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Times-Advocate, 1986-05-28, Page 7• - t4'fsit ASPARAGUS GROWERS — Herb and Elaine Gottschall sample some of their own product. Describe dream job Meeting six of the Quest for Success 4-N club was held May 21 in the home of Sheryl and Sandra DeBoer. All but two Teens of Today were present to answer the roll call which asked You to describe your dream job. Robert Schuller's statement, "Don't kill your dream. Execute it!" was the basis for the meeting. Being self-employed is not as easy or as glamolrous as it sounds...at least in the beginning. A lot of time, effort and just hard work, goes into starting and operating a new business is one who doesn't need the sense of security and belong- ing that goes with working for a large corporation or as part of a team. . They also possess the quality of be- ing able to pick themselves up after they fail and to be willing to start anew. The single 'largest cause of a business failure in Canada is poor management...with a lack of suffi- cient capital running a close second. Experience is the greatest teachers. Through it you can learn to avoid mistakes and anticipate the consequences of any given action. Partnerships and their advantages anci disadvantages were discussed. TM11 break up rate of 50-50 partner- ships is 95 percent before the fifth year. This does not mean that the business has collapsed. It does, however, mean that one partner has bought the other out or that the two friends have sold the business to a new owner. The career panel and achievement nights were discussed further and plans were made for the next meeting. It will be held May 28 at 7:30 p.m. again at DeBoers. Pentecostal ladies meet The May meeting of the Women's Ministries of thePentecostal Church was held at the home of Mrs. Ada Triebner with 11 members present. The meeting was opened by singing hymns and Mrs. Jean Jolly offered prayer. Mrs. Ada Triebner presided at the organ. Roll call was answered by each members with a verse of scripture containing the word "plant". The minutes of the last meeting were read by Mrs. Jean Jolly. The treasurer's report was read by Mrs. Mary Blan- chard. A letter was read from World Christian Missions. The Missionary reading was given by Mrs. Connie ,Donnan. As a special number a poem entitled "Eternal God", was read by Mrs. Edith Millar. The message on "Characters from the Cross" was given by Mrs. Hilda Eizenga. Mrs. Ruth McLaren told us the highlights of a service at Carr which they attended. Prayer time followed with each member participating. A delicious lunch was then served by Mrs. Ruth McLaren and Miss Marion McLean, assisted by the- hostess. THE N QUICK START PROGRAM. IT WILL TEACH YOU THAT EATING IS LIVING — NOT DIETING. Registration and First Msstlr 1 820.00.88.00 weekly thereafter. Senior Citizens and Students Registration and First Fee 81080. 85.00 weakly thereefter. FOR MEETING INFORMATION AND LOCATIONS IN YOUR AREA CALL 1-800-265-9291w•ight Welchers and Quick Slati so* ed indents*. of WEIGHT WATCHERS INTERNATIONAL. 'WEIGHT WATCHERS WNTEA NATIOr1At. NC.1 Y/6. , Vor r. Tithes -Advocate, May 28, 1966 Asparagus growing latest move dlstrict couple.'!sline in career When Herb and Elaine .Gottschall think of spring, they think of asparagus, the first fresh vegetable to emerge ftom the soil each year. Spring at aptly named Spring Garden farm means six weeks of intensive work cutting, bunching and selling the harvest from 18 acres of the delicacy, which annually yields from 1,200 to 1,800 pounds per acre. Asparagus grower is the latest and most satisfying in a seriesof careers for Herb Gottschall. Trained as a chemist, be spent much of World War II experimenting with methods to separate U235 from U238 as part of the Manhattan Project's atomic research at Columbia University. There he met and married his wife. After the war, Gottschall and three partners set up and presided over the growth of a company producing elec- trically conductive plastic. The com- pany was eventually sold to Litton Industries. While acting as a private consul- tant, Gottschall was asked • by a former room -mate from Yale to take over management of a plant in Strat- ford. As the Festival was in full swing and little rental accommodation was available in the city, the Gottschalls rented a farmhouse in the coun- tryside. The two urban Americans soon fell in love with rural Ontario. The Gottschalls became ardent ad- mirers of their farm neighbours during their three years as tenants. They noted the industrious, modest lifestyle around them, the paradox of women sewing, canning and baking in the house, while outside in the machine shed stood equipment costing hundreds of thousands .of dollars, a far larger capital invest- ment than that of many small businesses. "Wives were right beside their husbands, both working hard, and not seeing much return until they sold the farm. Until