Capturing the spirit of the fall fair

The Spencerville Fair promises to be the toast of the town with the launch of its own locally sourced and handcrafted vodka.

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Why it matters: Like many agricultural fairs, the Spencerville Fair is trying to find new ways to support agricultural and local businesses. Fair Vodka uses corn from a local dairy farm and is distilled just minutes down the road by King’s Lock Distillery. The spirit is another way the Spencerville fair is showcasing and celebrating eastern Ontario agriculture.

“By creating our own line of vodka and selling it as a fundraiser, we’re able to achieve our goals of benefitting the fair and small businesses in our area,” says Eric Connell, lead fundraising organizer and second vice-president of the Spencerville Agricultural Society.

“It’s also another way to offer innovative ways for fair goers to take a taste of local agriculture home with them. We’ve literally captured farming in a bottle.”

Fair Vodka is the result of a collaboration between the Spencerville Agricultural Society, King’s Lock Distillery and Locus Lane Farms Ltd. A batch of 750 bottles will be available for purchase at the fair, which runs Sept. 7-10 in Spencerville.

A portion of proceeds from each bottle will go back to the agricultural society. Fair Vodka tastings will be available at a new on-site tasting zone and will feature samples from a selection of other local wineries, breweries and distilleries.

“This is also an opportunity to expand the traditional definition of agriculture, beyond eggs and milk, to another product that is locally sourced and produced from corn,” says Connell.

Sourcing close to home

The corn donated to make the vodka came from Connell’s family farm, Locus Lane Farms Ltd. in nearby Brockville. Long-time volunteers, the Connells have been involved with the fair for generations, so the decision to donate a tonne of corn was easy.

“This was a unique way for our family to give back to the fair while supporting the distillery, a different type of business outside of traditional agriculture,” says Connell. It has also offered a new way for his family to enjoy their harvested corn and appreciate their hard work.

The farm’s proximity to a major highway puts it in the public eye. That has created challenges over the years that emphasize the disconnect between consumers and farmers.

The family tries to educate and foster understanding of modern dairy farm practices by hosting school tours and responding to questions through a social media page.

Connell says the chance to showcase another way to appreciate what they produce was one reason they donated the corn.

Rising to the occasion

“There’s no template for this type of fundraiser. We’re really trying something new and the enthusiasm from our community has been amazing so far.”

Connell notes the vodka fundraiser is a solution to several challenges facing the fair.

“Finding a way to raise funds to support the fair and its future has become harder since the pandemic,” he says. Like many agricultural societies across Ontario, the Spencerville Fair has seen a decline in volunteers, especially a core group who didn’t return after the pandemic.

“We needed to find a fundraiser that didn’t require volunteers or asking businesses for additional sponsorship.

The fair also didn’t want to bother local businesses that are still struggling to bounce back. The solution seemed simple: create a flavourful vodka requiring few volunteers through a unique community collaboration.

“Our goal is to become eastern Ontario’s connection between rural and urban living by representing and celebrating Canadian agriculture,” says Connell. “We can’t wait to offer fair goers a new way to enjoy the Spencerville Fair.”