Springridge Farm

Harvest Festival

Harvest Festival at Springridge Farm

2015 Dates: Weekends September 19, 20, 26, 27 and every weekend in October including Thanksgiving Monday and Halloween Saturday, 10am-4pm

Admission for Harvest Festival: $12.00 per person (including HST), ages 2-92!
There is no charge to visit the farm market, bakery, gift shop.

Harvest Festival activities include:
A Professional Puppet Show  (Show Times: 11, 12, 1, 2:30 & 4)
Wagon Ride to the 5-acre Corn Trail
Spooky Boo Barn
Spider Web Climber
Farm Yard Pipe Slides
Access to The Fun Farm Yard: Animal Barn, Giant Sandbox, Corn Trail, Tube Slides, Straw Bale Jumping and Escarpment Lookout
Singing Chicken Show
Goat Mountain

Pony Rides are available for an additional $4 per ride.  Maximum weight 80lbs.

The Springridge Farm BBQ Barn is open for Harvest Festival. Menu items include grilled-to-perfection hotdogs, sausages, corn on the cob, apple chips and the Little Farmer Lunch combo for kids.

Visit the Barn Market for fall décor, farm fresh baking, apples and apple cider.

The Story of Springridge Farm

The Hughes family has been fruit farming for six generations (over 100 years).  Farmer John’s parents, Leslie and Isobel Jane Hughes, purchased this farm in 1960 when their farm in Mississauga was sold for development.  They purchased Springridge from the Hartley family.  The Hartley’s were fruit farmers as well and they had been here since the turn of the century.  There are many seniors in Milton with fond memories of picking fruit as a youngster on the “old Hartley farm”.

When the Hughes family moved to Springridge they grew 50 acres of sour cherries.  The fruit was grown, picked, and shipped to canneries to be sold as frozen pitted cherries.  Here at Springridge, cherries were pitted downstairs in the barn until Farmer John’s Father passed away in 1968.  After their father’s passing, Farmer John and his brother found it difficult to make a living growing and selling sour cherries.  In 1971, the marketing board set the price at $0.07/lb while it cost $0.10/lb to grow and pick them.

When John and Laura got married and moved to Springridge it seemed there was no future in growing and selling wholesale sour cherries.  John, a graduate of Horticulture at the University of Guelph, began working in the flower industry with the Ministry of Agriculture.

In 1974 and 1975, Sarah and Amy were born. Laura left her career in social work to take care of the babies.  As a summer project, Laura thought she would open the farm to the public with pick-your-own cherries.  People came and picked, but mostly wanted to see inside the 19th century bank barn.  Since then, Springridge has listened to what customers are interested in experiencing and have gradually added to the business.   

John, Laura and their children Amy and Tom all work at Springridge full time. Sarah still helps part-time on busy weekends!

Most of the knowledge about baking and preserving was taught to Laura by Jane Hughes (John’s mom).  Many of the recipes used in the bakery today were originally from Jane.

The farm is open daily 9-5 from springtime until Christmas.

Springridge Pumpkin Soup Recipe

1 pie pumpkin peeled and cut into cubes (approx. 3 1/2 cups)

6 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon fresh parsley

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

5 whole black peppercorns

Directions: Cut pumpkin into 1/2 inch cubes.

Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.

Return to pan and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.