How to use your Solar Dollars to book a farm tour

If you’d like to know more about how your food is made, we’ve got good news—VG Meats customers can now use their Solar Dollars to book a tour of Hillview Farm in Haldimand County! This is Cory Van Groningen’s own farm where much of our cattle is raised. You’re invited to take a guided tour as Cory discusses holistic management, regenerative food, going beyond sustainability and why this matters so much to the VG team and Van Groningen family. It’s a great opportunity to see exactly where your food comes from—we hope you’ll come out to enjoy this unique behind-the-scenes experience!

Join us in Haldimand County

This educational, engaging two-hour experience will be led by Cory Van Groningen or another member of the Harvest to Gather team. Meet your farmer, ask questions, see what our holistic management practices look like in action and get to know our family farm.

The cost of this farm tour is 200 Solar Dollars—meaning, 200 points from your account. You can check your current balance by logging into your account on VGFarmToCity.ca and clicking on the ‘Solar Dollars’ button on the bottom right side of the screen. A pop up window will appear (see below). Please pay close attention to what it says and do not click on any of the options until you’re ready to book, as points will be deducted from your account immediately!

Start by choosing a date from the options shown in the pop-up window. Clicking on a farm tour date will immediately remove 200 Solar Dollars from your account and give you a redemption code—be sure to copy it! The farm tour can be added to your cart and you’ll be able to check out to complete the transaction (just like you would if you were buying a steak or other product online). Instead of using your credit card, you’ll be using your Solar Dollars (via the redemption code you just accessed, which acts like a coupon). After the transaction has been completed on our website, you’ll be emailed a link to finalize your farm tour booking on Calendly (this may take up to six hours to arrive in your inbox, so please be patient). The address and other important details will be emailed to you as well. Please contact us if you have any trouble!

Important information for farm tour guests

We’re excited to welcome you to Hillview Farm, but before you redeem your Solar Dollars for a farm tour, please be aware of the following:

• While all are welcome at the farm, this tour is educational and therefore not geared towards children or families. This is a working farm with cattle, pigs and poultry on site, and there’s no playground or petting area!
• Please note that there is a good deal of walking involved, often over uneven ground (it’s a farm, after all!). We recommend that participants dress for the weather and wear boots with a good tread. Waterproof footwear is always a good choice!
• There are no public washroom facilities at Hillview Farm. If you need a washroom, we recommend visiting Hewitt’s Dairy Bar in Hagersville—it’s about 15 minutes away by car and has great food and ice cream as well as washrooms. Making a stop here is another great way to shop local!

See you soon

Thanks so much for your interest in learning more about holistic management, regenerative agriculture and where your food comes from. If you’re ready to book a tour, follow the instructions above. If you have any problems while booking or redeeming points, give us a call or send us a DM on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). We check these platforms regularly, but a phone call will always be your fastest option. Thanks again and see you soon—we’re looking forward to it!