Agri-Tour ready to roll out 14th edition

With about 1,000 lbs of honey for sale from his 20 bee colonies, Roger Villeneuve is looking forward to the Agri-Tour experience. He invites visitors to bring along their own containers for a fill-up.

Long-time participant, Domaine du Cervin owner Samuel Gutknecht, says Agri-Tour draws about 800 visitors to his Chesterville winery site over its two weekends.

Agri-Tour has always been about delivering discriminating consumers to easy-to-reach Eastern Ontario producers who cater to them with fresh produce and close and cozy encounters with farm animals. The emphasis is on the slightly exotic as opposed to traditional dairy, beef and hog operations.

Over the years, the core of the event hasn’t changed, organizers revealed at the 2009 official launch Sept. 2 at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, a collection of 1930s buildings and artifacts.

After originally being operated mainly as a tourist attraction by the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, Agri-Tour is now managed by l’Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens, a French-language farm lobby group which recognizes the event’s economic and awareness-boosting value.

“It’s consistent with the current consumer trend towards local and regional food products,” observed UCFO development officer Shannon Kavanagh who was raised in Quebec and is equally nimble in French and English.

“This circuit of non-traditional agricultural businesses offers consumers the opportunity to know the origins of the products they buy while encouraging local economies.”

UCFO does all the organizational duties and publicity for the tour to underline the wide range of products available at the farm gate, as well as to educate visitors on the basics of agriculture. Stops include the Alfred Campus of the University of Guelph, the St. Albert Cheese Factory, and Upper Canada Cranberries. The sites are open 10 am-4:30 pm. Details at www.agritour.ca.

Agri-Tour boasts two LCBO-approved wineries on the circuit, both of which have earned a handful of quality awards, and a craft brewery recognized as the best in Ontario.

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. of Vankleek Hill recently picked up the top prizes at the annual Golden Tap Awards in Toronto, including best craft brewery and best brew for its regionally famous Lug Tread lager.