The long-standing tradition of family farms is alive and well in the Ottawa Valley.
The husband-and-wife team of Cameron and Mandy McGregor decided after their third child was born in 2015 to move away from the hustle of their 9-to-5 jobs and go back to their own roots on the farm in order to share that experience with their own children as they grew up.
Since their first apple seeds went into the ground in 2016, McGregor’s Orchard has blossomed into a 3,000-tree operation, providing nine different varieties of apple suited for growing in our climate, from two different varieties of the hardy McIntosh to a delicious Honeycrisp apple that’s well worth the extra effort it takes to get it through our local weather.
Their focus is not only on family but also on keeping their distribution and operation close to home. They have foregone the temptation of selling their apple crops wholesale for a more direct experience with their customers each autumn, in large part due to not wanting to lose the simplicity of life on the farm by expanding their operation.
It’s harvest time right now for the orchard, as people are welcome to drop in and either grab a bag or pick their own apples straight from the tree.
However, Mandy says some people might not see the year-round effort it takes to bring their apples to kitchens and tables across the Ottawa Valley.