Howe Family Farms Receives Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence

Congratulations to Howe Family Farms in Aylmer for their regional Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence.

The award was given to the Howe Family for a unique pumpkin growing technique. The family has over 40 years of experience growing pumpkins and gourds; however, in recent years, rising production costs motivated them to try something new: a no-till approach. The process involves growing a rye cover crop in the fall.  When the spring pumpkin-planting season arrives, a custom-made roller knocks down the rye prior to seeding. The new approach has slashed labour costs for weeding by 75 per cent, prevented soil erosion, increased soil health and reduced the need for herbicides. Growing the pumpkins on a thick bed of fallen rye also means less contact with the soil, which has translated to a 25 per cent reduction in washing labour and a cleaner, jack-o-lantern-ready product on store shelves.

In addition to pumpkins, Howe Family Farm Market sells local strawberries, beans, beets, cantaloupe, cucumbers, melon, okra, squash, peppers and tomatoes and are a member of the Savour Elgin Culinary Trail. 

Eric Salin is the 2013 Elgin County Ambassador of the Year

Elgin County is pleased to announce that Eric Salin, owner of Sport in Port Adventure Outfitters, is Elgin County’s Ambassador of the Year for 2013.

Elgin County Ambassadors are people who volunteer their time to help promote business throughout Elgin County and actively participate in the growth and development of the County. The Ambassador of the Year is awarded based on points that are given to ambassadors for a variety of items including attendance at quarterly meetings, recruiting new members, promoting Elgin County at events, and informing the County’s Economic Development staff about new business in the area.

Salin opened Sport in Port Adventure Outfitters in 2013. This new and exciting retail and rental business provides sales, activities and rentals of products and services that support health and fitness in Elgin. Salin is also President of the Port Stanley Village Association and an active member of the Port Stanley BIA. He has been a regular attendee and active participant at ambassador meetings in 2013, recruited new ambassadors to the program, helped to promote tourism in the area and partnered with Savour Elgin to organize running events at member locations. 

“Eric’s energy, optimism and winning attitude have been an asset to our program,” said Economic Development General Manager Alan Smith. “The County would like to thank him for his continuing efforts to fuel tourism and economic development in Port Stanley and the surrounding area.”

The Elgin County Ambassador program is open to entrepreneurs, business owners and community leaders. For more information on the program please call 519-631-1460 ext. 168 or email jnesbitt@elgin-county.on.ca.

Alan Smith, Elgin County Economic Development General Manager presents Eric Salin, owner of Sport in Port with the 2013 Elgin County Ambassador Award.

Tall Tales Café Thrives as Wallacetown’s Community Hub

Chef John Mairleitner has lived in kitchens and in Elgin County most of his life, and there’s no place he’d rather be.

You might have seen him cheerfully giving cooking lessons at the Arts & Cookery Bank, or cooking at local fairs and charity events in Dunwich Township, or attending FreshFest in St. Thomas. He is a familiar face at many places in Elgin County, but he is most often seen at Tall Tales Café in the village of Wallacetown, his longstanding family business that has just expanded because it is so busy.

The restaurant with its satellites of a gas station and post office has been a family business since Mairleitner’s parents established it in 1982 on the main street of Wallacetown, at 29634 Talbot Line on the corner of Curry Road where cars turn south toward Port Dover on Lake Erie, about five kilometres away.

“We are a small-town community hub in the heart of Ontario’s breadbasket,” Mairleitner says. “We are getting busier and busier and busier.

“In the summer Highway 3, the Talbot Trail, is inundated with motorbikes and campers. In the fall we have our fair and there’s the harvest, and then all winter long we get hunters coming in.

“There is something going on year-round. Whenever there is a ‘Friday the 13th’ event in Port Dover (the most recent was July 13, 2012), it gets absolutely insane here -- we can see 500 motorbikes or more come through!”

More than just its location has made Tall Tales Café successful. The talents of Mairleitner, trained as a chef at Fanshawe and George Brown college, are in demand for the quality of food he serves in the restaurant and at catered events. His pies are especially famous. It’s the crust, he says – and experience.

“When I was five years old, my mom worked in a bake shop and I was in the back chucking dough through
the machine,” Mairleitner recalls. “My parents later had restaurants and I always helped.”

What’s the secret to a good crust?

“Don’t overwork it. I show people all the time. It’s flattering being a master of something so simple.
People are amazed.”

