Agritourism Ontario recognizes leadership and excellence with annual awards
The 2025 Agritourism Ontario Awards, celebrating excellence, innovation and leadership, were presented to four outstanding agritourism contributors.
“These award recipients represent the very best of agritourism in Ontario,” said Darlene Downey, outgoing Agritourism Ontario board chair, in a media release. “Their dedication, resilience and creativity continue to elevate the sector and provide memorable, authentic experiences for visitors from near and far.”
Why it matters: Farms, organizations, and individuals who excel in promoting agritourism and delivering exceptional visitor experiences help strengthen rural communities and are essential to practical agricultural education.
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Thorndale’s Apple Land Station received the Member of the Year award. The farm started by harvesting and selling its first apple crop from a picnic table in 1986. It is now a second-generation farm, embracing a motto of “fun, food and family” to guide its brand.
The farm’s picnic table evolved into a retail shop and bakery, where they serve the signature “mile high apple pie,” along with other locally made pies, soups, preserves, products, and unique gift items.
Visitors enjoy a train ride to the orchard, pumpkin patch, Santa’s cabin in the woods, or the annual Easter Egg hunting grounds, depending on the season. They can also visit a Fun Farm with barnyard animals, a sand mountain, a jumping pillow, and a seasonal corn maze.
“We’re so much more than agriculture. Agriculture is our main base, but it’s hard to make a living on just the one thing,” said owner Ernie Muzylowsky, in an Invest in Middlesex video. “Now I think our biggest crop is people.”
Mark Saunders and Angela Grant Saunders’ agritourism leadership skills, dedication and support of fellow farm owners were recognized with the Leadership Award.
The Saunders Farm has been evolving since its inception in 1976. They have entertained more than 1.2 million guests over the past 45 years and are considered one of Canada’s greenest attractions. The family has planted over 150,000 trees, composts kitchen waste and filters wastewater through a state-of-the-art tertiary treatment plant that uses natural moss. Additionally, they have created jobs and offered educational farm experiences through Farm Camp Day, school trips, and festivals. Examples include TulipFest, Frightfest, Country Christmas, mazes, weddings, and gatherings. In 2021, they added Saunders Cider to their local food and baked goods portfolio.
Chester Kowalik, of Peach County Farm Market in Vineland, was recognized with the Legacy Award posthumously for his long-standing dedication and impact on Ontario’s agritourism sector.
Rounding out this year’s honorees,Tourism, Culture and Gaming Minister Stan Cho was recognized for his promotion of local food, local food producers and the province’s agritourism sector with the Ambassador Award.
Downey noted that “Minister Cho has been a true champion for our sector,” and his support and leadership are greatly appreciated.
Melinda McArthur, manager of Heatherlea Farm Shoppe, will succeed Downey as chair of Agritourism Ontario. Benjamin Vandenberg, owner of Pie in the Sky Farm and Bakery, is set to serve as vice-chair, signalling a transition in leadership for the organization.
Source: Farmtario.com