EASTERN ONTARIO: North Gower Grain’s Customer Appreciation Day going online

NORTH GOWER — Come hell, high water or, apparently, COVID-19, North Gower Grains Customer Appreciation Day will go ahead on June 24. But, like many things in the era of social distancing, it’ll look a bit different.

The annual event, famous for its barbecue ribs, is going totally online. This year’s agronomist and marketing talks will be pre-recorded and special pricing will be offered over the phone and through email, said owner Delores Foster. The plan is to have a forum online where people can watch the talks and ask questions.

Nobody’s yet figured out how to send ribs through the internet, so like everything else in life, there’s no free lunch. But phone lines will be open all day for the elevator’s special pricing, Foster said. The talks will be offered all day as well, so a busy farmer doesn’t have to be at the farm at a particular time to get to hear them.