HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-07-26, Page 11Scrimgeour's Food
Market
brings technolo •
Life sometimes does come full circle.
When Don Scrimgeour and wife
Lenore returned to Blyth in 1973, after
several years away from his home-
town, they began their meat shop in
the same building were Don had
trained as a butcher in his youth.
Blyth Meat Market did a thriving
business serving the retail and custom
meat customers, which supported an
expansion of the grocery section in
1976 when they added a cooler and
freezer section.
Eleven years later, they took the big
step of moving into a new 5,000 square
foot facility, in affiliation with the
Knechtel group.
In 1989, the storage space was
expanded and three years later, the
retail area was increased by 2,000 sq. ft.
Though the meat counter remained a
major draw for Scrimgeour's Food
Market customers, the new store
offered a much larger selection of
goods and found new markets through
the produce and bakery departments.
During the expansion process, a bak-
ery was added to the food market then
moved to the front of the store with
renovation in 1992.
Throughout the implementation of
new technology such as computerized
price scanning equipment, Scrim-
geours have maintained many features
reminiscent of the small town grocer.
Delivery service and carry-out are
still available and they take pride in
their homemade country sausages and
hamburger patties which are well-
known locally.
What started as a family business 22
years ago, remains the same today.
Scrimgeours' children are actively
involved in the business. Kevin
worked in the meat market before
moving on to work at the Bluewater
Centre in Goderich. Brent has become
the computer whiz, instituting the
scanning equipment installation and
Heidi, who attends university in
Windsor, works part time on the week-
ends.
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 1995. PAGE 11.
111W YOUR €40Gett STORE WITH
KNECHTEL
ilri 1 ,7,3 a A 1 I/g
Food Markets
Pink
213
Admiral
g Tin
Salmon n 99
FRESH, JUICY
NECTARINES
Product of
U.S.A. 89 lb.
1.96 kg n
SCHNEIDER'S
OKTOBERFEST SAUSAGE
"Famous for
Quality" 1 79 Frozen
500 g
BLADE STEAKS
Cut From
Canada
A/AA/AAA
Grades
Beef i 59
Chuck • lb.
3.51 kg
TROPICAL GROVE
DRINKS
Selected
Varieties
Case of
12 x 300 ml 299
Bottles
PEPSI, 7 UP, CRUSH,
SCHWEPPES OR HIRES
24 x 355 mi Tins
Unit Price
7.2/100 ml 599
750 mi Bottle
4.Deposit
Unit Price NI 6 9
9.2/100 ml
HEINZ WHITE
VINEGAR
4 Litre 29
Jug
Savings based on our regular retails. We reserve the right to limit quantities to
normal family requirements. Values effective: Mon., July 24 to Sun., July 30.
Blythe Brooke Orchards-developing a new industry
for North Huron agriculturalists
As an entrepreneur, environmentalist and con-
servationalist, Mason Bailey has been able to
turn rolling, nutrient-stressed, rocky land into a
productive apple, strawberry and cherry
orchard.
Bailey, who purchased the property just west
of Blyth in 1988, decided the land was best
suited to trees and grass, thereby reforesting
some and starting Blythe Brooke Orchard on 55
acres.
"After 30 years in corn, the land needed to be
restored. Erosion had affected much of the land
and a bridge needed to be built to keep equip-
ment out of the creek," says Bailey.
In two years, 1,200 trees were planted and a
unique irrigation system was installed, which
Bailey learned about 20 years ago.
The drip irrigation system was developed in
Israel where the need to conserve scarce water
resources is of the utmost concern.
Using a pond on site, the three horsepower
electric pump is able to irrigate 50 acres, which
now include 16,000 trees and two acres of
strawberries. Liquid fertilizer is also applied to
the orchards through the irrigation system.
"The results have been better than expected.
We are able to produce a better quality, larger
and more eye-appealing product," he says.
"Unhealthy trees are more prone to disease
and stress. By keeping the trees fully fed and
watered, there is no stress period."
With 12 acres now in full production and the
rest of the trees ready to go in
three years, Bailey .purchased a
cold storage facility on Hwy. 4,
just north of Blyth, two years
ago.
"We needed to expand. It
enables us to do our own packing
and marketing."
Aside from developing his own
business, Bailey says he wanted
to show that Huron County can
produce orchard crops which are
comparable to any others on the
market.
With the changing technology,
irrigation, sprays (which Bailey
keeps to the bare minimum),
insect controls, as well as new
styles, stocks and varieties of
trees, this is an industry which
could be developed in North
Huron, he says.
"Ontario (producers) have often
taken potluck. They don't take the
trouble (to use industry ad-
vances)."
With a labour intensive indus-
try, orchards would also offer the
opportunity for the youth in the area to find
summer employment.
The Blythe Brooke Orchard produces Jersey
Mac, Red Delicious, Mutsu, Mac, Empire,
Spartan, Northern Spy, Golden Russet, Ida Red,
Courtland, John-a-Gold, Galla and Golden
Delicious.
The cold storage facility opens for sales when
the harvest begins.