Your Guide to Farms, Food & Rural Experiences in Lennox and Addington, Bay of Quinte & Hastings County

South Eastern Ontario / Sud-Est de l'Ontario

Welcome to the Bay of Quinte & Lennox & Addington!

Are you yearning to just slow down and spend some quality time with your family? Hastings County, the Bay of Quinte, and Lennox and Addington offer you lots of opportunities to do just that.

Rural byways where you can pick up farm-fresh produce at a roadside stand. Farms where your kids can pet an alpaca or cuddle a lamb (keep your camera handy!). Small-town main streets where shopkeepers and cafe owners have time to chat. Beautiful views from the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario shorelines.

Meet the Farmers & Producers

The farms, orchards, apiaries and market gardens of the Bay of Quinte region, Hastings County, and Lennox and Addington are more than places where food is grown. They are family businesses, community gathering places and stewards of the rural landscape. From berry farms and sugar bushes to farm markets and vineyards, visitors can connect with the people behind the region's food while enjoying the slower pace of country life. Whether you're picking berries, sampling local honey or chatting with a producer at a farm gate, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the hard work and passion that goes into every harvest.

Read their stories.

Farm-to-Table Experiences

With restaurants, farms and retailers showcasing local ingredients, it’s easy to get a taste of Lennox and Addington, the Bay of Quinte and Hastings County.

Capers: Along with dishes incorporating local ingredients, this Belleville restaurant offers live music on weekends.
The Counter: This weekday lunch restaurant in Trenton makes soups, salads and huge sandwiches, and it’s a strong supporter of local producers.
The Lark: This fine dining restaurant in Belleville builds menu items around local ingredients.
The Local Social House: Locally sourced ingredients also feature prominently on this Belleville restaurant’s menu.
Oliver Farms: This Napanee farm organizes multiple farm-to-fork dinners throughout the growing season. Reserve in advance, as they fill up quickly.
Tomasso’s Italian Grille: This restaurant in downtown Trenton (Quinte West) is Feast On®-certified, meaning that it sources goods and ingredients from Ontario farmers and makers.

About Feast On®

Feast On® is a certification program for Ontario restaurants, food producers and culinary companies. To be certified, restaurants must prove that at least 25 percent of their ingredients were grown or raised in Ontario. It’s a great way to ensure you’re getting a local taste of Ontario.

Culinary Events

Quintelicious: Quintelicious is a multi-week spring promotion that sees restaurants in and around Belleville offering special prix-fixe menus at affordable prices.

Maple Syrup Season

Spring is maple syrup time in the Bay of Quinte region, Lennox and Addington, and Hastings County. In maple forests, sap drips into buckets, tubes or pipes. Later, it will be boiled to make maple syrup and sugar.

How sweet is this!

Markets, Roadside Stands & Local Food Finds

Whether you’re craving something sweet, savoury or in between, the markets, farm stands, and food shops of Hastings County, the Bay of Quinte region, and Lennox and Addington can help.

And while you can’t visit their facilities, look in local shops for vinegars made in Hastings County by Devil’s Orchard and dried fruits, herbs and microgreens from Amherst Island Freeze-Dried Goods.

Farmers’ markets

Belleville Farmers’ Market
Chamber Market Saturdays (Napanee)
Front Street Farmers’ Market (Quinte West)
Hollow Square Market (Newburgh)
Makers at the Mill (Odessa)
Sunday Market in Bath
Yarker Farmers’ Market

Producers, farm stores and roadside stands

BEEotch Barn: From its shop in Shannonville, BEEotch Barn sells its own honey products, as well as bird seed, maple syrup and more from other local producers.
Crews Country Market: Drop into this family-operated roadside market for fresh vegetables.
The Hive and Hearthstone: As well as honey from their own hives, this Napanee shop sells a wide variety of bee-related products created in-house. On Saturdays, you can also pick up the store’s sourdough bread and pizza, baked in a wood-fired oven.
Hogans’ Honey and Maple Products: Pop into this Bath shop for raw, pasteurized and creamed honey, honey butter, maple syrup, and beeswax candles.
Lavender Queen Lavender Farm: At this lavender farm in Yarker, you can visit the lavender fields, buy lavender products, and enjoy special events and workshops.
Nansan Farms: This 100-acre farm near Belleville produces and sells a wide range of foods, including berries, vegetables, eggs and beef.
Oliver Farms: The shop at this Napanee farm sells eggs, milk and even ducklings (if you want to start your own farm).
Teas & Bees: This family-owned business near Roblin makes maple syrup from its own trees, honey from its own hives and herbal teas mainly from its own plants. Open by request/appointment.
Willow Creek Farms: Buy a wide range of fruits, vegetables, preserves and meats from the home farm in Frankford, where you can also pick your own strawberries in season. Willow Creek's products are also available at the Country Butcher Shop in Foxboro.

Specialty food shops

Fawn Over Market: This neighbourhood grocer in Carrying Place focuses on local producers and offers fruits and vegetables, meals to go, baked goodies, coffee and other beverages, gifts, and more.
Loyalist Trading Company: Partway between Bath and Adolphustown, this shop is known for its stock of locally made food products—and for the goats on its roof!
Taste of Country: This Belleville shop sells fresh and frozen foods, bakery items, preserves, gifts, and other locally made products.

