b'Hinterland Growers(continued from page 3) DAUGHTERS ARE JUNIOR CHEFS! Hinterland is our little treasure,Organic Farms (WWOOF) program. The baked goods are very popular.Jon said. We designed it as a way toInthepast,peopleinterestedin BACKYARD GARDENERS dance. Customers wanted a one-stop- Theinterestingthingisthattheircontribute back to our community. learningneworganicagricultural What started as kind of a hobby,shop to get everything they neededyoungdaughtersarethebakers.practices and immersing themselves growing vegetables in their suburbanforagoodmeal,saidLauralee,soOlivia, 11, is famous for her cookiesTYPICAL DAY in Canadian culture have stayed at backyard in Oshawa, evolved into atheyoffertheirownpastureraisedandbuttertartsquares.EveryoneWhen asked what a typical day isHinterland Growers for up to four successful business for the Lobacks.whole chickens, as well as grass fedloves nine-year-old Evelyns muffinslike on the farm, Jon quickly answersweeksthroughthisinternational Hinterland Growers was establishedand grass finished beef from Phoenixandhertreatsforpetsareunique.that there isnt one.exchange. The Lobacks have hosted at 1740 Scugog Line 4 in 2016. andArnold.TemptinghomemadeShe has experimented with vegetableEverydayisdifferentanddi- visitorsfromMexico,Germany, Actually,itwasacalling,Jonsoups, sauces, jams and more adornbased dog and cat treats, using nutri- verse,hecommented.YoucanBrazil,France,SwedenandIsrael. explained. We grow vegetables thethe farm store shelves.tiousingredientssuchaszucchini,wake up with a plan but then thingsThisyear,becauseofCOVID-19 natural way like God intended. Dontevenaskabouttheeggs.pumpkinandcarrot.Dehydratedcan rapidly change. travel restrictions, they cannot wel-The delectable array of fresh pro- They can only supply the weekly cus- catnip goes into the cat treats, and sheOnTuesdaysandFridaysitiscomegreenthumbsfromEurope, duce is grown from untreated non- tomers that they have already made aalso grows potted cat grass. Of courseimportanttogiveprioritytobulkbut there is interest from residents of GMO seeds, without any chemicals.commitment to. the kitchen is certified. harvesting and preparing for the CSAOntario.Nofertilizers.Nofungicides.NoTry the chicken liver pate or thebasket program, since pickups are onThroughWWOOF,weprovide herbicides. red pepper jelly. Take home a freshlyGIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITYWednesdays and Saturdays. food and board and learning oppor-We are not certified organic butprepared salad for dinner. We try to build relationshipsThefarmstoreisclosedontunities for people who want to work we are 100% organic, Jon explained,BeekeepersStephanieSmithandwith customers and its nice to beMondays, so thats when we try toon a farm, Jon said.We grow to organic standards andRachelGraziottosupplythehoney.part of the local community, saidget big projects done, he added.practices. We have an extreme levelLauraleemakesbeeswaxlipbalmLauralee. There are such a variety of choresWHY THE NAME HINTERLAND?of transparency with our customers.and soap. Tallboy Roasters coffee isHinterlandGrowersprovidesto do. Volunteers from the commu- JonexplainedwhytheychoseThe Loback family: Jon, Olivia with Harrison, Lauralee commented, Sometimesavailable, plus theres pure Mooresfresh produce to Chef Steve at Thenitywhoareinterestedingarden- thenameHinterlandGrowersEvelyn holding Midnight, and Lauralee.we lose a crop, but we would rathermaple syrup. FoundryrestaurantonWaterSt.,ingoftenhelpout,andthisyear,fortheirproperty.Hinterlandis do that than spray chemicals. and some flowers to Branching Out.HinterlandGrowershireditsfirsta reference to the land behind, forbetweenLakeScugogandLake Neither has a background in agri- The cheerful sunflowers are alwaysfull-time employee.agriculturalpurposes.DictionaryOntario. And its also right here, in cultural education. The couple is self- a popular addition to the bouquetsOne way that the pandemic hasdefinitionsdescribehinterlandyour own backyard.taught, researching and experiment- available in Hinterlands farm store,impactedthisbusinessinvolvesaslandbehindabodyofwater, ing with best practices for companionLauralee said. theWorldWideOpportunitiesonand Hinterland Growers is situatedBy Lynn Campbell, Focus on Scugogplanting,weedmanagementandTheLobackscontributeveggies composting, based on a bio-intensiveto the good food baskets distributed market garden model. by North House, plus they support TheyexplainedthatthereissoCommunity Living, and the Scugog muchtolearnaboutworkingwithFood Bank. their own soil conditions, the effectsThe profits from all of the hand-of weather, such as extreme heat andcraftsinthefarmstoregotolocal unpredictable rainfall, and the terraincharities.Check out the Boomerang of the property.bags, custom made aprons, hand knit You cant copycat everything youand crocheted items.read, Jon noted. They have many loyal local cus-tomers.PassersbyonSimcoeSt., MORE THAN JUST VEGETABLEScurious about the fields, often stop in. Open Tuesday through Saturday,Bakers Olivia and Evelyn, showing offWord of mouth advertising is big, the farm store is a cornucopia of abun- some of their favourite treats. Lauralee said. 4 FOCUS - SEPTEMBER 2020'