their crafts and discover new stories.

In Perth County, visitors can step into the heart of the area’s countryside lifestyle and meet the people behind local products.

At Lynn River Farm, guests can enjoy a six-course farm-to-table dinner surrounded by rolling fields and quarry views. Meanwhile, The Perth Farmhouse offers self-guided wine and cider tastings paired with pasture visits to meet their herd of friendly dwarf goats.

There are immersive, self-guided experiences, too – such as fresh chocolate tastings and behind-the-scenes insights at Chok Fine Chocolates. McCully’s Hill Farm invites visitors to take in the aromas of fresh-baked goods and seasonal produce and learn how maple syrup is made. At Stonetown Artisan Cheese, visitors can peer through viewing windows into the cheese-making facility and browse a wide selection of locally made products in the retail shop.

“These hands-on, face-to-face connections deepen the visitor experience in a powerful way,” says Meredith Forget, director of economic development and tourism at the Corporation of the County of Perth. “You’re not just tasting fresh maple syrup – you’re learning how it’s made from the person who tapped the tree. Visitors often describe these moments as the ‘story behind the flavour.’ They leave with a stronger appreciation for local food and rural life, and many of them return year after year to reconnect with the people and places they discovered.” Read more here

Let nature be the teacher | by Explore Ontario, The Globe and Mail | May 2025

Published May 16, 2025

Child running though the fields of Walch Family Strawberries, a seasonal pick-your-own strawberry field located in Perth South open in June and July.

Food for thought

“There’s no better classroom than a Perth County farm,” says Meredith Forget, director of economic development and tourism at the Corporation of the County of Perth. “From June strawberry picking at Walch Family Strawberries farm to fall pumpkin adventures at Harwill Farms’ Pumpkinpalooza, kids can learn where their food comes from while having fun outdoors.”

Families can also wander through sunflower fields at Kadylack Farm, take an alpaca for a walk at TLC Alpaca, learn how maple syrup is made at Hoover’s Maple Syrup and explore syrup season further at the Maple Syrup Festival at McCully’s Hill Farm.

“These outdoor learning moments spark curiosity, build empathy and encourage unplugged, screen-free play,” says Forget. “For many kids, it’s their first time meeting a goat, picking apples off a tree or seeing how vegetables grow. These shared family memories are filled with laughter, hands-on discovery and the joy of learning by doing – which turns a typical getaway into something meaningful, lasting and often transformative.” Read more here

Savour the flavours of Ontario this summer | by Explore Ontario, The Globe and Mail | May 2025

Published May 16, 2025

Dinner plate found at Lynn River farms which offers a 6 course, 4 hour GRAZE farm dinner outdoor or in a tent.

Food tourists know that travelling through the tapestry of cities, towns and regions that make up Ontario is a wonderfully authentic way to get to know a community’s history and identity.

Travellers love to challenge themselves and try something new when it comes to food, engaging the senses of taste, smell, sound, sight and touch. Food brings a travel experience to life and food tourists are those who are not looking for the same café or restaurant offering they can get at home.

Food tourism is also a way to build social connections in the communities being visited.

That could be a farm-to-table dinner experience somewhere in rural Ontario and meeting the makers behind the meals, says Meredith Forget, director of economic development and tourism for the Corporation of the County of Perth. Or it could lead to a conversation with the chef at a restaurant in a quaint small town or a Michelin-starred restaurant in a bigger city, such as Toronto. Read more here

Growing travel trend of connecting agriculture and tourism is good for all | by Explore Ontario, The Globe and Mail | May 2025

Content from: Explore Ontario, The Globe and Mail

Published May 16, 2025

If, as studies suggest, more people are seeking out unique experiences when booking travel, then agritourism is a logical and increasingly natural byproduct of that search.

Avid agritourists seek to find fresh and sustainable foods, interact with locals and experience their culture and how they live, and to travel to new and rural destinations – whether that‘s farms, agricultural businesses, food festivals or artisan markets.

Agritourism is thriving in Perth County, says Meredith Forget, director of economic development and tourism for the Corporation of the County of Perth. The county is in the southwestern part of the province and includes Stratford, well-known for its world-renowned theatres, and the charming town of St. Marys.

“People want to meet the makers behind their meals,” Forget says. “This rise reflects a broader movement toward experiential travel. People want more than a photo op; they want a meaningful, hands-on encounter with rural life.”

Memorable experiences in Perth include: pick-your-own at Applebottom Orchards, located about an hour’s drive north of Kitchener; farm-to-table dinners at Lynn River Farm, west of Kitchener; and alpaca walks at TLC Alpacas, north of Mitchell. Other experiences that nourish the body and soul, Forget says, include sampling artisan cheese at Stonetown Artisan Cheese in St. Marys, exploring pumpkin patches at Harwill Farms, just northeast of Listowel, and meeting the goats and sipping cider at The Perth Farmhouse, west of Kitchener. These are all real, rooted experiences that feed the body and soul, Forget adds. Read more here