HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-05-05, Page 3828 Exeter' T(ma;-AdvQ1 s ea
Wednesday, May 5, 1999
Farm news
Perth Garlic Growers optimistic
garlic has the sweet smell of success
Canada's largest garlic grower is capitalizing on the resurgence of garlic consumption
By Kate Monk'
. TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
STRATFQ-RD — A
5,000 -year-old crop has
new life in Ontario.
Heralded; .by health
experts for an array of
cures, garlic consump-
tion has grown by 30
per cent in Canada and
50 per -cent in the U.S.
in the past year.
A local company has
capitalized on the
resurgence and has
become a major player
in the domestic and
international garlic
market. In less than
two years Perth Garlic
Farms Ltd., based in
Stratford, has quickly
grown to be Canada's
largest garlic grower
and processor.
"It's just mind bog-
gling where you can go
with garlic," said Jackie
Rowe, manager of the
Garlic Box in Stratford,
a division of Perth
Garlic.
Three families — Jim
and Jackie. Rowe, Dave
and Nancy Packham
and Dave and Mary
Ballantyne —
formed the
corporation in
Aug. '97. The
company has
preferred
seholders
and contract
growers.
Although
Perth Garlic
owns 65 acres, an addi-
tional 240 acres of gar-
lic are grown under
contract in an area
from Delhi to
Collingwood including
several fields between
Exeter and Stratford.
Twenty per cent of
Perth Garlic's product
is sold on the fresh
market with the other
80 per cent processed.
Their major markets
are in Canada -and the
U.S. but they also sell to
Great Britain, Europe
and the Middle East,
Jim Rowe said.
While most of their
garlic is destined for
human consumption at
this time, Jim says they
are working with the
University of Guelph to
develop natural insect
sprays especially for the
cotton and apple pro-
ducers. Another appli-
cation is the treatment
of e.coli in animals.
"There are so many
different directions gar-
lic can go," Jim said
optimistically.
Farmers are finding
garlic works in well
with crop rotation. It
"It's just
boggling
can go wi
can be grown on a field
for up to four years and
then rotated with
another crop. The fer-
tilizers and the fact gar-
lic is a root crop helps
other crops in the rota-
tion.
Garlic enjoys the same
growing conditions as
winter wheat with this
past winter being ideal
for garlic, Rowe said.
Garlic needs an organic
type of loam with a pH
of 6.9-7.9.
Ontario garlic is the
hard -necked variety
and is planted between
Sept. 15 and Dec, 1
with the -winter condi-
tions stressing the
clove. In_. June, the
scapes (tops) are picked
in the early stage which
encourages the bulbs to
grow until the garlic is
pulled in late July or
early August.
The scapes are sold to
the New York and
California markets for
use in stir fries or
crushed to use the
juice.
After harvest, the
bulbs are dried for one
to two
weeks and
then further
processed in
Tillsonburg
or boxed for
shipping at
a facility
near St.
Marys.
Perth
Garlic recently acquired
Thames Valley Produce
and Supply Ltd. in
Russeldale and will be
using the warehouses
for garlic storage. Jim
hopes to expand at the
Russeldale site as more
acres are grown.
Jim said garlic is mea-
sured on a dry weight
basis with an acre pro-
ducing.5,500 - 7,000
pounds of garlic. The
normal market price in
the store is $2.99 per
lb. with a wholesale
price of $1.85 per lb.
Garlic has traditional-
ly been labour intensive
with much of the pick-
ing done by hand. With
a Large number of acres
in production, Perth
Garlic has become pio-
neers in building planti-
ng and harvesting
equipment and now
have a three -row self-
propelled harvester.
Jackie Rowe says con-
sumer preferences are
at the root of Perth
Garlic's products. The
Garlic Box is a mail
order storefront that
accepts walk-in traffic
but the biggest part of
1 a
mind
where you
th garlic."
- JACKIE ROWE,
MANAGER OF
GARLIC BOX
the business is whole-
saling to specialty
shops.
The Rowes believe
they grow the best gar-
lic in the world and are
confident about tackling
the international mar=
ket.
"We're very aggres-
sive at approaching the
international level," Jim
said.
.Perth Garlic belongs
to the Ontario Garlic
Farmers Inc. which
markets garlic and gar-
lic products to
Canadian grocery
stores.
With the founding
families working on the
Perth Garlic ventures
and their own compa-
nies, they are in for a
busy year.
The Rowes are opti-
mistic about their
chance of success "if we
can keep up the pace,"
Jim added.
Jackie and Jim Rowe of Hensall say there are countless opportunities for mar-
keting garlic domestically and internationally.
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Borland Farms
235-3805
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235-3805
ATTENTION SOYBEAN GROWERS
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