Communities across headwaters have quietly emerged as a smorgasbord of eclectic experiences. So much fun for families, they evoke a simplicity that inspires recognition of unnecessary clutter in our daily regimens. What we encounter here is a purity of spirit.
As we stroll among the trees and bushes of currants, cherries, heart nuts and haskaps, Val Steinmann Heartwood Farm & Cidery shares with us the Food Shed Principle: that what we eat should be local, seasonal, simple, organic, and be food with a story. Nature likes “slow and steady” and what we see in the surrounding fields are the remarkable connections of clover, pollinating insects and grazing cattle. These are overlapping healthy, natural cycles all powered by the sun and are the essential components of Steinmann’s practice of Regenerative Farming.
Despite what we read about the negative impact of the beef industry on the environment, it’s not the type of farming that has become detrimental, it’s the method. What Steinmann shows us is that methane cycles, nutrient cycles and water cycles are all impacted in a positive way when we work with the animals in the way that nature has already modeled. Gases, like methane, that we think of as bad, are actually good, but they’re just not being cycled properly. Animals play a role in building the health of the soil and increasing the amount of carbon. When plants use the carbon that’s in the air and photosynthesize that, they turn it into liquid carbon which feeds the soil biology, the architecture underground that allows the soil to hold water.
By keeping the cattle moving instead of being sedentary and over-grazing until the land is stripped of its essential ingredients, the grass gets about a month to rest and regrow, before Steinmann lets the cows back to that same area to graze again. That time allows the grass to get strong and even healthier than before. The cows stimulate the plant and make the soil healthier too, by establishing conditions where water can be absorbed into the sponge of the soil, and hold that soil structure together rather than lead to run-off. Steinmann is constantly moving fences to enable this process. Cows need a diversity of green plants, and Steinmann provides them a veritable buffet salad bar. Our Farm Stay here is so comfortable, organic, restorative, and we feel a renewed sense of positivity.
One of the sweetest experiences to have at Ontario Honey Creations, after sampling rich honeys, including whisky smoked honey, hot honey, honey with walnuts and mead, is to rub the bellies of a small Kunekune pigs and then feed them fresh leaves from the forest. They love it, and it’s really cute. The Bee Experience is a very cool hands-on opportunity to don a beekeeping jacket, veil and gloves, open a bee hive to find the queen bee, hold a frame of honey and learn all about the honey bees and process of the apiary, during which time we also get to harvest the honey and bottle our own 500G jar!
The rolling hills of Headwaters make this region a haven for cycling. We rent bikes at Hockley Valley Resort. But these aren’t just any bikes. The light aluminum frame is just 25-30lbs, and the 29-inch tires with suspension and rock shocks make us feel like we’re peddling on a cloud. It’s such a comfortable ride. The Hockley Valley trail system winds around the resort across a variety of terrain, from open meadows to hardwood forests, and from rocky to sandy, with climbs and descents that keep us excited.
Views here are panoramic, and there are four seasons of activities from golf to skiing. It’s also renowned for its spa services and farm-to-table dining. 80% of the ingredients on the menu come from the onsite fruit and vegetable farm.
At the adjacent Adamo Estate Winery we sample a crisp Pinot Blanc with notes of apple and baked bread; a very clean Chardonnay that exudes pineapple, grapefruit and pear, which we pair with a warm focaccia bomba drizzled with olive oil and sea salt. Our last tasting is a delightful Pinot Noir, like a potpourri with juicy black cherries and black currants, paired with succulent lamb chops brushed with chimichurri. A luscious ending to an enriching day in the country.