There’s more to it, though. Mairleitner uses fresh local produce in his pies, including several types of fruits grown in his own garden, and he has a way with recipes. Listen to him describe his caramel pumpkin pecan pie:

“It has butter, brown sugar and pecan pieces, and we drizzle that on top of the pumpkin pie and bake it. I’d send you a piece but I doubt that it would get there!”

Tall Tales Café has just expanded its seating capacity to 50 seats from 36. The restaurant employs four full-time staff and a dozen part-time students, in addition to Mairleitner and his wife Holly. Their three daughters aged 14, 8 and 4 help out, too. The family tradition continues.

“I’m living the Canadian dream,” Mairleitner says.

The Art Emporium: A Diverse Regional Collection

A popular destination for art enthusiasts, Port Stanley is home to the Art Emporium, Boathouse Gallery and Gift Boutique. Located at 177 Main St., Port Stanley, the facility consists of two unique sections: The Boathouse Gallery and the Gift Boutique.

The Boathouse Gallery is a bright and spacious area with a beachfront view. It houses the original fine art of a diverse group of over 30 talented local and regional artists. The artists work in many media spanning from paintings to sculptures, photography, pottery, textiles, and more.

While at the Art Gallery explore the Gift Boutique, offering a wide assortment of handcrafted items, made by artisans in the community. The handcrafted goods are a treasure trove of wood turning, hand painted silks, one-of-a-kind aprons, jewellery, bead-work, art cards and more. No two visits to the Art Emporium are the same; visitors and art enthusiasts alike are sure to find a unique memento or a special gift.

The artists of the Art Emporium demonstrate their passion for art and their desire to share it with others. The five members on the board of directors act as responsible members of the art community by giving their over 30 member artists input into decisions made at the gallery. They are committed to fostering growth in the arts community and supporting the efforts of the many talented artists in the area by providing an affordable display space and promoting the sale of fine art.

For more information about the Art Emporium or to discover the Elgin Arts Trail visit www.elginartstrail.ca.

North Star Windows and Doors Builds Success in Elgin County

North Star Windows and Doors has become an industry leader in Ontario, and one of Elgin County’s major manufacturing employers, by following a simple formula.

The company, founded in London in 1985, moved to Elgin in 1993 and has since become Ontario’s largest manufacturer of vinyl windows and patio doors.  It has distributors all over Ontario, in Quebec and several US states, Eastern and Western Canada and as far away as Mexico.

“We are known in the industry as having the highest-quality vinyl windows around,” general manager Lorne Girard says

“We are unique in that we not only make our own extrusions, we process all of our own glass, we do injection moulding of some of our hardware, we fabricate all of our own windows and distribute all of those products ourselves.”

Employment has grown to 285 people from about 50 in 1993.  You can see some of the employees at work, and talking about their pride in their work, in a video labelled “See How Our Windows Are Made!” at www.northstarwindows.com.

The video mentions many innovations that North Star has introduced over the years, including designs that reduce condensation and enhance energy efficiency, and improve the ease with which windows and screens can be opened, raised and lowered, and removed.

This year the company has introduced a new Espresso colour for its products, which complements the colours of many houses from red brick to contemporary designs.

“We built the company around an outstanding team of people committed to our foundational cornerstones, Girard says.  QVSD is a short form for quality, service, value and delivery, and remains the focus of everything we do today.”

An example is the company’s delivery promise.  Standard product is delivered within 10 days, 100% on-time.  North Star was the first company in the industry to make such a promise and we have maintained this delivery mantra ever since.

Girard says North Star’s location in St. Thomas gives it a big advantage in keeping its delivery promise.  Its fleet of trucks operates in a 600-mile radius with easy access to major highways.

Girard also likes the business environment in St. Thomas.  He is a member of the St. Thomas Executive Forum, a group that meets regularly to help each other address businesses issues and share best practices.

Having access to such expertise, and the skills and dedication of North Star employees, will be invaluable to Girard as he sets his sights on expansion of the company’s 250-member dealership network, especially in Quebec and Western Canada.

Love for Pets Is Inspiration for Manufacturer in Aylmer

What began as a dog owner’s desire to give better food to her beloved German Shepherds has turned into a company that is manufacturing pet health foods for sale in stores right across Canada.

Roxanne Esseltine’s company, called Raw For Pets, has settled into a new location in Aylmer, where it manufactures treats for dogs and cats that are designed to be the healthiest food available – no artificial flavours or colours, preservatives, fillers or gluten, just raw dehydrated meat.

“You’ll see the difference in their eyes,” the company declares on its website, www.rawforpetz.com.
There is a big difference in Esseltine’s life now, too. Her story illustrates how business successes in Elgin County can have surprising origins.

