COLGATE, Sask. – There’s a crimson dot in the sea of wheat that blankets southern Saskatchewan.
It’s the South Side Berry Farm at Colgate where owners Wayne and Veronica McLeod farm about 15 acres of market gardens.
Colgate, about 30 kilometres south of Weyburn, has about 35 citizens, “counting the dogs and cats,” joked Wayne. But the McLeods have managed to put it on the map with a strawberry-picking, trout-catching, RV park farm.
It can be difficult to make a living as fruit farmers in the semi-desert conditions of this area. The McLeods say they find it especially hard because there are few produce growers in Saskatchewan to compare notes with and it’s hard to get agronomic information.
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“I guess we’re nuts,” said Veronica with a grin as she scooped rice onto a cabbage leaf, getting ready for the next day’s sale.
Until last year, Wayne raised grain on eight sections of land near Colgate. But the stress of running a large farm was proving difficult for the family so they decided to try a new crop. They rented out their land, “to give the market garden a fair chance,” said Veronica.
The McLeods figure they’ve got a good shot at success as the only fresh vegetable sellers in the area. In the summer and fall they bring strawberries, vegetables, homemade pies, jams, cabbage rolls and trout to Weyburn to sell at their fruit stand. They also attend farmer’s markets and invite customers to their farm to pick their own produce.
The McLeods make more money when customers pick their own because there’s no waste caused by having to throw out unsold fruit and vegetables picked for the stand.
It’s cheaper for customers to pick at the farm, too. The McLeods charge $7 a pail for U-pick strawberries, $8 if pre-picked. So far strawberries are the only fruit they farm. Though saskatoon bushes have been planted, they only produce enough to feed the family.
The produce is a different story. They normally grow about 2,000 tomato plants, some of which have produced fruit up to 38 centimetres wide weighing about half a kilogram.
Every February the McLeod’s build a greenhouse on their patio and fill it with plants.
“It was incredible to see how things grew in there,” said Veronica. In April they transplant the carrots, radishes and other vegetables to a cold frame structure on the ground.
This season has been an exception for the McLeods. Last winter about 25 deer decided the strawberry field would make a good bed and ruined many plants. Others were ruined by the long wait under the snow.
And because the McLeods were married at the end of June, they didn’t get the weeding done.
Their wedding was held at the farm. Luckily for visiting attendants, the McLeods recently opened an RV park. Though it hasn’t been advertised yet, the eight-stall camping spot is also open for business.
With all these people visiting their farm, are the McLeods able to vacation themselves?
“Yeah, right,” said Wayne. The two considered chatting in the kitchen to be ample vacation time.
They usually don’t get the chance to eat supper until around 10 or 11 p.m. “We have no life at all in the summer,” said Veronica.
The McLeods began their investment in produce without much thought about what they were getting into, and had to do a lot of research into direct marketing and advertising.
“The biggest challenge is how to market our produce,” said Veronica. Small issues like purchasing fruit flats turned into larger problems when the only ones available were in Kelowna and were stamped with the words “B.C. Fruit” on the side.
Sometimes finding competent workers can be a problem. “We’re forever breaking in green hands,” said Wayne.
But having seven children collectively helps. “When the kids come home they get right into it,” Veronica said.
None of the children plan to take over the farm and, “I would discourage them from doing so,” she said.
Even though their children won’t be taking over, the McLeods intend to stay in the produce business for a while.
“I enjoy it,” Veronica said, as she set another finished cabbage roll in a large Dutch oven.
