About Us
From our family to yours
A Bit More About Us
See how much Cheer Farms has grown…
Having such a small orchard Cheer Farms had 4 hardworking gentlemen from Jamaica that helped them for a few short weeks during harvest time. Also during the month of September they became involved in the local festival Applefest, where they set up a small booth side by side with Dave’s mother (Gracelynn) and father (Doug) and their crafts.
A few years went by, Gracelynn and Doug gave up their spot at Applefest for Dave and Loraine to grow their business. Still to this day you will find them on the Main Street during the festival with now 30ft for their apple display. The rest of the year, all the work is done by Dave himself with the help of Loraine and their two girls Kimberly and Jennifer.
Who We Are Today
Proud to be serving communities with local Ontario produce
Moving forward 6 years Dave and Loraine bought their second piece of property which is where they started to grow strawberries. Loraine having the knowledge of growing up on the strawberry farm she was a lot of help to Dave in knowing what to do. They had a pick your own patch and already picked strawberries. All the strawberries that were already picked were handpicked by Dave, Loraine and their girls with the help of a few family members and friends.
From there in 2010 Dave and Loraine were offered a piece of land to buy. Was only during the busiest time of the year they didn’t think any further. Bought Applefest weekend, broke the news to their daughters that they will be moving out of the family home that they have grown up in, in town and they will be moving to the country. Building a beautiful new home, life was now very different for them, the girls never living in the country before and Dave being so much closer to the Farms it was clearly a no brainer that this move was meant to be.
During 2011 a family friend told Dave that it was his chance to start a road side market, he now had the land and space to do such a thing. With that Dave built a little mini market on wheels, using a small piece of land at his brother’s house on Highway #2, the roadside market of Cheer Farms began. From the mini market on wheels and an air conditioner in the shed to keep the other produce chilled, Cheer Farms just kept growing.
Dave now was growing sweet corn and pumpkins. This meaning Cheer Farms would be open from June when strawberries started right through to Halloween. Having Cheer Farms located at Dave’s brother’s property was not an end goal for him and Loraine. They tried several times to buy another piece of property, Dave having done his homework knowing that it was and always will be agricultural land, he knew that the people buying it would have it for sale again within time. That time finally came. April 2013, the new location of Cheer Farms finally went through. 365 Main Street was purchased with the intention of building something bigger and better for a retirement for Dave and Loraine. Having a vision and having the girls involved things moved fast. From having an empty shell of a building to adding a walk in cooler the first year, second year starting a scratch bakery kitchen, walls to the inside of the market, and adding a bathroom.
Now visiting Cheer Farms it really has a welcoming atmosphere, from the smell outside of fresh baking that is all made right on site, being able to pick up that perfect gift for that special someone or to be able to watch your produce come in from the field fresh all throughout the day. If there is something that Dave and Loraine don’t grow they will purchase it from other local farmers within Ontario. Cheer Farms is a family run business with a very small employee base. They will greet you and always love answering questions and making their customers the happiest so they will always return.
Farmer Dave
The man behind the scene. Having an agricultural technology college diploma from Ridgetown College to now working in the chemical sales business. Dave runs the fields and the ordering of fruits and vegetables. Always coming up with new things to grow. You are most likely to see him on the tractor, or filling up the front shelves with produce.
Shopper Kimberly
The girl behind all the ordering, displays and gift baskets. She’s there and she’s gone.
Working full time off the farm in a group home, she still makes time to appear at the farm to change things up for customers. She is also learning the paperwork side of the business to help her mother out.
Momma Loraine
Recently stepping down and taking a part time job as a registered pharmacy technician at a local hospital. She is also to be found in the kitchen baking and canning. Using many family recipes, she shares the wonderful tastes with customers. She is also the lady behind the paperwork, she keeps everything up to date and makes sure the paperwork is done when it needs to be.
Baker Jennifer
The love of baking is something that has happened over the last few years. Jennifer’s kitchen. She loves making all the bakery items from scratch as well as making customers happy. Recently accepting a part time job as a dialysis attendant at the local hospital, she now back and forth from the bakery and work herself. You can also find Jennifer out in the field helping Farmer Dave in the spring and fall time.