“I had no intention of walking into a business,” she exclaims.  “I’ve been a nurse all my life, not a business person!”

Esseltine loves the dogs that she and her husband Jeff have raised and bred for many years while raising their five children in the Aylmer area.  Over time she grew increasingly concerned about their health and the quality of commercial food available.

“One day in the spring of 2008 I switched all the dogs over to raw food,” she relates.  “It only took three days for me to decide that I would never switch them back.”

Neighbours started inquiring about the raw meat that brought such shine to the German Shepherds’ eyes and coats.  Esseltine started manufacturing raw-meat products and selling them from home, and in 2010 opened a small store in the village of Springfield north of Aylmer to sell kibble and dehydrated products along with frozen raw meat.

Word spread and Raw For Pets attracted the attention of two pet food distribution companies: Nothing Added, based in Cambridge, and Companion Pet Products of Guelph.

Today those two companies between them distribute private-label dehydrated pet treats made by Esseltine’s company to pet food stores in every province.  All of the products are made from 100-per-cent beef, chicken or lamb from government-inspected meat processors.

Raw For Pets now specializes in manufacturing.  Esseltine closed the Springfield store October 1 of this year and moved into the Elgin Innovation Centre at 516 John Street North in Aylmer.  With help from her daughter Melissa Robertson, she plans to have eight employees there in a year’s time.

The Innovation Centre is also the location of the Aylmer branch of the Elgin Business Resource Centre, which Esseltine credits for helping her to become an entrepreneur.

“I work closely with the Business Centre here in Aylmer as well as the one in St. Thomas,” she says.  “They have provided a great wealth of information to me over the years.

“Without my family’s help and support from the Business Centre, a place I could go to for all the answers I needed about financing and permits and business plans, I could never have done this.”

*This article first appeared in the December 2012 Elgin County Economic Development Newsletter.

Seabuckthorn Berries – Superfruit of the Himalayas Grown in Elgin County

Chris Meeuse began farming with his father at the age of 18 and at 25 he took over the operation of their Tobacco farm in Central Elgin. An article in Fruit and Vegetable Grower Magazine about Seabuckthorn Berries sparked his interest and Chris and his wife Patricia started growing the fruit in 2007.

Originally found in the Himalayan Mountains, Seabuckthorn berries are very small, orange berries that are extremely tart when eaten raw.  Lauded for their health benefits, these powerful antioxidants are loaded with omega’s 3, 6, 7 and vitamin D. Although it is relatively new to North America, this superfruit has long been a popular nutritional, medicinal and beauty supplement in many parts of the world. When sweetened the Seabuckthorn berry has a mild taste of peach and citrus and can be used in juices, jams and pies among other things.

“We make smoothies out of them,” says Meeuse.

Seabuckthorn Berries are extremely popular in China where most of the word’s supply is grown. There are few sources of the berries in Canada with some growers in Saskatchewan and Quebec. The same sandy soil that made the Meeuse farm ideal for growing Tobacco is also ideal for the Seabuckthorn tree. The Seabuckthorn tree can handle temperatures anywhere from - 40 to +50 degrees Celsius but according to Meeuse, Elgin County’s heat units make it a perfect location for the trees to thrive.
“We have a wonderful growing climate here,” he says. “There is nothing that can’t be grown on the land in Elgin County.”

Although these hearty trees can survive in varying temperature conditions, it is very difficult to get an orchard established. The trees are extremely difficult to find in North America. The Meeuses purchased their trees from a distributor in Newfoundland who originally had sourced the trees from Lithuania. The trees require a great deal of water and they cannot be sprayed with any chemicals. Harvesting the berries proves a challenge as they have numerous thorns and gloves cannot be used because the fruit is so small.

“That is how they protect themselves from birds and animals.” Says Meeuse with a laugh. “They have a pretty good thorn on them!”

With a little skill these thorns can be avoided and many visitors come out to the farm to pick their own berries each year from late July to the end of August.  Located at 43315 Roberts Line, Central Elgin just south of Sparta Line, the farm is open from 8am – 5pm, seven days a week during the peak season.  The berries will also be available at a second location this summer in downtown Sparta, ON.

This summer the farm will host the first ever Seabuckthorn Festival from July 27-28, 2013. The festival will include vendors selling a variety of items including Seabuckthorn Berries, hay rides around the orchard and the opportunity to purchase a Seabuckthorn tree for your own garden.

Holistic Awakenings Day Spa Celebrates One Year Anniversary!

