We woke up to the sounds of preparation for a Saturday open house on the farm. Each weekend in fall the farm is opened to the public for a variety of activities - from pumpkin and farm produce shopping to hay rides, animal petting,  and a cornfield maze. 

Claire was off to Sweet Adelide and Don was on breakfast duty before helping with the farm setup and getting Fin to hockey practice. Jody was on management and general go-fer duty. Lily has been backup on most aspects of the business. It's a real family affair (http://www.belluzfarms.on.ca).

Kevin was off at a marketing conference so missed out on the day's events. He and Jody have been very innovative in the face of changing markets. Their exploration of new crops is complemented by online marketing to the region. The "Superior Seasons Food Market" specializes in sustainably grown and hand crafted items from local vendors. Orders can be made online and the products are delivered to businesses or to a central location for individual pickup (http://www.marketstore.locallygrown net).

We wandered over to watch the setup in the greenhouse for the anticipated guests, got a guided tour from Don, and explored the crafts, products, and food setup. Lily was busy in the barn setting up the pumpkin toss and other games for the kids.

By 11:00 the first guests had arrived for a birthday celebration and the kids headed off to check out the giant pumpkins and farm animals. We headed to the snack bar for potato clam chowder, chili, and cinnamon bun to fortify ourselves for the next leg of our journey.