Farms to Tables 2025: Bluevale's Pennington Produce is small but mighty
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
In today’s world, the high demand and complexity of global food supply chains means that agriculture has scaled up - these days, it is not uncommon for a single farm to span thousands of acres. But places like Pennington Produce in Bluevale remind us that a farm doesn’t have to be big to have a big impact. This family-run operation is modest in size - only five acres, but its impact on the health and happiness of the community has been anything but. By stocking their stand with the bounty of their gardens, hand-crafted care products, and a commitment to simplicity, Pennington Produce has already proved popular with the community.
The Citizen stopped by Pennington Produce to chat with produce proprietor Steph Pennington about why she loves bringing fresh, local food to the people of Bluevale. “I’ve always loved gardening,’ she explained. “Even when I lived in town, I had a little one in the backyard.” Selling her own fresh produce felt like a natural next step. When she and her husband, Aaron, bought their farm, starting her own fresh produce business felt like the natural next step. “When we moved here, I just always envisioned having a little stand. I love stopping at roadside stands and Mennonite markets. It brings a certain feeling, when you’re supporting a small, local, family-run thing - I wanted to create that.”
And create it she did. Last year was the Pennington family’s first foray into produce sales - they didn’t really know what to expect, but they weren’t expecting for it to do as well as it did. “We were blown away!’ she exclaimed. “That’s what pushed us to do it again - even though we knew our life would be kind of crazy at this time of year… the support from the community has been so good - I’m very blessed. Sometimes, when I think about it, it makes me emotional. We just had our homecoming last year - the community in Bluevale is incredible.” Both around town and on social media, Steph gets a lot of comments from members of the community that are excited to have access to fresh produce and eggs so close to home. “That support and those comments are so fulfilling to me,” she added. “Community is a big thing, and it’s a beautiful thing.”
Pennington Produce opens at around 9 AM, and closes at around 8 PM every day, around when it gets dark, and their season runs from mid-June to whenever the harvest ends for the season, probably in mid-November. They do take e-transfer, but prefer cash. Everything they have on offer changes from week by week, depending on what’s currently on the grow.
Bringing back the Pennington Produce stand for a second year has proved to be a worthwhile endeavour. “It’s going really good this year!” Steph declared. “We started earlier than last year—in June instead of late July. It’s been a little bit crazy, but everything is flourishing, which is great… We have five acres, and we’ve expanded a bit this year. I’ve got four gardens, a large flower bed, and some raised boxes. We’re probably using about three acres right now.”
And there’s always something to do on those three acres, especially at the height of the season! “Right now we’re starting to harvest, which is great. It’s starting to finally flow with produce - we were just kind trickling up to this point, but we’ve got quite a lot. So there’s lots of weeding, and a lot of picking,” she explained. ‘We have a few fridges that we keep everything in once it’s ready. It’s very busy, just tending to the gardens and harvesting.” All that work has yielded a lot of results. ‘“‘Gosh, our zucchinis just came out, we have peppers, beets, pickles, beans, garlic, onions, and potatoes. We also have tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower.” So far, their bestsellers tend to be broccoli and zucchini. Beans have also been really popular this year.
There’s more on the way for the late summer and fall. “We’ll have watermelon, eggplants, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kohlrabi, bigger potatoes and pumpkins in the fall,” she listed. “Wilkes, my son, is especially excited for the pumpkins this year!”
Of course, Pennington’s Produce is always open to diversifying their farm store offerings with top-quality produce from nearby farms. “Fruit like blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and raspberries comes from a family friend who’s Mennonite,’ Steph informed The Citizen. “And peaches are on their way!”
They also grow and sell a variety of herbs - many of which come in handy when Steph is crafting the personal care products available at Pennington Produce - she makes everything from lip balm to insect repellent. “I own a spa in Clinton, and have always been interested in skincare. Just in the past few years, I’ve really become more cautious about what I’m purchasing, what I’m putting on, and what I’m eating,” she explained. “I started with lip balms and it just grew from there. I use a lot of herbs that I grow myself - it’s really cool to grow something, and then turn it into something beneficial. It reminds me of how our grandparents used to live - simpler and better.” She’s hoping that she’ll be able to make even more skincare products next year, and maybe even expand the stand. “I’m learning how to stagger plantings, so there’s always something available - I’d love to grow, because I really love this opportunity,” she said.
Of course, the Penningtons are their own best customers! “I love being able to grow my own food and serve it to my family,” she confessed. “I love knowing what’s in my food, and that it’s fresh… I think it’s important to keep things simple - like how our grandparents ate - vegetables, meat, and potatoes. I just want to bring that back, and not eat so many processed foods. It’s become especially important to me since having kids. I want them to be healthy, and start them off with good bodies, and good systems.”
Her favourite thing to grow right now are tomatoes and herbs. “I make chili sauces and all of that, later on,” Steph explained. “And I love my herbs, because I can use them even in the winter. And zucchini - it’s always just so exciting to see them trail, and keep producing!” When it comes time to preparing fresh veggies for her family, Steph prepares a lot of potatoes, zucchinis, and beans.
It’s not just about enjoying the food that is the end result of home gardening - Steph sees enormous benefits to the entire process. “Watching something grow from the ground, and being able to share it with others - it’s just a beautiful cycle,” she said. “I wish more people knew how simple growing food can be. You put it in the ground, and it grows.”