Open Farms 2025 | Ways to be involved | March 24, 2025

Good morning,

We are excited for Open Farms 2025 and wanted to share a few updates with you for ways to be involved and gain exposure.

Open Farms 2025 will be a weekend event. Friday, September 5, Saturday, September 6 & Sunday, September 7.

Get involved and gain exposure to new customers, residents in our region and visitors.

Below are the Core Goals for Open Farms. We are planning to use the first 4 Core Goals for the event and Goal #5 would be something we will continue to be connected to but not the focus of the weekend.

If you have any comments about this, please let us know by Friday, March 28, 2025.

Current Core Goals

1. Educate consumers about small scale agriculture.
2. Increase awareness of farms and restaurants that serve local food.
3. Provide the opportunity for producers to connect directly with consumers.
4. Provide the opportunity for producers to start new long-term relationships with customers, restaurants, and other producers.
5. Grow our region’s reputation as a local food destination, to:

1. Create interest among visitors.
2. Attract new agricultural operations and food and beverage businesses,
3. Drive new opportunities for culinary and agri-tourism product development.

Open Farms Participation Guidelines, are linked in the right side of this page.

Featured Farm Event Open Farms team has partnered with the Frontenac County Plowman's Association to host the 2025 featured event in tandem with their annual Plowing Match. This festival-style event will include agricultural education and vendor opportunities, food trucks, live music, and, of course, the plowing match competition. For more info and to get involved, email Amanda at apantrey@southfrontenac.net.

Advisors - Thank you, Sarah Hannon, from the Rise Farm and Sharbot Lake Farmers Market for being our new farm & market advisor for 2025.

We are looking to have a culinary advisor as part of the 2025 Open Farms team.

If you are interested, please reach out to Ashley Bradshaw. ashley@tourismkingston.com

Content Timelines

Marketing will continue to go to www.OpenFarms.ca

• Content Deadline to be included in the marketing – June 9, 2025
  • Content submitted after this date, will only be added to the website.
• Marketing will begin August 1, 2025
• This site will include as many locations in the region as possible.
• If you have content for your location – please submit content here.

It you have questions, ideas or want to connect – please let us know.

Thank you from the Open Farms team!

Debbi, Amanda, Ashley & Sarah