A Day in Essex for Farm Fresh Picks

There’s no sweeter way to start your journey than with a trip to Hawksview Honey. 

In 2019, husband and wife team Dale and Kim, with the help of Dale’s sister Donna and her husband Keith, opened a retail store that provided bee hobbyists and enthusiasts with supplies; expanding their services in the present day, Hawksview is now a natural farm raising bees to produce pure, natural, and raw honey. With honey and bee supplies both readily available, Hawksview Honey is a great introduction into understanding what all the buzz is about.  

On your back roads drive, check out Howling Hound Farms, a sustainable, seasonal family-run business. 

Starting when University of Windsor professors Dennis and Kirsten decided to try their hand at farming, the husband and wife have since dedicated their practice to providing the best possible products for their clients. While Kirsten indulges herself in gardening by producing native seeds and plants, Dennis works hard in the garden to supply the community with fresh veggies. Together, they sell pesticide-free, free-range chicken eggs, duck eggs, native plants/seeds, pasture raised chickens, and turkeys. 

A joint venture, Kranicz Orchards and Windmill Ridge share a commitment to quality that starts with the freshest, hand-picked fruits grown on the three-generation family farm and doesn’t end until you’ve tasted their craft beers and hard cider.

With everything they sell produced with only the highest level of care and dedication – a trait that has been their hallmark for generations – you’ll love everything you try at this dual-purpose farm side stop!  

On a farm that's been in her husband's family for generations, chief cider connoisseur Mary Beth decided to cultivate something new. 

Born in 2021 after years of cider-making experimentation, The Little Cider Company prides itself on delivering ciders made from 100% Ontario dessert and heritage apples, never from concentrates or outside our region. With a deep passion for the art of drink-making and always striving to create something new and extraordinary with nature's most versatile fruit, The Little Cider Company isn't satisfied with the status quo of the cider industry and challenges you, as well, to try a whole new world of cider today.  

When asked what makes the Essex region so special, The Fruit Wagon founders Leslie and Doug don’t hesitate: “It’s the best-kept secret area there is!

The climate and people are perfect... it’s like we are on vacation every day.” Since 1984, The Fruit Wagon has taken their designation as Canada’s most southerly orchard to heart. They have been growing and sharing quality home-grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers for decades, with ever day’s harvest bringing a fresh and ever-changing selection of seasonal produce and plants to this charming roadside stand. Ever visit is a little different from the last: whether you’re exploring the countryside, taking a scenic drive through Essex County, or simply looking to experience the region’s agricultural roots, The Fruit Wagon offers a true taste of local life.  

You’re right there – why not treat yourself to a drink?

An extension of The Fruit Wagon, the team at Carolinia Cider Co. knows that great cider starts in the orchard: for their customers, they’re more than happy to put in that work. A multi-generational labour of love, Carolinia Cider Co. crafts small-batch, estate-grown hard ciders from apples planted, tended, and harvested by hand on the family farm. The cidery invites you to slow down and savour the flavours of Essex County, from crisp varietal ciders to refreshing blends inspired by the surrounding landscape. Discover why this hidden corner of Ontario has become a favourite stop for cider lovers and agritourism explorers alike. 

Grab a beautiful bouquet arrangement from Blackstone Flower Farm. Full of vivid colours, divine scents, and stunning greenery, the farm’s Bloom Box, right off the side of County Road 50, is both an easily accessible and easily loveable retail storefront that is impossible to resist. Take home a bit of the nature you’ve spent the day exploring by grabbing your very own speciality cut bouquet.