Friday, July 25, 2025
Keep It In The Kawarthas
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kawarthaNOW.com's Keep It In The Kawarthas® is a choose local campaign that helps connect consumers with locally owned businesses in the greater Kawarthas area. kawarthaNOW.com is a locally owned independent media publisher. We choose and support locally owned businesses first.

Beyond the Buckhorn-branded clothing and merchandise available at her home décor and gift store Style Your Nest in Buckhorn, owner Jamie Stephenson supports the local and Canadian economy by stocking products from local makers and Canadian brands, or acquiring products sourced through Canadian distributors. The seasonal retail location with a 24/7 online store also invests a portion of pottery sales back into the community every month by donating it to various local charities and organizations. (Photo: Stef Pollari Studios)

The Local Advantage in Peterborough County: Style Your Nest in Buckhorn helps decorate your home with Canadian-made home decor

Megan Gallant -
Jamie Stephenson's home decor and gift store in the Municipality of Trent Lakes supports local makers and donates a portion of sales to local charities.
Millbrook artist and educator Saira Knowles has launched a new e-commerce business, The Painted Gift, where she has curated 16 collections of unique greeting cards she has designed and hand-painted. Available as prints or original watercolours, the cards feature whimsical, colourful designs of animals, florals, landscapes, and even sourdough bread. Each card comes with an attached ribbon and cardboard easel so it can be easily displayed as a work of art. (Photo courtesy of The Painted Gift)

Know Your Locals: Give a ‘card that lives forever’ with original artwork from The Painted Gift

Megan Gallant -
Millbrook artist Saira Knowles hand-paints colourful, whimsical greeting cards with an attached ribbon and cardboard easel for easy display,
Bancroft and Bobcaygeon Pet Valu owners Nicole and Sean Courtney with their late dog Kona in the Bancroft store. Staffed with knowledgeable employees, both locally owned stores are stocked with Canadian products, offer in-store vendor demonstrations of vet-approved products, provide nail trim clinics, host events in partnership with local community organizations, and more. (Photo courtesy of Nicole and Sean Courtney)

Locally owned Pet Valu stores in Bancroft and Bobcaygeon bring specialized knowledge to pet owners

Megan Gallant -
Owned by Nicole and Sean Courtney, both locations offer expert guidance, demonstrations and clinics, community involvement, and more.
Samantha Perry cut the ribbon alongside her parents Mike and Linda Belsey at a ceremony on May 30, 2025 to celebrate the start of the first full season of Pondview Estates. In partnership with Perry's business Samantha Ann & Co., the elevated do-it-yourself wedding venue in the Township of Asphodel-Norwood makes it a priority to work with other local wedding vendors, who they also celebrate through social media promotion and by hosting an annual open house and vendor market. (Photo: Shannon FC Photography)

The Local Advantage in Peterborough County: Pondview Estates in Norwood creates lasting partnerships beyond the wedding

Megan Gallant -
From social media promotion to hosting local vendor markets, the new venue in the Township of Asphodel-Norwood supports Peterborough County's wedding industry.
Paddlers explore the majestic Burleigh Falls in the Township of North Kawartha. Taking a guided excursion with Lovesick Kayaking is only one of the outdoor adventures you can enjoy when road tripping in North Kawartha, located in the most northern reaches of Peterborough County. (Photo: Regional Tourism Organization 8)

Road Tripping in The Kawarthas: North Kawartha connects nature, spirit, and community

Megan Gallant -
Located in northern Peterborough County, North Kawartha offers everything from charming villages and picturesque lakes to outdoor adventure and cultural events.
Claudia MacDonald is the owner and founder of Heritage Blooms U Pick Flower Farm in the Township of Asphodel-Norwood. She, her husband Ben, and their three children moved to the farm in 2021 to raise grass-fed cattle for Ben's family business, Heritage Cattle Co., but Claudia was in search of ways to beautify the 96-acre property while exploring her creative side. It led to the establishment of 12 no-till beds which now grow hundreds of varieties of flowers used to make curated bouquets and for pick-your-own experiences. (Photo courtesy of Heritage Blooms U Pick Flower Farm)

The Local Advantage in Peterborough County: Heritage Blooms U Pick Flower Farm grows unique agritourism experiences

Megan Gallant -
From cut-your-own experiences to workshops and bouquet bars, there are many ways to enjoy the local fresh blooms at the Township of Asphodel-Norwood farm.
Kelly Convery left her stressful career working as a paramedic for Peterborough County to begin Sanctuary Flower Fields in the Township of Selwyn. Growing cut flowers as well as offering photography sessions and regular wellness events, retreats, and workshops in partnership with many local businesses and artisans, the farm is committed to offering a destination location to connect with nature for health and rejuvenation. (Photo: Mary Zita Payne Photography)

The Local Advantage in Peterborough County: the local economy blooms at Sanctuary Flower Fields

Megan Gallant -
Kelly Convery's farm in the Township of Selwyn collaborates with dozens of local businesses, photographers, and entrepreneurs.
A sixth-generation family farm first settled in 1902, Woodleigh Farms in the Township of Cavan Monaghan is focused on improving soil health through sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices including no-till farming (pictured), rotational grazing, and composting. Most recently, the farm has launched an innovative and award-winning pilot project that will turn forest waste wood into biochar, a form of pure carbon used as a carbon-sequestering soil amendment. (Photo courtesy of Woodleigh Farms)

The Local Advantage in Peterborough County: Woodleigh Farms is growing a sustainable future through innovative farming practices

Megan Gallant -
The Township of Cavan Monaghan farm's award-winning pilot project is transforming waste wood into a carbon-sequestering soil amendment.
A berry cute baby in a strawberry field at McLean Berry Farm and Buckhorn Berry Farms near Buckhorn. Strawberry season is back in full swing, and this year's crop is extra sweet and juicy. Pick-your-own and pre-picked strawberries are now available at both family farms, and you can also find McLean Berry Farm and Buckhorn Berry Farms at six local farmers' markets in the region as well as more than 30 local grocery stores. (Photo courtesy of McLean Berry Farm)

Know Your Locals: Don’t miss strawberry season at McLean and Buckhorn Berry Farms near Buckhorn

Megan Gallant -
Pick-your-own and pre-picked strawberries are now available at the McLean family's two farms and local farmers' markets, with raspberries coming in July.
Jennie MacKenzie is the founder of Jen's Home Baking, a Lakefield-based small business that has been a vendor at the Lakefield Farmers' Market in the Township of Selwyn since the market was founded in 2010. Now in its 16th season, the market runs every Thursday morning between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the parking lot behind the Lakefield-Smith Community Centre, and supports local farmers, small businesses, and the region's tourism sector. (Photo courtesy of Lakefield Farmers' Market)

The Local Advantage in Peterborough County: Lakefield Farmers’ Market grows the local economy

Megan Gallant -
The popular weekly market in the Township of Selwyn brings together local farmers, local artisans, and prepared food vendors using local products.
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