Elgin County Economic Development is pleased to announce the one year anniversary open house at Holistic Awakenings Day Spa in Sparta.

The open house will be held on April 19 and 20 from 10 am - 4 pm and will include a gift bag for the first 40 visitors, samples, demos, snacks, refreshments and no tax on retail products and gift cards.

Holistic Awakenings Day Spa is owned and operated by Tammy Caughill a certified Reflexologist, Aroma Therapist, Hot Stone Massage Therapist, Esthetician and Holistic Practitioner. Caughill provides a spa experience that is defined by excellence and offers a unique combination of natural healing spa services and holistic body products.

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity," says Caughill, who is committed to providing her clients with a complete healing spa experience.

Located at 46349 Sparta Line, Sparta, Holistic Awakenings Day Spa offers a variety of services including: hot stone massage, Swedish massage, aroma therapy massage, body wraps, sugar scrubs, foot reflexology, paraffin wax hand and foot therapies, facials, hair removal, pedicures and manicures. In addition, the spa also offers a line of completely natural health and beauty products for sale. Holistic Awakenings Day Spa has recently become a member of Elgin County Tourism and is a valued member of the Sparta business community.

For more information about Holistic Awakenings Day Spa or to learn about monthly specials please call

519 - 775 - 2606 or visit www.holisticawakeningsdayspa.com.

Seating Area at Holistic Awakenings Day Spa

Elgin County Conference Series focuses on customer service

Elgin County Economic Development is pleased to present the next installment in the popular Elgin County Conference Series. On March 27 participate in a day long seminar and workshop focusing on customer service.

Essentials of Service Excellence is an interactive workshop designed to help organizations reach the next level of customer service and create a customer-centric organization. The workshop will focus on the key role that individuals play in creating positive service experiences for customers. Topics presented will include: service excellence essentials, communications excellence, the service process and first impressions. The workshop will be delivered by the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation and will be funded in partnership with the Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation.

"Quality, consistent customer service is of vital importance to a business’ success,"

said Alan Smith, General Manager of Economic Development for the County. "This workshop will provide Elgin County business owners with the tools and techniques they need to build customer satisfaction and loyalty."

The workshop will take place Wednesday, March 27 from 9 am – 2 pm at the New Sarum Diner. The cost to attend is $30 with a student rate of $20. A continental breakfast and a lunch will be provided.

For more information visit

www.progressivebynature.com. Seating is limited so please pre-register by calling

519-631-1460 ext. 168 or email

jberinger@elgin-county.on.ca.

Elgin Plastix Inc. Helping Elgin to Recycle

Attention, owners of agricultural businesses in Elgin County! If you have any plastic waste products, such as old trays or containers, there’s a company in Aylmer that would like to buy them for recycling.

The County’s newest green business is called Elgin Plastix Inc., and it is looking for sources of plastic products that can be ground into little pellets and resold. Within a year, the company expects to be recycling cardboard and plastic film as well.

Eric Bartlett is president of Elgin Plastix and also manager of the Elgin Innovation Centre in Aylmer. That’s where the recycling company opened its doors in October 2011. It is one of 10 businesses that have been attracted to locate in the Innovation Centre since March 2010.

Bartlett, who recently moved to Aylmer from London, is one of four owners of the company. The others are Jack Baribeau of Dorchester, John Burkes of Springfield and Richard Phillips of London. Elgin Plastix is part of Elgin County’s growing industrial sector of energy and environmental companies, which are setting examples for combating reliance on oil and reducing the effects of climate change.

The machinery used by Elgin Plastix can grind up to 5,000 pounds of hard plastic per hour, like lawn chairs, plastic skids and starter trays from greenhouses– that would otherwise go to landfill sites. The plastic is reduced to small pellets and trucked to commodity depots, which resell them to manufacturers.

Bartlett says Elgin Plastix is looking to expand by finding more kinds of materials, and combinations of materials, to recycle.

"We are trying to find innovative ways of recycling different streams of plastics," he says. "We have taken in truckloads of mixed materials and found that we can process 80 per cent of them in a way that is useful."

Elgin County is an advantageous location for a green business like Elgin Plastix, Bartlett says, partly because operating costs are relatively low and partly because the large agriculture industry is a good source of recyclable products.

"If agriculture businesses have clean jugs and large containers made of polyethylene or polypropylene, we can take them.

Any businesses interested to work with Elgin Plastix to find green solutions for waste management can contact Eric Bartlett at 226-448-9101 or

Bartletteric@ymail.com.