Five local businesses and Oxford County community groups received grants, including Good Pud and Makkink's Flower Farm in Tillsonburg. The goal of the program is to help launch visitor experiences designed to attract more people to the region.
A mix of local businesses and community groups across Oxford County are getting a boost for new tourism projects in 2026, created by Tourism Oxford, Community Futures Oxford, and the Rural Oxford Economic Development Corporation.
Five recipients will each receive a $3,000 grant to help launch visitor experiences designed to attract more people to the region. Applications were judged on creativity, community impact, inclusivity, marketing potential and tourism demand.
Tillsonburg-based Good Pud founders Sarah Senior and Polly Senior will offer hands-on dessert demonstrations featuring seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and encouraging visitors to explore multiple stops across Oxford County.
At Makkink’s Flower Farm and Bakery Café, owner Hilde Makkink is launching “Bloom to Table,” an edible flower experience that includes food and drink demonstrations and an interactive scavenger hunt through the flower farm.
In Ingersoll, Scotch and Ponder owner Scott Van Schyndel plans to transform the business’s patio into a space for tasting events where distillers and brewers share stories and explain how their products are made.
In the new non-profit category, the Ingersoll Key Putt will update its mini-golf course so all 18 holes celebrate Ingersoll’s history and accomplishments.
The Zorra Caledonian Society will also use funding to host an international tug-of-war competition during the Embro Highland Games on July 1st, 2026, with teams expected from Northern Ireland, Nova Scotia and the United States.
