The Rural Voice, 2002-03, Page 20Norman McCully. just east of St.
Marys on the busy link between
Hwy. 7 and the picturesque stone
town. Two years later he married
Darlene. With so much traffic going
by their door the idea of selling more
products from their farm directly to
consumers came as a natural
progression from David's past
experience in direct marketing.
Five years ago they took the
plunge, investing heavily in a new
evaporator and evaporator house and
the farm market in the flats below
their house, next to the highway.
David again credits family with
helping make the move possible,
through an innovative
ownership/leasing arrangement that
meant the young couple didn't have
to buy the farm and build the
infrastructure for their business at the
same time. If you had to buy the land
and put up all the buildings it would
probably be impossible to make a go
of it, he says.
But they have and the business
is growing to the point where
Pullen has hired a helper, even
in the off season. There's so much
work to be done managing the
business even in the down -season of
January and February, he says.
including such un -farm -like activities
as marketing. There are brochures to
be designed and printed, school tours
to be booked, arrangements to be
made with groups to cook and serve
the pancake breakfasts.
Maple syrup is the key to a value-
added business that stretches past
spring into summer and fall. The
market offers more than 20 products
that make use of maple syrup, from
cotton candy made from maple sugar
to maple -flavoured sausage to fruit
and maple pies.
But throughout the summer and
fall other products draw people to the
market as well. Sweet corn is still a
Pullen specialty and pumpkins are a
big part of the fall attraction. They
grow some additional crops like
strawberries and raspberries.
"What we're trying to do is
produce the vast majority of what we
sell," Pullen says. Still, they do offer
produce, some of it organically
grown, from three or four other
family farming operations, all within
a 20 mile radius of the market.
"We're trying to fill the gap (in
16 THE RURAL VOICE
it PURE MAPLE
SYRUP
For A Taste of Spring
Visit these Producers & Festivals
0
Ontario Maple Syrup
Producers Association
THE SAUGEEN VALLEY
CONSERVATION
FOUNDATION
presents
Maple Madness
Saugeen Bluffs Conservation Area
(3 km. North of Paisley off of Cty. Rd. #3)
Saturday and Sunday
April 6 & 7 (10 am -4 pm)
519-364-1255
www.svca.on.ca
(Ivan & Gail)
CRANSTON FARM
MAPLE SYRUP
Cty. Rd. 1, 3 miles South of Lucknow
Over 60 Years Family Tradition
of
Pure Maple Syrup
Visitors Welcome
Seasonal Hours
Syrup available year-round
529-7360
McCully's Hill Farm
St. Marys
Weekend Sugarbush Tours
March 2 to Apr. 14
* Pancake brunches
* Horse-drawn rides
* Old time syrup making
* Taffy on snow
* Baby Iambs and bunnies
* Music and special events
Farm store open daily 10 to 5
Groups welcome
519-284-2564
1 -866 -McCully (622-8559)
www.mccullys.ca
MA GWOOD
Maple Treats
Offering a
Complete
Zine of:
Maple
Products :'
Syrup
Butter
Jelly
Sugars
Products available year round
Jim/Dianne Magwood
519-364-1932
Located I mile north of Zellers (Hanover)
DON MORDEN
Top Quality
Maple Syrup
Certified Organic
Cty. Rd. 7, 1 mile East of Rothsay
Watch for signs
519-638-2525
Come Taste
'EIm11�8' The Tradition
maple ' at the World's
ru Largest
` S1tival Maple Syrup
Festival
Saturday, April 6th, 2002
From 7:00 a.m. - 4 p.m.
for more information call:
519-669-2605 or 1-877-969.0094
or www.elmiramaplesyrup.com