The Rural Voice, 1996-07, Page 31has become especially importan
since they expanded in the foo
operation at the market, Sandra says
In January and February they attend
conferences such as the Ontario Farm
Fresh Marketing Association to keep
up to date on what is happening
in the industry. In March they
meet again to co-ordinate who
will look after each task, then
they continue to meet every
couple of weeks to talk out
problems and keep the operation
on track.
While the berry operation
adds work, it also adds interest
to the farm. "It's so much more
of a challenge to emphasize the
customer coming out to the farm
for a day's trip, a kind of
entertainment farming," Ralph
says. "We're trying to not just
be a place where people come
out and pick strawberries and go
home. We're trying to involve
the family in an experience."
The family visited other
entertainment farming operations
d
•
hope is that the temptation of the
products in the market will increase
sales.
Those colouring sheets advertise
their Strawberry and Music Festival,
marking its third anniversary June
one week in the year," she says.
After strawberry season come the
raspberries, four acres of them. "1
switch from strawberries to
raspberries in everything," Sandra
says of the
to
see what they had to offer. "Since
we're just starting out it's a learning
process," Sandra says.
The experience includes a fenced
play area for children so customers
can go to the patch to pick peacefully
knowing the children are safe. The
area includes animals to pet,
playground equipment and a
sandbox. It will be expanded this
year with the addition of a corn maze
covering an acre.
To attract people in the first place,
the family carries on lots of different
marketing ideas.
They've created
strawberry and
raspberry costumes
and try to
participate in all
local parades "just
to let people know
we're here," Sandra
says. In the weeks
leading up to
strawberry season
they distribute
colouring sheets to
local schools. When
children colour the sheet and return
it to the market, they can get a free
yogurt cone with the purchase of
another treat. Of course the child also
brings along at least one adult so the
29. The event starts at 8:00 a.m. with
a pancake breakfast then includes
puppet shows, music and games for
children.
Last fall they added pumpkins to
the farm for the first time and hosted
10 school tours, everything from day
care centres to grade 3. Each child
was given a coupon offering 50 cents
off a pumpkin of their choice. Many
returned to pick a pumpkin. "I just
loved to see their faces when they
picked out out their own pumpkin,"
says Sandra. "It might not have been
the best pumpkin, but it was theirs."
The pumpkins are
part of the strategy to
lengthen the season at
the farm. This year
they've grown two and
a half acres of
pumpkins.
In the strawberry
patch, they grow
several diffcrcnt
varieties of
strawberries which are
The
strawberry is
the star
attraction at
the farm but
other crops
stretch the
season
throughout the designed to ripen over
summer a six-weck .period. Of
course, Sandra says,
that depends on the wcathcr. One
year it came hot and the berry season
was still only 17 days long. "I think
we're getting better at educating the
public that berries don't comc in only
bakery.
Along with these crops they grow
an acre of peas. This year they added
an automated pea shelter to make it
easier for customers to enjoy fresh
peas.
Pumpkins add fall business and
this year the family is involved in a
Christmas promotion with Lucknow
businesses.
There's an educational aspect to
the busincss. The farm tours offered
to school groups, for instance,
involve the entire farm. Children see
the machinery involved, from
irrigation equipment in the berry
patch to planting equipment for the
farm crops. Thcy also sec the hccf
feedlot operation.
The children arc one of the
reasons Sandra likes this
• busincss. All the. fall activities
are geared to children. "It's
diffcrcnt from what I do at the..
hospital."
Ralph says the busincss is so
diffcrcnt than regular farming. There
arc always challenges to come up
with new idcas to attract and
entertain customers. After 10 years
the Morrisons arc attracting more
customers than cvcr and generating
new marketing ideas at a rate that
seems likely to sec the growth
continue.0
Promotion is a
task for the
whole family.
Standing in the
farm market,
Michael and
Emily model
costumes the
family wears in
local parades.
Berry season
may be short but
planning and
promotion goes
on all year
round.
JULY 1996 27