Valentine’s Day: The Perfect Occasion for a Vergers Rockburn Orchards Cupcake

While most locals know that Laurie Ann Prevost is an essential part of her family-run business Vergers Rockburn Orchards, many are beginning to know her by a different talent: baking.

Originally inspired by the bake sales that she participated in during college, Prevost found she had a knack for making cupcakes (a talent that she’s told she inherited from her mother). Her elaborate designs are Pinterest-worthy and great tasting to boot. Her intricate flower piping techniques came from studying YouTube videos—samples that she tested on family and friends, allowing her to experiment with different colours and themes. Selling the cupcakes at the orchard’s kiosk alongside their apple and maple products only made sense. “It differentiates me from other orchards,” says Prevost.

Since 2013, Prevost has gone from taking small custom orders to supplying weddings, baby and bridal showers, birthdays and local events. Her presence at the Huntingdon Farmer’s Market in the summer of 2015 made for another opportunity for Prevost to present her delicious creations. Touting the cupcakes alongside Vergers Rockburn Orchards maple and apple goodies, shoppers were disappointed when Prevost sold out of cupcakes—or worse, if she hadn’t made any that week. This year, she plans to continue the momentum, so expect to see the return of a weekly run of cupcakes at her stand at the Huntingdon Farmer’s Market.

Founded in 2012, Vergers Rockburn Orchards has grown over the years, from an orchard to a tourist favourite, due to a kiosk that Prevost established not long after her father purchased the orchard. Managed by Prevost and Roger Duheme Jr., Prevost runs every aspect of the kiosk herself, from marketing to sales and of course, baking. Raised in Huntingdon, Prevost studied Business Management and Marketing at Dawson College before returning to the Chateauguay Valley. “I realized working in an office cubicle wasn’t for me,” says Prevost, which inspired her move to her current home in Rockburn. While neither Prevost nor Duheme had any farming experience, they learned quickly. “It is a tremendous amount of work, but we really enjoy it, so it doesn’t feel like work. I feel good about what we do as apple growers.”

If you’re craving cupcakes, contact Laurie Ann Prevost or Vergers Rockburn Orchards via Facebook, or by telephone 450-827-2500. Prevost is open to custom orders, as long as it isn’t harvest season.