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Innisfil farmers are cultivating new and innovative ways to grow both their crops and their businesses to keep pace with changes in the agricultural sector.
After being raised on a family farm in Innisfil, Laura Wardlaw started her own venture into agriculture in 2011, opening Laura’s Farm Stand. However, as the young agrarian quickly learned, operating at the status quo wasn’t going to be enough to sustain the operations over a long-term basis.
“It’s hard to enter farming,” Wardlaw shared. “It’s very expensive and costly.”
This prompted her to explore expanding into agritourism as an opportunity to yield a higher value off a smaller acreage.
“Originally, we were just a roadside stand selling vegetables, (then) I started with a sunflower field to try and promote our sweet corn sales, and it grew from there,” said Wardlaw. “This is something we can inch away at, it was affordable and we had the space to do it.”
Having expanded the business audience to include visitors, Laura’s Farm Stand has since become an agricultural tourism (also known as agritourism) destination. In addition to selling produce through the on-site farm stand, the business now hosts special events such as floral workshops, brunches, and vendor markets. Their expansion has also included the introduction of seasonal activities such as pick-your-own flowers in the summer and a pumpkin patch in the fall.
In addition to her ability to find new ideas, Wardlaw credits much of her success to the support of her parents and the community at large.
“Word-of-mouth advertising is super important for us,” Wardlaw said. “Getting to know our customer base and then having them get out and spread the word about how great of a time they had here at the farm is huge for us. The best way for us to grow is the people.”
The word-of-mouth appears to be working. Wardlaw started the business working solo but now, due to its success, employs a staff of 12.
.png "Since beginning a business expansion in 2020, Bradbury Small Family Farm has reconfigured its supply chain, expanded into bird seed and animal feeds, and has seized a hold of the great community opportunities available in Innisfil.")
Wardlaw’s sentiments are echoed by Jeanette Bradbury of Bradbury Small Family Farm, who believes Innisfil is a great place to run an agricultural business based on the location in proximity to both North York and Toronto and the support of the community as a whole. She’s learned that her customers value buying produce from community members they know and trust.
“It’s about knowing where your stuff comes from. It’s not just local, it’s grown here, it’s from your neighbour,” said Bradbury. “There’s trust in knowing where your food comes from.”
Bradbury is no stranger to innovation. She and her husband, Tom, had been farming since the early 2000s, but when Tom’s employment status changed, it gave him the opportunity to farm full-time. In 2020 they expanded their business to include new value-added processes and products.
The first stage for the Bradburys was to reconfigure their supply chain. They stopped selling animals to livestock yards and started selling meat directly to customers. After that, Bradbury Small Family Farm expanded its business into bird seed and animal feeds. Today they have even let their adaptive approach to business trickle into their marketing, positioning themselves as part of a day trip to Cookstown and leveraging the opportunity to become part of a bigger experience.
“Going that extra step is what’s important,” she explained. “Without (innovation) you can stagnate.”
In addition to their loyal customer base, Bradbury Small Family Farm has also seized ahold of many of the other resources and supports found within Innisfil. Initially looking to network with like-minded entrepreneurs, Bradbury joined the Cookstown Chamber of Commerce and has since joined the Board of Directors. She’s also participated in events by Nottawasaga Futures and has taken advantage of resources offered by Simcoe County Tourism, which helped form her current promotional strategy.
“Innisfil is home to so many innovative entrepreneurs and community members who are ready and willing to support each other’s entrepreneurial journey,” said Manager of Economic Development for the Town of Innisfil, Laura Thompson. “By far the number one benefit we hear about doing business in Innisfil is community connection, and a close second is the availability and support of regional business organizations and programs like DMZ Innisfil, Nottawasaga Futures and more.”
Agriculture is a key sector identified in the Town’s Economic Development Strategic Plan and plays an important part in Innisfil’s economy. However, as the industry changes, Thompson notes that many agricultural entrepreneurs are adopting new and innovative value-added practices to create new streams of revenue generation and enhance year-round viability.
Through the DMZ Innisfil business accelerator program, the Town is able to support entrepreneurs as they look to scale their business and take on new challenges by connecting them with Experts in Residence (EIRs) for mentorship. The Town works closely with other business support organizations across Simcoe County to develop and deliver programming and events to support businesses across a range of sectors.
“Next year we’re looking forward to further expanding Economic Development supports to the tourism and agritourism sector,” says Thompson. “It’s an opportunity to invite more visitors to Innisfil to see what’s growing in our community.”
To learn more about growing your agricultural business, reach out to the Innisfil Economic Development department at business@innisfil.ca or visit InvestInnisfil.ca.
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