HomeMy WebLinkAboutFarming '92, 1992-03-18, Page 4A4. FARMING ’92, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18,1992.
jtf______ Farming '92__________
Orchards' owners deliver fruits of their labour
is collected from the orchard's very
own bees, which the Gunthardts
have for purposes of pollination.
They also press their own apple
cider. It is all natural, with no addi
tives or preservatives, the value of
which is appreciated by Mait-Side
customers, says Erika.
Wholesale distribution is limited
to packers in the fall.
In 1981 David Griffiths pur
chased, from his mother, Blake's
Apple Orchards, for which the ini
tial deed dates back to 1865,
though it did drift in and out of the
family at times through the years.
Located south of Brussels, the
operation now spans 30 acres abun
dant with trees, bearing the familiar
species of apples, like Courtland,
Red Delicious and McIntosh, in
addition to five "orphan" varieties.
Like the Gunthardts, David typi
cally runs the business himself, hir-
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ing people to help with picking
during the peak sesason. He does
employ someone part-time to help
pack the apples every week.
His retail business is small. It is
closed from April until the time
harvest begins in late summer when
people traditionally buy apples
which is the only product retailed at
Blake's that comes directly from
Blake's. The apple cider, honey and
apple butter are from Wellesley.
"Wholesale is really the big
business for us," David says,
adding that they distribute to stores
as far away as Port Elgin. David
does most of the deliveries as well,
he says, to keep things "on a one-
to-one basis. If there's a problem
then I'm the first to know, not the
last," he says.
The 1500 trees of Orchill Farms
and Orchards sit on 6.5 acres, east
of Blyth. Run by Boyd and Muriel
Taylor, the original farm and
orchard existed as early as 1852,
continued on page A5
Quality control
Peter Gunthardt takes a close
look at Mait-Side's harvest
before packaging it for retail.
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Harvest from Blake Orchard, RR2, Brussels is sold at the
orchard's own retail store and through local wholesaler
distributers. Here, owner David Griffith inspects the apples
for flaws.
BY BONNIE GROPP
As appealing to the eye as the
taste buds, the harvest from the
three area apple orchards,
attracts people from miles
around to sample its rich bounty.
Like other types of farming,
the harvesting of apples, involves
hard work, long hours, and gov-
erment regulations. Unlike many
other tyes of farming, the busi
ness also involves being a store
keeper as the product is usually
retailed from the premises.
Three decades ago Peter Gun-
thardt of Switzerland visited Cana
da, then dreamt one day of
returning to start a business. His
dream came true in July of 1986,
when he and his wife Erika brought
their family to the Brussels area
and took over operation of Mail-
Side Orchards from Louis and Bev
Cardiff.
According to long-time resi
dents of the village, there have
been apple trees at the orchard for
some 80 years, Erika says. It now
encompasses 40 acres, 30 of which
are planted with apple trees at vari
ous stages of growth, bearing 20
varieties of the succulent fruit. The
Gunthardts have planted a number
of dwarf trees since taking over the
business.
The size of the operation
requires full-time effort. In addition
to planting, Peter is responsible for
the pruning of trees each winter and
summer. During peak season, Mait-
Side employs anywhere from six to
10 local people to pick the apples,
in addition to a part-time assistant
through the summer to help out
when necessary.
The retail store opens with the
early harvest at the end of July and
closes in the spring. Besides the
apples, Mait-Side offers apple but
ter, made in Wellesley from Mait-
Side apples and honey. The honey
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