The Rural Voice, 1982-08, Page 44THE YOUNG FARMER
Operating a pick -your -own farm
by Adrian
When Ted VanderWouden immigrated to Canada in
1964, he didn't know what the future would hold for him.
In line with his background (he grew up on the dairy and
hog farm of his parents,) he took a job with an Ilderton
farmer.
But working as a farmhand wasn't the future Ted had in
mind.
After all he is a graduate from the agricultural college in
Gouda, The Netherlands. and had taken part in the youth
exchange program for young farmers, spending his part in
the USA.
It was after he completed his year and a half as army
draftee, that he decided to try his hand in the young country
of Canada.
Soon he quit his job as a farmhand and took a welding
course. That paid better, but a job in the diesel plant of
General Motors in London was even richer and Ted •
remained there till he and his wife bougnt a farm in the
winter of 1980-81.
He had married Emma in 1972 and the couple have three
children. Carl. 7. Anita, 11. and Robert, 11 months.
The farm is near Bayfield off Huron Road #13, and the
former owner, Jake Reder. had operated it as a
pick -your -own vegetable farm.
Using the first two letters of their first names. they
proclaimed to the world that this was to be a joint effort only
possible through team -work. Hence the company name of
"TE -EM".
They soon learned that a p -y -o farm is quite different
from any other farm. Much of this they learned through
experience, the hard way.
Ted explained that a p -y -o farm needs a number of
different approaches. Smaller fields. divided in small
sections. Then these sections have to be split in rows and
parts of rows. marked with flags and stakes to tell
customers where they can go to pick. "If you don't, people
needing one 11 -quart basket of tomatoes will wander across
a whole acre. But they could just turn around to the next
plant to fill up."
Not everything is picked by the customers themselves.
Te -em have students come in to pick produce for the
on-farm store. Ted and Emma found out that they too need
supervision or they'll do the same as the customers and
wander.
"As soon as the beans come they will pick for us. and with
tomatoes the same. We pay them by the basket."
This year they added strawberries to the vegetables and
the new beds of asparagus are just beginning to give a
modest yield.
Picking has to be learned like most things. Inexperienced
as most customers are. they leave much that should be
harvested. Peas. for instance. should be picked when ready
or they'll soon be over -ripe. Emma says that she is sure she
could get another bushel off in most cases where customers
have just finished.
But both are convinced that they re better off selling the
p -y -o way, even if it includes some loss through fruits left on
the plants.
"One of the things we count on is that people won't leave
here without also buying some other product."
Vos
"We can't always compete in price with the big
operators." Ted says. "They pick beans mechanically, but
our beans are of better quality because they are
hand-picked. We sell to stores where our beans draw a
higher price than those from the wholesaler because
customers recognize quality. The local stores too prefer our
beans over machine picked beans."
The main attraction of the p -y -o is freshness of product
and a day out with the family.
The season begins with product from the greenhouses.
There is one whole greenhouse devoted to bedding plants
now. Ted hopes to double that next year. Then comes the
leaf lettuce. followed by cucumbers, both for vegetable use
and for pickles. Greenhouse tomatoes start in the middle of
May.
The first off the fields are the cole crops like cauliflower.
broccoli and cabbage. Ted says that this year's cool weather
has been good for all cole crops but has delayed such
crops as green peppers who came on stream only in early
July.
There is no interruption in the stream of produce ready
for customers from the beginning of May till the fall. The
first potatoes, planted the first week in May, take just about
two months to be ready for digging.
There are, beside the produce mentioned. rhubarb.
radishes. onions, raspberries, melons, squash in the fall.
and later the field tomatoes.
The cole crops will be available year round. These crops
need a lot of moisture, so these fields are irrigated.
The busy summertime doesn't leave much time for
Emma to look after her young family and they have a steady
and highly regarded regular worker in Heather Lindsay. a
neighbour.
Ted has been amazed sometimes how good even small
children can work if they have the proper supervision.
"Mothers from the vacation camps sometimes come with
a group of children and provide them with an opportunity to
earn some money and to rel ie ve boredom at the same time.
"they even brought some six-year olds with them who did
surprisingly well." The secret is the right supervision.
The couple sits down as a team once a day to discuss their
plans for the morrow. During the winter they make their
plans for the future.
Like all ambitious business people. they would like to
expand. This would mainly be through modernization and
more greenhouses. But they have also observed the
business failures of recent years and don't intend to expand
beyond their means. So the expansion will take place over a
number of years, depending on income.
Ted would like to specialize some more. but he has no
intention to go for a single crop. He knows that some crops
are not profitable, but they have to grow them just the same
in order to draw customers for their profitable crops. They
want a continuous use of their store without interruptions.
They think it important that,no one drops in and the store
is empty.
Much of this customer psychology they have learned on
the job, but they are grateful to former owner. Jake Reder.
who also gave a lot of good advice.
All of this is a big change from Dad's modest farm in
Holland, but the TE -EM is planning more changes yet.
PG. 44 THE RURAL VOICE/AUGUST 1982
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