It's a family affair over at Ayres Country Livin' farm on the 9th Line of Innisfil.
The farm is owned by Brian and Lisa Ayres and run with the help of their three adult children: Courtney, Chad and Cameron.
In 2016, Brian and Lisa purchased the property, which was once owned by Brian's grandparents, to build their dream home and adjacent barn.
Brian's grandparents used to crop on the property and dairy farmed at another property down the road. When they passed away, it was inherited by Brian's uncle, who continued the operations until he died in 2011.
The property sat vacant for seven years before Brian and Lisa decided to purchase it in 2016 and move their family to Innisfil.
"We built the house and this (barn)," Brian says.
It was spring 2018 when a powerful windstorm swept through the area, destroying the family's newly built barn.
"All the walls went," says Lisa. "It was a little stressful, but in 2020, we finally got it resolved."
Previously, the family had been living in Barrie and didn't make the move south until the kids were out of high school.
"It was something we always thought about doing, but we need them (the kids) on board to help us, too, because we both still work full-time," says Lisa.
During the week, Lisa works as a dental hygienist and Brian works at Honda in Alliston.
The weekends are when they come to work on the farm as a sort of passion project and side hustle.
"It's playtime," Brian says with a laugh.
The farm is home to cows, pigs, ducks, rabbits, and goats, which are primarily looked after by Cameron.
Since 2020, the family has been working hard to turn the barn into a local tourist attraction, featuring a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, sweet corn, flower picking, and photo ops and visits with the farm animals.
For the fall, the family will be serving snacks and drinks and next year hope to be able to offer ice cream to customers.
At the front of the property is the small rustic 'Corn Shack' with sweet corn piled inside for customers to drive by and pick up with an honesty pay policy via cash box or electronic money transfer. This will also be the last week of their sweet corn as the season comes to an end.
The farm is open for business every weekend until Halloween for a fun, fall outing filled with a corn maze, pumpkins, and animal visits. In the barn with the barn quilt design on front, is where they've set up fall photo spots for guests to pose by, with haystacks, pumpkins, and scarecrows.
The family hopes to continue to expand and grow its services each year, and eventually be able to host farmer's markets and vendor markets.
"It's coming together," Lisa says. "We want people to come and have an experience."
Ayres Country Livin' is located at 2505 9th Line, Innisfil. They are open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until Halloween. There is no admission fee.
To learn more, visit their Facebook page by clicking here.