Pick-Your-Own & Seasonal Harvests

You can’t get much fresher produce and flowers than the items you pick yourself! Plus, kids will get a kick out of plucking apples, strawberries, pumpkins and more. Some farms offer extra family fun, such as corn mazes and children’s play areas. Check out the links below to plan your “fruitful” adventures!

Berries by the Bay: At this farm near Bath, you can pick your own haskaps and Saskatoon berries.
Brambleberry Farm: Pick your own berries, cherries, vegetables and flowers at this Quinte West farm, which also offers wagon rides, a children’s play area and other family-friendly fun.
Dahlia May Flower Farm: This family-owned flower farm in Quinte West offers pick your own flowers experiences and floral workshops.
Grills Orchards: As well as picking apples at this Quinte West orchard, you and your kids can enjoy a fall corn maze and other family fun. There’s also a year-round farm shop.
Spring Meadow Orchards: At this Adolphustown farm, you can pick apples and pumpkins, and enjoy a picnic area, apple cider donuts and a fall corn maze.
The Willows Flower Farm & Market: This farm near Belleville offers flower picking, as well as visits with alpacas, artisan markets and special events.
Wynn Farms: Along with opportunities to pick your own flowers and apples, this farm near Adolphustown runs lots of family-friendly special events and hosts a fall corn maze.

Wineries, Cideries & Craft Producers

Throughout Lennox & Addington, the Bay of Quinte, you can find tinned mocktails made by the local company, Finally! Non-Alcoholic Cocktails. Also, keep your eye out for farm-to-glass soft drinks made by the County Bounty Artisanal Soda Company, based in Napanee.

If you’re seeking something stronger, look in local shops and bars for vodka, gin, amaro and grappa made by Strati Spirits, a craft distillery in Tyendinaga Township.

The region is also home to several places where you can sample local beverages.

Bergeron Estate Winery and Cider Company: As well as wine and cider, you can enjoy house-made pizza at this waterfront, family-run winery in Bath.
Longrid Estates Vineyards and Winery: A mother-daughter team runs this winery in Bath, where you can sip your drinks on a patio overlooking Lake Ontario.
MacKinnon Brothers Brewing Company: Surrounded by fields of hops and malting barley, this family-owned brewery in Bath hosts live music and other events.

Animal Encounters & Family-Friendly Farms

Create some family memories your little ones will never forget with a visit to one of these farms to meet alpacas, goats, sheep and other animals.

Cuteness overload

Rural Festivals & Country Fairs/Events

From fall fairs and agricultural exhibitions to maple celebrations and community festivals, rural events are woven into the fabric of life across this region. These gatherings celebrate local traditions, showcase agricultural achievements, and offer plenty of family-friendly fun.

Explore the Great Outdoors

Leave the rush of the city behind by exploring the Bay of Quinte region, Hastings County, and Lennox and Addington on foot, or by bike, kayak or canoe.

Wander well

Guided Tours and Self-Driving Routes

The quiet byways of the Bay of Quinte region, Hastings County, and Lennox and Addington are perfect for country drives. Here are a few suggestions.

Naturally, L&A has created half a dozen scenic driving routes through Lennox and Addington, including the Rural Drive (87km), the Farming Drive (97km) and the Empire Loyalist Drive (98km). You can also choose from several motorcycle routes.

You can create your own self-driving itinerary using this interactive Bay of Quinte map and request that it be emailed to you. For instance, a roughly 50km loop just north of Trenton would take you to Grills Orchards, Willow Creek Farms, the village of Frankford and Brambleberry Farm.

Day trip suggestion: Lambs Local Flavours & Lakeside Views

This itinerary offers a perfect introduction to the farms, flavours and rural experiences that define the region.

Plan your visit!

Farm Stays

If you can’t bear to leave the country at the end of the day, you don’t have to! These farms offer overnight accommodations.

The Capella Cabin: This off-grid cabin rental in Newburg allows close-up access to the many animals that call the farm home.
Escape Goat Hideaway: A stay at this glamping cabin on a farm in Newburgh includes a free meet-and-greet with the farm’s goats and donkeys.
Fina Vista Farm, Quinte West: Choose from a cabin, a camper or a trailer at this horse farm, which also has a day spa and hiking trails.
Footflats Farmstay: This self-contained suite on Amherst Island is located on a working sheep farm.
Island Mill Getaway: This Airbnb in Lonsdale has two guest suites and is located inside a 200-year-old former flour mill, with beautiful waterfall views.
Longrid Estates Vineyards and Winery, Adolphustown: The four-bedroom vineyard view lakeside cottage can accommodate 10 guests.
Roslin Hall, Roslin: While not on a farm, this Airbnb is located in a stunning converted church beside a farm.

To find farms, wineries and other rural locations where you can park your RV overnight, try searching the Harvest Hosts and Terego websites (memberships required).

Other Ways to Stay in the Bay of Quinte & Lennox & Addington

The following websites list a range of accommodation options.

Bay of Quinte accommodations: You’ll find more than 20 hotels, motels and inns across the Bay of Quinte region—and they all have free parking!
Hastings County accommodations: Vacation rentals, ranging from quiet cabins to luxury cottages, are among the most popular options in the southern section of Hastings County. Search sites such as Airbnb and VRBO.
Lennox and Addington accommodations: Lennox and Addington offer a wide range of accommodations, from campgrounds and cabins to hotels and B&Bs.

Header image: Sunflower season at Wynn Farms

For more information, visit our partner websites: Naturally Lennox & Addington, Bay of Quinte & Hastings County.