Dunridge Farms new to Creemore Farmers’ Market

There are more than 30 vendors at this year’s market selling everything from fruit, veggies and meat to soap and tea.

A dozen or so, are primary producers, meaning they grow or raise the food.

Among them, and new to the market this year, is Tim and Kimberly Schneider of Dunridge Farm. They will be bringing their award winning apple cider and spring garlic.

“We’re excited to be part of the market,” says Kimberly. “It is really one of the premiere markets in the area.”

Located just outside of Duntroon, Dunridge Farm is a 150-acre organic farm that also grows non-GMO sweet corn, which will be coming to the market later in the season, and black turtle beans, which are sold to Chipotle restaurants in the United States. They grow eight varieties of apples, including the popular heritage snows.

The different varieties are blended to make a sweet cider, which took third place at the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention in February. Next year, they plan to sell cider vinegar as well.

The expanding garlic patch is home to the Hawkwind variety of spring garlic. The scapes will be coming up soon, which Kimberly turns into dips and pesto. She also makes garlic powder, which will be available at the market, along with the raw garlic.

Tim says, the farm is a family operation, with their three daughters in charge of the braiding division.

“It is very difficult to make a living from a 100- to 150-acre farm,” says Tim. “You need a diverse organic crop to make it feasible.”

He says they have a commitment to making organic food more accessible.

“We’re trying to get to a scale to make it affordable for everyone,” says Tim.

The Schneiders are in the process of resurrecting an 1830s heritage barn on the farm which will house a farm-gate store and will also be home to a new hard cider made under the Duntroon Cider House label. The apples have just been pressed and the cider will be available in July, but that’s another story. Unfortunately the hard cider will not be sold at the farmers’ market.

The Creemore Farmers’ Market runs every Saturday from 9 a.m. (new start time this year) until 1 p.m. until Thanksgiving weekend at Station on the Green.