By participating in agricultural programming led by Peterborough County, Duff Acres family farm has been able to significantly scale up and sell to more families across Ontario.
In 2021, Chris Duff and Ashley Foreman began a small-scale farm on their 50-acre property in the Township of Otonabee South-Monaghan. Now, after over five years in business, Duff Acres has transformed from a hobby farm into a small-scale producer of environmentally responsible and humanely raised food.
Duff Acres now sells pasture-raised eggs, whole chicken, turkeys, ducks, pork, lamb, and some pasture-raised beef. Raising their animals as naturally as possible, Duff Acres is transparent with customers and encourages them to explore the farm, interact with the animals, and learn where their food comes from.
In addition to selling online for pick-up, last fall Duff Acres opened a new farm stand featuring their own products as well as other locally made products like honey, soap, dog treats, crocheted items, and premade foods.
Duff and Foreman credit their rapid growth to their social media presence as well as the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh initiative, delivered by Peterborough County, the City of Peterborough, and the City of Kawartha Lakes. The initiative provides a brand identity for local producers, a network for members to share and access resources, and an online database for buyers to find local producers.
“It’s been a real driving force for people to find us from all over,” says Duff, noting customers come from Port Hope, Cobourg, Bowmanville, and even Toronto for their products. “They’ve made the connection by searching through the Kawartha Choice Farm Fresh and getting connected to us. It’s a great hub for consumers to find local producers.”
The two farmers also credit the Starter Company Plus program delivered by Community Futures Peterborough through the Business Advisory Centre, funded in part by Peterborough County. Duff Acres’ 2024 participation helped them network with other producers as well as buyers in the region.
“Peterborough County is such an agricultural community. There are so many farms around here and we need to keep that going,” says Duff. “The way Peterborough County is supporting us and other farmers through the programs like Community Futures and Kawartha Choice FarmFresh keeps everybody here making a viable business.”
After participating in the program, Duff Acres transitioned from buying beef as bottle calves to building a herd of females and a bull so they can begin to produce their own beef. This will allow them to produce at a higher capacity in the coming years, opening up the opportunity to work with larger buyers like restaurants, resorts, and golf courses.
When that time comes, they are interested in participating in the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale project, which aims to increase the capacity for local food wholesale in Peterborough County, the City of Peterborough, and the City of Kawartha Lakes. The program includes the development of the Green Circle Food Hub to streamline connections between local producers and local buyers.
“I’m born and raised in Peterborough County, and I like to see the economy grow, especially the farmers and small local businesses,” Duff says. “We’re going to keep trying to use the programs that the County offers us to try and make this lifestyle that we love a little more sustainable for our family.”
Duff Acres is located at 784 Serpent Mounds Road in Keene. To learn more, visit www.duffacres.ca.
The Local Advantage in Peterborough County is a branded editorial feature series celebrating the farmers, food producers, food retailers, and agri-tourism businesses that make The Kawarthas thrive, created in partnership with Peterborough County’s Economic Development & Tourism Division.
Agriculture is a key economic driver and a point of pride for Peterborough County, with local farms producing a wide variety of high-quality goods, from traditional crops and livestock to organic and specialty products, reflecting the strength and diversity of this vital sector. With a growing focus on sustainability, local food systems, agri-innovation, and agri-tourism, agriculture offers strong potential for growth and diversification.
The Local Advantage with Peterborough County series spotlights the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh and Kawartha Local Food Wholesale initiatives, which aim to strengthen connections from farm to table across our region.
For more information about economic development and tourism in Peterborough County, visit www.ptbocounty.ca/ecdev and The Kawarthas Tourism at thekawarthas.ca.