this day, I'm still impress- ed", Elaine observed. In 1976, the Gottschalls purchased 75 acres at RR1 Kirkton in Perth County. Herb had made an ir- revocable decision; he no longer wanted to be part of industry. After years spent working on armaments for defence, he wanted to "do something useful", and farming had been a lifelong dream. As the Gottschalls did not want to keep animals, and 75 acres was not enough land to cashcrop, they made their next decision. They would specialize in something that was good for people. When Herb suggested asparagus, Elaine concurred wholeheartedly. Asparagus is an ex- cellent source of folic acid, vitamins A and C, plus some of the Bs. Armed with knowled10 provided by helpful growers like Keith Lovell in Huron County and Bob Kerr near Chatham, and asparagus experts Dr. Herman Thiessen in Guelph and Rudy Brown at Ridgetown, the Gott- schalls trekked to Leamington and returned home with two huge truckloads of Viking 2 cultivars. WANT TO KNOW NOW TO LIE DOWN ON THE JOB? of � two ��b� trenching six acres at 10,000 plants per acre; Phosphate was chosen as fertilizer because it does not move appreciably in the soil, thus giving the new plants that vital �ofphosry tunny for a good feed "The following year farm neighbour Joe Louagie, who had witnessed the previous year's amateurish effort, offered to bring his family of five children and plant the next six -acre lot. The job was finish- ed in one day. "Joe knew nothing about asparagus, but he sure knew bow to plant, and how to organize kids', Herb laughed. The final six acres were put in the third year. (The rest of the farm is sown to white beans and wheat). The Gottschalls are among the few to grow asparagus in clay. This made initial planting more difficult, but paid long-term dividends. The stalks don't have to be .washed to remove sand, and the soil's mineral content adds flavour. All plantings were let go to fern for the first two years to encourage the formation of strong root systems. Herb wouldn't even let Elaine cut a few second -year stalks for their own dinner table. In 1980 the first harvest on the original six acres was done by hand with the assistance of hired help. A cucumber picker modifi'd by Herb is ` now used to carry five people around the fields. The driver sits in the mid- dle and steers' with his feet, leaving his hands free to cut, too. The cutting season is never longer than six weeks. This allows the plants to store energy for the coming year. The Gottschalls think one of the reasons they havehad noincidence of the dreaded fusarium wilt - besides a little luck - is because strong plants 1 L'OREAL SPECIALS Receive a FREE Brush for Blush of your choice when you buy Visuelle Powder Blush Multicolor Mystery Eyeshadow pressed into eye pencils Bridal Peignoir Sets and Lingerie Rumor's 11 Centre Mall, Exeter 235-0891 1 l are much more resistant to disease. Insecticides have not been needed. The big headache with asparagus - growing Is weed control. As soon as the harvest is over, a cocktail of Sen - car, Cormax and 2,4-D is sprayed on the fields. Nothing goes on the asparagus from one July until after the next year's harvest, ensuring an unadulterated crop. The Gottschalls have built up a large roster of customers by adver- tising and word of mouth. People flock to the farm to pick up fresh Spring Garden Farm asparagus in unlimited amounts. 'Deliveries are also made to grocery chains in Lon- don, Stratford, Mitchell and St. Marys. The Gottschalls fully intend to carry on with the most challenging and yet most fulfilling career of their lives for at least another 20 years. "Elmer, why don't you play golf with Ted anymore?" asked a friend. "Would you play golf with a fellow who mdved the ball with his foot when you weren't, watching?" Elmer asked. "Well, no," admitted the friend. "Neither will Ted," replied Elmer. 111/111111111 111/1111711 IMMENT CRIIFICITS twuritir and yiddm ce NATIONAL TRUST A Division,of National Victoria and Grey 11.ustco Open 8 to 8 Monday to Friday EXETER 425 Main St., 235.0530 9 to 1 Saturday ver, -goo ex BE A+BLOOD DONOR Date: Thurday, June 5th Time: 7:30 p.m. ' Place: Fellowship Hall at Hensall United Church You are. invited /o see w/a/ ideas /he snail /own o/_.t snail can yive you. You will find displays of fine //china// and /earn their practical uses, innovative and heauli ful cakes, /he tales/ in wedding lariat, learn how to hold an eleyan1 trousseau lea, hsauliul Awe, arranyemenls and much more. ifyou have any questions afoul your wrrlrliny, hese professionals can help you find creative answers.CC77 erirles and one �yapsl rvel ome. _/o re, e ve free complimentary liciels for door prizes, please , phone 262-2446 Or 236-4979� before may 3011'. K./reshmenls provided Hosted By Ferguson Apiaries • • The Flower Basket, Trifles, The Birch Tree, Aloetto, Wedding Consultant Buy 1 salad & get another salad of the same size fr e!