From Shmurgles to Sweet Spring Flavours

In the west end of Northumberland County, when the nicer weather starts, I can’t stop thinking about getting back out on a farm – whether pitching in at harvest time for some friends, or taking the family to say hi to the animals. Either way, it’s great to get a little more acquainted with how agriculture contributes to our everyday life. 

These days, we’re still early for harvest, but with the nice weather creeping in, I need my local food fix. Fortunately, there are some great options for packaged products, on-farm experiences, and freshly-made treats, complete with local love. 

It’s still a bit early for the seasonal farm markets. To me, those are the best places to shop – fresh product, real farmers, and a sense of community. While that’s option one, option two is close behind and a fine way to spend any day as part of a short, and welcome, road trip to get outdoors. 

Because I am desperate to get out into rural Northumberland, I am going to start at Haute Goat, located on the 5th line in Newtonville, about 20 minutes northwest of Port Hope 

Haute Goat farm is a 200 acre (81 hectare) property where you can get close to Nigerian Dwarf goats, alpacas, chickens and horses, and meander through their shiitake forest. Owners Debbie Nightingale and Shain Jaffe encourage visitors to take some time to stroll the property and breathe the fresh country air.

Have you ever heard of a Shmurgle? No one had. And that’s because Haute Goat invented it! It’s an opportunity to get up close and personal with a bunch of their lively goats. You can book a time on the Haute Goat website and check out various packages and pricing. There are a number of experiences offered on the farm, including the full Shmurgle where you can have a snuggle, hug or cuddle with the goats and help herd them back into their loafing shed, grabbing a selfie along the way. It’s the perfect way to reconnect with a bit of nature and enjoy life among animals on a farm.

The Screaming Goat Cafe is also on-site and pumping out themed comfort food like grilled goat cheese sandwiches and savoury seasonal soups. Once the cold creeps into your bones, head in and cozy up. Stay for lunch and enjoy a locally-sourced meal with chefs Rob and Alicia. And if the soup doesn’t warm you up, maybe bring home a pair of Alpaca wool socks? There’s also the opportunity to pick up some artisanal goat cheese, specially selected by Debbie and Shain from Haute Goat’s cheese partners. Any of their selections should give you a taste of some of the best goat cheese in Canada. Another signature Haute Goat item is the goat milk caramel coated popcorn. It’s decadent, found in a number of varieties (like ‘Red Hot Love”), and already packaged for takeaway.

After this, I get on the road again to stock up on other pantry items.

Just on the north side of the 401 on Highway 2 in Port Hope I want to check out something really sweet. It’s the  brand new facility for Canada’s largest bee equipment provider, Dancing Bee. Equipment. This new location includes a boutique honey store, state of the art bottling facility, and a new warehouse. The company supplies commercial beekeepers with equipment, and distributes to over 60 stores across North America. Dancing Bee has another store in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but its flagship is the Port Hope location. 

Aside from all natural honey, this is the place to go if you want to start beekeeping, or just test out your interest in starting to tend some hives. Grassroots beekeeping is where Dancing Bee began with master beekeeper and CEO Todd Kalisz. Dancing Bee also offers beginner beekeeping workshops and pure beeswax blocks for candle making.

For stocking your pantry, you can select from Dancing Bee’s buckwheat, golden or white honey–all raw and unpasteurized for the perfect addition to a loaf of freshly baked bread and butter. 

While we’re on that track, head to downtown Port Hope to Suntree Natural Food Marketplace. Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, they get a delivery of some of the finest bread I have ever tasted from Cobourg’s Millstone Bread. While you’re there, grab some award-winning Empire cheddar which is also made at Empire Cheese & Butter Co-op in Campbellford.

If you want to go straight to the source for fresh bread, Millstone is open to the public. Some of the loaves to note are buttermilk, semolina, pumpkin seed and French sourdough. Millstone is a small, family-owned bakery that specializes in European-style artisanal bread baked onsite in its wood-fired oven. They also make a great sausage roll, and sandwiches well worth the drive to Cobourg to pick up. Since expanding in 2013, they’ve added a full range of coffee and espresso drinks. They sell a collection of curated, Ontario-produced products. Not to be missed are the jams and jarred goods that pair perfectly with their fresh breads.

While you’re soaking up the Cobourg scene, head to Sprucewood Handmade Cookie Co. for award winning (“Canada’s Best” is a big award) shortbread cookies. Owner Mark Pollard always suggests the savoury shortbread made with four-year-old Ontario cheddar. That’s where the business started and what set him apart from all the competitors. His dessert line also impresses, and I am partial to the flavours of maple and lemon zest. For any gluten-free fans, Sprucewood makes the best GF shortbreads I have ever had, by a long shot. 

After you’ve done your shmurgling, have picked up some honey, fresh bread and, of course, shortbread, heading home along Hwy 2 (east/west) or any of the County roads (north/south) becomes an even nicer drive. Northumberland has just the right amount of twists and turns to bring some nice, fresh day trip surprises.  

By Jeff Bray