Cultivating Connection – Agritourism in the Hills of Headwaters

As spring turns to summer, the region’s fields and farms stir to life – not just with crops, but with people seeking to reconnect with the land. In an age when food often feels disconnected from its sources, agritourism offers a grounding experience. It reminds us that behind every strawberry, bouquet of fresh flowers and basket of vegetables is a story of soil, care and community.

This part of Ontario – Caledon, Dufferin and Erin – has quietly become a hub of agritourism. Family farms open their gates to the public, inviting curiosity, learning and respect for the agricultural life that sustains us. Visitors see first-hand how food is grown, meet the people who grow it, and better understand the challenges and rewards of farming.

At places like Downey’s Farm, that means pick-your-own strawberries, sunflower fields, corn mazes and wagon rides. As we celebrate our 40th anniversary this year, it’s hard to believe it all started when my four siblings and I began to sell sweet corn from our picnic table to earn money for hockey equipment. My parents, John and Ruth Downey, were visionaries and saw in this an opportunity to connect people to agriculture.

While my dad milked cows, my mom took us to farmers’ markets to sell corn picked the night before by my brothers and their friends. That picnic table business expanded to a wagonload. We grew flowers, vegetables and pumpkins, and put our 4-H animals on display. My parents sold our dairy herd in 1991 and began a two-year renovation of our dairy barn – now our farm store. My dad planted pick-your-own strawberries and raspberries. After my brother Greg graduated from Ridgetown College (part of the University of Guelph) he joined my dad in the fields. Greg soon took over the pick-your-own operation.

In 2020 my husband, Nathan, and I purchased the 100-acre farm and business from my parents. Downey’s Farm has been in our family since 1920, making it a fourth-generation farm, and now, a second-generation agritourism destination.

Across the road at Downey’s Strawberry & Apple Farm, Greg and his wife, Melissa, offer pick-your-own strawberries, raspberries and apples, giving visitors a hands-on way to experience local farming and enjoy fresh, seasonal fruit.

When I tell our four children about my childhood, I feel gratitude. My parents gave us more than a place to grow up; they instilled in us a deep appreciation of and respect for the land and community. And they created a space not only for our own family to continue building memories, but also to welcome families from all over Ontario to come and create their own.