Amping up for the warmer weather and the influx of folks that come to the Valley for the summer. Decided to attempt to try and explain some of the behind the scene logistics of the shop…. Workshop reminders, shop happenings, and local shout outs to awesome businesses.

May long weekend marks the one year anniversary of Golden Gatherings. What a wild ride it has been thus far. I was originally going to try and have a little party or market of sorts to celebrate, but I am doing everything 100% solo at the moment, and it just felt like too much. Or that it could be a tipping point for burn-out. So I have decided to honour that. We have grown so incredibly much since we first opened our doors. I am maintaining thousands of different products, and close to 120 local vendors under this roof.

If any of these events are available to you, please participate and do not hesitate. Fulcrum is a May-Long weekend event (you can go for as much or as little as you feel called) in the Bancroft area. Details here:

Workshops at the store are Tuesday May 19th from 12-6pm. The reason they are on a Tuesday afternoon, is because both of these incredible facilitators are at the Fulcrum event in Bancroft, so they are touring this way after that weekend.

Link to sign up here:

Unlike large supermarket chains, small grocers like me, work closely with local farms and regional producers. This means fresher food and stronger local connections—but it also requires flexibility. Harvest schedules, weather, and each producer’s unique delivery system all shape what ends up on our shelves each week.

Many small producers don’t deliver this far, so a good portion of my time is spent on the road, collecting orders and coordinating pickups. Thankfully, my years working with local farms, restaurants, and the Ottawa Farmers’ Market have helped me build relationships that make this system possible. I’m lucky to have a network of friends and fellow producers who help act as delivery hubs—holding milk, meat, specialty items, and other goods until I can pick them up. On busy weeks, this can mean multiple stops and a late return to the store to unload and organize everything.

The Upper Canada Creamery milk, for example — one of the most perishable items in the store, with a shelf life of just two weeks, I pick up weekly. When it’s delivered depends on the week: sometimes directly to Field Trip Farm, other times via a handoff at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market. In the summer, that schedule shifts again to align with other market routes—just to keep things interesting.

Other products follow their own paths. Sun Dynasty Quail eggs and Milkhouse sheep cheeses arrive through market connections, while staples like Beking’s eggs and Almanac Grains are delivered to a partner farm (Field Trip Farm) for me to collect.  That same farm is also a key source of our organic produce year-round. Bless their souls.

Amber from Arc Acres is my delivery depot for items that need to go in a freezer. My Bearbrook Game Farm deliveries go to her as well as Seed to Sausage. I even get the dog bones and other treats delivered there, and some of the spiritual items from Hanu, who lives not far from her.

A third notable mention are my friends Dave and Chantal from Around the Block Butcher shop. The Flatbread Pizza Co. drops off my orders there, and they hold them in the freezer until I can collect. I also get the most incredible sausage rolls from ATB, a staple that you have come to love. Also known as my “guilty pleasure.”

During the summer months, I also pick up organic produce from Terramor Farm in Burnstown on my way back from Ottawa, and if I have a Snark Coffee order, I will do a porch pick up there as well. I also collect organic fruit from Connaught Nursery in Micksburg when available.

If you aren’t dizzy yet, let me now mention the Ottawa Valley Food Coop (OVFC) which is the local online farmers market that delivers locally once a month. Their depot is just up the road in Eganville, and I am lucky to piggyback off this delivery day, as many of the vendors come to the area for it. So, items like the Cedar Run Farm chicken pot pies, seafood from Buttermilk Creek Farm, Bacon and Chickens from Long Lane Farm, Pickling Dixie, OVF2F, and more.

All this coordination happens behind the scenes to keep our shelves stocked with the local, high-quality products you’ve come to expect. It may not be the simplest system—but it’s one built on community, trust, and a whole lot of kilometres.

This doesn’t even touch on the other larger distributors. Where most of the other grocery items come from. But many of these large companies have order minimums ranging from $400-$2000 just to get them shipped here.

All this being said, I am 10000000% here for this. I honestly believe that having this little store is my soul calling. I love coming to work. I love building this little hub from the ground up, and I love servicing the community in this way. I am very passionate about the local economy and nourishing our bodies and earth in ways that contribute to the betterment of our environment and our society. I am so incredibly grateful for what Golden Gatherings has become, and I cannot wait to see where we go from here. Thank you so much for your support in this incredible journey. It truly does mean the world.

Seeds of Creation is growing some beautiful veggies that will be available for sale here soon. Cheri’s veggies are organic, heirloom and non-GMO varieties. She will have some tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, watermelon, zucchini and some annual herbs to name a few.

I have also ordered some herbs from Richter’s and will be creating little planter boxes of fresh herbs and edible flowers for me to use in the pre-packaged meals. I might also have some extras to sell. So stay tuned!

As soap is both time and temperature sensitive, I cannot make it during opening hours. All my other Handmade Herbology products, I am able to walk away from during production, so I will focus on those here, while my soap recipe will be handed over to Jody Pullen Wright - another local soap maker in Micksburg. You might know her and her husband from The Algonquin Trading Post, or her brand of soaps under The WitchDoctors Closet. We are still working out the logistics of this operation, but it is the only way I can still offer you my beautiful soaps and maintain 3485698346789 other products in the shop. I will be supplying her with the same ingredients that I use, and the exact recipes of my best sellers, and your favourites.

This has been an extremely tough decision for me to make. But a necessary one for this business to keep growing and also for my sanity. I appreciate your understanding and support. 🙂

A couple of new and notable people have landed in the shop.

We are excited to work with both of these women entrepreneurs, and to bring their products to the store.

A shoutout to a dear friend who is doing wonderful things in our little Valley. Tammy Reimer operates a company called Valley Angels 😇 .

As always, if you know of a maker, creator, producer or other vendor that would be a good fit at the shop, have them fill out the application form. Always looking for like-minded souls to help nourish the space.

Here is the link to sign up for the newsletter, if you care to share it with someone. Paying it forward in this way is a great and affordable way to get the good word out about the store.

Thank you so much for your business, and your continued support of this dream come true. My heart is full. 🤍