About Us
We invite you to participate in the farm, experience our taste of place, learn about regeneration through tending to the ecosystem, to be a part of our community and not only extract from it.
Understanding what our role is as a steward of this place and your role in your place for future generations through radical transparency, honouring a sense of place and leading to a better quality of life for all.
Howdy,
¡Bienvenidos!
We are The Culinary Farm; Paul, Sara, Joah, Vivien and Inchy the worm. We have been on a 10 -year journey to build a must-see farm based on regenerative farming and tourism principles, a place to think outside the box, that is as unique as our family!
Our 7-acre property just outside of Thamesville, Ontario is designed to bring the food we grow to life so we can share it with those interested in developing food literacy that helps and heals our bodies and planet. Our farm is also designed to cultivate taste through highlighting our family’s heritage and culture which comes from both; North and South America.
We grow a wide range of ingredients that together promote biodiversity, develop ecological harmony and contribute to build climate resilience. We also hope our farm will be a place to start conversations with individuals and families about the food they have lost touch with. We want to impact the world for the better and we hope you will join us in that pursuit.
Our desire is to design authentic culinary experiences that connect guests with the food that nourishes their souls from ingredients grown on our farm and in our region. Our hope is that guests get lost in the natural beauty of our farm as we curate an exclusive one-of-a-kind destination for taste, celebration, community and learning.
Paul Spence
Owner, The Culinary Farm
Paul Spence was born and raised in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. He attended the University of Guelph where he obtained his diploma and degree in Agricultural Business. After living and working in Guelph and surrounding area fo 10 years, Paul returned home to rediscover the passion he tried to run from, agriculture!
Along the path, he uncovered his love for agricultural tourism and the desire for people to reconnect with food and farming. This allowed Paul to see how powerful, experiences on the farm could be and also how transformative for a society hungry to regain a connection with their rural roots.
While consumers look to learn about food through documentaries, books or eating local-featuring restaurants in a urban setting, Paul’s belief has always been the best way to learn about food is on the farm where it is produced. The problem was that farm did not exist. Until now!
Sara Spence
Owner, The Culinary Farm
Sara was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, “where there is no snow to be seen” – as she says any chance she gets! She holds an International Business Management Degree from “Universidad Catolica Santiago de Guayaquil”.
She moved from her beloved country to Chatham Kent, Ontario in 2008 after marrying Paul. After becoming a mom, her desire to pass on her cultural values, language, traditions and food became a driving force in her life, as she realized cultural authenticity is very important.
In her experience as a newcomer and now as a Canadian citizen, Sara feels strongly about how much can be learnt through cultural exchange. She believes that the sharing of culture fosters a sense of belonging, improves and enriches our quality of life, and helps us relate to each other with new perspectives.
The Culinary Farm is the place where she gets to live that passion and where she is hoping to spread that cultural exchange and more with the community.
