The Rural Voice, 1991-05, Page 30MAKING MARKET GARDENING PAY:
THE VANDER WO LIDENS DO
They have a diversified operation to spread out their sales year-round
stories and photos
by Sandra Orr
When Tcd Vanderwouden's fac-
tory job was threatened a decade ago,
he and his wife Emma thought the best
future for their family was in agricul-
ture — specifically market gardening.
So they took the plunge in 1981,
and bought a 40 -acre farm near Lake
Huron, south of Goderich. Now the
family is busy year-round growing
vegetables and bedding plants on the
20 acres of workable land and green-
houses. Their produce, sold under
their "TE -EM Farms" banner, have
gained a reputation for quality which
is achieved, Ted says, with attention to
detail.
"I have no idea why I am a farmer.
I was not that happy working in a
factory 10 years ago, and when there
was talk of a layoff at General Motors,
I quit and came up here. Sometimes I
wonder if I did the right thing or not,
but I guess I am happy here," says
Ted. He was born in Holland, and
later worked in the U.S. and London,
Ontario.
When they purchased the farm 10
years ago, there were five green-
houses, and they have expanded it to
13, with 10 heated. Most are 20 by 96
feet, and three are 27 by 144, with
natural ventilation.
"The weather is the biggest chal-
lenge, inside the greenhouse even
more than outside," says Ted. "It is
better to be five below (Centigrade)
and sunny than ten above and cloudy."
"The light makes a big difference,"
says Emma. "By Mother's Day, the
greenhouses should be full of bedding
plants."
"If you have a week of cloud and
rain, you get a lot of disease, you have
to ventilate to keep the plants dry, and
the problems disappear," says Ted.
"At present, we water by hand,"
says Emma. "In that way, we can
From the factory to the farm: ten years ago Ted Vanderwouden bought the market
garden operation that he, Emma, and family operate south of Goderich.
keep an eye on the plants. Eventually,
we hope to put in a sprinkler system."
The fuel bill is about $7,000 for the
winter. By January, there are two or
three germination houses in operation,
then later on, more greenhouses are
used as small plants are transplanted.
The seed starter house is kept at 75°F
for the plants, some of which are
started as early as Christmas from
seed purchased from Stokes. As soon
as seedlings have emerged, the
temperature is lowered to 68°F at
night. There is a greenhouse strictly
for baskets of plants with fuchsias,
half -barrels, and herb pots. Another
greenhouse is used for propagating
perennials such as peonies, anchusa,
and delphiniums. Some shrubs grown
from seed are now ready to be sold.
Like most farmers, the Vander-
woudens are always busiest in the
spring, but plants and shrubs are sold
right into the fall.
"We over sow seed in order to
have enough," says Emma. "We
make decisions in December on what
the customers might be buying next
year.
"Some things don't pan out," says
Ted. "If we make miscalculations and
the plant doesn't sell, we make
adjustments again in the late fall."
Another greenhouse, which is full
of tomatoes, is harvested at the end of
May and the fruit is shipped to Stra-
ford and other nearby locales. Bed-
ding plants go to a number of retailers
in Southampton, Seaforth, and
Clifford.
Products such as honey and maple
fudge are sold in their retail store on
the farm, along with a large variety of
vegetables in season. They also have
a pick -your -own operation for beans,
strawberries, and tomatoes.
"The store front gets the customers
coming," says Emma. "The business
26 THE RURAL VOICE