The Heissler family beginnings were in war-torn Europe. After emigrating to Canada from Germany in 1952, Maria and Paul Heissler set their sights on finding a farm on which to put down roots in their new country. Within a year, they found the farm that reminded Paul of his beloved Estonia. It was beautiful in its ruggedness with rolling hills, woodlands, wetlands, and meadows along the Cold Creek near Stockdale. The stones that littered most of the fields made it difficult to farm, but Paul and Maria saw potential. In August 1953, they got a mortgage to purchase the farm on what is now Maybee Road and moved there with their family.

The first years were especially difficult. While Paul continued to work in Toronto to pay the bills, Maria put in a small garden to feed the family. To help make ends meet, she took extra produce to the Trenton Farmer’s Market.

Cold Creek Farm soon became well-known for the vegetables and fruit that went to market every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday during the growing season.  As they were growing up, the Heissler children were heavily involved in the market gardening operation.  Though they each went their separate ways to pursue their own interests and careers, some of the Heissler children and their families eventually returned and settled on the original farm or nearby with their own ventures:

• 100 Acre Wood (Elmar)
• Down-to-Earth Creations (Maia)
• Heissler Greenhouses Inc. (Ed)
• Lost Road Gardens (Ivar)
• Natural Themes Native Plant Nursery (Bea)
• The Garden Network (Benita)

Out of this family connection and shared love of the land came the idea of co-operative market gardening under the name Cold Creek Valley Growers.